The fundamental lessons for a country suddenly facing an energy crisis and an uncertain economy ought to be clear enough. Drive slower -- when you have to drive at all, that is. Seek alternative forms of transportation. Turn off the lights you don't need, and don't be wasteful.

Oh, and by all means, don't go lunging for the panic button.

[...]"This shows the real impact of higher gas prices on the public," says Carroll Doherty the Pew Research Center.

No doubt. But what sort of quick fixes are they looking for? It's no surprise that $4 and change (and climbing) for a gallon gasoline has more people -- 50 percent, up from 42 percent in February -- supporting oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Don't they know how long it would be before that oil from one of North America's great environmental treasures would be available, let alone make much of a difference?

Drilling there and off shore wouldn't necessarily add to the U.S. oil supply. The oil instead would go into the world supply. The United States controls a mere 3 percent of oil reserves. Some 75 percent of the world's oil production is consumed by people living outside the United States. That portion is most likely going to increase, too.