$4 a gallon for gas

TheGameguru wrote:

is it out of the question for the Gov't to put a cap on the price of gasoline at the pump?

I believe Hawaii had recently done something like that. I'll try my google-fu at finding the article.

I just pumped a few gallons @ $2.99 / gal here

edit: Nevermind about Hawaii. Here's the article on that. Guess they moved to limit the price of wholesale gas to some margin of mainland prices, not cap it all together (which makes sense I suppose.)

Badferret wrote:

The problem is not oil, but gas.

You're talking about gasoline, not natural gas, right?

Well, natural gas futures are through the roof also. But they tend to move in sympathy with oil. So natural gas futures are down right now, but they're still up more than $2 in the past month. I think I'm going to stock up on sweaters and firewood this winter.

Added: Not that it gets cold in Houston.

Ever.

is it out of the question for the Gov't to put a cap on the price of gasoline at the pump? At what point does mass hysteria and consumer confidence become critically shaken?

"The Gov't"? No, but it wouldn't happen. The "W" administration? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

The federal government is grinding into motion to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve...I have no idea how much of an impact that will have. From what I can gather, it seems that it will help compensate for lost domestic production on the Gulf Coast, but not from the loss of oil imports from the Port of NO...?

Impact on real world, basically nil. Impact on futures traders, OPEC, petrochemical companies, nil. Impact on everyman psyche, similar to xanax.

Here's my sensitive position, and I do fault the fed gov't for a short-sighted viewpoint (not something I usually do) - but the US price for gas has been under the world norm...well...forever.

Yes, gas/oil prices in the US are artificially lower than the rest of the world, but...

Because, apparently, looking at how carpool lanes remain somewhat clear, and how the sales of gas guzzlers (I drive one) continue heartily...well, if I was the supplier, I'd raise prices until I saw the consumer finally balk.

... they can't, really. The petrochemical market is one of the tightest, most competitive, most free-market in the world. If one refiner/supplier tried to increase their margins, another would jump in and take their customers away in a heartbeat. With record profits to oil companies, it seems counterintuitive, but it's true.

Obviously, not the Gulf Coast, but there are other ports along the East and West Coasts that can handle it.

Maybe, but do they have the oil refineries right there like NOLA does? Or would it cost an arm and a leg to not only reroute and delay delivery, but to also have to load up every 18-wheeler with a tanker trailer in the nation just to get the oil to a refinery halfway across the nation to an already over-capacity refinery doing double or triple duty for those that were shut down by flooding/hurricane?

Why, I can perfectly see how W boldly puts a "cap" on retail oil prices, only to sign some "relief package" for the oil industry at precisely the same time.

In addition to all the "relief" they just got in the new energy bill? I think not.

Looking at the complaints here...Canada $4/gallon? Try Sweden. 12 SEK per Litre...

$1 = Approx 7.5 SEK
1 Gallon = 3.785 Litres

12 SEK * 3.785 = 45.42 SEK / Gallon

45.42 SEK = $6.05 / Gallon

We have the cheapest gas in the world in the US...

According to the recent press conference, the administration has suspended the "Clean Air Act" in what they're calling an attempt to continue gasoline production to satisfy demand and lower prices in the wake of Katrina. They claim that the suspension will last until September 15th, but I wouldn't be surprised if that deadline will be extended for some time to come.

Can I just say that this "Duffman" fellow, IF that is his real name, is quite brilliant, although as a rule I abhor the practice of maintaining more than one handle? If I am Fedaykin98 here, I am Fedaykin98 on BF2 as well. Likewise Xbox Live (which, really, I have barely used in the 2 years I have subscribed). Not so for SOME.

I have ~10 minute commute, so the gas price doesn't affect that too badly. However, it does cost me $144/mo to park in a parking garage near my building.

Duffman wrote:

Added: Not that it gets cold in Houston.

Ever.

Well, that depends on what your definition of the word "is" is. I am a confirmed cold-weather wuss, even here. Although I am quite ready for fall to cool me off, as well as Bring on football season!

$5.92 per Gallon here. Whinging drawling fatsos with yer guzzling pickups and yer lumberjack shirts. More stereotypes available round back.

P.S. We also have to pay direct road tax.

magnus wrote:

Looking at the complaints here...Canada $4/gallon? Try Sweden. 12 SEK per Litre...

$1 = Approx 7.5 SEK
1 Gallon = 3.785 Litres

12 SEK * 3.785 = 45.42 SEK / Gallon

45.42 SEK = $6.05 / Gallon

We have the cheapest gas in the world in the US...

Yes, but they tax their gas to death in order to put the costs for road maintenance "up front". In the US we get to be taxed in gas and get Congress to pass multi-billion dollar road construction bills. I would love to see total costs to maintain the roads and where the money comes from as I am guessing we in the US already pay a very high price.

Not the only thing getting taxed to death in Sweden. There's a reason (besides the weather and the darkness in the wintertime) that I enjoy being in the U.S now

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Can I just say that this "Duffman" fellow, IF that is his real name, is quite brilliant, although as a rule I abhor the practice of maintaining more than one handle? If I am Fedaykin98 here, I am Fedaykin98 on BF2 as well. Likewise Xbox Live (which, really, I have barely used in the 2 years I have subscribed). Not so for SOME.

