I agree these protests don't do much.

But I can't see how drilling in Alaska helps reduce our dependency on oil. US uses over 7 billion barrels of oil per year, so we're talking about maybe 1.5 years worth of oil in ANWR. And that is 6 to 10 years down the road. So it may not even do that, because consumption will have increased by far more by the time the oil starts pumping. Seems to me it is better just to reduce demand period.

And a temporary 5% increase in oil--much of which we wouldn't even see. The oil already produced from Alaska is exported to Asia because it is cheaper. Yea, it is cheaper to sell our oil to Asia and import oil from the Middle East than it would be to ship Alaska oil to the US and Middle Eastern oil to Asia.

I guess I have to go back to doing my grocery shopping at Giant Eagle now cuz shopping there they gave you a discount off of gas at their Get Go gas stations. Like a couple weeks ago when it was 2.79 I got gas there for 2.49 cuz shopping there I got 30 cents off of gas.

Not Bad. if you filled up and took 20 gallons you saved $6.00
which you could then shoot over to McDonalds and get a Big Mac, Fries and a Coke. Lets just hope that the prices at Giant Eagle were cheaper then what you would have saved a Public or some other place.

I always laugh at my friends that drive across town to save five cents a gallon. They save a whole dollar which they watsed on the drive over there.

Yesterday we stopped down at the marina and the pumps said over $4.30 a gallon. So you can bet the boating season will take a beating if it goes up another buck or two.

Saladbar, I think that you are only taking into consideration our oil reserves. I was not talking about the reserves. If we were to drill for the untapped oil in areas of Alaska, it is estitmated that we could pump out about 10 billion barrells of oil. Now that might not sound like a substantial amount of oil, but if you break down the numbers and spread it out over a number of years, it could reduce America's oil imports from the middle east by about 25%.

And if we, as you said, can learn to reduce our oil consumption by stopping the purchase of SUV's and other big gas consuming vehicles, that 25% could increase a significant amount.

The other problem is that we do NOT have enough oil refineries to produce product. In other words we do not have enough of our own refineries to convert crude oil into gasoline. On many occassions there are barges and barges with crude oil just sitting out in the ocean somewhere untouched because the refineries that we have are at capacity in converting crude oil to gasoline and heating oil. So what happens is a false demand is created for gasoline in the summer months and then a false demand for heating oil in the winter months. The refineries cannot keep up with the demand for either of these products because there are not enough refineries out there to take that crude oil that is sitting on these barges and convert it to heating oil or gasoline. If there were more off shore refineries in this country, then the barrels of crude oil sitting out there on those barges would be converted more speedily thus eliminating this false demand for those products which in turn causes the cost of gas and heat oil to go lower.

The lack of refineries, the use of large SUV's and gas guzzling vehicles, the untapped oil in Alaska and the manipulation of pricing by OPEC and other middle eastern oil producing companies is what contributes to the high prices that you and I are forced to pay for gasoline and heating oil.

As for the use of Diesel fuels, well we saw what happened after a few years with that plan. Diesel fuel bacame more expensive than regular gas.

Don't kid yourself. The big boys in control have all the bases covered. They'll do whatever they can to make their money.

Nah I'm more of a snack wrap,fries and rootbeer sort of girl
Gas is down to 3.08 today. Woohoo

I'm paying $2.81.

I tend to agree on some amalgamation of Don Cardi and Saladbar's arguments, however, I would not eliminate SUV's or bigger vehicles. Rather, I think legislation needs to be enacted on all cars (both domestic and foreign) the encourages more automobile efficiency, and also maybe include more tax incentives to both the company and the consumer for purchasing this type of vehicle. The current standards of next-gen cars with their batteries that will wear out in a few years (and then cost a substantial amount to replace) is not the answer.

Frankly, and this is probably a separate discussion (feel free to make a thread), I have very little sympathies for automakers at this point, largely because since the early 1980's quality has significantly declined while prices have steadily increased, at least in the domestic market. The average American family cannot afford $40,000 mid-sized sedan. If the American autos began making quality cars that were affordable to average people, then there would be a drastic turnaround in the industry. Where does this fit in with the gasoline question? Make more fuel efficient cars for better mileage that are durable and consistent. I don't care whether my wheels have spinners or I can trick my ride or fashion some bling. And the vast majority of decent, hard-working Americans don't either.

Make something people can afford, that is efficient, and you will make a profit. It's pretty straightforward.

Frankly, I'd tie this whole issue to national security. No way we could get automakers to be on an even remotely similar plane like American industry was during World War II (and even that was rife with corruption, with Alcoa, the Dollar-a-Year men, etc.), but make a play towards GM and Ford and Daimler-Chrysler that they need to do this for the good of America.

And after all, if we all get wiped out by an Iranian nuclear bomb, nobody is going to by buying any Hummers.

Well, maybe the May 15th boycott won't accomplish a darned thing, but it will certainly make ME feel better!

