Articles by Katharine Wroth

The latest solution to pumped-up prices

Because I'm obsessed with reactions to gas prices, I shall tell you about an email I got this morning from a childhood friend in Maine. Maybe you've also gotten it. But not from my friend, a sweet woman who usually forwards the Ann-Landers messages: you know, a poem reminding you to love your kids and scratch behind your dog's ears, because tomorrow you might all be dead, that sort of thing.

Today's note is about a campaign to "force a price war" by not buying gas from ExxonMobil. The thinking goes that once they feel the sting, they'll have to lower prices below $2, and everyone else will follow suit. Hmm ...

The most interesting part (to wonky ol' me) was this line: "Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas." Sigh. In a breakdown of an older version of this chain letter and an explanation of why it will never, ever work, Break the Chain slips in this bit of finger-wagging: "If you want to save money at the pump, slow down on the freeway, plan outings to get everything in one trip, walk more, and trade in that gas-guzzling SUV for an economical compact car for starters."

Drivers panic at the pump

Are rising gas prices driving some people to the brink? Late last week, a station attendant in Alabama was run over and killed while trying to stop a dude from stealing $52 worth of gas. (The driver just turned himself in.) And today, on my new favorite web feature "Gas Gripes," a woman reports that her credit card was stolen and used to buy not a TV or a diamond ring, but -- you guessed it -- gas.

I was going to be all delicate and say you couldn't draw a trend from such isolated events. But behold, the glory of the web. An AP story on MSNBC today bears the headline, "Rising gasoline prices spur thefts, violence." And if the AP says it, it must be true. (Right, Pat?)

Last year, sneaky drivers made off with an astonishing $237 million in stolen gas, the story says. A spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores (whose site offers tips for preventing gas theft) had this to say: "As the price of gas climbs, people's values decline."

Which state is full of skinny Minnies?

This just in: last year, Oregon was the only state in the U.S. where the obesity rate didn't increase. Huzzah for the Beaver State!

Though static, Oregon's 21 percent rate is not the lowest in the nation. That honor belongs to Colorado, where a mere 16.4 percent of citizens weigh in as obese. (Those looking deeper point out that it's not quite that simple. For instance, 59 percent of Oregonians are obese or overweight. "I don't think we can rest on our laurels and say we don't have a problem," said state epidemiologist Melvin Kohn.)

In both states, careful urban planning and a looove of outdoor fun are cited as contributors to good health. While some -- including the group issuing this study, the Trust for America's Health -- are calling for government intervention in the form of nutritious school lunches, smarter urban layouts, and Medicaid subsidization of fitness programs, others disagree. "I think obesity is a very personal issue," said a policy analyst from the Cato Institute. "What you eat and how often you exercise, if that comes within the government's purview, it's difficult to think of what's left that isn't."

In other words: stuff it.

Hooray for sky-high prices!

In light of this summer's wicked high fuel prices, CNN.com has started a daily "gas gripes" section where readers can spout off about how tough life is.

But here's a little secret -- these aren't gripes! Today's collection, especially, is a quietly inspiring list of conscious eco-choices. These reports bring a tear to the eye: I moved back to the city. I stopped driving my SUV. I vanpool. I bought a hybrid.

It's everything that Grist and a thousand other nattering environmentalists preach every day. But money is making it real -- at least for now. Hooray for capitalism! Hooray for oil! Hooray, hooray, hooray.