Gas prices in the United States are edging towards multi-year record levels, pushing up prices of daily essentials and eroding the quality of life of Americans along the way. Multiple factors such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis and OPEC production are contributing to the rise in prices. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of regular gas was $3.441 per gallon as of Feb. 7. This is 2.22 percent higher than the average price of $3.366 a week ago, 4.17 percent higher than a month ago when the average price was $3.303, and 39.65 percent higher than a year ago when the average price was $2.464. Tracy Noble, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said that the persistent Ukraine-Russia tensions were a reason why crude oil prices were pushing up “almost daily,” in an interview with AP. Russia has amassed some 100,000 soldiers along its borders with Ukraine. Moscow …