Lyssa BeyerIf I have to help pay half a trillion dollars in a war for oil, then why is gas $3.54 a gallon? That’s the question I have every time I go to the pumps. It’s the fleecing of America and President George W. Bush is leading the way.
When the war in Iraq started, May 20, 2003, the national average for gas was around $1.73 a gallon. Today, we are caught in the same war with a current cost of around 4,000 American lives, over $500 billion dollars and, according to the AAA, the average price per gallon in Eau Claire is $3.59 a gallon. Some analysts predict that we could see $4 this summer.
In a recent interview with Bush, Peter Maer of CBS News asked, “What’s your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline?” President Bush responded with, “Wait, what did you just say? You’re predicting $4 a gallon gasoline?” and later added, “That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that.”
Well, that’s good. I am glad that our President finds $4 a gallon “interesting.” I would hate to think we are boring him with our tedious need for survival – after all, he is only our president.
In contrast, I was looking at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ Web site where it states that in April 2008 OPEC Secretary General Abdullah Al-Badri gave a speech to the International Energy Forum, stating the world’s energy needs will increase at an average around 1.7 percent to the year 2030.
While summarizing OPEC’s oil outlook until the year 2030, Al-Badri states “Fossil fuels will continue to provide more than 85 percent of the world’s total commercial energy needs; there are no viable substitutes in such quantities on even the most distant horizons.” He goes on to say, “And oil and gas will be the leading sources, together accounting for more than 60 percent of the total energy mix.”
So what does this all mean? It means that it’s time for us to step up to the plate. We need to start realizing oil prices affect more than our personal driving. We live in a gas-powered economy, so higher oil prices mean higher cost of heating, food and clothing among other things. Your rent may even go up as landlords try to make more money to compensate for a higher cost of living.
America needs to stop mainlining gas like a heroin addict on a Friday night. We need to start making major changes in our lifestyles and we, as UW-Eau Claire students, can lead the way in making these changes. We can start doing things such as making the environment a stronger political issue, investing in renewable energy, green building – like The New Davies Center – and making better buying choices.
We also need to start making personal changes; things such as walking, riding a bike, buying locally grown foods or riding the bus which is free with a university ID. To support this, the Student Senate is even working to add another city bus to the campus area.
I know Student Senate has had its share of problems, but it can also do a lot of good. Our Student Senate is in charge of the segregated fees you pay every semester. It then allocates this money into things such as clubs, athletics and other campus programs. There are a lot of good people on Student Senate and if they can approve $250,000 to renovate the Hobbs Ice Arena, then I do not see any reason why they would not approve money for green projects. We students just need to think of the projects; for example, like more bike racks in front of the library.
I feel Student Senate needs to take some sort of green pledge, something that says they are the leaders we elected them to be and that I know they can be. I will trust in the people of the Senate to come up with something to reflect the changes the students of Eau Claire need to make.
I do not like asking Student Senate or you the reader to do something that I am not also willing to do. So, by the time this is printed, I will have purchased my first bike in about eight years. I still have my car and I will use it for long trips or when I need it for photo assignments, but my bike is going to be my main transportation around Eau Claire.
I challenge everyone to look at the time it takes to drive here, park and then walk from your parking spot to campus and see if driving is really saving you any time at all. Personally, I expect to have about the same commute time and my bike will pay for its self, through gas and parking meters, in a matter of weeks.
I am also doing this because we can’t rely on the government, corporations or our community leaders to be responsible for the lifestyle changes we need to make. In the end, we need to be responsible for ourselves.
Acheson is a freshman print journalism major and assistant photo editor of The Spectator. He also is currently a member of Student Senate.
