As we were driving around upstate New York today, I was thinking about all of the truck traffic that is on the highways. We can criticize the diesel pollution all we want, but the reality is that we would have no goods in our stores and nothing in our homes if it weren't for trucks. So then, how do we as a nation do something that will minimize the tremendous use of fossil fuels by all of this truck traffic? As I was pondering this, I observed a sign posted at a rest stop, stating that it was against New York law for semi-trucks to idle in parking lots. I recalled an article I saw in some magazine a year or two ago, stating that many semis kept their diesel engines on all of the time--even when parked for the night--so that the truck drivers could run their televisions and have power for other needs during the night. There was a mention in the same article about some type of power generators that were being made available in truck stops, so that truck drivers could use power without having their engines on 24/7 and accordingly, conserve diesel fuel. Perhaps this nightime engine-running thing is what the New York law was designed to curb. In any event, I think it is really important that we acknowledge the tremendous waste of dirty diesel fuel when truckers need to keep their engines on even while they are resting at night. If we are serious about solving our "addiction to oil," then our government must supply truck drivers with an option for power, besides keeping their engines on when the truck is not being driven. Conservation has to include the millions of trucks on the road that are so vital to the economy. A simple solution, like providing an alternate power source at truck stops, is a start. This electricity likely comes from fossil fuels, as well, but at least it sounds a bit less wasteful than using a truck's fuel supply as the power source.