by James Jester

Created on: June 19, 2008

How are people in my part of the world coping with the increasing cost of oil? Well, they're not; they just drive around griping about how much gas costs instead of doing something about it. It seems like this is what we, as Americans, have been programmed to do; to let the quality of our lives be determined by the government. We have lost our voices and no one does anything about the problems faced today. While the small few who do go virtually unnoticed. There is a cause and effect that has occurred because of the price of gas; increasing gas prices means a decreasing economy. Everyone has to drive to work, school, etc. and gas is making it almost too expensive to do that. There have been many attempts in the U.S. to hurt the oil industry like designating a certain day of the week to not by gas, which supposedly is supposed to take millions out of profits. However, I guess we will never know because no one ever participates in the organized events. We are so dependent upon overseas resources that it is hard to believe that anything we own would be made in the U.S.A.. Tomorrow, another nation could decide to raise oil prices to $1,000 a barrel and there is nothing we could do, at least peacefully. Of course, we could use our own resources. It seems like no one knows that we have oil refineries in the United States that could be used to produce gas for our own use. That means gas prices would decrease significantly, but the government doesn't want us to use this oil because once its gone, its gone. Then again, wouldn't it be safe to say that by the time it did, in fact, run out there would be alternative energy sources. For example, hydrogen fuel cells. In fact, the petroleum engineering has taken a toll for people in that career because high school students don't want to pursue a career that my be coming to an end one day or have low employment. So, I guess we are coping by waiting. Waiting for the Age of Oil to come to an end. How long are we going to have to wait, though, because I'm already tired of it as is everyone else. Gas costs $3.89 in my town, which is a lot lower than in other areas; I can only imagine how gas prices is effecting their lives. We shouldn't have to spend 60% of our paychecks to be able to go earn them. Some people can barely make it on their paychecks before deductions are made for gas. The American Government is hurting its own people and it's time for us to fight back and let our voices be heard. If only our forefathers could see how we sit back and let the government control all aspects of life; if only they could see how we "cope".

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