May 15th - Don't Buy Gas

[jenayroux]

This sounds like a re-run from before but, who knows - I won't hurt to give it a try. Please pass this on - there is no reason gas prices should be soo high... we have the technology and capability to stop the foreign oil dependency... more political bs... its amazing how many humVees are out there - in New Orleans area - where can not come back from Katrina - contractors from all over the U.S and Mexico are here making a killing off of us and driving around their humVees... what kind of gas mileage does one of those get? 5 miles to the gal.??? Its pitiful.

[Godiva]

It does no good not to buy gas on one day.

If you want to make an impact, get a lot of people to stop buying gas long term.

[iaowings]

What does not buying gas on one day get you? Oil companies know you will be back in a couple of days. Now if we could get people nation wide to give up personal gas and use public transportation to get to work and if necessary at least carpool but no driving except for work. Do that for a month and see what happens. One day is pointless when the company know you depend on their product. But just one month low gas sales will drive them nuts.

[jenayroux]

I wish those humVees would leave the country... and the huge SUV's... $100 to fill up - what a shame... Louisiana produces lots of gas but, we pay just as high for it as around the country (or very close to it)...

I know about the 1 day thing - just wish it would help more... Maybe if the gas went up to $6 / gal. - then we would see a change in driving habits. Car pooling is safer here - mass transit - buses - are not so safe anymore.

I know the 1 day thing wouldn't make much if any of an impact... its better than nothing.

Whatever happened on cars running on sea water???

We really need to do something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[phidauex]

As anyone who understands the energy market will tell you, the only effective boycott of oil is a reduction in total demand.

Not buying oil on one day is worth nothing. It is like a crack addict saying, "I'm through with you, drug dealer! I'm boycotting you!" It doesn't bother the dealer, since everyone knows the addict is coming back tomorrow to buy twice as much.

Likewise, avoiding particular gas stations does not have an effect on how oil is sourced. The way the oil market works, it is impossible to have any 'selective' boycotts. The market is global, and totally self-adapting. It is the most sophisticated market in the world. As long as you are buying ANY oil, you are supporting the entire system.

I'm all in favor of spreading awareness of how our energy market is not set up to be favorable to the citizens, but don't bother with useless boycotts. They make people feel like they are doing something, when in fact, they aren't. Useless activism is sad, because it tricks people into thinking they are helping. If you want to change the energy industry, the only thing to do is reduce your total demand.

peace,
sam

[Webini]

Won't work. A boycott of a couple of brands of gasoline won't result in lower
overall prices. Prices at all the "good guy" outlets would rise due to the
temporarily limited supply and increased demand, making the original prices
look cheap by comparison. The "bad guy" outlets could then make a killing by
offering gasoline at its "normal" (i.e., pre-boycott) price or by selling off
their output to the non-boycotted companies, who will need the extra supply to
meet demand.

The "good guys" would have to buy gasoline wholesale from the bad guys, who are
suddenly stuck with unwanted gasoline. So motorists would end up paying more
for it, because they'd be buying it at fewer stations.

Also, oil companies do buy and sell from one another. If a company has a
station that can be served more economically by a competitor's refinery,
they'll do it. In some cases, gasoline retailers have no refinery at all. Some
convenience-store chains sell a lot of gasoline ? and buy it all from somebody
else's refinery. The only person who really gets hurt in this proposed scheme
is the service station operator, who has almost no control over the price of
gasoline.

The only practical way of reducing gasoline prices is through the
straightforward means of buying less gasoline, not through a simple and
painless scheme of just shifting where we buy it. The inconvenience of driving
less is a hardship too many people apparently aren't willing to endure,
however.

[jenayroux]

Soooo, do we have too many rich people out there that don't give a "fig" about those of us who are not as well off as they are and will buy no matter what??? What a sad society we have become... we don't ban together for anything anymore... its sad.


