By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writer
Tue Oct 10, 11:07 AM ET

Winter heating bills are expected to be slightly lower for most families across the nation, with the highest reductions for those who use natural gas, the government said Tuesday.

Families using natural gas should expect to pay an average of $119 less during the upcoming winter compared to last year, a decrease of 13 percent, the Energy Department said. Those heating their homes with fuel oil will pay $91 more, an increase of 6 percent, it said.

Everyone has a part to play in combating global warming -- whether simply turning off lights in an empty room or making their own electricity from the wind and sun, experts said on Friday.

No matter how small the action in the context of the vast problem of man-made climate change, every little bit counts, was the message from the Energy Saving Trust (EST) on the opening day of the Ideal Home Show in London.

BUSINESS ethics have mostly to do with business. But business is touched, sometimes trampled on, by government in a large way. So let’s imagine that there is such a thing as government ethics as it relates to the conduct of business, and talk about that.

California is my home. It’s a beautiful state with mostly great weather, endless beaches, haunting deserts, immense redwood forests, seascapes and escapes that most people can only dream of. In short, it’s a fine place. I especially recommend Santa Cruz.

But lately, the escutcheon of the state has been darkened by a fellow named Bill Lockyer, our attorney general. He’s going after one of the mainstays of life in the Golden State in a way that is so confused, so terrifying an abuse of state power, that it begs for redress

TOLEDO, Ohio,
The Chrysler Group, which depends more heavily on sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles than any other Detroit automaker, said Monday that it expected gasoline prices to remain at $3 to $4 a gallon for the rest of this decade.

The comments by Thomas W. LaSorda, Chrysler’s chief executive, are the first time a Detroit automaker has issued a specific forecast on gas prices since they began climbing to $3 a gallon and higher.

By DORIE TURNER, Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA - Most weekday afternoons, Patricia
Israel waits in her front yard for the school bus to drop off her 6-year-old twin sons.

The boys beg to ride the bus every day, which Israel said is fine with her. She sees it as environmentally sound transportation that reduces traffic on the streets and at the school.

It also saves money on gas for her sport utility vehicle. "We're looking at getting a hybrid," Israel said. "Every time I fill up the gas tank, it's like $75."

David Smith and Juliette Jowit, The Observer
Our insatiable appetite for the big picture is threatening the planet. A scientist has warned that if half of British homes buy a plasma-screen TV, two nuclear power stations would have to be built to meet the extra energy demand.

Britons were buying flat-screen TVs every 15 seconds from Currys and its online sister company Dixons during the build-up to the World Cup, and subsequent price reductions have ensured they remain hugely popular.

Robert Rapier, The Oil Drum
...Yes, Brazil has in fact "figured it out" with respect to energy independence. But the reason they achieved energy independence is primarily because of their frugal energy usage, not because of ethanol. Increase their energy usage to U.S. levels, and the "energy independence miracle" would quickly vanish. This is the factor that the media and the politicians have overlooked. On the other hand, if the U.S. had the same per capita energy consumption as Brazil, we would be net oil exporters. In fact, our per capita energy consumption could be 11 barrels per person per year - triple the consumption of Brazil - and our production and demand would be in balance. We would be energy independent.

Alfred Runte, Seattle Times via Common Dreams
Here we go again — blaming everything on the oil companies for the spiraling cost of gasoline. How about we try something positive for a change, say, restoring our passenger trains?

For decades, Europe has paid double what the U.S. pays for gas, and just look at the trains they have. Every day, thousands of passenger trains — conventional and high-speed — whisk tourists and business people across the continent.

by Warren Brown

There is no cheap gasoline.

Accept that.

Now get on with your Memorial Day weekend and summer travels, and have a good time.

I'm serious.

End the silliness. Stop worrying about whether gasoline will go up to $4 a gallon. It will. In some California communities, the price is already there. Stop running around all over the place wasting time and the gasoline you have looking for fuel a few cents a gallon cheaper. What's the point? You save 10 cents and lose 10 minutes. You can always find another 10 cents. What about the 10 minutes?

Kate Kelland, Reuters
LONDON - Ross and Ash are about to dig in to a meal of chicken rogan josh, king prawn makhani and rice, chicken balti and naan bread followed by pineapple, strawberries and grapes for dessert.

All of which came out of a bin.

"Everything I eat comes from dumpsters," Ash says. "For me it's a logical lifestyle choice. It's such a natural thing to use up that waste."