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04/12/2006 03:25:17 PM · #26 |
I don't mean this to be mean spirited, but my first reaction to the original post was, "Grow up."
I have three reasons for reacting that way. 1) Gas today @ $3.00 per gallon costs almost exactly what it did in the US in the 70's when adjusted for inflation. To get wound up about gas prices that have more or less exactly matched general inflation seems silly to me. Milk's gone up. Housing has gone up. It's just silly. 2) I think people are not really reacting to the price of gas, they are reacting to the large change in the price of gas. It is emotional, and in the case of heavy commuters driving fuel inefficient cars and SUVs, a potentially lifestyle changing increase. 3) As others have pointed out, compared to much of the world, gas @ 3.00 a gallon is dirt cheap. I paid around $6.00 a US gallon in Scotland last summer. Canada's higher than the US. EU is much higher.
Boycots by a school won't work to lower the price of gas since it's price depends on global supply and demand of oil and refining capacity. And non-US demand (think China) is growing even faster than the US. Only substantial national (and internationsl) change in the consumption (demand for) gasoline will work. This requires significant changes to the structure of the transportation industry (e.g. dramaticly improved fuel economy, dramatically easier mass transit, etc.)
Having said all that, I am sure the recent run-up of prices will be genuinely hurtful to some people and I am sorry for their situation.
Message edited by author 2006-04-12 15:26:44. |
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04/12/2006 03:36:36 PM · #27 |
My 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck will run on E85. However I've never seen a station that has it. :-(
In any case I understand that the cost of Ethanol has gone up so much because of demand (using it as a fuel additive) that I doubt I could save any money even if E85 were available. It's like Diesel fuel -- used to be cheaper than regular gas but now it's priced at or above premium!
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04/12/2006 03:40:17 PM · #28 |
$1.03 here today, which converts to:
$3.40 US dollars per US gallon for you Yankees. Oh Caaanadaaaaa.
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04/12/2006 03:50:24 PM · #29 |
| Gas is $2.59-2.69 here in Kansas. YeeHaw! |
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04/12/2006 03:55:54 PM · #30 |
"Federal, State, and local taxes are a large component of the retail price of gasoline. Taxes (not including county and local taxes) account for approximately 23 percent of the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Within this national average, Federal excise taxes are 18.4 cents per gallon and State excise taxes average about 21 cents per gallon. 2 Also, eleven States levy additional State sales and other taxes, some of which are applied to the Federal and State excise taxes. Additional local county and city taxes can have a signifi cant impact on the price of gasoline."
Primer on Gasoline Prices (U.S., of course)
Just thought I'd share. :) |
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04/12/2006 04:05:49 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by taterbug:
Hmm, I was kinda young then, but I remember in the 70's when there were gas issues. Remember the high prices? Odd/even days? etc.
Well I remember people in general trying to do something about it. Folks carpooled, rode bikes, walked, bought SMALL FUEL EFFICIENT CARS,cut back on driving whenever possible, etc. I'm sure all that had some kind of affect on the fuel industry.
It seems like these days, americans response to this is to go out and buy bigger vehicles, drive more and try to burn up as much gas as they can. I guess that'll show 'em! "High prices? Hah! We'll just throw more money in your pockets! How 'bout them apples, huh? Nyah, nyah, nyah!!!" |
Hmm, In the last year myself and my wife bought new vehicles that got better gas milage, for that reason. A lot of my friends have done or are doing the same thing. The people of my city voted for (by 75%) and they are currently building a light rail system. Vanpool and carpooling is very popular around here. The HOV lane is usually as crowded as the rest of the freeway. The bus stops I drive by are always full. I know a lot of people that bike to work now. A good portion of the parking lot at work is reserved for carpool only, and it's full. Over the last year, the ratio of small cars to big trucks has increased dramatically in the same parking lot. The motorcycle parking lot is more full as well. Prices on large SUV's have dropped due to low demand and dealers are offering 0% financing and rebates. One of the main reasons GM is in the toilet is because they focused on selling large SUVs. Prices on vehicles like the prius and the insight are much higher then the car is actually worth. All the major automakers are working on or selling hybrids that are more fuel efficent. Toyota hopes to offer a hybrid version of every vehicle they make by 2010. People are buying these, even though if you do the math the fuel savings will take several years to pay for the extra cost up front and if you factor in maintanence there may be no savings...
