Oh no, do you mean that the U.S. isn’t the exact center of the universe and all the world’s resources weren’t provided by some deity for our exclusive use; how can that be? How dare the other 95.4% of the worlds population use our resources and affect the prices, don’t they understand how much it costs to fill up a hummer these days?
I suggest Exxon/Mobil for many reasons but mostly in light of their unbelievable profits, their getting the Supreme Court to reduce their liability in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and their refusing to invest in researching alternative fuels as requested by some of their major shareholders. They insist they must continue to use all their profits (after executive pay) to pumping out all the oil in the planet, and it would be a waste of time to explore alternatives. And, to add the cherry on top, consider their cozy relationship to our current Vice-President and their secret meeting at the beginning of the Bush administration that has never been disclosed. They are my vote for top corporate criminals…
I don’t think oil companies ARE treating us especially unfairly. They charge their customers whatever the market will bear, just like any other company does. Of course, if we don’t like it, we always have recourse. Use less.
Just go ene mene mine moe Exion Mobel BP Or Shevron we will take two days to vote wich one then start the boycote
What about those ships that bring us the Chinese goods? What kind of fuel do they use? The reason I ask is I wonder if some day it will be cheaper to make those goods in the U.S. than ship them from overseas. Do you think that will ever happen, Docnick?
I am having a hard time finding where anyone has insulted you. Calling you naive isn’t an insult. It’s an observation. It’s even a little flattering to suggest your ideals hold strong. Calling you ignorant isn’t an insult. We are all ignorant of something. To suggest you lack knowledge in a particular area isn’t an insult. If someone called you stupid, that would be saying you are incapable of learning, and that would be an insult. The only person who has insulted anyone is you. Didn’t you call us all old cowards? Who else here has stooped as low as that?
The ones we can control are as follows: We drive a great deal, in large and inefficient cars (compare to the average car in Europe or Japan). Our houses are very large and very inefficient—until about 50 years ago, houses were designed to maximize use of the environment such as sunlight. Many of our communities are designed to require a car for everything.
To truly address this issue, we need to take many short and long term steps. In the short term, we start investing in research for alternative, renewable energy sources, drive less often and closer to the speed limit, and maximize the efficiency of what we have. In the medium term, we replace our cars with smaller, more efficient vehicles, and replace our large houses with much more efficient housing. In the long term, we redesign our communities to be more tight knit and not require a car for every errand.
These are significant changes, and I don’t think any one will solve the problem by itself. But punishing an oil company won’t resolve any of them, really. It’s like being addicted to a drug (cheap energy), but changing dealers, rather than treating the addiction.
Is there one economist you’ve read that disagrees with the concept that speculation is a large part of the current oil prices…?
Yes, I heard an economist this morning on NPR who said blaming speculators for the high price of oil is like blaming doctors for sickness just because of proximity.
I wonder if you are going to feel the same way about agribusiness in the next year when they see greedy corporate behavoir by near monolopies goes unnoticed. Recourse?? What recourse do most have? Quit their jobs and stop driving? I honestly believe most of us have cut back our power and fuel usage as much as possible. And if your arguement holds water what does happen if agribusiness goes as greedy as the oil companies? Use less? Let others starve who can’t afford the prices?
Terrific post, bluemist.
I wonder if you are going to feel the same way about agribusiness in the next year when they see greedy corporate behavoir…
Is there another kind of corporate behavior?
What recourse do most have? Quit their jobs and stop driving?
Is that really the limit of your problem-solving skills? They can move closer to work or use public transportation. If they don’t have access to public transportation, they can demand it form their democratically-elected leaders. They can carpool. They can ride a bicycle…
To suggest that quitting their jobs and stopping driving are their only alternatives is intellectually dishonest. Besides, haven’t you already said three times that you were giving up on this discussion? Yet you keep posting.
Is that really the limit of your problem-solving skills? They can move closer to work or use public transportation. If they don’t have access to public transportation, they can demand it form their democratically-elected leaders. They can carpool. They can ride a bicycle…
Those suggestions only work if you live in or near a city. Show me ANY area in this country that has RURAL public transportation.
