Fuel

by Joseph Whalen

Created on: March 24, 2008

The answer to this question is so deceptively simple that most people will likely overlook it. Today's oil dependent economies are a clear example of how an increase in fuel prices can have a dramatic effect on the cost of everything else, especially food. Nothing is grown, raised or produced without the use of fuel at some level. Processing and transport of food requires some type of fuel. Even the acquisition by the end consumers of food and goods requires some type of fuel. Fuel is what makes the world go round, and fuel is what regulates the cost of our lives more than anything else.

Developing affordable alternative fuels is the way to economic freedom. The world is married to fossil fuels for everything from providing electrical power, to tilling the fields and transporting goods to market. On every conceivable level of production of even a simple crop like grain we use fuel. It could be as indirect as shipping feed to a farm for the cattle that might pull the plow of a lowly farmer, but you can rest assured that every aspect of our lives is tied to fuel. Every increase in the cost of fuel means an increase to the cost of production of everything. For the most part these costs are passed down the production chain as much as economically possible, but ultimately everyone in the chain has to take their share of the burden.

Given the volatile state of the petroleum industry today the costs of fuel fluctuate far too greatly to make even the most radical of businessmen comfortable. One day it cost fifty dollars to fill your tank and tomorrow it might cost sixty dollars. While the increase is perceptibly low, we as the consumer feel the hurt the most. Not only are we paying ten dollars more for our gas, the cost of our produce has now jumped a few cents as the shipping company who delivers it to your local grocery store has passed on part of his cost to you. You grocery store passes on the additional costs associated with their utility bill as a result of the increase in electricity passed on to them by the power company. It's a vicious cycle that we are all trapped in, and one that holds us all for ransom as a small group of well to do oil barrens plays their game of speculation, carefully increasing the cost of fuel enough to make them more money while still being just barely tolerable by the masses.

For too long now the fate of nations have been held in the balance as the ultra wealthy few who control the global economy through their handle on the world's oil play their games and reap their rewards while the masses are made to suffer. In addition to controlling the economic grown and political climate of many nations they also exert their control over any threat to their power. For decades now we've had the technology to replace oil as the main fuel of choice throughout the world. But development of alternative fuel sources has been constantly held back through lack of funding, government regulation and political pressure exerted by fossil fuel lobbyists. Given the rapid advancement of computer technology and other space age technology that we've seen since the 1960's, it's inconceivable to think that our alternative fuel efforts have advanced at such a snail's pace.

The nation and the world as a whole need to focus on alternative fuel sources and need to focus on them today. Not in order to save the environment from the noxious mix of pollution created by fossil fuel burning, but to save us from the greed of the oil controlling entities of the world. While the environmental benefits associated with moving to alternative fuels would be a wonderful benefit, the real threat is from the uncontrolled greed of the few that oppress the many. This is what alternative fuel development will stop. With such selfish practices in check economies around the world will stabilize and be far less volatile than they are today. Stronger economies based on more realistic and renewable energy sources will allow us to then concentrate on more important matters such as providing affordable food for people around the world.

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