by Dustin Gilbert

Created on: July 01, 2008

There's nothing more important in today's current events than the economy. It is our way of life and it directly affects our culture. If people can't make enough money to pay for gas and then go buy a CD, then the music industry suffers. It is like this is every major industy today.

The surge in gas prices is the direct result of a barrel of oil costing over $130 now. The economy suffering is a direct result of this barrel of oil as well. Everything seems to revolve around the barrel of oil.

The solution comes in many forms. Open refineries or at least make oil speculators think America is going to open refineries in the near future. THis will drive the cost of oil down as it will appear there will be more of an abundance of it.

The next solution is to find an alternative source of energy. That alternative source could come in the form of electricity, nuclear energy, natural gases, or hydrogen power. This solution is the one for the long-term whereas the previous is the one for the now.

THe only other solution involves the government taking over the oil industry and letting the hundreds of years of stock out to the refineries. I heard an interesting fact the other day that blew me away. This country had one hundred to two hundred years worth of oil in stock as I type this article. The reason why it doesn't get refined is that it isn't top grade.

Top grade or not I think this country needs to use what it has and the oil commodity is one that can be refined in house in the nearest future. It is the solution to our problem. Use what we have, start drilling, and start refining now.

It is not hard to see that this country is suffering because of increased gas prices. It isn't hard to see the oil spilling out of Alaska, hiding under herds of cattle in Texas, Oklahoma, and other parts of the midwest. It's also not hard to see that a refinery takes about four or five years to build so let's start building now.

The latest surge in gas prices had finally woken the country up to the struggle over oil. The Middle East right now owns us. They have most of the oil that is being produced and are in charge of how much gets taken out of the ground. They know the shape our economy is in and I have a feeling they simply do not care. THey want their dollar just like every other person in this world and who can blame them. After all it's called black gold for a reason.

All this gives America even more reason to drill its own oil. People are finally waking up to this and it took a major economic event to wake them up. It's sad but it's what our country has had happen. Now that the damage has been done and is still being done with four plus dollar a gallon fuel prices people truly need to realize. They need to ask themselves if they want to continue to depend on foreign oil. I say no and stop now. That's just me, the golfdink, though.

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