With consumers facing rising gasoline costs and skyrocketing prices for home heating oil this winter, the debate over the short- and long-term future of America’s energy supply rages on. Some observers point out that it’s getting tougher for environmentalists to distinguish among sources of energy that are acceptable and those that should be met with picket lines. This question is being raised with regard to the once universally despised specter of nuclear power, and it’s also being applied to liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facilities.

According to the results of a recently conducted Harris Interactive Poll, nearly three-quarters of American adults agree that protecting the environment is important and standards cannot be too high. Meanwhile, almost half of the 1,200+ respondents surveyed believe the federal government should get more involved in environmental protection. Only one-fifth feel there is too much environmental regulation currently.

Environmentalists are incensed at draft regulations proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week calling on older coal-fired power plants to be judged on hourly pollution output as opposed to the current annual standard. Under the proposed change to the controversial New Source Review program, power plants would be able to emit more pollution than is currently allowed by simply operating for more hours.

It’s great to know that we’re all in this high-gas-prices thing together, consumers and oil companies alike. "If each of us took just one small step toward conservation, the impact would be huge," says a recent Chevron ad campaign, which adds that the company is "working around the clock" to get oil back to pre-Katrina production levels (and, presumably, prices). In the meantime, we’re urged to cut down on trips by "consolidating errands," "using public transportation when possible" and avoiding "rapid acceleration and braking." Thanks for the tips, Chevron!

Researchers believe that rising sea temperatures in the North Atlantic, possibly as a result of human-induced climate change, are primarily responsible for the worst drought in the Amazon in four decades. Brazilian officials have declared 16 cities within the country’s Amazonas region to be disaster areas due to the effects of the two-month-long drought.

In other news about the impact of environmental problems on developing countries, the United Nations last week predicted that as many as 50 million people around the world could become "environmental refugees" by 2010 due to increasing drought, deforestation and declining soil fertility, all of which could be exacerbated by global warming.

September 22 was celebrated as World Car-Free Day in much of the civilized world, but there was no joy in the Washington office of the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute. "Many people may well choose a car-free lifestyle, but the notion that government should impose it in the name of sustainability is crazy," said the head of CEI’s Automobility Project.