Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that the price of oil has gone up to a
point that is starting to worry me and how I will keep my daily lifestyle. With
these high oil prices, it also makes me angry at the oil companies, who are
making billions of dollars off these high gas prices. And making the consumers
to pay more, while they are there just collecting the money.
The price of food has gone up, and is making life a bit harder for most people
in the world. Especially with the price of rice going up, its going to cause
food shortages around the world.
Also with the high price of oil, its costing me more to drive to school. Because
of the high price of gas per litre, I had to change my driving habits to save
the precious fuel.
Also now I have realized that in order for me to continue driving, I may have to
buy a new car that is more fuel efficient.
What do you think about the high oil prices? And how does it affect you?
Omg u r right! Oil has gone up sooooo much! It's really hard to go places that
is inexpensive anymore. My family has even considored cancelling our beach trip
this year!
PS regarding your Sig Image is it 10?
Quote by aaron1The price of food has gone
up, and is making life a bit harder for most people in the world. Especially
with the price of rice going up, its going to cause food shortages around the
world.
That's because of ethanol. It being made of corn(wheat sometimes) and rice in
osme places, I guess, it's gonna create a shortage in the nutritional use of
them. Such a thing's gonna cause those products to be more rare, ans thus
increasing the prices. But the worst part of all this, is that it's clearly
proven than ethanol is worse, energy efficiently speaking, than the original
fuel. Some people on TV took a test: taking 2 Ford avenger(if I'm not
mistaking), and putting 5 litres of fuel with 10% ethanol in one car, and the
other with 85% ethanol. The one with 85% ethanol lasted 50 km, while the other
did a little more than 63 km. In Canada, as well as in Iowa(if I'm not
mistaking) they use corn to make ethanol, but corn is something that uses about
the most weedkiller and pesticides, deteriorating the environment. Moreover,
growing corn all year long is clearly going to weaken the soil. Also, for a full
car tank of fuel, you need corn for about a year full of supply for one
person(assuming you consume 2000 calories daily, you'd last about 347 days of
corn all day long).
We can see that ethanol fuel is purely to make monney, they don't care about
what happens to the environment. Sure Bush says that they need to let go of
their dependancy towards Middle-East, but hey, that's not a reason to make all
the things worse. Same thing goes for Canada's Stephen Harper, all they think
about is monney. Isn't the economy already going wrong?
Quote by AshuraYamatoPS regarding
your Sig Image is it 10?
I think the answer is 9, I kind of forgot the answer.... lol
Quote by NedelThat's because of ethanol. It
being made of corn(wheat sometimes) and rice in osme places, I guess, it's gonna
create a shortage in the nutritional use of them. Such a thing's gonna cause
those products to be more rare, ans thus increasing the prices. But the worst
part of all this, is that it's clearly proven than ethanol is worse, energy
efficiently speaking, than the original fuel. Some people on TV took a test:
taking 2 Ford avenger(if I'm not mistaking), and putting 5 litres of fuel with
10% ethanol in one car, and the other with 85% ethanol. The one with 85% ethanol
lasted 50 km, while the other did a little more than 63
km.
Ya you are right about the fuel efficiency of enthanol versus petroleum. Ethanol
isn't beneficial at all. Most car companies think that ethanol is the way of the
future, but it isn't. Recently I watched on the BBC, that cars that use ethanol
have problems not only with fuel efficiency. One such problem is that ethanol
eats away the plastic parts of a car, which are used hold the wheel axis and
other components of the car.
The only fuel that I can see in the future that is beneficial are fuel cell
cars. Although the concern with these cars are accidents because hydrogen is an
explosive chemical.
Well folks it was only a matter of time when the American population stated to
feel the "Bite" of oil/ crude oil prices as the finite resource
becomes more limited. We as a nation uses more oil than our European or Asian or
anyone else uses on the planet. More than 50 percent of our oil comes as
"imported" from the Middle East, from Venezuela, Nigeria, Mexico and
Canada. The are other nations that the U.S imports from.
It doesn't help the American population to pay higher oil prices/ food / other
consumer prices from around the world. What hurts us in the long run is the
Dollar (USA) weak performance on the global currency echange rate (s). Whenn our
economy was "riding high", our currency was the king of monetary
products. It was like that for mor than 50 years after WW II. Many nations
pegged their currencies to the US dollar.