Carpooling only works in the city? Please explain. Moving closer to work only works in the city? Please explain. Bicycles only work in the city? Please explain.
Show me ANY area in this country that has RURAL public transportation.
Doesn’t Amtrack serve the some rural areas?
Carpooling only works in the city? Please explain. Moving closer to work only works in the city? Please explain. Bicycles only work in the city? Please explain.
Carpooling works if you all going the same direction…There are 10 houses on my street. All 10 of us work in different directions. Of the 50 people in my company not ONE lives within 15 miles of me. The less concentrated the population the less likely you’ll be able to carpool.
Moving closer…Great unless the company moves like mine did. When I started working for the company it was 15 miles away…it’s moved 4 times since then…now 45 miles away. And most people don’t keep jobs anywhere near as long as they own a house.
Bicycles only work in the city?
Obviously you live in Florida or Texas…and you don’t have a family. First off forget about biking to work from October thru early April because of snow. Then lets not forget rain days. Ever bike to and from work in the rain. Great walking into a meeting soaking wet. Now lets talk about family obligations. Riding a bike to work then picking my son up after for Basketball or soccer practice is laughable. And I didn’t even mention the 45 mile commute in EXTREMELY HEAVY life threatening traffic.
Doesn’t Amtrack serve the some rural areas?
I have to drive 15 miles to a Amtrak station that takes me into Boston. Then take another train out to near where I work…then a bus from there to work. Then the same thing home again…Each way will EASILY TAKE 3 HOURS. And if I miss the 5:30 train going in to Boston I’ll miss the train I need to be on going out. The next one is at 9 which will get me to work at 10. And then I’ll have to wait until noon for the next Bus.
Try more REALISTIC suggestions. Those are just plain fantasy.
There is no point in boycotting Big Oil as big oil cant catch up they are running out of places to drill, what we need to do is start taking suit from honda, and building Fuel Cell cars, inherently, that will drive down the price and become affordable for people.
Peace out,
Puff
OK, so you have some obstacles. Are you saying that your circumstances are like everyone else who lives in the country?
You don’t have to live close to carpool. What if someone drives past your house on his way to work or you drive past his house on your way to work? What if you drive past a coworker’s exit on your long commute? Your coworker could live 80 miles away and you two could still carpool.
Because your employer moved four times, does that apply to everyone who lives in the country? Do you really think this is typical behavior for the majority of rural citizens?
Just because you have adverse weather doesn’t mean you can’t ride a bicycle on nice days. I wasn’t saying you could ride a bicycle EVERY DAY. Just riding a bicycle on nice days could lower your fuel bill signifigantly, couldn’t it?
Your circumstances certainly don’t reflect those of EVERY person who lives in the country. So the issue isn’t that you live in the country. The issue is that you have obstacles in your way. Don’t make the faulty assumption that everyone has the same problems as you.
Amtrack may not be practical for you, but you didn’t ask me to find something practical for you. You asked me to Show you ANY area in this country that has RURAL public transportation. I think you just did that for me. The area near your Amtrack station is one. Thank you.
If Big Oil is really running out of places to drill, they should try drilling on one of the millions of square miles for which they already hold drilling leases. Problem solved!
OK, so you have some obstacles. Are you saying that your circumstances are like everyone else who lives in the country?
A vast majority of people who live in Rural areas.
You don’t have to live close to carpool. What if someone drives past your house on his way to work or you drive past his house on your way to work? What if you drive past a coworker’s exit on your long commute? Your coworker could live 80 miles away and you two could still carpool.
I only mentioned SOME of the obstacles. You want them all…OK…First off I don’t work 40 hrs/week. My hours are varied and change day to day…and week to week. There is ONE person I know of who I can actually car pool with. And I have on occasion picked him up because of car problems. But his hours are NOT like mine. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to wait around til 8-9 3 or 4 days a week for me. Or leave for work at 5am. Scheduling ones live and family is one thing…now add in someone else’s life it becomes very very difficult. If there were other people I could car pool with then there would be a higher probability of finding someone close to my schedule.
Because your employer moved four times, does that apply to everyone who lives in the country? Do you really think this is typical behavior for the majority of rural citizens?
