What to do about gas prices?

Gas is at $4.00 per gallon & projected to keep going up. I'm interested in hearing what you think our short term options and solutions are? Sure we can drill in ANWR & off the coasts or come up with alternative fuel sources but we won't reap the benefits until 10 years down the road. What can we do today? I fear that no one...Republican or Democrat...has any idea what to do. I see this as serious a threat to our country as anything we have ever faced. Who's to blame? Big oil is at the mercy of OPEC, right? Is it time to flex our muscle & just take it?
I guess I got hit right in the face with this today when my wife informed me that month-to-date we have spent $465 on gas. She drives an V8 Expedition & I have a V8 Lexus- we could trade for more economical cars but ours are paid for & we would just be switching our current gas bills for car pymts...and gas would still be $4.00 a gallon!!
Any ideas or solutions?

 

Good points and great question David and one I'll sure think about.

It hit me some time ago but it really hit recently when I bought gas for the lawn mower. I told my wife is was the first time I EVER even considered how much it costs just to cut my friggin lawn!

 

And what happens when they decide that they dont want you to waltz in and take there oil? Try looking at it relisticly we are allready having enough problems in Iraq & Afghanistan can you imagine if we had to controll and police the entire region! Or perhaps you were thinking a bit closer to home like invading Brazil as they have just discoverd a extreemly large oil reserve LOL
Whats wrong with trading in your car for a smaller more economical model. using a push power mower? You dont have a god given right to cheap oil, so try to adjust now while you can.
Invest in wind/solar/Bio energy, use the tides and rivers even build more nuclear plants

 

Good points DeOrc and I tend to agree.

Wind power is a simple (relatively) solution. Unfortunately there are laws, at least where I am, prohibiting a windmill in my back yard. Believe me I have thought of it.

I live about 5 miles from Lake Michigan. 30 miles from Chicago "the Windy City". Nary a windmill to be found that generates power. A calm day here is a true rarity. Even in the dead of summer a breeze is present. I believe the average is about 14 mph all year. 20-30 mph is very common in the winter.

Of course this would require a lot of people converting to electrity for heat and would severely cut into the energy providers profits.
Bottom line is it's all about politics. If I could cut my winter heating costs in half it might help offset the price of gas. I need gas in my work.

As it is I "zone" heat in my house via propane. I write this off on my taxes as my work requires propane in the winter.

The people in control want to keep it that way believe me. The resources abound but if it threatens big money industries they find a way to stop it.


No brainers that we can all see yet can do very little about unless we have one hell of a disposable income. Most of us don't so it just gets worse.

 

Just for the record, I was being sarcastic about taking oil.

 

The enviormentalist wacko's have caused this.
Clinton veto'd ANWAR in 94', we'd have that oil now. Oh yeah, the enviormentalist wacko's banned all new refining plants as well.

We have enough of our own resources, natural gas and oil to last 100 years if we were allowed to process it.

Hey, you hear the news? Nancy Pelosi is going to sue OPEC !!!

Obama expects us to not drive SUV's, eat all we want and heat/ac our homes to our liking, we are unfair to the world ( sounds like John Kerrys " global test" )

Put a Dem in the Whitehouse, it'll get better. They will raise taxes and confiscate " Big Oil " profits !!! The oil companys made a 9% profit, how unfair, better take some of that profit away, yannow? Higher taxes and profit confiscation, just the thing to get the industries to invest in new technology !! Consumers pay the tax, not the oil companys !!! Yep, raise taxes and jumpstart that Jimmy Carter economy !!! We'll have one again soon with a Dem in charge.

Yet, the Dem's whining and complaining over the price of gas. SICKENING. Pot calling the kettle black. Who the F do you think made us so freakin dependant on foriegn oil?

Whats next?
" Big Makeup "? more profit % than oil
" Big Coin Slab " more profit % than oil
" Big Office Supply " ? more profit % than oil
" Big Clothing " ? more profit % than oil

Gimme a freakin break.

 

Okay guys, but I'll go back to my original question...What can we/our country do today to bring the price of gas down?
I'll have to give up my gas guzzlers at some point if gas keeps going up but I sure don't want to.

 

Then what? I am SO glad I don't have children. What will they do?

This is not a Democrat/Republican thing here in the long run. It's a political/lobbyist thing.

I have stated how there are not energy related "windmills" here in an area known for a constant breeze and then some.

Not familiar with the desert but will ask. How's the solar program going?


The answers have been here for years. Cheaper, renewable, clean sources of energy to take a huge burden off of oil dependence.
This would also create more jobs if one thinks about it.

Don't go firing off on the Dems here. The Republicans are EVERY bit as guilty.

Greed is greed.

 

Sorry David I got off topic in the now sense.

Immediate solution. Nuke the entire Mideast. Put on the hazmat suits and take the oil.

Ugly but effective.

No I do not back this as an answer but it IS an answer.

 

I should have said the Dem politicians are sickening, not any people...clarification.

Yep, exactly....a new fuel source....solar, electric, wind, manmade, etc is the answer.

Who's going to do it? Private industry. Not government, so stop taking the profits and raising the taxes, taking away all incentive.

Profit is NOT greed, profit is not dirty and profit is not wrong, well, according to some at least. Profit creates jobs and investment and research. And enemies in congress. I do not understand the connection with Republicans and greed. It's an argument that holds no water, unless you can explain it better and with factual examples.

