As unrest in Libya continues, Spain has said it will lower highway speed limits, reduce train ticket prices and use more biofuel, as part of an emergency fuel-saving initiative to offset increasing gas prices caused by turmoil in Libya.

The rebellion in the country has almost entirely shut down oil exports from the country.

Spain gets 13 percent of its oil from Libya.

Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said that though the country’s energy supply was not in danger, higher petroleum prices would cause the national energy bill to rise significantly. The $1.37 per barrel increase in oil prices is expected to cost the country an additional $690 million per month, he said.

Currently, the speed limit on Spanish highways is 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) and the new measures will bring that down to 110 kph (68 mph). Rubalcaba added that a car traveling on the new speed will consume 15 percent less fuel.

A five percent reduction in commuter train fares on the state run RENFE will also be introduced.

And lastly, oil companies will be forced to increase the percentage of biofuel in gasoline and diesel to 7 percent, up from the current 5.8 percent.

The measures are meant to be approved next week and will go into effect on a temporary basis March 7.

Even in the U.S., a 55 MPH national speed limit was enacted in 1974 as an emergency measure to reduce our dependence on imported crude oil. At the time that amounted to about 36 percent of U.S. consumption. By 1985, we used less than 28 percent imported oil.

By 1996, however, President Clinton repealed the national 55 MPH speed limit. While our consumption has gone up across the board, we’re currently importing almost 60 percent of our oil.

In fact driving 55 MPG, is one of the easiest things one can do to reduce oil your consumption and make your transit more environmentally-friendly.

According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, at 65 mph you’re burning 10 percent more fuel than at 55. At 70 mph it goes down to 17 percent of your fuel economy and at 75 mph its all the way down to 25 percent.

The Department of Energy has also estimated that, at most, a national speed limit of 55 mph would save 100 million barrels of oil annually. Currently the United States currently consumes 21 million barrels per day.

Simple physics is at play here. A car’s gas mileage typically peaks at about 40 miles per hour and then decreases rapidly. At higher speeds your car’s engine burns gas at a much faster rate to keep up and overcome air and road resistance — which wastes fuel.

As a obvious result, if traffic o­n all urban interstate highways increased in average speed from 55 to 65 mph, the increase in total vehicle emissions would be about 13.5 percent, according to the EPA.

Even if you’re not in the market for a new eco-friendly car, and live too far away from public transportation, driving in the slow lane, but be better for you, the environment and global politics.