Categories: Current Events

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the pump. Gas prices are up again, and motorists are not happy. Yankee media is abuzz with news, commentaries and interviews about the crisis. Americans are wondering what they can do about the crisis, and blaming Bush for not doing enough. Is there anything Bush hasn’t gotten blamed for? They probably blame him for the Holocaust too. Probably the only ones not complaining about the crisis is big oil, which is making some hefty profits. In fact, Exxon Mobil’s profits have tripled and its stocks are up little over 1%. Automakers are trying to profit from the panic, as Toyota is flooding the airwaves with ads for its hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles.

Out here in Jamaica the pinch isn’t really being felt. Despite this, PM Portia Simpson-Miller has cut a deal with the Trinidadians to sell us oil at cheaper prices. And there is an experiment being undertaken by Petrojam to blend ethanol with gasoline. If successful, it should be implemented by 2007 and cut Jamaica’s oil bill by US$35-40 million, in addition to preserving the environment. Funny, people usually have to protest or block roads in order for Government to do something. Maybe Jamaican leadership does need a feminine touch. Me, I drive a “legs-us”, so the crisis doesn’t really affect me. I’m kinda glad that oil prices are going up. After all, oil is a finite resource, and should be finished in about 25 or so years (unless new sources are found). So we’ll have to embrace green energy sooner or later, and this is just the kick in the rear that people need to do it.