Oil is dancing with $100/barrel again and, surprise surprise, Americans are doing the exact opposite of what they should.

With the political turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East getting more dangerous every day, the price of oil is going up. Libya alone is responsible for 2% of the worlds oil supply, and has some of the largest proven reserves out there. Plus unrest across the along Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is not going to make things any easier either. So now a barrel of oil is hovering just below $100, and some are even well above that mark.

What does this mean for America? The short answer is nothing good.

We were just beginning to see some serious signs of recover, despite rising food and energy costs this winter. However, now with oil once again daring to set record highs with no sign of stopping, we are going to be plunged back into a downturn. What do we do about this? We whine to our leaders and expect miracles from the administration and from the Saudi's...

This past weekend at the National Governors Association meeting, many spoke out against the rise in price. The threat was made clear and worries about the engine of recovery stalling were aired, but no solutions offered. The next day members of congress sprang into action pleading for Obama to open up our reserves and seek aid from the Saudi's, a really responsible move..

To what end are these actions going to save the country? Depleting our strategic and domestic reserves is only going to serve to stave the problem off a few months. Leaving us open to a economic and functional crash once it is all gone. Going to the Saudi's, our favorite oil barons, will add billions to the national debt. Neither option are going to provide long term results. We need some creative, forward thinking, and responsible plans to save the nation from the worst possible outcomes of these events.

So what should we do? Why not lower the price of public transportation? Reducing the fairs on trains and buses, even temporarily, will encourage people in cities and suburbs across the nation to park the car and take public transit. Even if these public operations end up running at cost, there is nothing wrong with operating thusly when faced with the likelihood of there not existing at all. Radio and television ads, on local stations, could advertise routes, times, and fairs to help spread the word. State and Federal transportation agencies could lower the speed limits by 5-10mph, in hopes that the difference in fuel consumption would lead to savings. Our largest glut of oil, shipping and industry, could be required to make cut backs or seek alternate methods of transportation. Already we have seen technology that could make savings in ocean going shipping, we could also stand to ship more by rail.

In the end, it is a little too late to do a lot. The time it takes for the government and for companies to make changes would make any major changes time and cost prohibitive. As Americans and as people who are facing some of the greatest challenges ever faced, we cannot afford to be complacent. We need to begin to take this seriously, start making savings where we can. Carpool, stay home, plan your week to avoid excess driving, telecommute if you can, do whatever it takes. Above all else be prepared.