Last night driving home, the posted gas price for unleaded reg was $3.68 a gal. This is somewhere in the range of $1.40 a gal. higher than about 5 months ago, or 50%+ increase. America runs on gas. When it's cheap we go places and spend that money on other things-strengthening our economy. When it's high, we don't-sending retail,restaurants,tourism,etc. into the crapper. In my career I have lost a job because of climbing oil prices (1st oil shortage 1973) Our co. built roof top air conditioners for Winnebago, and when gas doubled no one was buying RVs! I remember gas rationing-10 gal. every other day, based on your license plate number(about 1978). Since then it has ebbed and flowed like the tide, always ending higher.
Throughout this trend we have talked about electric cars, smaller cars, alternative energy sources, mass transit improvements, etc. The second gas goes down, it's back to the SUVs, trucks, and vans(which represent more than half the vehicles produced by domestic car companies!).
We need a firm direction. We need to stabilize fuel pricing(higher or lower!) to avoid swings in major markets. The profits the oil companies are taking is obscene. Their lobby groups have no limits. If we ever get any oil from the Iraq fiasco, it will not be passed along to the American taxpayer/consumer. It will go to oil companies and or Iraq. I call Bullsh*t on the politicans, oil companies, and anyone else that isn't doing something about the disappearing middle class in America!
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11 comments:
i am so glad i don't have a car.
what are you gonna do? my mom used to tell me when she could buy french fries at mac donalds for a nickel...I have never bought french fries for 5 cents...I just go to the pump and pay...
I was just a pup during the '70s energy crisis but I remember it well; I cannot fathom why, in almost 30 years, we have made a dent in this problem.
I'll be doing my part. We're due to replace our car. The new one will be a Prius (best gas mileage out there) even though I cannot stand the way they look!
When I learned to drive, it was $1.07 a gallon. 99cents even, sometimes.
It was 99 cents when I learned to drive too.
I, for one, have to say how horrible this is, especially on my limited budget. I know things are going to improve for me soon and I won't be as worried about it, but it's seriously crippling me at the present time. I'm scared right now that I won't be able to afford to drive to classes and have been redoing my budget over and over to try and make it work. I know we have no control over it and there isn't much that can be done, cause things are the way they are, but you're totally right. The more we spend on gas the less we are able to spend on anything else, plus it makes EVERYTHING more expensive since everything in our country is shipped by trucks and trains. It's seriously going to choke our economy and it's terrible for those of us who are just scraping by as it is.
--snow
I grew up in California, where you could walk almost anywhere. We moved to Indiana almost 9 years ago. Some of the things I wish Indiana had are sidewalks and decent public transportation. Everything has a drive-thru here. Our grocery store just built a drive thru for their pharmacy, even. In California, drive-thru's were almost obsolete, except for fast food. (Don't know if that has gone up again since we have been gone.)
I am just glad I drive a small car. I can't imagine how much we would be pouring into an SUV. I agree that more needs to be done. I mean, they have been talking about the fossil fuels running out since my MOM was in high school.
i was just shocked watching the price numbers zoom up while the gallon number molasses'd up.
Its almost $7 a gal in Europe... (as I get ready to roadtrip through there for 2 weeks...lol)
I know people fundraising for alternate energy sources and its been a tough road. The lobby groups for oil are strong and the track record for sources like hydrogen or solar is pretty poor...
I think that our nation (and the world for that matter) needs to do more to use less. Perhaps the increase in gas prices will be just what we need to wake up and take action. Who knows.
Interesting post!
That's crazy. I always just spend $20 at the pump. That's my rationing.
To All- National Geographic had over the course of a year, had many excellent well balanced articles on the various and sundry threats to the planet by us. They covered the progress of wind ,solar, nuclear, coal, and oil as energy sources. All is not lost, but we gotta do something soon...
I wish my car operated like the Flinstone car -- foot power! Now, if I could just get Commander Data to be my co-peddler ...
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