Gas prices are rising.

“I just watched a report that summer Gas prices are projected to top $3 dollars per gallon this summer. Also we had a Tosco Refinery fire again yesterday.

I hope that these high prices bring more people into efficient tecnology like the hybrid cars. $100 bucks to fill an SUV might get the ball rooling in that direction. It's about time!”

“I don't have a car and so I don't care anymore!”

“Regardless of whether you own a car, an SUV or a moped you should care. Regardless of whether you think the folks in the US pay too little, too much or just right for fuel, you should care.

The kind of fule price rises that we saw last summer and may see agin this summer appear unjustified to me. An increase of 25 cents per gallon (or nearly 20%) in one jump the Wednesday before Easter is clearly unjustifed profiteering. (This from a firm beleiver in the free amrket -- but we don;t really have a free market on gasoline prices!)

YOu may think that this is the greatest thing in the world -- that it will lead to less fule consumption in the US. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Only time will tell. Whjat I can unequivically guarantee is that if these prices are sustained and not merely a short term spike, you will see tremendous inflation agian as the fule costs flow through the system into the price of everthing that you do and use.

Think it won't hit you? Think again!

Think tis only going to hit those rich suburban slobs, Uppies and DINKS in SUV's? Think that it won't affect the poor so go ahead and sok the rich? Think again! The rich spend a lwoer proportion of their diposable income on fule costs. For the poor, decisions about medical care of gas will be made. For the poor, decisions about medical insurance or heat will be made.

Think about it. Do yhou think those "economical" hybrid cars are going to be cheap to buy? They'll probably cost as much or more than a loaded Suburban!

Open you pocket book, folks. Some of you may not be able to afford to get to the trailhead anymore!

Enjoy the fule price increases.”

“Coincidentally, this from today's Wall Street Journal:

First fiscal quarter profits are up at Exxon Mobil Corp. and Conoco Inc. After-tax revenue at Exxon Mobil hit $5 billion, a 44 percent increase over last year's $3.48 billion. Conoco's numbers in that category hit $653 million, a hefty increase from last year's $399 million.”

“Fuel?”

“All the more reason to decrease our dependancy on oil. It's possable, and the cost will go down with mass production. Yeah, it might take a decade to ween us off the oil addiction, but the change will be for the better!
The oil companies are only shooting them selves in the foot. They may make short term prices with market manipulation, but it will only last for a few years.”

“They have the long term on their side. Jack up the prices now, it'll take years till all these gas-guzzlers are off the road and we all start driving tin cans again. Then they can lower the prices and we'll all stupidly go out and buy big vehicles. If they do that in 15-year cycles, they win - we lose.”

“ThinAir, say goodbye to your greenbacks. YOu will beable to change your screen name to ThinWallet.

Sure mass production will bring theprice down. Sure it will. Don't count on it. If you think those mean nasty godless (or God-fearing, depending on your point of view) corporations are going to give you cut rate vehicles so you can avoid high fule prices?? Think again! Your price per mile for transportation will be as high or higher than it is today. Your only exposure to talking on the trail will be this forumn because you won;t be able to get to the trial head!”

“There are a lot of ways to get 30 miles from my house. It will not get that bad. Be realistic Hawkcantspell”

“My price per mile on my bike never cost me anything.”

“How green do you want to be?

Why are gas prices rising?

Is it because refining capacity is over 95%?

Is it because pipeline capacity is at its' maximum?

Is it because the refining companies cannot build new refineries due to the extremely high cost in meeting the outrageous regulations?

Is it because the oil companies aren't allowed into areas like ANWR?

Everyone here thinks the oil companies are a bunch of evil polluters. WRONG!!!

A company I worked for drilled a well on Forest Service land just west of where I live (Cody, WY). I was up there two years ago on a day hike. When I got back and was telling my co workers where I had been, they asked if I saw the well. I didn't. As it turned out, the location was so well reclaimed, I had no idea the well was ever there.

p.s. All equipment was flown in on helicopters. No roads. No damage what so ever.”

