Showing characteristic signs of short-term memory loss, the American public is apparently renewing its love affair with the SUV, according to The Wall Street Journal. When gas prices spiked to over $3 a gallon following Hurricane Katrina, demand for hybrids was in the headlines and chatter about fuel-efficiency standards was all the rage. Now gas prices in the U.S. have fallen to an average of $2.38 a gallon, and Americans on a cheap-gas buzz are making booty calls to SUVs.

Prices for used SUVs have started to rise in recent weeks, after plummeting for most of the year. And a recent survey of new-car shoppers found that 20 percent are looking at buying an SUV, up from 14 percent during the first 10 days of September. Nearly a third of these folks are considering the biggest SUVs on the market. Syndicated from Grist.org.