Spiralling oil prices on the world market has hit highs of US$112 per barrel.

Jamaica's fuel bill climbed to $1.79 billion as at November 2007, outstripping spending for the entire calendar year of 2006 by more than US$152 million.

The island's industries, households and transportation systems drink barrels of oil at a time and the struggling economy cannot pay for its consumption.

Economists, social workers and environmentalists have joined the chorus, 'Conserve! Conserve! Conserve!'

On Monday, The Gleaner will pick apart the pressing issue of fuel and energy conservation in a special feature called, 'Exploited Energy - Weighing the Cost of Fuel Consumption'.

Read it on Monday in your Gleaner!