Today’s L.A. Times letters to the editors, because our voices matter:

Gasoline doesn’t come cheap

Re “Gasoline, diesel prices keep rising,” March 13, and “Obama’s pump debacle,” Opinion, March 13

I would like to spirit Jonah Goldberg back to the land of reality, if just for a few minutes.

1. The gasoline we are currently paying high prices for was refined some time ago when cost/prices were less.

2. We cannot drill ourselves back to $2.50-a-gallon gasoline any more than we can find a nickel cup of coffee.

3. The profits realized by the petroleum industry have increased exponentially the last few years.

4. President Obama, along with a majority of climatologists, knows that human activity — such as burning fossil fuels — contributes to global climate change.

5. Oil reserves are finite, therefore we must find alternate fuel sources at the risk of occasional source failures.

6. Goldberg either owns stock in Exxon, lives in a fourth dimension or is waiting for seat confirmation on the mother ship.

Stephen S. Anderson
Hacienda Heights

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Goldberg conveniently omits the most important fact: Oil prices are set by a world market. Exxon’s price is the same regardless of whether its oil comes from Indonesia or from under Goldberg’s feet. Current factors include fears over Iran, rising use in emerging markets and gaming by hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds, and have little to do with Obama’s policies.

True, we may be headed for $8-a-gallon gas, simply because of our inability to find, deliver and refine enough of the stuff given inexorably increasing world demand.

In that light, and given the detestable governments that profit from this situation, the president’s efforts to develop American energy alternatives seem essential. Conservatives need to get their noses out of their economic reports long enough to try to find a vision of tomorrow as something other than just more of today.

Steven Duff
Silverado