Of course our politicians (so beloved, yeah right !) bungled when it came to
economic policies with other nations. With the rising USA debt/ rising deficit
with our fellow trading partners, the ever evolving "sub prime" fiasco
now spilling over into the main stream economy. This puts us in a more
precarious light. The trust and faith of the USA dollar has been
weaken.
Then you have the American's insatiable appetitie for foreign goodies. Ohhh do
we love to save a dollar when possible. Hence "our friends over there in
China and in Wal Mart" {the nice people over there at WallieWorld}
While most other industrialized nations have some nationalized energy programs,
the United States has no structured energy program at this time. It doesn't help
when our nation has two men who are connected with the oil companies ( Dick
Cheney, whom I call "Darth Cheney" and George "W" Bush) and
are running the USA.
The war in Iraq and in Afghanistan does not help with the US economy. At over 2
billion dollars per week flowing out of the US (economy wise) this weakens our
dollar, putting us in more debt to ourselves and to our creditors (Like China,
Japan and other nations ) The USA will fall on it's own economic sword before
the opponent's sword does. (Some say the war will cost the American taxpayers at
least 2 trillion dollars by 2009. )
As far as the prodution of ethanol is concerned, personally, I think it's a
"shell game" for the big farmers (mega) and the oil companies
involved. They make the money, the environment gets degraded and the people who
do the speculating (commodities), they force the cost as much as 1/3 of the
total costs. Then you have the hoarders who hoard the goods, making resources
more finite.
For me, yes the prices of oil/ gasoline products has affected me. I don't drive
as often to my fav places as much. Mostly for work or visiting family (like once
a week instead of twice.) Vacation has been cut out for this year. I'm deciding
whether to give up my truck for a more fuel effiecnt car. (the truck is paid in
full ! ) Just don't want to deal with another car payment. I have to limit my
runs to the store, buy cheaper goods and not as often. It's called tighten the
economic belt, folks.
I think I said my "2 cent's worth" I hope I didn't bore anyone or
depressed anyone. It's just the fact how much we as a society have become soo
***** dependent to the "black gold" called crude oil. It's a finite
resource. Perhaps one day if our society has matured enough and makes the
alternative resorces affordable and workable (say hydrogen), then we can move on
and make our way of living more viable. it's the reason why we go to war, for
greed and for power and control. Thanxs :-)
First thing I think needs addressing is the whole ethanol impact on food
shortage and rising prices. Months ago it was reported that movie theaters would
be raising the prices of popcorn due to the increased demand in corn crops for
such things as ethanol. It caused an outrage as popcorn costs are already
astronomical at the theaters. Shortly after that, corn producers came out and
called it a lie. They held a press conference with enormous bags of popcorn
behind them and told them how much it cost to produce that much. The cost was
miniscule and accused the theaters of simply scapegoating corn farmers for their
own greed. Point is, ethanol has very little impact on food shortages and prices
at least of yet due to the limited use of ethanol.
As for oil in general, I think it's easier to speculate on all the greed and
failure of an administration than it is to actually examine the facts. We as the
general public only hear what we want to hear when it comes to rising gas
prices, and even then we only hear the things that outrage us. I imagine factors
like the war and Middle Eastern dependency have an effect on the overall price,
but there is probably many more variables tha go into it as well. But since we
are always looking for someone to blame, we are quick to judge Bush or Shell or
whoever. Having knee-jerk reactions to situations without proper information
leads to trouble.
I for one welcome the higher gas prices. I've said for years I hope that gas
prices keep going up. Sure I feel bad for those who are in need of it and are
having to make changes in their lives just so they can commute to and from work.
But on the other hand, had gas remained at that $1 area of old, we would have
never been motivated to work towards something new. Now that gas has risen to
nearly $4 a gallon, we are feeling the crunch and the need to develop
alternative energy. Humans adapt due to necessity, and cheap gas never forced us
to adapt. Now that it has risen, we must adapt or find ourselves in a heap of
trouble.
And as a side note, all of you who judge oil company executives and curse them
for existing, can you honestly say that if you were in their position you
wouldn't do everything you could to line your pocket? Are you saying that if you
were at the top and in position to pull down hundreds of millions of dollars vs
cutting people a break on price therefor undercutting your bottom line, that
you'd be willing to do it? It's capitalism people and it's the basis of society,
American society at the least. Make sure you can say you wouldn't be greedy or I
will point the finger of hipocrisy right at you.
