AMERICANS are paying well over $4 a gallon for imported gasoline. And unfortunately, Rhode Island’s public-transportation system needs to be expanded greatly to meet the current demand. It is unfortunate that some would call for more drilling for the same old fix. At a time when Americans are changing their habits, we need real leadership to change our direction.

We cannot drill our way to energy independence. The United States sits on just 3 percent of the world’s known petroleum reserves. Arctic drilling would not put a dent in our dependence on imported oil and would not save Rhode Islanders a dime. Government estimates indicate that there is less than a six-month supply of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, if it alone were used to meet America’s oil needs, and even the oil industry admits it would take 10 years to make it to U.S. markets.

Lifting the ban on drilling our coastlines would do nothing to reduce gas prices for the average American family, either. It’s not even a quick fix. It would take a decade to bring new leases into production and then they would only line the coffers of the oil industry, which raked in tens of billions of dollars in record profits last year.

Additionally, the federal moratorium on drilling exists because one state could jeopardize beaches in neighboring states with risky offshore drilling. An oil spill off the coast of Virginia could impact beaches, marine life, and tourism in Rhode Island.

America needs the leadership it takes to address both our energy and economic crises. The long-term solution to high gas prices is to build a system of clean, affordable transportation choices, such as public transit and fuel-efficient cars. This is particularly true in Rhode Island, where every ounce of oil, coal, and gas we use is imported from outside the state. As long as we are dependent on fossil fuel, we are needlessly draining our economy to the tune of billions of dollars every year.

John McCain’s flip-flop in support of the cynical effort to open our coasts to drilling is not leadership; it’s the wrong direction. And when it comes to fuel economy and transportation choices, he has a spotty record and seems more interested in offering up a $300 million gimmick rather than exercising the kind of bold leadership America needs. He has repeatedly failed to embrace America’s real transportation needs — a vehicle fleet that gets to 50 miles per gallon on a predictable and aggressive schedule and a world-class public transportation system that gets Americans moving in the most efficient way. Meanwhile, Senator McCain continues to oppose the key incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency that we need to make the clean-energy future a reality.

Instead of a $300 million giveaway, Barack Obama has proposed to do what is really needed. He has a plan that calls for a $150 billion investment in the technologies we need to fight global warming and end Big Oil’s chokehold on our economy, once and for all. Senator Obama also wants to end taxpayer-funded giveaways to the oil industry, wants the industry to pay its fair share on its record profits, and will crack down on the Wall Street speculators gaming the system at the expense of hardworking Americans.

Rhode Islanders should consider what it really takes to be energy independent. More drilling will just keep us stuck in traffic, hemorrhaging our hard-earned dollars, and putting our coastlines at risk. The real solution for the Ocean State is fuel-efficient transportation choices. With gasoline prices as high as they are with no end in sight, the opportunity to change direction for energy independence is now.

Chris Wilhite is the chapter director for the Sierra Club in Rhode Island.