Spiked gas prices cause student concern
Jenna Campbell
Times Junior Reporter
The recent spike in gas prices partially, due to the unrest in Libya, has the students at Strathmore High School concerned and fearful that the prices are going to continually increase. With Strathmore’s gas reaching a $113.9 on Monday, March 7, students are worried that gas will no longer be a necessity, but rather, a luxury.
In planning for the future, SHS student, Madison Gauthier knows she can make small changes in order to accommodate how expensive it is to drive a vehicle.
“If (gas) got too expensive, I would probably find a different way to get around. Once in summer, I’d walk more, take my bike. I wouldn’t go to places that I didn’t need to go with my car.”
Understanding the cause for gas price inflation, Libya, Africa’s biggest oil producing nation, has been under the firm control of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi since he seized power in 1969. The recent rebel protests against the Gaddafi government have created unrest in many of the Libyan cities. In retaliation to protests, forces loyal to Gaddafi have been attacking rebel positions with brute force and unseen violence. Most importantly, Gaddafi is trying to prevent the antigovernment fighters from seizing control of the capital, Tripoli.
According to David Kirsch, an analyst with PFC energy, he predicts that as much as two-thirds of Libya’s 1.6 million barrels-a-day oil exports have been shut down. Having the taps shut off on the nation which contributes two per cent of the world’s oil, have created a riple effect, largely increasing the price of crude oil, which has been pushed over $105 US a barrel. It is still unclear how long exports will be cut off, and in the meantime, The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has ramped up production.
Noting how much an impact that the Libyan unrest has on our Canadian economy, Kenton Zandee, teacher at SHS,thinks it shows the interrelatedness and interconnectedness of our world. Seeing the pros to oil price inflation, Zandee believes that this could potentially be beneficial for Alberta.
“It means that our oil prices are up and our oil companies are hiring more people, they’re exploring for more oil and it’s helping Alberta’s money as a province.”
Not many students share the similar optimistic view as Zandee, and do not necessarily know the cause for increase in prices.
“I definitely think that nobody knows about it. I didn’t even know why gas prices were up until today. I highly doubt that very many know exactly why, and they should learn why. I think that by knowing, it would make us almost more tolerant,” said SHS student, Hannah Meers.
The price of oil is expected to continue to increase over summer, as it has been steadily climbing over the years. It is still undetermined if prices will ever decrease back to a more reasonable level. One can only be hopeful that larger oil producing countries do not fall under similar unrest and turn off the taps as well.