| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 7:08:19 AM | Yesterday gasoline went from $3.29 a gallon to $3.49 here in my city. A twenty cent jump per gallon, and I'm wondering why? I know oil runs the world, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm quite tired of paying $70, and $80.00 every time I fill up.
Where will it end?
It seems the American people are getting fleeced and are taking it in stride like it's not a problem. My job requires I drive 75 to 100 miles a day. I drive a pick up truck and although it’s a 6-cyllinder, still has horrible gas mileage. The sad result of this will be passed on to my customers, whether they like it or not.
I wonder if this is a Republican trend of our fearless, incoherent president? Everyday I wonder how we elected such an illiterate? Will the Democrats “if” they take office ease the skyrocketing oil prices? What's the solution?
I hear tell of feeble attempts of one-day halfhearted boycotts. In reality, they really don't make a dent in the price of gas. If action could be taken in the form of a boycott, everyone would have to sacrifice to the extreme. Weeks of not going to work, stopping the delivery of goods and services, walking if need be, and alternative methods of transportation. It would have to be so extreme, that it cripples the economy for our government to take notice.
I feel most Americans still have their ego in charge, and the oil companies know it. I see thousands of behemoth SUV’s all over, everyday with only one person in them. Very few of us carpool, and it’s a very small percentage I see taking advantage of public transportation. Most busses are running around with 10 to 15 people in them at best. When I can, I do ride the motorcycle. It gets 50 miles per gallon. I may be dangerous due to blind spots, drivers that do not pay attention, and other road hazards, but I feel I’m beating the system a little.
Back in the 70’s, it was commonplace to have a vehicle that got an average of 12 to 14 miles per gallon. Today most automakers are still marketing these gas-guzzlers. We dumb Americans still but them as if bigger is better. I feel its ego and a “look at me” I’m socially progressive, and can afford it mentality. But can you really, and for how long?
To pay $50.000 plus for a high end vehicle that gets an average of 14 MPG in today’s society, just lets the oil companies know they have us in their pocket for a long time to come. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 7:17:03 AM | Since this is an election year, Bush will not do anything...because he is an oil man...but just as soon as we get a new president.....(He/She.....he he) will probably (my opinion only)....will release US reserves to lower prices to look like a shiney new dime........
......when in all reality, will lower prices for about a week or two and then we will be right back in the same boat because of the politics. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 8:01:51 AM | | in Britain gas is very expensive when compared to electricity. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 3:45:44 PM | | I'm pissed we just hit 1.24 a liter in my city!! Bush's occupation is spilling over to everyone in the world and I'm just waiting for someone to off the freak. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 4:37:04 PM | | I really don't think we can blame the price of a barrel of oil all on George Bush or the liberation of Iraq. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 4:44:31 PM | Americans have been pretty lucky for a long time. Welcome to what the rest of us have been experiencing for years. With cheap energy comes waste, and no one ever has to worry about gas prices and possible shortages. Buy the biggest car possible, and damn reality.
It's pretty much a repeat of the 70's gas situation, except this time there's gas at the pumps - you just can't afford it. 
Had America listened to Jimmy Carter, decades ago, this all would have never happened. America would have taken a short term hit, as it did anyway, and then began a path that would have assured far more control over it's future.
Read about it here, it's all laid out fairly clearly:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/filmmore/ps_energy.html
April 18, 1977 - thirty one years ago. 
One of the things Canada did, by increasing gas prices with taxes, is to force Canadians into being more aware of things like gas mileage. That paid off, with the extra taxes collected, plus the tendency to buy cars that get far better mileage than most Americans choose.
The price you are paying now, the one you are so upset about, is far less than what we pay here now.
$ 1.24 a litre = $ 4.69 US a gallon.
Just one reason you don't see many Hummers up here.  | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 4:49:26 PM | | Good point Montreal Guy.. it does remind me of the 70's. And speaking of buying the biggest gas guzzlers.. have you ever been to Calif? I've never seen so many SUV's and gas guzzlers as I have out there. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 4:51:06 PM | It's a pain but I'm hoping it results in a few positives... like motivation to make/buy cars with higher gas mileage, more market for locally produced stuff, more car-pooling, less traffic...
