There was a saying when I was in my teens that everything and everyone is connected in one way or another.  It was similar to “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there, does it still make a sound?”

There is no right or wrong answer to either question, however, everyone seems to have an opinion and a viewpoint of their own for each question.  As we look at the global economy, these questions come to mind. 

During the past few years, we have watched as oil prices have skyrocketed from double digits to over $4 per gallon in the U.S., and higher prices in other countries, with the forecast of prices going even higher before long.  As a result, we have seen a substantial rise in food prices, a decline in stocks, a large increase in layoffs and lost jobs and families losing their homes more than ever before in history.

These issues are so important that both the Democratic and the Republican National Conventions spoke about them in the past two weeks. 

Looking at the bleak situation, there are connections between many of the problems.  Let’s start with the fuel crisis.  The cost of fuel has become so high that many people are leaving their cars at home and opting to take the bus to work if there is a bus line available.  The problem is that many cities, including major cities such as Denver, are eliminating bus routes just when people need them most, because the cities can’t afford the gas to get to some areas.

The fuel crisis has affected manufacturing to the extent that many auto makers have laid of thousands of workers because the demand for luxurious gas guzzlers of a few years ago has evaporated.  There are talks of converting plants to start manufacturing hybrids and other fuel efficient cars, but that will take time, money and training.  Meanwhile, people are out of work.

Adding just one more thing, farmers and truckers are being hit hard, as well.  It takes fuel to plant and harvest crops and it takes fuel to transport them to the market place.  With costs going up, some trucking companies and farms have gone out of business while others are simply trying to hang on and wait it out.

There is no need to go into the rest of the story.  We all know what’s up.  What is important to think about is the answers to the questions at the beginning of this article.  If we are all connected – even by a small, thin thread – it is time to work together to find solutions to this crisis.  Even if we each do one tiny thing – recycle, conserve, carpool – it could add up to the difference between a trucker or farmer staying in business or having to close their doors.

The state of California produces the lion’s share of agriculture for the nation.  That has always been a positive thing for the country and for the state.  With the state of the economy and the issue of the fuel crisis as overwhelming as it has become, the fact that California is in the agricultural situation that it is can be more of a negative than the positive it used to be. 

The reason: fuel.  Agriculture alone uses a lot of fuel that, on the surface, we don’t think about, and, often, neither do politicians or farmers.  For instance, in addition to some of the fossil fuels that are used in agriculture – aside from those used in trucking and transporting products to market and aside from equipment used on the land itself – there are other, more subtle uses.

Asphalt for roads uses fuel.  Plastic used in many types of containers use fuel.  Pesticides and other fertilizers use fuel.  When you produce as much agriculture as the state of California does, these things add up to a lot of fuel.

California is in a good situation on one hand because they have 206 oil fields.  On the other hand, California uses about 20 billion gallons of fuel just to be able to drive.  This is a lot of fuel. 

Even though the nation and most states do not have a comprehensive energy plan or energy conservation plan, the need is there.  Politicians – especially the two presidential candidates – are talking about this issue on a daily basis.  CNN and MSNBC along with all the other news channels have program after program about what to do about this crisis.

Some cities in California are not just waiting around for the federal or state government to come up with a plan.  Cities such as Oakland and San Francisco are working on alternative energy in areas such as their mass transit.  Hopefully other cities and counties across the country will follow suit.

The fuel crisis is a problem throughout the world, not just in California, however, since California produces nearly half the fruits and vegetables in the United States, it is critical for them to be able to be sure that they can continue to do so.

But California is not alone.  The country is in need of alternatives, and we are hearing from people like Richard Branson and T. Boone Pickens, among others, with ideas that could help get the fuel crisis under control in the short term and the long run.  California is in a tough situation, and their situation will effect the country and essentially, the world.  It is a good thing that they are taking the lead and taking responsibility to start looking at conservation and alternatives on their own without waiting for the problem to get any worse or the government to help.

The fuel crisis is creating a lot of issues that are quite difficult to deal with, especially for the average individual or family.  Things are getting more expensive.  In some cases gasoline is unaffordable – even for necessities like getting to and from work.  People who were on a tight budget before are in dire straits now.  And citizens have no control over very much of it.

On the other hand, some citizens are trying to make some changes that make things better for their families and for the larger community and even the global community.

Some of the changes that are taking places are in the area of conservation.  People are giving up their larger cars for smaller more fuel-efficient ones.  They are walking, when possible, rather than driving their car short distances.  Even curtailing a little bit of driving can save money and save fuel, not to mention, help save the environment.

People who never thought of carpooling in the past – in fact, who thought of carpooling as a dirty word – are now, not only doing it, but promoting it wholeheartedly.  Many have taken jobs closer to home – even taking pay cuts (after all, you off set the pay cut with the gas cost savings).  Others have sold their homes and moved closer to where they work.

Some employers are helping too.  Where possible, they are encouraging telecommuting or having employees come in for less days with longer hours.  Not only does this eliminate a day or more of driving, but it also curtails driving during rush hour in many cases, which saves gas by eliminating the stop and go of the crowded rush hour highways.

The fuel crisis is not an easy situation, but in the midst of it all, it’s nice to see some positive side effects and results mixed in with all the negative news and tough choices.

This is a complex question with an even more complicated answer.  The answer is yes they can, maybe they well, not sure how or when they will finally do it.

Congress has the power to control certain areas of this crunch.  It has worked on bills to eliminate gouging by gas stations around the country.  At the same time, though, it has passed bills agreeing to price hikes and higher gas taxes.  In the same breath!

On the other hand, Congress – or, should I say, the Bush Administration – is looking at solutions like drilling in protected Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

There are some smart solutions on the table – or about to be on the table – that deal with fuel mixing, ethanol, and stricter conservation guidelines (especially for big companies and corporations).

One thing the public needs most is information, which is not easily available.  There are conflicting news reports every day all over the place, however, there is no real information coming straight out of Congress to the American people.

There is also no information about conservation for the average American.  There are few – if any – commercials citing conservation as part of the solution.  It is interesting that during a time when both political parties are spending massive amounts on advertising for all these presidential election commercials, nobody from the government side of things has thought to run ads to try to help people begin thinking about ways to conserve fuel.  It has been said that if every American driver would simply curtail 3% of their driving, it would result in more fuel than we could even use.  However, that message is not being splattered all over the T.V.

Especially during this pre-election frenzy of commercials, this would be the perfect time for the Department of Energy and other departments of government to create an ad that runs every time a candidate’s ad runs.  This would be an effective use of advertising time.

So, the answer remains: yes and no.  Congress is working on fixing some things and helping the country with the fuel crisis.  This administration has not been particularly involved or helpful during the past several years, but now, at the end of it’s second term, it is jumping into the ring.  The issue is that we are now seeing the results that we have been warned about for many years, and Congress is working to find solutions to the problem.

Time will tell what Congress can do, how fast they can do it, and how well it would work.