Analysts saying oil production at peak.

And when he doesn't find oil after wasting billions drilling and setting up refineries, Bush will change his story and say the ground needed to be drilled so the soil could be set free (until erosion creates soil unrest).

 

I find it interesting, as a "car guy", that the price of gas dipped very low in the "musclecar era", right before the price exploded. And in recent years, it showed another dip in price, and high HP cars have again become prevalent, just in time for the gas prices to start rising again. My parents and I were just talking last night about how quickly everyone has forgotten those long gas lines and gas rationing of the 70's, and Detroit seems to take advantage of our collective memory failure. <_<

 

Ha. Interesting or SCARY!?

Yes, cheap gas buys us gas-guzzling cars. Shouldn't surprise anybody. More expensive gas will buy us bettery hybrids, and eventually - some real gasoline alternatives.

Amazing that gasoline became commercialized at the beginning, considering the price in the early 1900's eh? But at that time, there was of course NO limit to this awesome windfall energy supply. And it sure seemed cleaner than coal!

 

Most people don't change behavior until there is a crisis. With this particular issue, it will be too late to do anything about it when there is a crisis. Batteries take a lot of energy to produce and that energy is currently being wasted by a lot of people with SUVs and other gas guzzlers, very large homes with vaulted ceilings that are not energy efficient at all, eating way too much food, and on and on and on. If we don't start conserving as a nation, and taking the necessary steps towards greatly reducing our dependence on oil, we'll be a third-world country eventually and most people will wonder how it got so bad overnight when, in fact, they ignored the storm clouds on the horizon for way too long and the only thing that happened overnight is their awareness of the problem. Their naive over-reliance on politicians and corporate CEOs to save them from themselves will be proven once again to be the bane of the American consumer/voter/citizen. The oil companies and the oil-rich countries will be loaded with cash and the American people will be loaded with debt, owned by foreigners and running on empty.

 

i think the only way to find out is to raise the price to $5 today. take the extra money, start upgrading mass transit systems and provide some tax relief to entities that provide mass transit.

see how this goes for a while. despite what most people seem to think. nearly everyone has mass transit options. vanpools in my area is a very underused option and the reason is that people are unwilling to sacrifice one iota to participate.

i've heard complaints

i would have to get up a half hour early to make it to the meet spot on time"

guess they dont consider the commute time where they can nap, continue putting on makeup, ext...

i dont always get off work right away and i dont like feeling pressured to make the vanpool at a certain time

if any part of your life is that structured and predictable, then i'll pay for your seat...

its not that much cheaper than driving myself

ok maybe so. but if gas goes to $5 a gallon it will be. but you are also ignoring less traffic, less risk, (the company providing the van pays insurance and makes the car payments), less polution, less stress. (its much easier to stay calm with your eyes closed listening to your favorite music while commuting)

and probably the hidden benefit of vanpools (this can work both ways though) and that is the lively conversation with an electic group of people...obviously, this can be real hit and miss. but even when i was driving my car (loving that $52 a day trip allowance@!!) with just 3 other people, it was definitely much more fun than commuting alone with me and the stereo.

i definitely think we should try it... cant hurt...we already know that lowering the price of gas DOES hurt. leaving it the same is fine for our comfort zone and our inability to accept change, but that aint working either. so lets try it. im ready