“Or is it because we depend too much on Oil in the first place?”

“You could depend on wind, which provides less than 1% of the total electricity in the US.”

“Ah, the wind... Anybody see those wind farms in California? The one east of Tehachapi Pass is one big EYESORE. Nice report of profits. I didn't realize it was a crime to make money. Oh wait, I forgot, there are those that think it is a crime to legally make money. I'm still trying to figure out what bicycle tires and Vibram soles are made of too...”

“There's an interesting issue surrounding the use of wind farms out here on the left coast y'all may not have hear of...seems that a lot of birds are killed each year flying into the windmills...certain environmental groups are now coming out against them because of the "wildlife destruction" they pose.”

“didn't the greenies close down the wind farms because birds were dieing when they flew into the blades?



Sure most of us could figure some way to get around without a car, bt how are the goods we use every day going to make it to our stores? I always thought truck dropped them off, don't trucks us fuel?”

“Hydrogen fuel cells will become very prevalent within the next ten years. The whole energy picture will change dramatically.”

“This is *exactly* why I own a Geo Metro. I bought it back in 1996, drove it 125k miles between then and 2000. The engine died thanks to me driving it while it was overheating (doesn't take much with an aluminum engine). Anyway, I decided to invest the $1700 in a new engine instead of getting another car. The only other car I would've been interested in was another Metro.

40-45 mpg. I drive so much too, so it helps. I only work 5 mins away, but my school is 45 minutes away - I commute there about 3 times a week. Then there's the NH White Mountains, which I'll be visiting nearly every weekend this summer.

Even at $3 gallon, I can afford it! However, I think $2/gal is the highest it'll get.”

“Get a scooter! 75+ mpg!”

“Here's what I want.

http://www.motorizedbikes.com/spfrroadster.html”

“Ya gotta be able to keep up with traffic tho.”

“I'm sure the national speed limit will soon be coming to a town near you.”

“Geo metro, Motor bike, get real! I have a family of 6 plus luggage and/or hockey bags to get around. Don't tell me about tiny little cars as I would probably need three of them to get everyon plus equipment around. Lt's see, 45 mpg/3= 15 Mpg. My current Suburban gets 17.3 MPG average. Which is better?

Once the younger boy is gone to college (2 years) its time for the Harley Sportster!”

“I'm just excited about all the new technology thats coming out. I think the current energy situation is only going to help make it all available to us. Sure it's expensive now but that will change. I welcome change.”

“Lets see, new stuff thats made life better for backpacking: New lightweight fabric, plastics, stoves, Petzl Tikka:)”

“Before someone says boots and plastics are made with petrol also, remember plastic is an efficiant use of oil. It can be recycled and used for a long time. Burning gas is the least efficiant use of oil. It is also what we are dependant on. Oil production is mostly geared towards gasoline and not other purposes.”

“Plastic can be recycled,true. Been to a landfill lately? Lots, varitable tons, a plethora of plastics, piles of poly this and that . It can be recycled,and a small amount even is...sometimes.”

“That petroleum refinery fire in CA today/yesterday(?) is gonna kick the CA and surrounding residents even harder and compound the already rising cost of gas for them.

This weekend I drove ~450 miles before the tank needed filled, and I then put in $49.60 of gas. Ugh!”

“Anyone see the new BMW prototype car? 12 cyliner, 200+ ponies and it runs on Hyrogen.”

“Power companies are the ones that will be most affected from the hydrogen fuel cells.”

“No it?s not a crime to make money Cairn, but it?s not right to gouge people because you have oligopolistic power. The consolidation of almost all businesses into huge multi-national companies has given them unprecedented power to raise prices almost at will. The people sitting on the boards of these companies have more power than any king at the time Jefferson and Payne. To think an unregulated economy will produce the greatest good is to have your head so deeply buried in the sand it?s not funny. Just read Dickens or the history of the American Industrial Revolution. Unbridled capitalism can be a brutal force.