I agree with DJ. The automakers should spend less money on cupholders and heated windshield-wiper fluid and more on affordable, durable and gas-efficient automobiles. Toyota has been the frontrunner on fuel efficiecy, coming out now with both the Camry and Highlander in hybrid models. What hybrid does GM have?? Um, none that I'm aware of. The automakers should receive some incentive to develop technology and the consumers should be rewarded handsomely for buying them.

According to GM's website, they offer 5 consumer-grade vehicles, and also mass transit buses.

http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/adv_tech/300_hybrids/

Thanks, DJ. I currently drive a Buick, and I knew that the there were no Hybrids in the Buick line, but I wasn't aware of any other GMs coming out. Looks like these will be available for the upcoming 2008 models.

What I don't understand is why one gas station here can have gas at 3.08 and and at another station not even 2 minutes down the road it's 3.05

Its called free enterprise.

No it's called bending over and taking one up the ass.

Gee, Mig, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

I'd like to see a tiered system. The people who drive Hummers and other gas guzzlers should be forced to pay more on a prorated scale, whereas someone driving a Toyota Corolla would pay less at the pump. Honestly, I don't know how to implement such a system, but something has to be done.

The government should impose a cap on the profits oil companies are permitted to make, especially the gauging that occurs. I know it flies in the face of free enterprise, but these prices are motivated by pure greed.

We do need to change our habits and start drilling in Alaska as Don Cardi stated. I'd also like some alternative fuel sources, more affordable electric cars and more affordable hybrids. There are plenty of people who would drive such cars if a) they were reasonably priced and b) if there were more areas throughout the country that accommodated such models (i.e. places for electric cars to charge, longer battery life for elecgtric cars, etc).

The people I feel bad for are the lower income families/individuals who are working decent, honest jobs but not getting paid much money. These spikes in gas prices are so out of proportion with inflation that it is impossible to compensate for these people. The choice is between gasoline and either food, heating, or medical care. I'm fortunate that my wife and I have a decent income, but we're being more frugal with our driving habits and we're cutting back things that are unnecessary. I would gladly take the bus or train if I didn't have to take my kids to school.

I just hope this is the spark needed that cripples the automotive industry and forces it into making more fuel efficient automobiles and to stop producing these enormous gas guzzlers for the average consumer.

Goombah, what is scary for the our working poor is that these gas price increases spill over into other consumer goods. Look at heating bills, electric bills, increases in the cost of food, school taxes will increase because it will cost the schools more for heat, etc. DC mentioned the price of corn in an earlier post. I have a friend who raises cattle, and the cost of feed has doubled in the past two years. He'll have to raise the price of his beef accordingly. Rents that include heat will increase when leases are up, and the rising cost of housing is going to hurt the working class as well.

When you think about how much our country relies on trucking as its major form of shipping goods in this country, you'll see the cost of everything skyrocket, and that's going to force other industries, like stores, restaurants and movie theaters into a downward spiral, as people will need to conserve their money for necessities like commuting and food.

These gas price increases are going to have a far-reaching effect on our way of life, and we haven't even begun to feel it.

I agree Babe, there are far-reaching effects. But there is a psychology associated with the increases. For one, if prices go down to $2.50 again, won't we all be so thankful. We'll forget when just a few years ago the price was $1.50.

In the end, it all comes down to supply and demand.

That is very true. Anything under $3 seems like a bargain now, doesn't it?

Mig, (or anyone else that may be interested) read HERE
for an idea as to how gas prices are made and why prices vary from one station to another.

The more I think about this whole "gas out" idea the more I think its going to backfire on most people. Lets look at it in pure theory alone, not everyone will know about this, not everyone will follow it, but there will be some who will.

The amount who don't buy for one day will have no effect whatsoever on the gas prices, but in theory, May 16th will leave us with the same supply and an increase in demand. I can see the headlines now as prices go up because of an increase in demand

Thanks Mr. Cardi

West Oakland, CA

Ouch. Maybe I shouldn't bitch about the $3.20 we're paying here.

I shouldn't bitch about the $3.05 I'm paying here.

Saladbar,

Everytime I hear gas prices for the state of CA, it seems Northern CA is always ahead of the L.A. area (by quite a bit it seems). Why is that?? Damn, I wonder if they'd take an arm and a leg as well.


TIS

Arm and a leg plus you're first born TIS.

No, we should bitch about it. It's ridiculous everywhere in this country, some areas worse than others.

DMC - you're correct. Those gas "boycotts" for one day are totally useless. The only effective boycott would be to stop purchasing from BP, Shell and any other "big" oil/gas company. The problem is that there aren't too many other good stations around. I'll go to Costco, but I honestly have no idea where they get their gas from.

They purchase their gas on a dialy basis, from distributers who sell at what is called a rack price, which is based on the spot price of that day's open outcry market settlement.

Costco uses gas, which they generally price at about 6 to 12 cents a gallon below the local competition, as a loss leader to generate in-store sales. So they will make a minimal profit, sometimes even take a small loss, because statistics show that a high percentage of consumers who go there to purchase gas will shop in the warehouse itself which increases Costcos sales and profits. Keep in mind that the pumps that they have on their lots are all self-serve, so basically their are no labor costs. They don't have to make money. If they lose money, they make it up in store traffic.