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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Webini @ Apr 30 2007, 08:37 PM) [snapback]432947[/snapback]</div>

Won't work. A boycott of a couple of brands of gasoline won't result in lower
overall prices. Prices at all the "good guy" outlets would rise due to the
temporarily limited supply and increased demand, making the original prices
look cheap by comparison. The "bad guy" outlets could then make a killing by
offering gasoline at its "normal" (i.e., pre-boycott) price or by selling off
their output to the non-boycotted companies, who will need the extra supply to
meet demand.

The "good guys" would have to buy gasoline wholesale from the bad guys, who are
suddenly stuck with unwanted gasoline. So motorists would end up paying more
for it, because they'd be buying it at fewer stations.

Also, oil companies do buy and sell from one another. If a company has a
station that can be served more economically by a competitor's refinery,
they'll do it. In some cases, gasoline retailers have no refinery at all. Some
convenience-store chains sell a lot of gasoline ? and buy it all from somebody
else's refinery. The only person who really gets hurt in this proposed scheme
is the service station operator, who has almost no control over the price of
gasoline.

The only practical way of reducing gasoline prices is through the
straightforward means of buying less gasoline, not through a simple and
painless scheme of just shifting where we buy it. The inconvenience of driving
less is a hardship too many people apparently aren't willing to endure,
however.
[/b]

[jmann]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenayroux @ Apr 30 2007, 09:05 PM) [snapback]432906[/snapback]</div>

This sounds like a re-run from before but, who knows - I won't hurt to give it a try. Please pass this on - there is no reason gas prices should be soo high... we have the technology and capability to stop the foreign oil dependency... more political bs... its amazing how many humVees are out there - in New Orleans area - where can not come back from Katrina - contractors from all over the U.S and Mexico are here making a killing off of us and driving around their humVees... what kind of gas mileage does one of those get? 5 miles to the gal.??? Its pitiful.
[/b]

WTF? Gas prices are not high. What do you spend on chewing gum; bottles water; vacation; premium ice cream; etc.? Until fuel prices affect your spending habits, it ain't high.

On the same topic: why do so many poor people have cell phones?

[Delta Flyer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenayroux @ Apr 30 2007, 08:05 PM) [snapback]432906[/snapback]</div>

This sounds like a re-run from before but, who knows - I won't hurt to give it a try. Please pass this on - there is no reason gas prices should be soo high... we have the technology and capability to stop the foreign oil dependency... more political bs... its amazing how many humVees are out there - in New Orleans area - where can not come back from Katrina - contractors from all over the U.S and Mexico are here making a killing off of us and driving around their humVees... what kind of gas mileage does one of those get? 5 miles to the gal.??? Its pitiful.
[/b]

Do you think you can help out on Global Warming and breathe only once every two minutes?

[ewhanley]

No offense, but this is a lost cause. As noted by others, the price cannot be impacted unless demand is truly decreased. No one company can be singled out either. Gasoline and crude oil for that matter are extremely liquid assets (no pun intended). This means the gasoline produced in company A's refinery can be and is sold in any number of other companies' stations.

On to bigger and better things. There are many very good reasons for the price of gasoline to be as 'high' as it is. One being: the gap between supply and demand is virtually non-existent at this point. Gasoline in the US is still ludicrously cheap compared to all other western, industrialized nations.

The volume, or lack thereof, produced in any given region, such as Louisiana, has almost nothing to do with the local price. Transportation cost of petroleum is almost nil in comparison to refining cost. The price of fuel tends to be fairly steady nationwide because excess supply in one location can be readily transported and sold in a location with a relative supply deficit. The high price prevails.

Don't get me wrong. I feel for people who are getting pinched by 'high' gas prices, but change hurts. Better to deal with a little pain now while gas is still relatively cheap than to put off the change in behavior until adjusting (a nationwide shift to consumption habits) is impossible. I estimate that very few people who drive GIANTSUV (fill in any one you wish) actually need them, but they often complain the loudest about the price of fuel. For these folks, I have little sympathy.