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High gas prices saves lives...

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by burritos, Jul 11, 2008.

  1. burritos

    burritos Senior Member

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    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080711/ap_on_he_me/auto_deaths_gas_prices

    Less traffic, less accidents, less pollution, less traffic related deaths, push to alternative energies, conservation... I don't care if the oil ceo's rake in the profit, high gas prices is the path to utopia. Ok, maybe not utopia, but it puts us on a better path.
     
  2. dehati

    dehati New Member

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    Very well said. I am for increase in the gas prices. The reason is less dependency on IRAQ and oil by way of enhanced R&D on alternative sources.
     
  3. fotomickey

    fotomickey New Member

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    Yes, I notice that in Vancouver, Canada too
    Marginal decrease cars on road .... especially less speedy driver.
    People driving & brake more gentle (including myself)
    Less Tail-gate & Cut-off by others (people seem accustom with slower driving pattern)

    That will really help reduce Lethal-accident rate (since most people finally honor the City-Limits)... its a good sign.
     
  4. cyee

    cyee Junior Member

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    heck.. at 2.3% decrease for every 10% rise in gas prices, just raise gas prices by 440% and no one will get killed.
     
  5. echase

    echase New Member

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    And if bullets cost $5,000 dollars apiece...

    ==========================

    Once fuel becomes expensive enough cheap stuff made in china, etc wouldn't be so cheap... If we got our collective lazy rump we could afford to once again know in our hearts that "Made in The USA" [should] mean quality, technology and value.

    Then we could use all of our wonderful technology and science to lead the world out of dependence on fossil fuels. Our nation would truly emerge on top, our economy would compound it's might and quality of life would improve for peoples around the world.

    The wars we fight in an awakened society should be limited to those of ideas, not bigoted ideals, and certainly not economics. But I digress.

    Expensive gas without counteractive technological advances has a horrendous economic effects on the livelihood of the common man. It is a privileged few that both are aware and can afford our fine car.

    For your average hardworking Joe, life is hard. The economy is growing cold, and you've got to feed the SUV and still take proper care of your family...

    We won't even get into that slick mortgage.

    So while I know it is the best thing for our world—for the oil industry to burn itself out—it's still rough to watch.

    I'm thinking it's a good time to plan a garden. It could get ugly.
     
  6. Malarkey

    Malarkey New Member

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    I'm lucky. I'm in a position where dedication and hard work give me a very nice income.

    A lot of people are not and can not be in that position. The current high gas prices are wreaking havoc on them.

    I think it's pretty horrible to be happy about the price raises and hope they go higher when people are now having to decide how to tell their children that they can't afford basic necessities due to the rising costs across the board as a result of higher fuel and food costs.

    I'm all for a cleaner environment and I'm *hugely* for lower dependence on oil (foreign or domestic). I also put a lot of personal effort into renewable resources for my own home and continue to make lifestyle choices based on conservation. I agree that raising gas prices will further help some types of environmental improvements, but I also think it will put a nice big roadblock right in front of many, many people's ability to do things like attend college and take advantage of other opportunities that are tied to income.
     
  7. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    At face value some of that makes sense but I know far too many "poor" people that buy DLP TVs, iPods, car stereos, weed, beer, cigarettes and Starbucks to consider them truely hurting. Lifestyle changes will be in order for sure but I doub't such a large portion of U.S. citizens will be truely devestated as the right-wing media likes to report. :(
     
  8. sleonardelli

    sleonardelli Junior Member

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    It's not just Iraq, it's OPEC which, BTW includes Venezuala.
     
  9. burritos

    burritos Senior Member

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    Nice sentiment. However the electorate did not demand from its elected officials to do something(alternatives, conservation, getting off of the oil addiction) before the inevitable occurred(unaffordable gas). Now the free market is going to fix what us procrastinating americans didn't when we had the opportunity(post 9/11 unity). And as long as African suffering exists, my sympathies for American suffering is mildly tempered at best.
     
  10. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    as credit availability dries up, those folks won't have the credit (that is, what they like to call "money") to buy expensive unnecessary crap they are entitled to own. lots of newly risk-averse credit card companies are realizing that offering someone who makes $20k per year a credit line of $18500 is high risk even though it may be highly profitable if/when they screw up. they are lowering their card limits- and between that and the loss of home equity, people all of a sudden are having to make major lifestyle downsizing efforts.

    half the reason those people are so "well off" (when you look at stuff, not at financial health, that is) is because they're stupid enough to buy everything on credit, and because for a long time lenders were about as selective as the streetwalkers in the bad parts of town here...

    unfortunately, lots of folks have forgotten what's important and what isn't... my mother once told me that she felt manicures were a necessity when we couldn't find enough money to simultaneously satisfy the hospital and our kitchen. i hung up the phone immediately, i was so disgusted. perceived or real hardships are being reported all over. would you believe that people are quitting use of their gas-powered leaf blowers and opting for a RAKE, i mean what is the world coming to. but what we have is a bunch of panicked, confused, entitled people wondering how on earth they could live without cable tv, hbo, and 4 cell phone lines.

    the truly hurting ones are the ones that were smart enough to live within their means in the first place, and are finding those means don't go nearly as far as they once did thanks to the slowing of the economy (which is in part caused by shrinking credit/buying power of the mindless marketed-to masses). while the minority, they are still out there in force. i can tell you from my perspective it sucks.
     
  11. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    You know I agree with you. :)

    I was speaking of the actual low income class specifically here, not the laborers, mechanics, and secetaries of the world. I mean the ones with 1 working parent or on government assistance who still choces to buy crap because they have not been truely taught a better way or because their culture tells them they have to have that crap to fit in and be cool. IE. the ghetto kids/adults near my stereo shop.
     
  12. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i know. it started as a reply and kinda turned into a rant. :lol:

    in the really lower class, undereducated areas is where the effects of marketing are the most serious. the "gotta have it" mentality goes a lot farther there with the worst effects. but the point remains that it's all on credit because you know they don't have the cash on hand to pay for all that crap.

    i still have friends back home who never got out of that rut. need low-income assistance to heat their homes in the winter, but sure have a lot of nice crap. and a ton of debt they'll never be able to repay unless they get their act together.
     
  13. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    High gas prices saves lives like deciding to not jump off a bridge saves lives.

    If no one can afford gasoline to drive then no one dies from accidents, but many starve to death from no jobs and no grocery delivery.

    maybe we should all learn about a garden again? a big garden at that~!
     
  14. burritos

    burritos Senior Member

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    Is there any hard evidence that people are dying cause they can't drive?

    Cause there's plenty of hard evidence from vehicular accidents.
     
  15. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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    ...we wouldn't have any innocent bystanders.

    even if you get shot by a stray bullet,
    you won't have to go to no doctor to get it taken out.
    Whoever shot you would take their bullet back.

    I like Chris Rock. :D
     
  16. Genoz World

    Genoz World ZEN-style living

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    YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!tell that to the guy that drove the larger-than-life (behemoth) SUV that tail gated me (i was going 70mph in the THIRD LANE) on the 5 freeway, only to swerve, cut off a semi on the 4th lane and almost caused a chain reaction accident.

    i think he had plenty of gas and cash to spend. F-ing, son of a motherless goat moron!

    in so-cal, you're not really safe even in the third lane traveling 5 mph ABOVE the speed limit. for the most part, the higher gas prices have not affected the driving habits of people here in california. i wish it did........................

    we would all be safer. i do notice an increase in the bicycle riders. i just try to stay out of their ways.