EDIT: Solar power here is already in use in AZ, has been for quite a while, but could be used alot more. We also use the Salt River Project, a hydro-electric dam on the Salt River, thats who I pay my electric bill to every month.....get this...our homeowners assc bans solar panels on roofs !!!!

 

How do we bring gas prices down? Get people to stop giving in, and actually go on a strike, not where you go and fill up the day before, but go on an actual strike. Now, I know it's easier said than done, and some people it's much harder for, but it is possible. But, people gotta stop giving in and grumbling while they fill up, and take action. JMO

Phoenix

 

You cannot strike, oil drives the world economy, we will only punish ourselves.

Best bet is to find new sources of energy and to supply our own needs ( oil for now ) in the future.

Tell you what..lets force the car companies to make every car get 100 miles per gallon. That does not cost any research in fuel technologys or lighter cheaper materials, and does not make the cars more expensive so it wont hurt, again, the consumers we are trying to help.....remember, rules and laws and regulations are free !!!!!!!!!!

Tell you what, lets not mine, drill or process our own supply of fossil fuels. We can then blame the greedy oil companys who have to buy it overseas from foreign countrys when prices go up !!! Lets take the profits and raise the taxes because they are greedy, that way the consumers ( who we are trying to help ) will not pay extra to replace the lost income of the greedy corporations. We will then sue the foreign countrys on Judge Judy.

sarcasm intended, lol

 

Get real for a second here Levelheaded PLEASE. ALL polititicians are greedy to some extent. Profit is not greed. It is human nature. If one makes money one wants to make more. Period. NO lines are drawn there.

Frankly, I'm tired of digging up examples of anything I post here. Republicans are greedy, Democrats are greedy, I am greedy and you are greedy.

A great system that will lead to our country's continuing downfall.

I can't have a windmill and you can't have solar panels. Tell you anything about ANY administration? Solar panels are allowed here. They soak up the wind. Go figure.

 

And my plastic windmill melted, lol

Don't mean to make you defensive at all, I apologise if I came across that way. Some folks here spout off statements as facts that are simply fantasys and pipe dreams.

Fox News ratings in the tank, President Hillary, oil company profit gouging, etc, etc

 

True, we need to find something else, but a lot of people today are WAY too reliant on gas and cars. They will start up there car, and go to the store for a gallon of milk, or go mail a letter. Then go home, see they forgot something, go back out, and it goes on and on and on. Where, if some people can't go on a strike, or stop using there cars for a few days, they can atleast cut back. Like I said, not all, but most if you look at it. People not realising it can be very wasteful with gas, and other things like that, where until we DO find something else, we can try to cut back. Stop riding those Hummers or whatever around. If you cut back the demand, and let supply increase, then prices should level out. But I hear about finding something new, which is great IMO, but what do we do until then? These are just suggestions, and my opinion at the moment.

Phoenix

 

I've been giving this some thought. There are several long-term solutions but as far as I can see the only short-term solution is to increase supply...but where to get it? OPEC has already shot down Bush's request, other oil producing countries such as Venezuela & Russia aren't going to help us so that leaves Iraq and Canada as immediate sources. We should increase pressure on Canada to become better allies and give us some consideration for everything we have done for them over the years. And as far as Iraq, it's about time they pay up for being rid of Saddam and the training/support/protection we have provided over the past few years. They owe us some consideration.
Beyond this, we need to "buddy up" with the countries that are the "up & coming" oil producers such as Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Nigeria and Ethiopia- we can provide them support in locating their oil reserves and innovation in bringing their product to market.
These ideas could possibly lower gas prices today...give us an affordable supply & decrease our reliance on OPEC for the near future and get us through until such time that we get our domestic production geared up or we come up with alternative options.

 

Buddy up with Mexico......

Take note, the War Funding bill has amnesty quietly tucked into it I heard on CNN yesterday, Glen Beck Show. Mr McCain is back at the amnesty talks again and it is getting no coverage.....how selective of the media to fail to report this

Why is it that Charles Schumer, D-NY, said weeks ago that a million barrels a day from Alaska would only lower gas prices 2 cents a gallon, BUT, said Thursday, Pres Bush's trip to Saudi Arabia was a complete and total failure, that failing to get a 1 million barrel a day increase form OPEC just cost the American taxpayers 60 cents a gallon?

With 50 states ( not 59 ) in America, we have more than 20 different mandated blends due to individual state enviormental laws. That mixing and shipping cost a ton of money, a federal standard would be much cheaper.

Oil company profits average 9 cents a gallon. Federal and state tax on gasoline average 40 cents a gallon.

Maxine Waters slipped and warned " Big Oil " if you don't lower prices, we will socialize oil, we will take over your companys. Dont believe me? Google it.

 

Mexico is already the #3 supplier of oil and petroleum products to the United States. Canada and the United States, respectively, are numbers 1 and 2. And that covers 2/3 of America's oil use. When you consider that Venezuela is #4, how dependent on Middle Eastern oil are we, exactly?

 

On a side note I am facinated by what David thinks the US has done for Canada over the years

 

We've kept the CFL going with all the football players we've sent them not good enough to make it in the NFL.