I can hear whistling along the dirt road as Andy and Opie Taylor walk from Mayberry to the river with their fishing poles. Small town America at its best.

At $12 a gallon we saw the renewal of cities and decline of suburbs as energy prices continue to rise. The conservation of resources continues to drive fundamental changes in our lives and living patterns.

One of these, as we mentioned last time will be the exodus from the suburbs to the cities. But what of those small towns that dot America? Many of them have lost jobs and Main Street businesses as biog box retailers have vacuumed up customers with lower prices and equally low paying jobs. But most of this trend has been driven by cheap gas. Items from Siberia, China, Indonesia and the far flung corners of the world have ended up in Our Town USA, while jobs and manufacturing has moved overseas. As $20 a Gallon author Christopher Steiner points out, the big box phenomena only works with cheap petroleum. As oil prices climb, the big box will fall. For some small towns, this will be a disaster as they “lose their anchors”, according to Steiner. But for others, this will be a new lease on life. Manufacturing will by necessity, become more regional and local, less global in scope. And the stores of Main Street will return as the global big boxes fold up. The towns that can pull together an agricultural and manufacturing base will be reborn; the professionals that want to work and live in small towns will provide services for the local townspeople. And thanks to global connectivity, those who can earn their living remotely- like this Greenopolis employee- may well choose small town life.

Things in small towns will cost more than the large cities, but we will repair, reuse, and make do with what we have. The handy man and tinker will thrive. We will have global information, awareness and knowledge, and local “stuff”. And small mills, tool shops, and manufacturing plants will return to supply goods regionally and locally. Just as we will grow our food closer to home, so will we make most of our stuff nearby. High value, lightweight items like IPods will continue to be shipped around the world, but not shoes, clothes, and machinery. 

Materials will be locally produced and reused. We will fix more and throw away less. Our small towns will be more cohesive, and neighborly. Local stone will grace our countertops instead of Corian, local slate or wood shakes or high quality steel will roof our houses, not asphalt. Recycling and cradle to cradle systems will reach the highest levels ever. Community life will thrive

So welcome to small town America! It’s good to have you back. Next time let’s take a look at the Great American Farm at $16 dollars a gallon.

$20 a Gallon, Part 8: $18 Gas – A Renaissance of Rail!
$20 a Gallon, Part 7: $16 Gas – Local Food Rises Again!
$20 a Gallon, Part 6: $12 Gas – Bye ‘Burbs, Hello City Life!
$20 a Gallon, Part 4: $10 Gas — Drive Small and Clean
$20 a Gallon, Part 3: $8 Gas Clears the Friendly Skies!
$20 a Gallon, Part 2: $6 Gas Kills SUVs dead!
How Rising Gas Prices will Spur Waste into Resources

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