You obviously didn’t read the second part of my statement. “Most people stay in same house longer then the same job.” It’s very very unlikely you’ll be living in the same house and have the same job. Also in the past 10 years I’ve worked for 2 companies that went out of business. What…people are suppose to move every time they change jobs…just NOT REALISTIC.
Your circumstances certainly don’t reflect those of EVERY person who lives in the country.
I GUARANTEE you that my circumstances are very close to MOST people who live in rural areas. If it wasn’t we’d be seeing a mass move from rural to the city…which we’re NOT.
Amtrack may not be practical for you, but you didn’t ask me to find something practical for you. You asked me to Show you ANY area in this country that has RURAL public transportation. I think you just did that for me. The area near your Amtrack station is one. Thank you.
I can only assume you’ve never really looked at the situation. Amtrak has very very limited routes and access. Of EVERYONE who lives in S NH and N MA…Amtrak doesn’t make sense unless you work IN BOSTON. That’s about 95% of the population that DON’T work in Boston. So yea…Amtrak is NOT a viable alternative for the VAST MAJORITY. I have a brother who lives in Connecticut and works in White Plains NY. He can take Amtrak too…First to NYC…then out to White Plains…Total travel time…4 hours. Unless you either start in a major hub or you destination is a major hub AMTRAK is NOT A REALISTIC SOLUTION. And yes you showed me solutions…but you didn’t show me or anyone else who lives in Rural area…REALISTIC solutions. You need to think it through and stop applying YOUR situation and think it can apply to EVERYONE.
A vast majority of people who live in Rural areas.
This is a sentence fragment. I expect better from you.
I GUARANTEE you that my circumstances are very close to MOST people who live in rural areas. If it wasn’t we’d be seeing a mass move from rural to the city…which we’re NOT.
In my OPINION, I happen to think we will see a mass move to areas served by mass transit when gas gets expensive enough. The price just isn’t there yet. There will one day be a point when your commute costs more than you can afford. When that time comes, you will be forced to make some kind of change, and my [i]ONLY[/i] point was that your choices will not be limited to quitting your job and not driving at all. So unless you think those will be your only choices, we really have nothing to argue about.
I never said Amtrack was practical. AGAIN, you didn’t ask me to do that. You You asked me to show you ANY area in this country that has rural public transportation. Why argue that it isn’t practical when I agree with you?
I have seen many urban dwellers move from one apartment to another to be closer to work. I happen to think there are a lot of people out there in similar situations. These people have families. These people don’t work normal hours. These people change jobs frequently, just like you. The fact that you and you brother are not among them doesn’t make my suggestions invalid. After all, I NEVER SAID THEY WOULD WORK FOR EVERYONE.
In my OPINION, I happen to think we will see a mass move to areas served by mass transit when gas gets expensive enough.
Yes I agree…IF gas prices stay the way they are and we don’t see some other cheaper source coming along…but it will take DECADES…not months or years. I won’t see it in my life time.
There will one day be a point when your commute costs more than you can afford.
DECADES away.
I have seen many urban dwellers move from one apartment to another to be closer to work. I happen to think there are a lot of people out there in similar situations. These people have families. These people don’t work normal hours. These people change jobs frequently, just like you. The fact that you and you brother are not among them doesn’t make my suggestions invalid. After all, I NEVER SAID THEY WOULD WORK FOR EVERYONE.
First off there aren’t a lot of apartments in any rural areas I’ve lived in. Most are homes or even trailers. Apartments…NO. But the people who do live in apartments…yup…I’m sure they do move closer…TO A POINT. There are many other factors people choose to live in the Rural areas…schools, better/safer living conditions. Saying it’s POSSIBLE for people to move is one thing…but that doesn’t make it realistic. And lets not forget about the housing market. Many people CAN’T move without loosing THOUSANDS of dollars. One of our neighbors is in that exact situation. He works about 70 miles away…would like to move but can’t. They bought their house 4 years ago for little over $600k…they’ve been trying to sell it for the past year. The BEST offer they got so far is $420…That’s more then $100k MORE then they owe on the mortgage.
As I said…realistic for SOME…but NOT most.
I never said your suggestions were invalid…just NOT practical for the VAST MAJORITY of people who live in the Rural areas.