In an unexpected twist of events during the past couple of weeks, crude oil market prices have gone down from around 145-150 US dollars per barrel to around 113 US dollars per barrel. This is surely a very rare occurrence because it’s surely a rare event that crude oil market prices go down so much in such a small time frame.
Whilst welcoming the good news, because it will surely help boost the world’s economy which was slipping into depression due to high energy costs, nevertheless governments and other organisations around the world should keep pressing the issue to further increase the use of alternative energy sources like solar energy, wind power, etc.
It is relatively good in a sort of way that crude oil market prices have gone down because in a social way of thinking, it would surely spare many big companies like airlines and factories from bankruptcy which would have resulted in major job cuts which  in turn would have sent the world into further recession.
Nevertheless we all know that our planet cannot sustain any more abuse and pollution because it is a well known fact that if we continue polluting our planet, a day not so far away will come when our planet would be no more habitable because of the increase in pollution, which in turn would reduce life expectancy due to the many illnesses related to heavy pollution, and we all know that this is not a desirable ending.
So I think we must use all resources available to use and explore more alternative and greener energy sources. Locally I hope that this reduction in international crude oil market prices will get the government moving to further reduce burdens imposed on Maltese costumers and again reduce the fuel surcharge on energy to an acceptable level so that the Maltese customer would receive a boost in its spending power and the economy would get running because more spending power on behalf of the customers means that more trade can be generated and the Government could in turn be able to increase its revenue from taxes and use the extra money for exploration and construction of better and efficient structures that utilise alternative energy sources.
The recent spikes in cost of crude oil market prices which had almost drawn the whole world to its knees, should all teach us a lesson so that in the future we never again rely on only one kind of energy source – which by the way happens to be one of the most dangerous and polluting of all. Now is the time when we should further explore greener ways of producing energy so that we help our planet survive and help ourselves survive as well.

Stephen Borg
Via email