That Tempting Petroleum Reserve

Opening up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as some Democrats have suggested, seems like a terrible idea (May 19). How about strengthening our miles-per-gallon standards, which have steadily fallen since the Carter administration?

The SPR is for a national emergency. Allowing Hummers to drive up gas prices does not suggest a national emergency. It suggests a national stupidity.

Todd Mason

Mar Vista

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To readers getting angry about paying over $2 per gallon of gas, I would like to point out that at current UK prices, a gallon of unleaded gas here would cost £3.28, which, at the current exchange rate, is about $5.54. Perhaps you should count yourselves lucky that you had such low prices for so long compared with other parts of the world.

David Wilcock

Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK

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Here’s a simple proposal to encourage oil conservation and improve air quality: Allow hybrid and electric vehicles to use the carpool lanes at any time, regardless of the number of people aboard. As people see Honda Insights and Toyota Priuses whipping by in the carpool lane, the sales of hybrid vehicles, with their better mileage and clean emissions, will increase and the amount of oil used will fall.

Michael Ham

Monterey

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Every time gasoline prices increase you use a lot of paper printing letters and columns suggesting that the reason is corporate evildoing. Why don’t you follow up with these conspiracy buffs’ explanations when gasoline prices decrease?

Joseph Peters

Santa Monica