I wouldn't say we are doing nothing, but things may be different where you live.
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04/12/2006 04:06:25 PM · #32 |
Originally posted by TroyMosley:
What the gas price in your town or city ?
this morning i payed 2.93 per gallon, thats crazy expensive,
my school is boycotting Exxon and Mobil, saying dont buy gas from them do you think that would work, cause them to bring down their prices. |
Is about 2.70 a gal here. As far as a boy cott...wont help. The Oil componies and gas stations have little to do with setting the prices. The problem lies in the Energy market. basicaly around the world there are markets much like the NYSE were people buy and sell "shares" of Oil. They make guesses on the supply and demand of diffrent fules and then buy them or the oil in advance then turn around and sell it...hopefully for them selves at a profit. Now a sudden up swing in production could cost these energy traders millions...but that dosent happen often. So what happens is supply and demand keep staying close the same so the speculators set higher prices to make more profit and starts an upward spiral thus increasing profit for speculatos and oil companies. The oil producers sell it to the speculators who sell it to the refineries who sell to stations then to us...with a markup at each step....System needs an overhaul. Plus in the US we need to improve our Mass transit systems, but most of all a worldwide need is to find a more effiecent cleaner renewable source of energy |
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04/12/2006 04:18:03 PM · #33 |
| If you really want to talk about the the problem with higher gas prices it's not about you and me and spending a few extra bucks at the pump. In America the main way goods are transported is trucks. It's a trickle down from there, companies pay more to haul goods to the stores and ultimately we pay higher prices on everything at the store to make up for the higher transportation costs. So we pay higher prices on everything from Gas to Milk when oil prices go up. It's a lot bigger than just how much do you pay at the pump. |
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04/12/2006 04:19:01 PM · #34 |
If I have done all the calculations correctly;
(1L = 3.7854118 gallon, 1 EUR converts to 1.30 USD at the bank)
In Holland we pay USD 6.58 per gallon of fuel(95 octane).
That is one of the reasons why I bought a car last weekend that does 21.7km per litre, that equates to rougly 51 miles per gallon.
(And it's 56.4 mpg on the highway at 75mph)
Message edited by author 2006-04-12 16:24:56.
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04/12/2006 04:39:38 PM · #35 |
$2.45 here in Guam...on base that is. Off base is $2.79 I think.
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04/12/2006 04:44:34 PM · #36 |
$2.67 in west Wisconsin
gas price search....
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04/12/2006 04:46:44 PM · #37 |
$2.55 here in Oregon attendent pumps the gas, I live accross the river in Washington self service state, price is $2.69 for reg. unlead.
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04/12/2006 04:47:51 PM · #38 |
$ 1.06 a litre. It's considerably higher at other stations in BC. The signs seem to be live. You can watch the prices go up...
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04/12/2006 05:01:53 PM · #39 |
| $1.619 here in NZ ... not good really ... |
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04/12/2006 05:31:42 PM · #40 |
Originally posted by TroyMosley:
What the gas price in your town or city ?
this morning i payed 2.93 per gallon, thats crazy expensive,
my school is boycotting Exxon and Mobil, saying dont buy gas from them do you think that would work, cause them to bring down their prices. |
Just got emailed the specific schem you were talking about...here is a article discussing why it wont work
//www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp |
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04/12/2006 06:46:55 PM · #41 |
| thinking back on the 70's and 80's I would rather pay $5 a gallon for gas I can get now, then be charged 75 cents for a gallon of gas I can't get at all or need to sit on a line for 10 or 12 hours for 5 gallons of that inexpensive gas. Have gas to sell me, I'll figure out how to pay for it. |
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04/12/2006 08:30:17 PM · #42 |
Everyone should just ride Public Transit!!!
I get kind of bored driving my commuter bus around with nobody on it. I had a grand total of TWO, yes 2, people ride my bus today in an eight hour period. |
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04/12/2006 08:40:52 PM · #43 |
This whole thing (the gas prices being OUTRAGEOUS) has NOTHING to do with teaching Americans a lesson and hoping they don't drive as much...
It has EVERYTHING to do with greed. Last year, Wal-Mart was the number one money-making company...guess who it is now -- Exxon. They're making a KILLING from it, and the government is making more and more tax on it so they won't do anything.
