I always look forward to receiving my Harpers Magazine when it arrives snuggly stuffed in my narrow apartment mailbox, and when it does, I usually go straight to the Index. The Harper’s Index, for those not in the know, is a list of fun and fascinating figures and statistics that will make you seem really smart and interesting if you can rattle a few off at cocktail parties. Today’s featured fact: the estimated amount by which per-gallon gas prices would change if the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge were drilled is a whopping 4 cents (some figures are as low as 2 cents). In other words, if we let oil companies have free reign to scourge one of America’s most important onshore habitats for millions of species, I’ll spend $67.40 instead of $68.00 to fill my gas tank. Worth it? I don’t think so.

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It’s official: Toyota will offer a solar panel-powered Prius in 2009. In these days of high fuel prices and environmental concerns, this silver lining in the cloud of car-created CO2 is long overdue. According to Gizmodo, the solar panels will be offered on the next generation of the high-end Prius hybrid model. Interestingly enough, the panels will even power the air conditioning. Toyota will be the first major automaker to go solar with their vehicles.

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High gas prices have sparked an American flight out of the suburbs and into urban areas according to a recent survey of 903 real estate agents, which found that 78% of potential home buyers reported high fuel costs as the reason for wanting to relocate to cities. In 2003, the average suburban household spent $1422 on gas annually; by April 2008 that number jumped to $3196. With higher fuel prices likely to remain, money-conscious folks are now moving back into urban areas where proximity and public transportation equals less driving.

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