?There are two words I hear at lest fifty times a day. Everyone always seems to be talking about
gas prices these days and unfortunately the word higher usually precludes this pair. I think its
about damn time something be done about this financial sink hole we are all in. I cant speak for
you but rest assured I don’t to watch gas prices go higher and higher and feel my wallet get
lighter and lighter. Its time to come up with a plan.

    But first before we can identify and carry out a solution we must understand the problem.
I know what some of you are thinking. “Problem is gas prices keep going up and my pay check
doesn’t. What more do I need to understand?” Well it turns there is a bit more we all need to
know. There are two major factors in the drastic increase in gas prices. The first is supply and
demand.

    As more countries become industrialized the demand to fuel this modern world grows
rapidly, yet the production of crude oil has maintained its same supply level. Wit a rise in
demand and no rise in supply the value of that oil barrel sky rockets.

To make matters worse there is speculation. This works much like the stock market. Investors
buy futures in gasoline hoping the value of petroleum will increase. When enough people but
into that belief and purchase futures, the demand for these futures rises right along side oil prices.
More investors see the growth in the market and further potential for profit and buy in. Thus
causing an endless circle that keeps the price you pay at the pump so high even when the value of
crude oil drops.

    So how do we fix all this? We need a multi-phase solution starting with immediate relief
all the way through to eventual energy independence.
    There are several ways we can fight this energy crisis right now. The first is through
conservation. Find ways to use less gasoline and you will be paying less at the pump. Plain and
simple. Now Americans have doing a great job on trying to save or resources and we must keep
it up. The next part is our legislatures responsibility. Strict regulation of speculation in this
market must be imposed. There quick dollar is killing your pocket book. So we must demand that
congress put an end to this speculator madness. Now with a decreased demand the way to really
sink oil prices is by Increasing supply. This can be done by selling off just a fraction of country’s
oil reserve into the world market. All of these things added together could reduce what you pay at
the pump by up to one dollar per gallon and it all can be done with in the immediate future. But
we can’t stop here. Were only just starting.
    




    Next we have to look at mid term goals. This category includes what can be
accomplished with in the next ten years. To be energy independent we have to have a sufficient
source of fuel to meet or needs. So why has no one built a new oil refinery, nuclear power plant
or anything of the like with in last 20 years when or population and energy consumption has been
ever growing? We have to increase the drilling and refinement of oil here In America. We have
to increase the use of nuclear and other alternatives sources for energy. With out that we can not
meet our needs.

    And Finally there is the goal and a dream of being free from dependance of other
countries fuel reserves and being free even from gasoline oil together. We can achieve this goal
for our future if action is taken now. There are many possibilities for domestic alternative energy
sources. To find out which ones are worth the trouble we should let our great American belief in
capitalism do its thing. There should be investments in all the possible fuel sources then letting
the natural process of free economics have the best options float to the top.

    Though this all may sound simple and straight forward to reach these goals is no cake
walk. It will take mountains of effort and determination from every American. But for all our
trouble the prize at the end of tunnel is great. We get the satisfaction of shaping our own
destiny’s and that of our country’s. And that is how to get off foreign oil in 5 minutes....or less.