Insight

OUR OPINION

CONSERVING GAS WILL BENEFIT ALL

We in Colorado have seen gas prices soar in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The average price for a gallon of gas, according to denvergasprices.com, is $3. Granted, Katrina sped up the process, but according to some sources it was only a matter of time before we would cross the $2.99 threshold. Everyone is feeling the pain especially us students. Between tuition hikes, student fees, tobacco taxes and parking the last thing we need is to pay more for gas. It seems the only break we catch these days is during happy hour.

The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 2 that President Bush has allowed the tapping of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a stockpile of 700 million barrels of crude. The Department of Energy will also lend seven million barrels of oil. And limits will be lifted on the ability of foreign ships to deliver between U.S. ports.

However, the Journal suggested the aforementioned moves would only act as a band-aid to a much larger wound. Among the paper's suggestions to the feds to help curb the price increase for the long-term were obtaining oil from a wider range of sources and establishing more off-shore refineries. President Bush must act, with Congress in tow, quickly and effectively. He was in the oil business, after all.

One thing we all can and must do is conserve.

Many of us live outside of downtown. Driving is a part of our lives. The 20-minute commute grows on us. But, we do have several options as students of Auraria, including RTD. Even if you ride the bus or light rail just one day this week, demand will decrease and the savings will benefit all.

Although plans are in the works on the federal level to cut an estimated 10 billion gallons of gas between 2008 and 2011, that's only 25 days worth of use in America, according to David Friedman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. The time for us to change our consumption habits is now, especially in the aftermath one of the nation's worst disasters.

We implore everyone on the Auraria campus to conserve. As Bush said, "Don't buy gas if you don't need it."