Eco-mmerce = more bytes and far less oil.

Six points illustrating how the web could dramatically reduce our costly oil addiction.

First, let me thank all those who work honestly to ensure our oil, it is a vital resource; I do not want to denigrate their profession at all. Oil's so precious, I think it's a waste to burn it for transportation. Let's think about a world where oil is so expensive, that it inflates the prices of nearly anything we need, from food to shoes. Indeed, even the process of producing our daily bread requires a fair amount of oil, that can be reduced, but hardly eliminated.

Moreover, oil, through its growing price, has the merit of reconciling climate change experts with those who deny the connection between the phenomenon and fossil fuel consumption. They both agree on at least one topic: we ought to reduce oil consumption.

Let's see how the web could help us saving even more oil.

1. We could multiply web sites that promote car pooling. Some companies are already doing that for their personnel. I think governments could play a relevant role, for instance, suggesting a standard per mile contribution to be paid by passengers.

2. Organizing truck pools via web: a truck delivering U.S. beer to Canada could return loaded with Canadian timber, if there were web sites organizing logistics.

3. The web could provide more energy savvy information. For example, oil companies destroy (by burning it!) still more than half of the LPG, a gas that already fuels cars and trucks, because people are not informed about its advantages, so demand lags.

4. More e-commerce: how much fuel could be saved if there were fewer empty cars going to the shopping centers, and more trucks delivering tens of customers per trip? Even in Europe, larger drugstores have already began selling on line, and home delivery.

5. Moreover, the diminution of shopping centers would render cities more suitable for bikes, and buses. Indeed, they occupy wide areas, mainly because of parkings.

6. More video conferences, distance learning and working = less driving or flying to work. The number of people working from their home is healthily increasing.

There would be a seventh point, but it's personal. Since there's the web, I spend less time behind the steering wheel, and more behind the screen of my pc...

Luca Tamburelli