Introduction - Gas prices in the United States are at an alarming rate these days. In some parts of the country, consumers are paying $3 to $4 a gallon. This can be devastating to people who depend on their cars for their livelihoods. It can put a huge dent in a family’s budget and cause a real hardship.

01. Alternative Fuels -In the simplest form, an alternative fuel is one that is not produced by using crude oil. They are simply fuels that replace conventional gasoline as a means of powering vehicles. Alternative fuels have desirable energy efficiency and pollution reduction features. The 1990 Clean Air Act encourages development and sale of alternative fuels.

02. Gasoline + Oil - In the United States and the rest of the industrialized world, gasoline is definitely a vital fluid. It is as vital to the economy as blood is to a person. Without gasoline and diesel fuel, the world as we know it would grind to a halt. The U.S. alone consumes about 130 billion gallons of gasoline per year!

03. High Gas Prices - There are three main grades of gasoline: regular, mid-grade, and premium. Each grade has a different octane level. Price levels vary by grade, but the price differential between grades is generally constant.

The cost to produce and deliver gasoline to consumers includes the cost of crude oil to refiners, refinery processing costs, marketing and distribution costs, and finally the retail station costs and taxes.

04. Vehicles - There are two types of alternative fuel vehicles – those that are originally designed to run on these new fuels and those that have been converted to run on alternative fuels. Car companies will also make hybrid vehicles that can run on either gasoline or other fuels. Many people call these cars “green vehicles” because of their positive effect on the environment.

05. All Other Fuels - The innovations in alternative fuels are nothing short of amazing. Scientists have made amazing strides in this area even developing engines that can run on simple, everyday vegetable oil!  I, personally, think that’s absolutely amazing!

06. Environment - It took over 200 million years for the oil beneath the earth's surface to form. In the past 200 years, we have already used half of that reserve. If current rates of consumption continue, the world's remaining oil would be used up in 40 years.

Right now, two-thirds of the oil used around the world powers transportation vehicles, and half goes to passenger cars and light trucks. Being conscious of our fuel use will help to conserve resources for future generations.

07. Global Warming - Former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, has brought the issue of global warming to the forefront of people’s minds with his Oscar winning documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.”  While there are some people who have been concerned about global warming for years, but this movie helped make the phenomenon more “famous” if you will.

08. The Numbers - We’ve already looked at what it takes to produce gasoline and why the price of gasoline is what it is. Besides paying the price for a barrel of crude oil, you have to factor in refinery operating costs along with federal, state, and local taxes. Is it any cheaper to produce alternative fuels?  The answer is simply - sometimes.

09. Uncle Sam - 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.

Conclusion - We have been given a great gift in the world we live in. Here on Earth, we have everything we need to survive. In an ideal world, we would all be able to work together to insure the survival of each other with little to no strife and conflict.

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