Gas prices have gone up drastically since Joe Biden came into office, but is he to blame? Many would like to place blame where it doesn’t belong. Gas is dependent on supply and demand — not who the current president is. Demand is going up, but our supplies are going down; therefore, Biden isn’t the problem. This is the after-effects of quarantine.

When the pandemic first started, people went from driving daily to barely driving at all. Vaccines changed that. Now the demand for oil, for vehicles as well as planes, is back up to speed.

So why are people blaming the President? Gregory Chase, Dean/Associate Professor of Economics & Finance/College of Business, suggests, “Canceling the Keystone Pipeline and also in anticipation of some additional actions he will take.” Biden is already seeing the backlash, with 21 states suing him for revoking the pipeline’s permit. As for the additional action, I assume he means switching energy sources.

The pipeline is a very controversial topic; In West Virginia even more so. Switching energy sources is great for this planet, but not for workers. If we could find a solution where the workers could continue without harm to pocketbooks, both the planet and pipeliners would be at peace.

As of now no one, as far as I know, has found the solution. Gas prices might not be in Biden’s hand now, but the continuing push to move away from fossil fuels could affect prices in the future. You should also consider, since it is all about supply and demand, the true factor of these future fuels is not up to the president.

As of writing this, the Sheetz down the hill is at $2.90. Even if you go all the way down to the Walmart gas station in Moundsville their regular price is at $2.49. That Sheetz always seems to be expensive. However, I remember when the Walmart gas station was below two dollars. We have spiked more than 50 cents since the rise started. During the pandemic, we had a low of about $1.77. Overall, we’ve increased about 70 cents since then.

Being a college student and watching prices rise is stressful. As someone who enjoys a car ride ever so often for mental health, it forces me to reconsider other options. Laura Musilli, Finance Professor and Manager of Grants, advises people looking to save on gas. Musilli said, “To save on gas expenses, people can carpool when possible, combine trips, only go out when necessary, and if they have more than one vehicle, drive the one with better gas mileage.”

To avoid gas entirely, you could ride a bike or, if it’s close enough, take a walk. If you are like me and want to get away for a while, find the nearest crick to relax by.