It would take an obliviousness that strains credulity to be somehow unaware of the currently skyrocketing price of oil. And while many place the blame on developing nations or Wall Street speculators, the fact remains that summertime—even discounting the impacts of Hurricane Katrina—has historically been the priciest time for people in the United States to buy gas.

The reason for this is simple supply and demand. As most oil producing and refining operations in the United States operate at fairly steady levels of productivity year-round, when demand is highest, prices increase. Despite the fact that a tremendous portion of the country is forced to heat its homes with oil 4 months out of the year, the American love of the open road, air travel and other means of getting the heck out of town makes June-August easily the most oil-hungry months of the year.

But if recent trends continue, things might just be different this time around. With gas prices over a dollar higher than their levels last year, airlines piling on fees to compensate for newly increased costs, and the general stress brought on by travel—both alone or with the family—increasing, a new form of summertime leisure has arisen, and if properly executed it could turn out to be quite the environmental boon.

It’s called “staycationing”, and it’s striking a chord with cash-straped, over-stressed people across the United States. The premise is simple: vacation without the travel. And possibly its most alluring aspect is you can do it any way you choose. David Mitchell, of South Windsor, CT spent $30,000 to custom tailor his backyard into a recreational retreat, turning his surroundings into a perfect environment for relaxation.  Chicago resident Jacalin Subrinsky, on the other hand, aims to spend her time off exploring the numerous recreational activities the Windy City has to offer.

But how green is it? No doubt, people will point out that building a pool, a cabana, or a wet bar in one's own own back yard in the United States produces a tremendous amount of carbon emissisons. But as inefficient as diesel powered engines might be, accounting for the massive amounts of carbon produced by a cross-country trip, or transcontinental flight well exceeds the impact of creating a pool or cabana in your own backyard.

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