Price of gas (1 Viewer)

[Pat Hartman]

Oil companies are raking in record profits; they still get government handouts for exploration and who knows what else and the price at the pump has doubled in a few short years.

Realisticly our government isn't going to do anything. I don't see a breakup of the largest oil companies or even windfall profits being taxed. Proving price fixing is virtually impossible. What can be done? Well this is a case where "we the people" can actually make an impact. We can CHOOSE where we buy our overpriced gasoline. The American people can pick a company - my choice is Exxon/Mobil - and boycott! Their prices are always highest in my town anyway so although I used to buy ALL my gas at the Mobil closest to my house, I now make a point of purchasing elsewhere. There's a gas station on every corner. Buy your gas on the other side of the street. In most towns, you don't even have to go out of your way. When Exxon/Mobil finally feels the pinch, they'll lower their prices and the others will follow suit.

Tell your friends.

 

[ColinEssex]

The price of petrol in the UK is £0.96p per litre or £4.32 per gallon

That converts to $7.96c per gallon.

Remind me how massive the price is in the USA?

Col

 

[Rich]

What can be done?

Well to start with you could end the love affair with huge gas guzzlers and start being more frugal with energy use.
If we don't change our habits and realise that carbon fuels are not an infinite resource we're all going to be left high and dry

 

[ColinEssex]

What can be done?

You could stop invading and destroying oil supplying countries, especially when they are no threat. That causes shortages then the whole world pays for your leaders ego boosting trip.

GWB only has to mention Iran and the price per barrel shoots up and we pay at the pumps. The high prices we all pay is largely thanks to the USA and the incompetent way it conducts foreign policy. World peace keeper? thats a joke

Col

 

[Ron_dK]

Oil companies are raking in record profits;

So does Microsoft

Realisticly our government isn't going to do anything. I don't see a breakup of the largest oil companies or even windfall profits being taxed.

Depends on what country you refer to.
For instance Total-Elf -Fina in France were paying more than 19% taxes ( on their interest !) back to the France Government, a percentage which was increased to some 30% end 2005.
Same for the Netherlands.
I don't have any reliable figures on those in the UK ( Philips, BP, etc)

We can CHOOSE where we buy our overpriced gasoline. The American people can pick a company - my choice is Exxon/Mobil - and boycott!

Boycotting any Oil company wouldn't have the slightest effect.
They will sell their upstream/downstream products simply to their compatitor
for some 2ct less than they would sell it themselves. This is a standard practice in the kerosine /airplane world. Most of the planes fuelled with kerosine are coming out of designated refineries and they only lable it when
loaded to the fueller truck.

Overpriced Gasoline

Take a look at this and you will stop complaining :
http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/en_International_Fuel_Prices_2005.pdf
Pages 23, 24, 50 and 51.

Although these figures are from 2004, you may read that the US is one of lowest in paying gasoline prices at the gas station.
Moreover, the highest prices are paid in Europe, especially Iceland, Netherlands, Norway and the UK.
These high prices are directly related to the fact that we ( NL) pay some
65% of taxes for each liter of gasoline !.
If someone is to boycot, we should boycot our government.

 

[wazz]

if the price goes to $100/barrel maybe people will finally start demanding electric/hybrid cars. they're ready and waiting, there are even waiting lists...

 

[jsanders]

if the price goes to $100/barrel maybe people will finally start demanding electric/hybrid cars. they're ready and waiting, there are even waiting lists...

Electric Cars actually polute more than Gasoline.

 

[ColinEssex]

Electric Cars actually polute more than Gasoline.

It seems to us that the USA is totally dependant on the car. The reports we see on TV indicate that the thought of an American getting a smaller car or even taking the bus is totally alien.

Then there was a report recently where fuel prices almost reached $3 per gallon. .. . . . . . . . wow what a catastrophe, if prices in Europe fell to $5 per gallon we'd be over the moon

Lets have European prices in the USA and see what happens

Col

 

[jsanders]

It seems to us that the USA is totally dependant on the car. The reports we see on TV indicate that the thought of an American getting a smaller car or even taking the bus is totally alien.

Then there was a report recently where fuel prices almost reached $3 per gallon. .. . . . . . . . wow what a catastrophe, if prices in Europe fell to $5 per gallon we'd be over the moon

Lets have European prices in the USA and see what happens

Col

You’re starting to sound like Rich, you’re criticizing a system in which you are unfamiliar. You live on an island that has 130,000 square kilometers with a population of 60,000,000. The United States has 9,629,091 with a population of 300,000,000.

What about our system are you trying to criticize?

Col you simply do not have a clue.

 

[jsanders]

You could stop invading and destroying oil supplying countries, especially when they are no threat. That causes shortages then the whole world pays for your leaders ego boosting trip.

GWB only has to mention Iran and the price per barrel shoots up and we pay at the pumps. The high prices we all pay is largely thanks to the USA and the incompetent way it conducts foreign policy. World peace keeper? thats a joke

Col

Yeah it was a big joke during WW3 when we kept the Bear out of your back yard.

If we hadn’t you boys would’ve looked out your back window and wetted your drawers,

 

[ColinEssex]

Yeah it was a big joke during WW3 when we kept the Bear out of your back yard.

If we hadn’t you boys would’ve looked out your back window and wetted your drawers,

WW3? Bears?

You ok Josie?

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

You’re starting to sound like Rich, you’re criticizing a system in which you are unfamiliar. You live on an island that has 130,000 square kilometers with a population of 60,000,000. The United States has 9,629,091 with a population of 300,000,000.

I'm unclear what you're saying here. Ok, you cleverly worked out that the USA is bigger than the UK hint: we knew that already, but I'm impressed you worked it out

Col you simply do not have a clue.

about why Americans moan on about paying $2.90 for a gallon? no I haven't a clue, have you?

Col

 

[jsanders]

Rak is actually correct about this. It’s the jobbers that set the price. If we boycott an oil company it will have basically a net zero effect.

First if we could organize a large enough boycott, the finished product would just move laterally in the pipeline, you would barely see a difference, because the gasoline would end up in the same tank no mater what. You would just shift a small percentage of the profit to the other oil companies because they don’t have the capacity to make up for the loss of a major producer like Exxon. In fact it might even cause the prices to go up because Exxon would gouge the other oil companies as they (competitors)approached maximum capacity.


The only real way to effect it is to force the car maker to introduce more efficient cars and slowdown the demand.

 

[Ron_dK]

The only real way to affect it is to force the car maker to introduce more efficient cars and slowdown the demand.

And for the major US manufacturing industries to move from Oil/Gas to Nuclear power stations.

 

[Rich]

You’re starting to sound like Rich, you’re criticizing a system in which you are unfamiliar.

Well then tell this ignoramus how you managed to get around the States before the invention of the car and aeroplane?

 

[Rich]

And for the major US manufacturing industries to move from Oil/Gas to Nuclear power stations.

What do we do with the waste, leave it for future generations ?

 

[jsanders]

Well then tell this ignoramus how you managed to get around the States before the invention of the car and aeroplane?

Horses....

 

[jsanders]

What do we do with the waste, leave it for future generations ?

We could ship it to The British.

 

[Rich]

If we hadn’t you boys would’ve looked out your back window and wetted your drawers,

Like we did when Hitler tried his luck, remember that was the time when you boys were sat at home having your cosy fireside chats?

Yeah it was a big joke during WW3 when we kept the Bear out of your back yard.

Well actually this ignoramus hates to point it out but the Poles started to throw the Bear out without your help and of course Tito wouldn't let the Bears into his country to start with.

 

[Rich]

Horses....

You've forgotten The Iron Horse, in other words public transport, make more use of it