New York Relieved To Be Oil-Independent

"Not much has changed since the cold war." "The nonstop message is, Be afraid, be very afraid."

"It was therefore almost pleasant to learn this week that we are not entirely unprepared for coming ordeals. Mind you, we are not talking here about problems on the scale of terrorism or nuclear annihilation. Still, they are serious matters."

Some news is actually encouraging, such as "word this week that if oil prices soar out of sight -- say, to an entirely feasible $100 a barrel -- no American city is in better shape than New York to withstand the economic shock. So says SustainLane.com, an online service that develops strategies for what is known as 'sustainable living.'

Grit your teeth all you want on that packed No. 6 train. But our mass-transit system, plus our willingness to walk, will ease the sting the next time oil prices zoom because the Middle East goes haywire or a hurricane devastates the Gulf of Mexico. New York 'is really the only city in the United States where people ride rather than drive to work and to get to school and other activities,' said Warren Karlenzig, SustainLane's chief strategy officer.

It was comforting to hear. Granted, rising debts and oil prices are hardly comparable to nuclear nightmares. But wouldn't you rather dwell on them than on sitting below ground somewhere like a mole, munching on stale crackers for 50 years?"

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