Thanks Bob Schaffer!
Big Oil Bob, that is...
I'm not one of these left-wingers who blames only oil companies and shady politicians for high gas prices.
Boneheads who own Hummers and other SUVs are a big part of the problem. I'm willing to bet that if more people walked, carpooled, used public transportation or simply stayed home - those prices would come down in a hurry. Big Oil is making outrageous profits because they can.
Still. Politicians like Bob Schaffer certainly aren't helping.
posted by kate @ 8:15 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Honestly, until people start changing their behavior, prices aren't too high. Until the line at McD's and the other drive-by fatshacks isn't wrapped around the building at lunch time, prices aren't too high. Until bus stops are full and cars have more than a single occupant, prices aren't too high. Until our demand begins wane, prices aren't too high. It may not be comfortable, but we're gonna have to wean ourselves off the stuff sooner or later, and as long as it's cheaper than milk or beer we're gonna keep on using low-efficiency internal combustion engines to propel 3000 pound boxes of metal to move a single 100-300 pound person. Meanwhile, if you can't beat 'em join 'em and invest in Exxon Mobil or one of the other oil companies. Take the returns and use them to further environmental activism or some other good cause.
Hmmmm, let me see how should I wean myself off gas. Live near my work? Nope, property taxes to high. Public transportation? Nope sucks out here, none to speak of. Carpool? no one lives out here. Stay home? No. Unrealistic ideas for someone living in Southwest Florida.
Unrealistic is the idea that we can keep on thoughtlessly burning oil indefinitely without consequence. One reason you chose a home where you did is because the price of fuel allowed for it. One reason you drive the car that you do is because fuel economy wasn't an overriding concern at less than $2 a gallon. The fact that you immediately dismiss those ideas means that the price isn't too high yet. At some price point you will likely consider moving, or a more efficient vehicle, or demand public transportation from your elected officials. As prices continue to rise we will all adapt, even the lazy and those mired in the memory of cheap oil.
Too bad we can't use liberals' hot air for our energy needs, as that is in unlimited supply. Maybe we could pass a law to make them stand in front of windmills whenever they talk about politics? That could help.....
The price of gas is inelastic. There is no immediate substitute for it and the costs of behavioral changes necessary to reduce individual demand is high (new car, moving, etc.)
Walking or biking isn't possible for some, such as the aged or infirm, feasible for others due to lack of sidewalks or bike lanes, and impossible to do in bad weather (how many bike rides do Coloradans go on in January?). Public transportation is spotty around the country, and even that is priced depending on fuel costs.
The changes that are necessary to reduce demand for oil will take a long time to put in place, and, in the mean time we have to make personal and political choices to reduce the use as much as we can.
The fact is that because of the Bush/Cheney affiliation with oil companies, they have been able to get away with not paying taxes and not paying for the oil pumped from government lands. They have reaped huge windfalls, as has Saudi Arabia, et al.
So, there is enough blame to go around. But it is no coincidence that oil has gone from $35 a barrel to $110 plus in the last seven years and the price of gas from 1.40 to 3.30 plus. But y'all think he'd be a great guy to have a beer with...
I believe you may be overlooking the exponential growth in demand from India, China and other developing nations, as well as the exuberant speculation in commodities following the dot-com and housing busts, which all have occurred during the same time period. The fact remains that we have suckled on the teat of cheap oil for so long that we have developed our nation in such a way that we're now dependent on this limited resource much of which is extracted in very volatile areas of the globe. There is no immediate substitute because there has been little incentive to pursue one. Lack of alternatives is cited again. Those alternatives will become more viable as prices rise. Demand bike lanes and sidewalks where there are none now. Public transit rates are only partly based on fuel costs. Increased ridership would result in greater revenue that would offset those costs, meanwhile overall fuel demand in this country goes down. It will certainly take time, but these are changes that we as a nation should have been implementing long before now. While you say "they" have reaped huge windfalls, nothing has prevented folks who invest to share in the profits of those publicly-traded companies. Be it politics or business, it's easier to affect change with a seat at the Round Table than to stand outside the wall and shout at the King.
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