Introducing The $5 Gallon of Gas

Don't think the "myth" of global warming is enough impetus to seek out alternative energy sources? Then how about the fact that gas prices have reached their boiling point.

Two summers ago, I pitched an ad campaign to a client - the nation's leading provider of commuter benefit programs. The campaign was titled "Fight The Five." The concept: a fervent movement to turn back the potential of an impending $5/gallon gas price by encouraging more people to use mass transit (and save a considerable chunk of change on commuting) with tax-free commuter benefits. The client loved the idea, but passed. (It's all good...we won an APTA Award for the ad they chose).

While the concept of a $5 gallon was very real, as suggested by research, the reality of it seemed too distant to resonate with employers or their employees. Now, fast-forward 18 months: today, I saw this article on The Huffington Post about a California town charging over $5 per gallon. And, statewide, the price of regular gas is 58 cents higher than one year ago with a 20 cent increase expected in the weeks to come. Continuing to give oil companies record profits by paying through the nose at the pumps is only hurting Americans. Now, if that's not an inconvenient truth we have to start accepting, then I don't know what is.