Seeing the roads clogged with ginormous vehicles with only one person inside has always irritated me. It'd be nice if things got more bike friendly...
I've started to see more people driving souped up golf carts around our small town. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 5:01:38 PM |
I really don't think we can blame the price of a barrel of oil all on George Bush or the liberation of Iraq.
You can't be serious ! Liberation ? what planet are you from ? | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 5:12:10 PM | It's always been amazing to me that the Europeans were so far ahead of the USA in terms of gas mileage - thanks to their high prices at the pumps.
Across the board, European models get an average of 52 MPG versus 32 MPG for the US version of the same car. So the same car on European roads gets 60% better gas mileage than on American roads.
Interestingly this 60% difference is not limited to the Ford Focus which gets the best mileage of the set, the difference averages also 60% for all cars. The difference is widest for the BMW 3 series: gas mileage on the European 1.8D is 80% better than on the smallest gasoline engine offered in the US (BMW 328).
So you may wonder: "How do the engines differ?"
European cars are powered by turbocharged "common-rail" diesel engines. This type of engine has been widely used in Europe for the last 10 years. They don't need spark plugs, run on diesel fuel including bio-diesel and have a high compression ratio of 17 to 25:1 versus 9:1 found on a typical gasoline engine, making them that much more efficient. And by the way, did I mention that they run on bio-diesel as well?
US car manufacturers attempted to produce diesel engines in the 80's but failed. They used standard engine blocks designed for gasoline, not for these high compressions and as a result the blocks cracked. Ever since diesels have had bad reputation in the US while they equip most cars in Europe and are highly reliable.
Now you may ask: "When will Ford or Chrysler bring their diesel compact cars to the US?" This is a very good question. After all the big 3 are loosing double-digit market share every quarter to more efficient car makers. Shouldn't it be time for them to react and bring these diesel compact cars in the US? American companies already make them for goodness sake!
Well you'll be suprised but they have no plan to do so. For the time being US consumers will have to choose between the Volkswagen TDI and the Mercedes-Benz E 320 diesel.
http://outraged.chattablogs.com/archives/065014.html
And what's the reaction in the USA ?
This year, the average SUV gas mileage must be at least 21.6 miles per gallon, gradually increasing to 24 mpg by 2011.
Whether this really helps break America of what the president calls an "addiction" to foreign oil remains to be seen, but most people agree that the Bush administration is starting in the right place. Gasoline accounts for nearly half -- 44 percent -- of U.S. demand for petroleum, so it makes sense that the Bush administration starts here. The new rules are targeted at the vehicles -- SUVs and light trucks like pickups -- that are the least fuel efficient. Also, SUVs make up 31 percent of U.S. vehicles.
Critics say this doesn't go far enough to get America to use less gas because it's estimated that this measure will only save the equivalent of between two weeks and four weeks of gas consumption a year.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MellodyHobson/story?id=1785187
That type of "conservation" is a joke.
It's inexcusable that essentially every single US automaker didn't have at least ONE economy model in it's line up. There wasn't any back up, in case gas prices went up.
That means your auto industry self-destructs, and so does your economy, as Americans divert far more money into the pockets of the gasoline companies , and start cutting back on the things they do - simply because they have zero other options. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 8:08:07 PM |
European models get an average of 52 MPG versus 32 MPG for the US version of the same car. So the same car on European roads gets 60% better gas mileage than on American roads.
I'm not sure I agree with that, I'd have to see what they're refering to when they say "version of the same car"? I mean if one is using a diesel engine and a manual transmission and the other is not then in truth it's an error to be saying they are the "same."
Furthermore, what is considered a normal average car in Europe would be in reality a sub compact car in the States. That's not to be viewed as a negative in relation to Europeans as the highway infastructure is completely different, it's like comparing apples to oranges.
