(btw, your $2.05 is about what I'm seeing for regular too, $2.19 was mid grade Sunoco)
Posted on 03/20/2005 5:09:02 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
**Exclusive**
President Bush's inner circle has become preoccupied with soaring gas prices and its toll on the economy, a well-placed White House source said over the weekend.
Bush has quitely asked for a review of any and all economic fallout on the nation if gas prices continuing racing up and over the psychological line of $3 a gallon, as they have in recent weeks in some locations, the source explains.
Bush's top economic advisers have conveyed to the president that a "nightmare" scenario of $4 a gallon is extremely unlikely in the short term.
"The seasonal run-up of gas prices has been tough this year, but like every year in the past two decades, we expect we will will see some easing," the source claims from Washington.
Developing...
This thought brings smiles to the shareholders in the Canadian Oil Sands project. In fact, there will be many regions of North America to benefit from rising oil prices.
I'm sure your statement was made with good intentions, and I am not trying to personally attack anyone, but I'm starting to get a bit ticked off at some things being said on this thread, such as:
1) "People will begin to work from home" -- I'm sure that's a viable option for a small percentage of people in this country, but please explain to me how those who work in retail environments, production environments, teachers, law enforcement officials, etc. could work form home. Do you want your car mechanic to work from his home? Do you want your airline pilot to work from home? How 'bout your UAW factory workers? How about me -- I am an engineer who spends my days supporting multiple mechanics/technicians in an aerospace/manufacturing environment -- not exactly a job that can be done while in my pajamas sitting in front of my home computer.
2) "Get a job closer to home" -- That might work if you are a Gas Station attendant or a Starbucks barista (or something similar where there is a potential employmer for you on every street corner)... but for people with specialized skills/talents/background that don't own their own business, you usually don't have much of a choice in where your employer is located. In my situation, there are maybe 6 or 7 companies in all of San Diego County where I could find comparable work, and they are spread far and wide across the entire county.
3) Similar to #2: "Get a home closer to your job" -- This doesn't work if your employer (like mine) is located in a locale where you can't afford a place to live. The median single-family home price for Feb. 2005 in my employer's zip code was $502,500. The condo where I live (24 miles to the north) is worth around $320,000. In fact, most people around here keep moving farther and farther away in order to be able to afford a house -- and they just enjoy longer commutes (my commute is about 45-60 min). Of course, with gas prices rising, there must be a tipping point where the cheaper mortgage gets eaten up by the higher commute costs...
4) "Purchase smaller cars, scooters and motorcycles..." - What is a family with 4 or more kids supposed to drive -- a Prius? I only have 2 kids right now, so it's not essential that I have an SUV, and we are happy without one. However, between the volunteer work I do for my church (as Worship Leader I end up hauling around keyboards, sound equipment, etc.) and the "stuff" that one is required to haul around with 2 young children (i.e., a double-stroller), these tiny econo-cars aren't even feasible.
5) "Families could begin to move closer together..." - In addition to my arguments for Points 2 & 3, if indeed one were to live near family... how would that help if we all owned motorcycles or Honda Insights? We recently visited my parents in the Memphis area. Between me and my 3 sisters and all of the grandkids, there were 16 of us. When we all wanted to go someplace together, we had to take 3 vehicles -- and that was only because my bro-in-law had an 8-passenger van. I can just see us all trying to get to the playground (with our baby carseats and strollers and diaper bags) across town if we all owned/rented Priuses -- it would have looked like an enviro-whacko funeral procession...
That's it for now... I need to get back to work... :-)
We hook up all politicians to machines and they could fuel all our needs! And dont forget Hollywood also and Journalists!
Rising oil prices are caused by environmentalists.
Normally, as oil prices rise, oil companies prospect for new oil fields and then drill (you know, to cash in on the high prices).
Environmentalists have nearly shut that process down in the US.
Ergo, no increase in the production of domestic oil can happen. Which (since OPEC is nearing maximum production) equals higher prices at the pump.
Wake up, there's not much oil left here.
Fuel cells are as worthless in promoting American energy self-sufficiency as anvils are for flying kites. You gotta get off that. Other than that, good post.
That's only happens because bad people make it happen.
Eliminate all the people around the oil pipelines and there will be no more explosions.
:-)
Buy a diesel. The fuel economies about the same, but you'll get a ton more torque.
