United States National News

Gas Prices Reach Five-Year Low

Jake Henigman United States National News Washington, D.C.

November 15, 2035

National gas prices for the last month have dropped to their lowest levels in five years. Average gas prices from mid October through mid November for the entire United States have reached a low of $39.69 per gallon. This is the first time national average gas prices have dropped below $40 per gallon since 2030, when OPEC stopped exporting oil to the rest of the world. The recent decline of gas prices has followed the opening of the keystone pipeline from the oil sands in Canada, the last remaining proven source of oil, to the refineries in the gulf. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Shell have all supported and funded the opening of the pipeline. The decision to open the Keystone Pipeline has received criticism from many that say the pipeline is only a stopgap measure and will not fix our energy crisis. Oil is a dead fuel source, said Kelly Palin, head of Americans for Alternative Energy (AAE). We need to find renewable sources of energy to ensure Americas future energy security.

Yearly Gas Price Averages

Year
2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 Current price

Price/Gallon
39.99 42.29 48.19 46.28 45.29 39.69

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Many campaigns by the AAE have failed in the last five years to appropriate more funding from congress to go toward research and development of alternative energy sources. The AAEs goal is to move the United States in the direction of Hydrogen, wind, solar, and fusion energy, stated Mrs. Palin when asked about the organizations goals at a fundraiser in early October. The opening of the pipeline is also facing opposition from environmentalists that say the millions of gallons of oil passing over the Ogallala aquifer have a chance to contaminate the largest aquifer in the United States. According to Tim Henshaw from WWF the Keystone Pipelines route places it directly over the Ogallala aquifer in the Midwest. This aquifer provides water to the majority of the agricultural lands in the country. The pipeline puts this key

resource in jeopardy of being contaminated by crude oil through leaks or full on spills. Studies by Harvard University have also shown that this pipeline has a sixty percent chance of leaking at least one barrel of oil a month and a twenty percent chance of leaking ten or more barrels a month. The Jefferson administrations defense of the decision to open the Keystone Pipeline stressed the importance of oil to the countrys economy. We need the oil that this pipeline will bring, stated secretary of state Clinton. This pipeline will drop gas prices by up to ten dollars per gallon and will allow people to live their lives again. The bus service will be open again in most places within the next two months, and people will once again be able to go to work. So far the claim of lower gas prices has proven true. In response to the environmental opposition the Jefferson Administration stated only that there is no evidence to suggest that the pipeline will, or even has the potential to, contaminate the aquifer.

However, there may not be a chance for the pipeline to prove whether or not it is environmentally friendly. The United States Geological Survey stated on November 10th that the Oil sands in Canada, with present consumption rates, will run dry by 2042. John Smith, head of USGS said that the end-date is based on known as well as probable reserve capacity of oil sands in southern Canada. The recent news has caused public opinion to sway in support of the AAE who may, for the first time, support candidates to run for presidential and congressional office in the coming elections. If the people want a government that will listen to the demands of the people and give them a sustainable economy that is not dependant upon foreign oil, then we will humbly give them that, said Palin. Despite the political

implications of the situation the present decrease in gas prices has created an increase in productivity throughout the economy. Unemployment has dropped from 22% to 15%, the lowest it has been in years. Agricultural productivity is up by ten percent. The United States is also starting to narrow the production gap with superpowers Sweden and Norway. They have dominated the United Nations and set international policy for the past few years, seemingly unaffected by the oil crisis. The drop in oil production has ensured a steady increase of gas prices at the pump all over the world. No country dependant upon oil has been unaffected and a majority of the worlds governments have focused their efforts upon alternative sources of energy. However, the United States has lagged behind on this issue, continually supporting oil as the main power source.