I've owned several performance cars and my latest model gets 17 city/ 28 MPG on the open road a far cry better than those hummers and SUV's. However, I'll admit I at least don't drive the performace car too much as in truth it's more of a toy and pleasure vehicle so it might see 2500 miles a year at most. I prefer to drive something far more economical as a daily driver, which in this case is a 20 year old Toyota pickup, it doesn't look so well but it gets great gas mileage and has an engine that has 200,000 miles on it and only routine maintence has ever been done to it.
Nevertheless, I agree something should be done to improve gas mileage on vehicles an average normal American car should be getting at least 40 city/ 50 MPG something open road. Naturally a Corvette or something isn't going to do as well but that's not a normal car anyway. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 10:24:07 PM | Gas we need it....it's as simple as the gas cap on your car people........don't forget where the oil is and who's bying it and distributing it.....North American oil & car manufacturers are telling us where to buy and when to buy their products....BECAUSE WE NEED IT.....and who else will step in and compete with them.....cheaper gas NEVER....alternative motor vehicles with better mileage ie: electric cars....NEVER....for as long as we consumers keep these bozos in business without fear of a consumer backlash.....well then we deserve the fate we have engineered for our colllective future as consumers......WE HOLD THE PURSE STRINGS PEOPLE!!!!!!!.......OYE. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 10:32:35 PM | | You want to fix it? Every time an oil producing nation wants to buy a jetliner (or anything else from us) charge them triple. If they ask why, tell them! Now if every oil buying country would do that, those folks in Dubai might consider buying only one Rolls instead of 5. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/19/2008 10:52:46 PM | Why don't all you whiney babies go out and get rid of that SUV and buy a car that gets good milage!! I bought a new civic hybrid in march of 2004(before the big hybrid bandwagon). Which gets about 50 miles per gallon, while my truck gets around 14 miles per gallon. All the guys at my work F'ing laughed at me. Now I only have to chuckle when I hear them cry about how much it cost to fill up their trucks. I kept my truck(1994 dodge dakota 4X4 with the 318 V8) in case I need it for something. It still works good, so why trade it in on a new shiney truck. For status????? To show off???? Trucks are made for workin, not to have chrome rims and look pretty. A car is ment to get you from point A to B. A truck (for most people) is just a tool, and should not be a daily driver..period. If you want to use a truck/suv as a daily driver fine, but your gonna pay for it. And dont tell me you need that SUV cuz you have kids. We had SUV's in the 70's and 80's, mainly in the forms of Blazers and Bronco's and Suburban's. From what I gather not to many people were toteing their kids around in them.
OP. A toyota prius will get around 60 miles per gallon. You state that you drive 100 miles per day for work. Thats 500 miles per week. In a prius that would cost you 8.3 gallons of gas per week. At $3.50 a gallon you would spend just under $30.00 per week. That would save you nearly $200 dollars a month, since you say you spend $70 to $80 dollars a week in gas(Thats a $50.00 a week in savings, or savings of $200 a month). At $200 savings a month is nearly the F'ing cost of the prius per month brand new!. My advise to you is Shut and and take action!! I'm so sick of hearing everyone whine on this issue. you don't hear the hybrid owners whine about gas prices..do you. Hybrids are not the cure, but only a short term fix. And honda does in fact have a hydrogreon powered car coming into the market this year. Its only exhaust is steam(water, h2O)
A person that owns a big ole SUV/any gas guzzler and whines about the cost of gas is just like a fat person whining about his/her weight while gourging on a big mac. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 6:33:23 AM |
You want to fix it? Every time an oil producing nation wants to buy a jetliner (or anything else from us) charge them triple. If they ask why, tell them! Now if every oil buying country would do that, those folks in Dubai might consider buying only one Rolls instead of 5.
Great idea we could call it a fuel surcharge fee... 
I wonder if they would catch on that it was they who made their airline more expensive?
