If We Don't Educate Our Kids, We Won't Use As Much Gas, See?

My sister, an Atlanta-area school teacher, has alerted me to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue's decision to close all of the state's public schools Monday and Tuesday to conserve fuel. Following Katrina, gasoline in Georgia (particularly near Atlanta) was in short supply, and the governor feared that Rita would have a similar effect.

I understand the need to save gas; Rita had the potential to take out oil refineries and cause a major fuel shortage. But is closing schools really the best way to address such a potential disaster? Why not limit the amount of gas that any one person may buy at any one time? or increase the number of carpool lanes on the interstates? or challenge Georgians to walk or ride a bike to work or school for the entire week?

Closing schools wouldn't have been my first (or eighth) choice. Of course, I don't even live in Georgia, so I'm not sure how valuable my ideas are.