Gas woes

Have the high prices for a gallon of gas hit your neighborhood? Yesterday, I paid $3.29 for 91 octane (my 34-year-old car requires it). That's almost $35 to fill the tank. Luckily, she's pretty fuel-efficient for an old broad, getting about 23 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. That's the same as some 2005 small cars.

I know more than a few birders who drive much larger cars and even purchase minivans and SUVs for a higher vantage point while birding. The fuel efficiency of those vehicles is horrid, though. Does that fact carry more weight now with the rising gas prices?

Will more birders -- who often consider themselves conservationists and environmentalists -- purchase vehicles that run more efficiently and consume less gas?

Do birders who disagree with oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drive fuel-efficient vehicles that reduce the American demand for oil?

In the short term, will gas prices prompt more carpooling or reduce excursions to birding sites? Could the price increase affect your birding activities?