With heating oil doubling to $2 a gallon and oil tripling to $30 a barrel, consumers, policymakers and energy experts are raising an issue that surfaced during the 1973 Arab oil embargo: the need for a new energy policy.

According to advocates of a policy change, low prices and abundant oil supplies in recent years have dimmed public awareness of an energy crisis that never went away. They also cite a dangerous disregard for global climate change, the result of fossil fuel over dependence.

Some people are taking this opportunity to explore fuel efficiency for vehicles, and alternative fuel sources that are cleaner and safer.

Guest:

• Howard Geller, Executive Director of the American Council for and Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He is an advisor to utilities, governmental organizations and international agencies, and helped in the formation of Brazil’s national Electricity Conservation Program.

Related link:

• American Council for and Energy-Efficient Economy