Editorials

Energy independence is the key to rising gas prices

TBO.com
Published: January 18, 2012

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

— The Serenity Prayer by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr

This prayer has been used by 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous for years, but it can apply to many things, even our ever-escalating gas prices.

To deal with rising gas prices we need the courage and wisdom to know how to change this, and we can do it simply if we, as a nation, would ever just make it a priority.

Some analysts say gas prices are headed for $4 per gallon or higher before long. We've seen it at this price before and it was a huge hardship on everyone.

Prices on everything climb as a result of high gas prices. Anyone selling goods that are shipped here must pay more, which is passed on to the customer. Merchants and consumers are hurt when prices get too high.

High prices are affected by a lot of things, but most recently world markets have felt the pinch of Iran threatening to shut down the Straights of Hormuz, through which so much exported oil must move. The U.S. has said it won't allow that to happen, and it's doubtful Iran would do anything like that because it would kill its own economy by doing so, and that's not counting what it would lose in a war.

While we might not have much power to influence spats between Iran and the world, we do control our own destiny on fuel usage. Most importantly, we can quit letting nations like Iran and many others have the power to affect these kinds of things. All we must do is become energy independent.

We must do this on multiple fronts. Drive fewer miles, own vehicles that get much better mileage, use biofuels to stretch our supplies and find more oil in our own country, as well as find alternative fuels. In fact, we're already doing all of these things, but just not at the levels we must to achieve success.

Regulations are forcing automakers to make more efficient cars and trucks, and huge, new oil reserves are being tapped in places like North Dakota. What's frustrating, though, is that our Congress and even Florida's own Legislature is trying to cut requirements of biofuels. It's clearly the work of Big Oil special interests who don't want this, and their political minions who force this on us. We must not let them do it.

Everyone knows that we must become energy independent, but too often we let special interests lie to us through our politicians. We can achieve this, it just takes the will to do it.

Gas prices will keep rising and falling, putting all of us in a bad situation, until we find a better answer.