Bush: Low Gas Prices are a threat[?]

October 12, President Bush said that falling gas prices "worry" him. Bush says that low gas prices will "make us complacent about our future when it comes to energy". But has high gas prices really furthered the advancement of alternative fuels? And isn't a higher price just punishing the consumer for the use of its most needed commodity?

First, the average consumer has little to do with the advancement of alternative fuel; or at least in a direct since. Yes, the consumer does create the demand, but with no alternative readily available, or at least not one that is economically feasible, than the consumer cannot make a "choice" where no other option is available. People still have to commute to work, school, the grocery store; products still must be transported from one region to another. So, supporting a higher price tag on gas isn't really moving anything forward; if anything, it's moving it backwards! New technology isn't cheep; and it won't be cheep when it is introduced on the market. And, if consumers are already pinched at the pump, then it is unlikely, especially for those who don't have the financial resource to do otherwise, that the consumer will make a costly expenditure; such as purchasing a pricy new automobile. Furthermore, raising the price of a commodity will curb spending in other areas, such as the development of an alternative fuel source. To put it simply, you can't spend money you ain't got. On the other hand, a lowering the price of a commodity will free up financial resources elsewhere, opening up the opportunity for the further development of a new technology: alternative fuel.

However, the sale of sport utility vehicles has increased 30% since the decline in the price in gas. What is needed is a more educated consumer, not a financial strain on those who cannot afford it. In adjunct with this article, I will be re posting Gas Crisis; and I suggest a reading of that article for a further outline of a more reasonable solution.

Cody Hobbs