On the other hand, capitalism has been the best economic system ever devised. It has brought unbelievable wealth and efficiency to the world.

Corporations are responsible to their shareholders, period. That means maximizing profits. They have done and will do things that the people running them would likely never do as an individual. Unless we use government to soften this tendency, we will have widespread social injustice.

It?s not us against them. We're all in this together.

Some members of Congress have proposed a windfall profits tax or an excess profits tax to limit the incentive for oil companies to cut back on exploration and production in an effort to drive up prices. This may or may not be the best way to go about it but debate and action are needed.

Personally, I think that industries involved in life?s necessities ? food, water, housing and energy - should be regulated to protect the public good. However, we need to be careful not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.”

“Did anybody else hear that the Tosco fire was intentional set?

Was it set by the oil company in order to justify higher prices?

How much Tosco stock is owned by beavis and butthead? (oops, I meant bush/cheney).”

“Gordo is right. It is well known successful business practice to destroy the capital your company uses to make the product you sell that makes your money in order to make more money. (nice sentence)”

“Stop baiting me you silly strumpet.”

“The main reason for the high gas prices is in fact the limited refinery and pipeline capacity, as stated earlier in this thread. I disagree that the problem is govt regulations, though. The problem is the NIMBYs. People that want to drive gas guzzlers and keep the house temp down to 65 in the summer but don't want refineries or power plants built near them get on my nerves. People that use cell phones but don't want towers in their neighborhood bug me, too. That is a different topic, though.

At least for now Toyota and Honda only charge a little more for a hybrid car than a regular one. That could change if demand for the hybrids increased.

I have heard that the new style of windmill generators have much larger props that turn slower and cause less noise and kill fewer birds. I haven't seen the wind farms near Tehachapi, but I didn't find the ones near Livermore or Palm Springs to be an eyesore. I think they look kind of cool.”

“Which one of those crooked bastards is Beavis/Butthead?
(_!_)

”

“Solutions:

#1) Conserve by not using some things (bike when you can, don't use airconditioners unless you absoutely need them)

#2) Use things that are more energy efficient. Florescent bulbs, fuel efficient cars...

#3) Nuclear Power.”

“8D”

“If you are in an urban area pester your legislative representatives to invest in public transportation.
It will take years to improve public trans. but it will be worth it.

”

“Solution 2

Get a handful of these gas station credit cards and fill out Tarpies name on all of them. He has so many alias' and copycats they will never trace them back to you.”

“$1.55 for reg. unlead in Pensacola, forecast calls for $2.00 by memorial day and approaching $3.00 by labor day.”

“I got a little insight into this yesterday when I went to fill up my truck. As the dials chugged above $30, the attendant started to make small talk about the price of gas going up. I jokingly asked him if he knew someone who wanted to buy a truck cheap.

He launched into a lecture in broken English about how Americans have plenty of 'money, money, money' and people in India, Pakistan, China had 'small money'. (He said more but I didn?t catch it.)

With the lifestyle that even the poorest among us have, maybe we're just bitching over small stuff.”

“That's a given.”

“If people aren't bitching - check their pulse.”

“I think it makes most sense to build power plants in the suburbs. That way all the rural and natural areas stay that way. Most of the power gets used there anyway.”

“Good point reformed lurker.

The price here in the Northwoods is $1.79.9 for reg. unleaded. The tourism industry is wringing its hands over the possibility city folks will stay home this summer.”

“Another 5 cents today: $1.84.9. Say hello to $2 gas by next week. Hope GWB spends his cut on something he really, really wants.”

“Reformed can you see a refinery going up in West Bloomfield or Plymouth. LOL! THAT would cause a riot or a least some sneering and stern words at the next cook out.”

“Hyper, maybe they could make a refinery an anchor store at Somerset Mall, sort of balancing Bonwit's.”

“Anyone have experience with those elctric skateboard type jobbies. They look like a fun way to commute.”