As US gas prices climb, politicians are looking at ways to lower them. An economist breaks down what does − and doesn’t − move the number on the sign at the gas station.

Who gets all that cash, and what do they do with it?

For sheer abundance and ease of production of oil and natural gas, it simply doesn’t get any better than the Persian Gulf region.

Countries don’t just switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Each takes its own path, depending on its economy, international trade relations and government stability.

US consumers, already feeling pain at the gas pump, can expect higher prices and prolonged shortages for goods of all sorts, including food, as additional consequences of slowed oil production.

Nations’ stores of petroleum can dampen price shocks in the short term, but as reserve supplies dwindle, economic pain may continue.

Oil prices affect the US economy differently than in past decades. Nowadays, the US is less reliant on oil imports and uses less oil to produce more economic output.

The Narwhal reports on Canada's carbon capture efforts, discussing the trade-offs between emissions reduction and oil extraction expansion.