In my last column (July), I shared a few observations from my trip to Amsterdam and the affect that the local citizens had on my view of avoiding high fuel costs. I was most impressed with the common use of the bicycle, particularly during inclement weather. They are simply not in a mood to waste precious natural resources.

Well, I have just returned from a two-week stay in Italy, and I felt the need to report that the fuel in Europe is no longer slightly over $6.00 a gallon—it's closer to $10.00 an equivalent gallon. At first I was misled into thinking that it had remained close to where it was two years ago; then I remembered that the price was in Euros and not dollars, so I had to recalculate liters into gallons, then Euros into dollars. The result is $9.77 for lowest grade, $10.10 for medium grade, and $10.51 for premium. Diesel was even worse, closer to $12.00 a gallon.

We were on a bus tour and our driver consistently reminded us about fuel conservation, especially after he filled up our 45-passenger bus. Every time he filled it up he put in 100 gallons of diesel and it cost approximately $1,200. He would do this at least seven times.

Our driver advised us that if we wanted to stay on the bus during rest stops he had to turn the air conditioner off and that the unit could only be on while the engine was running. The country of Italy had passed a law that prohibits motor vehicles from idling longer than required for a routine stop at a stop sign or traffic light—that goes for cars, trucks, and buses. It's a way to save fuel and protect the environment.

When we had arrived at our first hotel, we noticed that they would only give us one electronic key card. We soon found out why. The key card allowed us into our room, where it was immediately placed into a wall slot, just adjacent to the door.

By inserting the card into the slot it allowed the electricity to be turned on and the air conditioner to start. When you left the room, you removed the key and everything shut down. If you happened to leave it in the wall to keep your room cool the maid would shut it all down and turn over the key to the front desk.

We saw thousands of very small “Smart” cars in the cities and on the highways. Remarkably, not many had fewer than two folks in each car. They're also staunch recyclers. We saw them patiently queue up at roadside stops to separate plastics, glass, and paper—it's like they don't even think about it, they just do it.

It is very expensive to vacation in Europe right now, and, of course, it's very expensive for the local inhabitants. Food, water, clothing, wine, automobiles, as well as any form of entertainment is much higher in price than it ever has been, and in large part it's due to the enormous hike in fuel.

The cost of fuel has found its way into most everything Italians buy. However, they have very little appetite for wasting anything at all and they've become conditioned to a new and more austere way of life, while learning how to preserve what they can.

What does that mean to us? Well, fuel prices have come down here in the states, and a lot of folks are feeling a little better. Some go so far as to believe that the crisis is over and that the price of fuel is going to drop even further. Those who have yet to start recycling or conserve fuel and other natural resources won't begin because they feel the worst is over. Some people are already slipping back into their old ways.

So, rather than launch a bold prediction that the recent fall in fuel prices is at best temporary, very temporary, I will instead ask you a question: Why wouldn't you consider “going green” anyway?

Even if fuel goes all the way back to $2.50 a gallon, and stays there, can't we all appreciate the lessons learned from the recent spikes? What if we began to think 50 years out, 100 years out? By conserving now won't we be providing our best gifts to our precious grandchildren and great grandchildren?

I truly believe that the Italians will continue to conserve because they have been hit so hard. Therefore, isn't it better to have too much than not enough?

I am struck by an old saying that a Mormon friend of mine told me regarding what his parents used to tell him: “Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Let's not stop conserving just because you believe we don't have to.