I have ~10 minute commute, so the gas price doesn't affect that too badly. However, it does cost me $144/mo to park in a parking garage near my building.

Duffman wrote:

Added: Not that it gets cold in Houston.

Ever.

Well, that depends on what your definition of the word "is" is. I am a confirmed cold-weather wuss, even here. Although I am quite ready for fall to cool me off, as well as Bring on football season!

I thank you for your compliment. And though I try to stick to one handle, the heart is a fickle thing when it comes to my screen names. I respect your ability to stick with one name....except that in some circles, good sir, I understand you are also known as FeGaykin98?

Rat Boy wrote:

The oil shipments can be diverted to other ports, though.

The problem is not fully on shipping and recieving, but on processing the crude oil into gas. Around the areas hit are the majority of refineries for the US.

Company car here.

is it out of the question for the Gov't to put a cap on the price of gasoline at the pump?

Actually, if I remember the article right, MSNBC reported that Hawaii is forcing a cap on gasoline due to the outrageous demands of the two companies that supply the islands.

duckilama wrote:
Because, apparently, looking at how carpool lanes remain somewhat clear, and how the sales of gas guzzlers (I drive one) continue heartily...well, if I was the supplier, I'd raise prices until I saw the consumer finally balk.

... they can't, really. The petrochemical market is one of the tightest, most competitive, most free-market in the world. If one refiner/supplier tried to increase their margins, another would jump in and take their customers away in a heartbeat. With record profits to oil companies, it seems counterintuitive, but it's true.

You seem to be assuming that "balk" would only be to try to buy the same stuff from a cheaper source. Balk could also mean - start carpooling, better planning of shopping, errand running etc. for reduced usage, trading in SUVs for more economical vehicles, walking more whenever possible, (long term) demand development where walking is possible with mixed useage zoning!, etc., etc.

The American people *can* balk but they are (for the most part) to lazy and selfish to try.

Well, the missus and I had been giving very serious consideration to trading in the Jeep SUV for something a little more gas-friendly, like a Matrix or a Vibe. Might be doing that this weekend now, to take advantage of any labor day sales, instead of waiting until the fall.

Duffman wrote:

Well, the missus and I had been giving very serious consideration to trading in the Jeep SUV for something a little more gas-friendly, like a Matrix or a Vibe. Might be doing that this weekend now, to take advantage of any labor day sales, instead of waiting until the fall.

Bless ya, Duffy.

According to the Sludge Report, Bush will address the nation this evening and perhaps call for energy conservation. How much do you want to bet he's going to threaten to sign an executive order to drill ANWR, too?

Good, they should drill it.

I recall hearing that drilling ANWR will just delay the inevitable for six months or so.

I recall hearing that drilling ANWR will just delay the inevitable for six months or so.

That's six more months of SWEET gas guzzlin'. Remember, if we use up all the the oil, WE WIN!

I think so

While some folks desperately cling to the belief that oil is a renewable resource, others hold on to the equally delusional idea that tapping the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve will solve, or at least delay, this crisis. While drilling for oil in ANWR will certainly make a lot of money for the companies doing the drilling, it won't do much to help the overall situation for three reasons:

1. According of the Department of Energy, drilling inANWR
will only lower oil prices by less than fifty cents;

2. ANWR contains 10 billion barrels of oil - or about the
amount the US consumes in a little more than a year.

3. As with all oil projects, ANWR will take about 10 years to
come online. Once it does, its production will peak at
875,000 barrels per day - but not till the year 2025. By
then the US is projected to need a whopping 35 million
barrels per day while the world is projected to need 120
million barrels per day.

Setting aside the environmental ramifications for another P&C thread, ANWR is not the solution to the current fuel problem nor is it a viable long-term solution to the energy crisis. In order to drill it, it would take years to get the operation started. And as Lobster said, the amount of crude underneath ANWR is a very miniscule amount, hardly anything to sneeze at.

Edit: Or, just listen to Edwin. Yeah, that's it.

SwampYankee wrote:

Good, they should drill it.

Bob the Caribou says:
IMAGE(http://hosted.yourimg.com/05/243/14/reindeer.jpg)

Damn that caribou! He's hogging all the oil! Drill him too!

Marsman wrote:
Badferret wrote:

The problem is not oil, but gas.

You're talking about gasoline, not natural gas, right?

Yes, plain old gas. On the local news last night, they were saying independent stations might go dry first. The report also said that all gas in the Western NC area comes from Spatnburg SC, where the SE gas pipeline goes. Gas trucks evidently go there for regional deliveries, but again do to the lack of power in Miss, the pipeline is dry.

SwampYankee wrote:

Good, they should drill it.

I agree! No alcoholic reforms until every last drop of booze is gone.

The American people are gas-aholics and they won't change until every last shred of oil is gone. We need to hit rock bottom before we decide to reform.

As long as idiots keep thinking ANWAR is a silver bullet to high costs of oil they will never really do the stuff that has to be done - better community planning so less driving is needed, public transportation, hell - getting rid of the internal combustion engine!

It may as well be sooner rather than later.

At this point I see no other solution but to scrap NASA's budget and move towards a 10-20 year COMPLETE alternate energy plan with that budget.

We're past the point where we can simply sit around and do nothing.. there needs to be a strong leadership and a mandate to get this done.