The following editorial appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday.

The news just isn’t getting any better for drivers. Gas prices will go even higher this summer – possibly to a record – thanks to a major hit to an oil supply everyone thought was relatively safe: the fields in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay. BP’s announcement Monday that it will have to shut down about 8 percent of the nation’s domestic oil production for an undetermined period of time because of corrosion in the company’s pipes is an unwanted surprise, but it’s also another warning.

President Bush’s decision to dip into the strategic petroleum reserve makes sense to help make up for the shortfall, even if oil supplies are in good shape right now. Part of the problem is a perception that supplies will be hurt, and dipping into the reserve will counter that perception, but the other problem is that no one really knows how long BP’s fields will be down. More production from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries could also help ease the nerves of the market and of drivers. And encouraging oil companies to do proper maintenance, something analysts say has been lacking, should be a no-brainer. As one industry analyst pointed out, 30-year-old pipes are bound to have problems.

But consumers have some responsibilities, too. This is another in a seemingly endless supply of short-term crises that have plagued drivers since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita did a number on the oil industry’s operations almost a year ago. Consumers tired of paying more at the pump – where prices are also being driven up because of increasing demand from expanding economies in Asia – need to demand more of their policymakers.

Consumers will probably try to adjust by driving less as fuel costs take a deeper bite out of their paychecks. But they also need to demand that their representatives in government do more to ensure a reliable supply of oil in the short term and an alternative supply of energy in the long term. The former should include more measures to conserve energy – such as raising fuel-efficiency standards and encouraging greater use of mass transit.

The long term means doing more to encourage the development of hybrid cars and alternative fuels that will someday reduce or even eliminate our reliance on oil.

Oil and other fossil fuels have served our needs well for a long time. They still do. But it is past time – for a host of reasons, from war in Lebanon to global warming – to reduce our reliance on them.

Corrosion in the pipes is only one more warning bell.