Gas Prices - the REAL way to reduce them!

[Smiling JOe]

I have an observation. At the same time of year for the last several years gas prices have sky rocketed. This also happens around the Christmas season, and Spring Break for schools. Now, we have the summer vacation season upon us and the prices have gone up. The price of gas will go down as soon as school starts again, mark my word.

I guess that depends on whether a major storm hits the Gulf Coast later in the Hurricane season. Supposedly, due to the storms in '04 & '05, price of gas doubled from $1.50 / gal to $3.00/gal. If the Gulf gets hit with a destructive storm this summer or fall, I wouldn't be surprised to see gas hit $4.50-$5.00/gal and we will again, dumbly applaud the decrease back to $3.50/gal.

 

[scooterbug44]

Part of the reason for the increased prices is increased holiday demand. When school starts again, the demand goes down, so the price goes down.

One thing that REALLY bugs me is that they constantly blame part of it on refinery capacity. I have been hearing since Katrina that one of the reasons for the reduced capacity is the oil companies are not doing necessary maintenence, replacing or updating equiptment, or increasing capacity.

Instead of spending money on their infrastructure (pipeline leak was faulty maintenence, wasn't it), they are posting record profits and then acting like they can't help it when a storm takes out a refinery.

I think we need to use less and they need to step up as well!

 

[SHELLY]

To cut down on usage lets start by eliminating the LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG lines of SUVs, trucks & cars (with engines & A/Cs/heat running) lined up at the schools and fast food drive-up windows....yeah, like that's going to happen:roll:

 

[scooterbug44]

Yeah, those people DESERVE $5 a gallon gas!

I am all for another grass roots effort to change to use of AC back to using it to make a person more comfortable instead of using it to convert spaces to a meat locker!

 

[jimmyp5]

What do you think it will take for Americans to change their driving habits?

Do you think continuing high gas prices will make people rethink their lifestyle choices?

I think it'll take gas prices going higher -- much higher -- than they are, to make people change our behavior. Imposing a $1/gallon tax as soon as possible would be an excellent start, and bumping it to $2/gallon in another year. Yes, I'm serious.

One problem with leglislating mpg increases from the manufacturers is that it'll take way longer to have any effect -- both because it'll take years to phase in, and because that doesn't do anything about all the current cars & trucks on the road.

Bringing gas prices to $4 or $5 a gallon is really much more in line with where a shrinking commodity ought to be priced. The world is currently producing as much oil as it can ... it's downhill from here, in terms of production. At the same time, worldwide demand is skyrocketing, with China & India just now arriving late to the party.

It is not our Constitutional, American right to drive a 2.5-ton, V8 SUV or truck with one person in it, and expect to fill it with $1- or $2-a-gallon gas. The earth just won't support this knid of behavior any longer.

And, even if the world-citizenship issue doesn't click for you -- if you want to simply consider the patriotic, less terrorism, more security, American angle of this argument -- let's make ourselves independent from importing oil from parts of the world that hate us. To do that, we need to use less, MUCH less, starting ASAP.

We all need to share in this burden, and a tax is actually the fairest way. It won't be easy, or pretty, but it's more fair. Don't put the fix only on the auto manufacturers. Plus, it's too slow. Don't put price caps on dealers or their corporations, they're just selling us what we want to buy. Plus, it wouldn't slow down our useage.

We absolutely have to get our country used to using way less gas, to avoid more & larger wars than Iraq, and to forestall the desolate days depicted in Mad Max and Road Warrior.

 

[jimmyp5]

... unfortunately people either can't or won't change their behavior.

Many people have a hard time doing it voluntarily, especailly when each of us is only one of 300,000,000 Americans.

That's why I advocate use of the most direct channel of behavior mod ever known -- through the wallet. The way to conservation is through the wallet. If we want our great-grandkids to ever know the joy of driving -- to the movies or across the country -- we have to stop using as much.

We need to increase, not decrease, gas prices in this country, and soon.

 

[scooterbug44]

The problem w/ a gas tax is that it gets passed along to everyone, not just those who drive gas guzzlers - increased shipping costs etc.

Why should I have to pay more for gas when I drive a car that gets more than 35 mpg and use less than 20 gallons a month?

It is also an unfair burden on lower income people (not typically driving SUVs) because they tend to have a longer commute from the areas they can afford to live to the areas where they work.

 

[jimmyp5]

scooter, i don't yet know of a solution that won't have some side issues, something imperfect about it. no solution will be easy, never mind perfect. a heavy gas tax is the best solution i know of so far.

the owner of the gaz-guzzler SUV would get hit a lot harder than you will in your high-mpg car, and I think that's fair. i think everyone has to be affected to some degree; there has to be some degree of shared sacrifice. if someone's OK with a $120 fill-up for their Hummer every week, and they can afford it, that's their choice.

you first said that we have to decrease our use .... if not by a tax, how should we do it?

 

[TNJed]

Geographically, America is at a disadvantage in terms of gas consumption. We have lots of space to spread out in when the cities become too expensive, ie urban sprawl. The result is many many more miles driven to get to work, school and errands than most any country.

That is an unavoidable quandary. Is rail transit the answer? Planned communities such as Seaside? (Ok, imperfect and expensive example but it's just an example) Regardless, Americans love their cars and their freedom so there is no perfect answer.

I just do the best I can for myself and believe drastic change will come when and only when all the oil is gone.

 

[scooterbug44]

I was idealistically hoping that people would realize that the issue they are complaining about is directly caused by them and if personal responsibility doesn't work, perhaps some societal pressure to conserve.

A cigarette tax doesn't keep people from smoking, banning smokers from restaurants and bars does. The social implications are more effective than financial ones.