WHAT’S UNCLE SAM DOING?

While some people think the government isn’t doing anything to curtail the skyrocketing gas prices, the truth is that they really are. Because we are unable to produce the amount of oil that we need ourselves here in this country alone, we have to rely on outside oil sources. That leaves the United States at the mercy of the other countries who will set their prices as they see fit.

Way back in 1949, the country of Venezuela approached Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia to discuss the possibility of forming an organization that would unite them in their common interests as the primary oil-producing nations in the world. Eventually, the other oil-producing countries decided to form with these founding countries and the organization OPEC was formed.

The problem with OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) is that they have banded together to protect their own interests when it comes to their oil exports. What that means is that if they all agree on a price of a barrel of oil, that’s what it will be even if the rest of the world protests. Some people feel OPEC has hurt our world more than help it - although the countries who are members of OPEC certainly don’t feel that way.

It is for this very reason that the United States along with other countries are so passionate about reducing our dependence on foreign oil through the use of alternative fuels. Because we always seem to be in conflict with oil-rich nations, those conflicts tend to make our gas prices raise. American is not about to back down when world safety is at risk, so looking at alternative fuels in every single way just makes sense.

President George W. Bush recently took part in a demonstration of alternative fuel vehicles with the CEO’s of Ford, General Motors, and Daimler Chrysler. He came away from this demonstration with a real sense of hope that our dependence on foreign oil would be significantly decreased with the development of these new cars and trucks.

We’ve already mentioned tax incentives elsewhere in this book, but this, perhaps, is one of the best things that the government can offer the American people to purchase and use an alternative fuel car. If you can reduce the amount of taxes you have to pay every April just by buying – at the very least – a hybrid vehicle, it’s certainly worth it!

The government is also offering grants and subsidies to organizations that have large fleets of vehicles to make the switch toward alternative fuels. There are hundreds and hundreds of buses, semi-trucks, and delivery vehicles on the road today – all contributing to the smog, pollution, and degradation of our environment.

Government grants allow these organizations to either purchase new alternative fuel vehicles or to convert them so that they can run on the new fuels that are available. This has helped school systems, trucking companies, and many other places make their cars, trucks, and buses help the environment and not have to pay exorbitant gas prices. With the trickle down effect, you can see that this will help keep the price of consumer products lower to us – the consumer.

Now, we’re not saying the oil industry is an evil empire. They serve a very necessary purpose in the modern world. However, I don’t think many people would disagree that things are quickly getting out of hand and something needs to be done.

The fact is that oil and oil production damages the environment in many ways. The images can be disturbing:

An oil spill washing up on the beaches of a tropical island:

Smog hovering over an oil refinery:

The toxic smoke released after an oil refinery explosion:

A dead animal fallen as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill:

Another casualty of the Exxon Valdez:

A rolling tide coming ashore rife with oil from an oil spill:

The extent of an oil spill in the ocean:

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