I don't know if you remember but back in the 1970s there was a proposal to cut back the length of auto races by 10% to conserve fuel which for a 500 mile race meant it would go 450 instead. I remember sports readers rolling their eyes and don't think it was ever implemented but the suggestion was out there at the time.
Oh, sure. As a kid we went to races at "The Brickyard" in Milwaukee, WI.
I was a teen when my folks were socked with 18-20% interest rates on their mortgage, waiting in line for gasoline, all that Carter-Era Crisis stuff...which didn't even have the added bonus of Global Warming Doom and Gloom tacked on, LOL!
Let's see...it's 29 years later and we're still guzzling oil. I'm not worried about it. Yesterday on a local radio talk show there was an Ex-Carter Cabinet Energy Guy on as a guest and all he could suggest on energy savings and saving the planet was for people to switch to CP lightbulbs and to replace their windows. Duh. Anyone (like me) that watches their household "bottom line" has already done that.