The Gulf of Mexico oil spill was bad enough for BP to change its chief executive. It was not bad enough for the US to change its energy policy. Last month Barack Obama, US president, used the spill to call for a new push on clean energy. But weak follow-through, a divided Democratic caucus and a unified Republican opposition saw meaningful US energy legislation shelved last week. Now, the reality of a high oil price may be about to change America's petroleum habits, even if policymakers cannot.
墨西哥灣漏油事件糟得足以使英國石油(BP)換掉首席執行官，但卻不足以讓美國改變能源政策。美國總統巴拉克?奧巴馬(Barack Obama)上月借漏油事件呼吁發展清潔能源。但奧巴馬在這方面的虎頭蛇尾，加之民主黨核心成員意見分歧、共和黨人一致反對，導致上周美國一項富有意義的能源立法遭到擱置。如今，高油價的現實或許將改變美國的石油消費習慣，完成政策制定者所做不到的事情。
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