Sly FOX

The other day on Facebook, someone posted a photo of a gas pump with a piece of paper stuck to it, which read something like, high gas prices, vote anyone, but Obama. Well… yes, Obama is in fact the petro dictator of the world and set in motion his evil plan to raise gas prices before the 2012 elections to once again promise “change.”

Ha! Just kidding. He is not. He actually has very little control over gas prices, but that was a sly one FOX. Gas prices are mostly based on the monetary value of crude oil, which is then refined to produce gasoline. World markets, just like the value of gold, set the value of crude oil, not Obama!

This value then changes depending on global demand and domestic supply. And the demand for gas is high. The United States is the largest consumer of oil, but not far behind are the growing economies of China and India, then you have to add Europe into the mix. This increased demand skyrockets prices… on a global scale, not domestic. So the next thing to consider is the domestic supply. Because of the growing costs, states such as Texas and Oklahoma have begun drilling even more. The Keystone Pipeline would tap oil reserves from Canada; however, the negatives greatly outweigh its positives. The environmental impacts could be colossal. It could affect drinking water and biodiversity. It would take years to be constructed, which reinforces our dependency to dirty fuel as oppose to researching other clean alternatives sources. All for what, the possibility of lowering imported oil, when it is uncertain that costs will go down because demand is steadily increasing?

I really stress, this ideology that the United States needs to either stop consuming so much, or find clean energy that is renewable. Denmark gets 21% of their energy from wind turbines! Yes, the United States is a lot bigger, but jeez why can’t we get on board with renewable clean energy. Our focus should be on a solution that is sustainable, not finite. You may argue that the United States needs to focus on bigger problems such as the economy and foreign policy; however, the solution to our energy crisis will not only create jobs, innovation, and technology to stimulate our economy, but it will also stop funding the enemies we continue to fight abroad.

Yes, like a lot of liberals and conservatives, I am upset at Obama. I want him to do more, but the alternatives? Romney? Santorum? Gingrich? – That’s terrifying.