Not to mention that the engine is far more reliable.
And it's cheaper.
And you won't pay through the nose for repairs.
And you won't have to replace the batteries when they wear out.
etc, etc, etc.
Easy gnube !
Havin' a high-testy sorta day were we ?
Everyone who consumes anything in this country is a direct beneficiary of the national transportation infrastructure.
Granted it's been a while since macroecon, but it seems a modest ($.05ish) per gallon tax on top of the cost of fuel use would suffice,
with the remainder of road/transport expense born from general tax revenues.
No different than promoting the general welfare via defense expenditures.
And if you think that's a stretch, wait'll gas hits $4/gal and find a hole to hide in while all hell breaks loose and the economy totally tanks.
I see you're an 18yo college freshman.
Well, w/o intending to condescend, this self-employed 49yo man is here to tell you that at current prices, lotsa folks are hurtin'.
(btw, your $2.05 is about what I'm seeing for regular too, $2.19 was mid grade Sunoco)
From what I have been lead to believe by accurate MSM sources (whatever that is worth) they are the wave of the future.
right now, the brokerage houses and hedge funds are using oil as the new "tech stocks" - that must be broken, or they will kill us all. its probably adding $10-12 a barrel right now, and will only go higher as money chases money.
Bingo - Exactly right - It is the energy traders that are causing the current situation more than anything else - But as you listed there a several solutions to this problem -
After getting the energy traders back to being honest our next step needs to be concerned with refinery capacity -
I disagree with its conclusion, because I don't think the government should be investing in the energy market at all. But on the issue directly posed, fuel cell tech proposals are almost always hydrogen-based. Hydrogen has to come from somewhere. And hydrogen is a middling solution.
If we really want to solve problems with the energy situation, we'll probably be better served investing in solar or other natural energy sources. If we want to be BEST served, of course, we'll stay the hell out of it and let the market decide. It did with gasoline--which is the best energy source of its kind, even if it isn't renewable. Alcohol-fueled, pure-electric, Stanley Steamers, and compressed-air vehicles are not a presence in the market because the market could tell which cars had the power source that worked best, and that fuel was accepted by the masses (with some occasional, unfortunate interventions by the gummint). The market will be the best judge of whatever the next energy source is, too, if we just keep government from mucking it up with subsidies and tax breaks.
I wouldn't gamble on anything but the current big energy companies, though. : (
Inorder for the market to decide government restrictions on oil,coal ,nuclear, and other energy productions need to be removed. Common sense legislation is what is needed. Today Coal,oil and nuclear energy can be harnessed in safer and cleaner ways.
No argument that the gummint should be out of the market altogether. But if it was, we wouldn't be going to hydrogen any time soon.
In fact, it'd be more likely we'd move to biodiesel or alcohol -fueled vehicles. We could replace 10 percent of our transportation fuels with ethanol 10-25 years before replacing a similar amount with hydrogen, with no new investments in redesigning cars or gas stations or energy delivery systems. The current cost of hydrogen is $4-8 per gallon of gasoline equivalent (gge). The federal goal is $2.65 per gge by 2015 (yeah, right). The CURRENT cost of ethanol is $1.50-2 per gallon. The CURRENT cost of biodiesel is roughly 1.5 times the cost of diesel (usually a little cheaper than regular gas), though pure biodiesel delivers only 90 percent of the fuel economy of petroleum diesel. The current cost of converting a gas station to ethanol is $50,000. The current cost of converting a gas station to hydrogen is over $600,000. The cost of converting a diesel tank to biodiesel is only that of filtering with whatever the biodiesel dissolves from prior diesel impurities. The current cost of modifying a conventional car so that it can run on 100 percent ethanol is $160. The current cost of a fuel cell car is $1 million. The current cost of running a diesel on biodiesel is whatever filter replacement is necessary, as biodiesel is more solvent than diesel and tends to clean out the system initially--as a result, filters get clogged! The most optimistic projection for the increased cost of a fuel cell car in 2015 is $10,000. Ethanol and biodiesel-ready cars could be on the road right now, using fuel depots in place. And let's not even get started on propane/methane.
And people don't buy cars on the basis of a green planet, but a green wallet. The more expensive a fuel is (like hydrogen) the less likely it will be accepted by consumers.
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