Maybe raise the price of Grains too since that is America's version of oil reserve? | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 7:04:07 AM |
Why don't all you whiney babies go out and get rid of that SUV and buy a car that gets good milage!!
Exactly, and I do believe we will see the used car market being flooded with those vehicles soon, as it's already starting to happen.
A car is ment to get you from point A to B. A truck (for most people) is just a tool, and should not be a daily driver..period.
Yep, a truck for the most part is a tool and if your not hauling things with it then you don't need it.
And dont tell me you need that SUV cuz you have kids. We had SUV's in the 70's and 80's, mainly in the forms of Blazers and Bronco's and Suburban's.
Oh' it goes further back than that, they had those vehicles since nearly the begining of the automotive industry.
Hybrid's are old technology that went unused from way back, as diesel trains have been on the tracks since the 1920's, The prinicipal is the same and that's what should have been being developed in the 50's and 60's for the public in the 70's... Since the automotive industry had already gave into gasoline over electric.
Hydrogen, is still questionable as a possible direction to explore but I believe had the automotive industry had stayed the course at it's birth we could have had average consumer vehicles like the Wrightspeed, Inc. X1 prototype and the Tesla Motors, Inc. Tesla rodster technology by the 1950's
You know a barrel of sweet crude closed at $117 a barrel it was only $60-$70 a few months back... It's going to get worse not better and the days of cheap gas are at an end. So, all you day dreamers out there thinking gas will go down you keep telling yourselves that.
If your one of those super lucky then the price of gas means nothing to you as your going to buy your Bentley's and Roll's anyway... Just like the wealthy spent $30,000 and $50,000 on cars during the 1930's depression era. Enjoy your status as for the rest of us we have to think smarter and invest more wisely. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 7:35:13 AM | The cost of gasoline in terms of the euro or Canadian dollar has gone up but not nearly like it has in the US. The large increase here is a direct result of the US dollar's value. Use to be worth about $1.30 Canadian, now worth about the same.
The other big factor is supply and demand. With a new middle class in Russia and China, a lot more people there are buying automobiles and thus an increase in demand and the resulting increase in price. Unless we reduce our supply needs, nothing will change. I travel alot and continue to see the single person cruising down the freeway @ 80+ in a big suv or pickup. Maybe 10 -12 mpg!!
The last item is a term called "crack spread". That is the combined value of the resulting mix of products coming out of a refinery for a barrel of oil as compared to the cost of the oil. It is where the refinery makes its profit. When the spread is low, refineries process less oil until the price of the products increase; when the spread is wide, refineries try to run at full capacity. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 11:54:46 AM | I got one word for you people. MOPED
(or in my case motorized bike, since real men build there own f-ing moped :)
100 plus miles a gallon and in most states no registration, insurance or property tax fees if you keep it under 50cc’s. Unless it’s raining or I need to carry cargo (or go on a date) my car is staying parked till fall.
Watch the roads and start counting the mopeds, scooters (and to a much lesser extent since it takes some skill to build them motorized bikes) you’ll start seeing more and more of them as it gets warmer. I’ve already counted half a dozen in my town just in the last few days it’s been sunny and warm that I didn’t see last year, and I’m sure there will be more popping up as gas hits 4 bucks a gallon, in south east CT its $3.67 at the station I passed on my way home from work today. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 12:02:41 PM | | Cant blame Bush.im payin 3.65 a gallon in ohio.Maybe McCain will change it.only time will tell. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 12:35:57 PM |
draskinn
I got one word for you people. MOPED
That's truely funny
I mean I got nothing against mopeds or people using more fuel effecient vehicles. But come on, the street traffic of India in American and American street traffic in India . You know it's an upside down world when the industrial world looks like the third world and the third world looks more like the industrial world...
Makaveli2008
Cant blame Bush.im payin 3.65 a gallon in ohio.
We seldom agree but you're correct with that, this whole business of high gas prices isn't really the President's fault. Yes, he might have been a bit relaxed on oil company's, The war in Iraq may even be stimulating OPEC nations in the region to raise prices. But It's the oil company's greed and the OPEC greed that is the cause of this because they could if desired release more barrels of oil.