The thing is that they just realized that they can INSANELY raise the price of gasoline (something that we've all become dependent on) to the point that they (the big oil companies and the government) are making huge amounts of money at all of our expense.
Something needs to be done. It's hurting smaller companies, while bigger companies are THRIVING from this whole thing. Auto parts delivering businesses, pizza delivery folks, public transportation businesses, it's driving the prices up across the entire map -- postal prices are going up, parts costs are going up, everything that is delivered by a truck (90% of everything we consume) are all going up...and it's all because Exxon is greedy. Wal-Mart isn't going to lose money from the higher costs of operating their trucks -- they will simply raise the price of a few things by a penny -- and their cost is easily consumed. But the poor guy that delivers pizza can't come up with the difference....this is DEVISTATING to the economy...and I think that middle-class Americans (and possibly the rest of the world) is in for some BAD, BAD times, in the very near future.
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04/12/2006 08:47:19 PM · #44 |
Originally posted by NathanW:
Everyone should just ride Public Transit!!!
I get kind of bored driving my commuter bus around with nobody on it. I had a grand total of TWO, yes 2, people ride my bus today in an eight hour period. |
Yes, but as people have mentioned before, public transit does not exist in all places, and in many where it does, it is so inefficient that it's a farce.
IMO, we won't see a change until people stop complaining amongst each other and instead raise a real fuss that's heard in the governments. Maybe then either prices will go down, or far better yet, we'll actually focus on technology that will eleminate petro-fuels.
Think about it. We got to the moon in what, 5 years of real effort? You can't convince me that the same 5 years of real, honest research wouldn't eliminate the need for petro-fuel in the US.
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04/12/2006 08:48:07 PM · #45 |
gas prices just went up here in Iceland, unleaded is now up to $6.47 gallon.
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04/12/2006 08:53:09 PM · #46 |
Wow, $2.85 for a gallon in San Diego seems cheap compared to some of the countries people are posting from.
California used to have really expensive gas compared to the rest of the US, but ever since Hurricane Katrina it's sort of equalized. During the hurricane gas prices soared (I was in New York at the time on vacation and it was up to $3.50) in most places in the US, but California didn't really for some strange reason that I don't understand.
Message edited by author 2006-04-12 20:53:57. |
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04/12/2006 09:01:40 PM · #47 |
Originally posted by DanSig:
gas prices just went up here in Iceland, unleaded is now up to $6.47 gallon. |
yeah, but iceland is small, geographically speaking.
How many miles a year do you drive your car?
I'm sure we're below average...
96 Grand Caravan - about 22,000 (18mpg)
93 Ford Tauraus - about 8,000 (24mpg)
90 Jeep Wrangler, mucho modified - about 1,000 miles (11mpg on super)
It's not so much the price of gas itself, it's that we feel we're being ripped off. Gas prices here today are $2.75 for the cheap stuff. 3 weeks ago it was $2.27. That's 50c, or almost a 20% hike in 3 weeks - Why? Cause the big oil companies know we'll pay it.
What's frustrating is the car companies as well, but they to a point are at the mercy of the market. I was looking at some tiny Suzuki cars - wee things. 22/31 mpg and $15,000 or so. My 13 year old Ford, with 177k miles, does better. and it's bigger. Their little SUVs did worse than our minivan, and were 30% smaller. Why?
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04/12/2006 09:05:57 PM · #48 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Originally posted by DanSig:
gas prices just went up here in Iceland, unleaded is now up to $6.47 gallon. |
yeah, but iceland is small, geographically speaking.
How many miles a year do you drive your car?
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I drive about 40.000 miles per year, I drive a BMW and it uses plenty of gas...
Message edited by author 2006-04-12 21:07:19.
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04/12/2006 09:26:33 PM · #49 |
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04/12/2006 10:01:03 PM · #50 |
Originally posted by DanSig:
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Originally posted by DanSig:
gas prices just went up here in Iceland, unleaded is now up to $6.47 gallon. |
yeah, but iceland is small, geographically speaking.
How many miles a year do you drive your car?
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I drive about 40.000 miles per year, I drive a BMW and it uses plenty of gas... |
You drive almost 110 miles a day, 365 days a year.... impressive, particularly when one considers that the whole of Iceland is slightly less than 40,000 square miles.
Ray |
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