My gas gauge was practically at empty midweek, so I pulled into the Kangaroo Express on South Saunders Street and let 'er rip. By the time the regular unleaded had filled the tank on my LeSabre, the damage was north of 60 bucks. Oof.

That's when I decided to implement my own personal energy policy. It's a simple energy policy because I'm a simple guy.

It does not involve writing Bob Etheridge to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, because the caribou-save-the-permafrost lobby has a death grip on Capitol Hill.

No help here

Oil will probably have to go to $1,000 a barrel before drilling would be allowed off the North Carolina coast (assuming the stuff is there).

And I don't pay attention anymore to stories about miracle hydrogen or plug-in cars, because I have been reading those for a while, and they are always just two years from mass production but never seem to make it to the lot down on Brightleaf Boulevard where I trade automobiles.

My energy policy begins and ends with my right foot. I decided at the Kangaroo to start nursing gas like it was my last tank.

I'm going to ask you in a minute for your energy policy, but first, let me tell you what I've found out.

OPEC loves me

According to a federal Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov, I have been very helpful to my least favorite cartel, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. I am the king of the jackrabbit start. I think that the real speed limit is at least 10 to 15 mph more than posted.

This Web site says that I could lower my gas consumption by a third on the highway and by 5 percent around town if I drove sensibly. It says that for every 5 mph over 60 that I drive, I pay the equivalent of 20 cents more per gallon of gas.

So even though I buy only regular at the Kangaroo, I turn it into premium, because, like most of you, I believe that it is my inalienable right to drive like a bat out of hell on Interstate 40.

But my behavior has just been pumping more petrodollars into the treasuries of anti-U.S. strongmen like Hugo Chavez. Great.

My tipping point

At $3.60 a gallon, I have reached a tipping point. My loathing for OPEC has trumped my lead-foot tendencies.

Now I can hear you out there saying that I am not going far enough. I should buy a hybrid. I should install solar panels on my roof.

Yeah, fine, but there's a simpler way. If I were president, I would make my message real basic.

This is the whole speech:

"Forget about drilling in the tundra or whether I should uncork the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Stop dreaming. None of that's going to happen. Let's not waste time talking about repealing the gas tax. That's just going to make people drive more. But if everyone in the country stops acting like you're Dale Jr. and the guy next to you at the light is Kyle Busch, we could take that barrel of oil down to $80 by June. Thanks for listening and God bless America. That's all."

I mentioned above that I would ask you for help. If you have some simple ideas for saving gas, go to share.triangle.com.

We have set up a forum link in the middle of the page. We'd like to run your recommendations in the paper. Make 'em something that I can do now, while I'm waiting for my new Buick Hydrogen to roll off the line in 2010. Or 2012. Or 2014.

Meanwhile, sign on to my plan: use your right foot to give OPEC a kick in the butt.

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