Yes, there is less gas to be had in the market because of a rising middle class in Russia, China and India that are now purchasing automobiles and that in turn leaves less oil on the market for the nations who have been acustom to copiously fuel for over half a century. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 2:10:57 PM | Well, we better get used to it, all of us. I just read an article on the oil situation in a local paper.
This century, we've used a trillion barrels of gasoline. There's about another trillion left, and our consumption is rapidly increasing. We've got about another thirty years, maximum, left before what we have now runs out.
Oil companies are no longer finding new fields, and last year they discovered less oil than was used. Of course, with rising prices, certain previously non-profitable oil fields may become profitable - but that doesn't lower prices.
One way or the other, we've got to start preparing to wean ourselves off of our oil addiction. We either start now, much delayed in our journey, or we will find ourselves grinding to a halt, with huge impacts on our way of life.
If we do it properly, we can create a lot of jobs while doing it, and perhaps also improve our societies in many ways. Like any challenge, how one faces it defines it's outcome. We've certainly got the creativity and intelligence to do it - we just lack the will to start. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 2:25:42 PM | 1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liters
1.00 GBP = 1.99663 USD
Av UK prices per litre:
Unleaded = £1.086 = $2.683 = $8.208 per gallon equiv
Diesel = £1.182 = $2.360 = $8.933
What are you moaning about exactly? 
Montreal Guy:
I posted this link on the science forum, I think its appropriate here too.
www.prouty.org/oil.html
Although you might like to try Wiki too for another perspective.
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 4:00:52 PM |
MG
Well, we better get used to it, all of us.
You are so correct in that it's painful.
our consumption is rapidly increasing.
I believe this has been highly underestimated as what we are seeing today wasn't suppose to occur for another decade...
We've got about another thirty years, maximum, left before what we have now runs out.
I honestly don't think we've got that long before all the usable oil for fuel is gone. There will always be oil but that oil is best used as a lubricant as there will be none avaible but for extreme limited fuel production and very expensive at that...
One way or the other, we've got to start preparing to wean ourselves off of our oil addiction. We either start now, much delayed in our journey, or we will find ourselves grinding to a halt, with huge impacts on our way of life.
Agreed and since we have been fruitless at convincing the world governments to be proactive instead of reactive, then we must take it up individually. We can't wait till the lights go off and ask why? I've come to the conclussion to invest heavily in preparing my home over the next decade for the crisis that's coming. I'm going to be adding solar power to help heat the hot water, solar to provide some relief to the electric bill, as well as wind power to boost that electrically savings to as net zero consumption buy suppliers as possible. Then there is transportaion I will be purchasing a totally electric car that hybrid crap and hydrogen isn't no real fix. If you've been staying on top of the development in electric powered motor vehicles the X1 and Tesla roadster? That technology is going to be incorporated into vehicles that are more faimily friendly. I wouldn't mind an electric car that goes 250 miles on a charge and only takes 10 minutes to recharge. it's no different than a convential gasoline car in that aspect in range and replinishment of energy. Plus it has less moving parts to repair when componets need replacing.
If we do it properly, we can create a lot of jobs while doing it, and perhaps also improve our societies in many ways. Like any challenge, how one faces it defines it's outcome. We've certainly got the creativity and intelligence to do it
Yes, that's an excellent idea and would lead to the rebirth of a wonderful economy. I'm with you let's make it happen.  | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 4:15:20 PM | I have to say I heard the stupidest criticism of W today:
On a liberal radio show from the states they were talking about high gas prices. The one guy said that because Bush was diverting 15,000 barrels a day to a 97% full strategic oil reserve that was keeping supply off the market and pushing prices up.
The US uses 20 million barrels a day. But somehow that 15,000 barrels was driving prices up. | |
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| The price of Gas
Posted: 4/20/2008 5:08:07 PM | | I want a stanley steamer! the car not the carpet cleaner | |
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