Romney: "I'm going to take advantage of our energy resources: Oil, coal, gas, nuclear, renewables, wind, solar. North America will be energy independent by the last year of my second term."

I am not saying that we don't need cars in some areas of this country but we could conserve by driving less or driving smaller cars. I was in Sweden last summer and though the majority of people live near the three major cities which all have elaborate transportation systems you still need to take a car or train to get to a lot of rural areas as well but people aren't driving hummers and huge suvs either. The cars there are so much higher efficiency then ours and the higher taxes on gas make people think more about driving to the corner store. I live in a small town in western Washington and my family's energy usage is somewhere at or below that of the average swede so I know it can be done. We don't drive a car unless we have to go to Seattle which is only maybe once every few months, the rest of the time we walk or bike, with our three children as well. We buy local food, we minimally eat meat and animal products, with the exceptions being free range locally raised. We shop local for our necessities and used whenever possible. We pay a little more for better quality, and go with wood, metal or glass instead of plastic when possible, rather than replace things over and over. Lastly we keep our waste lower by not buying as much stuff with over packaging. I also want to say ten miles is not two far to bike back and forth. You are right there can be several things that hinder cutting back but it doesn't mean people can't I live in a rural area and do but I also don't need to go to a mall everyday and walking four miles is not to much for me or my healthy 17, 8 or even 6 years old. I was merely trying to say that any plan for energy independence needs to include reduction not just be about lets up our production by any means possible..