I don't go many places, I go out maybe once a week so it doesn't really bother
me anyways...but it is coming to a sad conclusion...in my grandmother's day is
was medicine or food, now it's food, medicine or gas...if bush would get his
thumb out his butt and release the reserves then we wouldn't be in this
problem...sounds like the 70s is coming again, where you filled up based on the
first number/letter of your licence plate
Quote by angelxxuanI don't go many
places, I go out maybe once a week so it doesn't really bother me anyways...but
it is coming to a sad conclusion...in my grandmother's day is was medicine or
food, now it's food, medicine or gas...if bush would get his thumb out his butt
and release the reserves then we wouldn't be in this problem...sounds like the
70s is coming again, where you filled up based on the first number/letter of
your licence plate
So exactly how much do you know about the oil reserves? What is your conclusion
based on? Is it hatred for Bush? Is it what Fox News told you to believe?
Why are people so quick to assume theres a simple solution to all of this. The
fuel reserves exist in event of a fuel crisis/emergency. Yes, prices are high
and it's making life difficult, but I wouldn't equate this with an emergency
yet. Would it make an impact if we released the reserves? Sure it would in the
short term. But again they exist in the event of a fuel emergency.
Take into account that the United States fuel consumption is just under 21
million barells per day. According the the Department of Energy, our supply of
sweet crude oil (that which is usually used for gasoline) is 280.4 million
barrels. At what rate would the government have to release these reserves to
cause a distinct drop in price while at the same time maintaining a reserve for
any future emergency. And even if they did, exactly how much of a drop would we
see and how long would it last?
It's simple, short term solutions like releasing reserves or dropping the gas
tax is not the answer. We need to have a broader view of what's ahead in
averting any future crisis that may evolve. Finger pointing gets you nowhere. So
if you are so deadset on showing those oil executives and GW Bush that you are
tired, I guess you'll have to sometimes ride your bike to McDonalds. But it's so
much easier to blame someone else than make sacrifices yourself isn't it?
wow you sure do love "attacking" me don't you...but hey it's your
personal problem not mine...yes I have a "hate" for bush, I dispise
the man and I wish he'd never been born...but hey he put us in a
"pointless" war at least he didn't let aids become an epidemic...and
it would not solve the problem but work with or towards it, also getting rid of
bush and this pointless "war for oil" would be a good start too...just
to note I don't watch fox news I watch cnn
Quote by angelxxuanwow you sure do
love "attacking" me don't you...but hey it's your personal problem not
mine...yes I have a "hate" for bush, I dispise the man and I wish he'd
never been born...but hey he put us in a "pointless" war at least he
didn't let aids become an epidemic...and it would not solve the problem but work
with or towards it, also getting rid of bush and this pointless "war for
oil" would be a good start too...just to note I don't watch fox news I
watch cnn
It's certainly good that you put attacking in quotes. It's not my point to
attack you but instead your defeatist way of thinking. I'm not the biggest fan
of Bush myself. I fought in the war in the middle east and it isn't exactly one
that you can go into all gung-ho with the "I'm right and I know it"
attitude. But you have to view things like this, hindsight is 20/20. If someone
came in and whispered in your ear "Mr/Mrs President, the country is under
attack" how would you have reacted AT THAT MOMENT? If your top CIA advisors
said "we have evidence that Iraq is in possession of weapons of mass
destruction" what actions would you have taken? It's easy to say what you
would have done years after it's already happened, but what about at that very
moment? You can't blame him for everything but it's the people around him that
lead him awry sometimes. Sure he does have to be held accountable for what has
happened since he has been president, but he can't foster all the blame. He's a
human being and he did what he thought he had to do at the time.
But back to the subject at hand, I imagine he has many advisors involved with
combating the gas crunch. I tend to doubt that he can just come down and say
"I am Bush and I say to thee, lower gas prices".
With regard to ethanol I recall reading in Popular Science in January on
research into genetically altering the microbes used in fermentation to produce
the more effective alcohol butanol. Presently, ethanol production uses the food
component of corn or wheat. Butanol does not, one could use the husks, the
stocks, and other inedible plant material. The problem with is the process is
far too toxic for the microbes presently used in the production of ethanol. If
researcher's; whom are based in the US and UK, can succeed in creating a hardier
microbe that can survive the conditions of butanol manufacturing, then we may
have a fuel that is on par with gasoline and would not have to sacrifice food to
obtain it.
Another means of producing hydrocrabon fuels is putting our natural gas and coal
supplies through the Fischer Tropsch Process. The feed stock (coal or natural
gas) is combined with steam and put through heating and pressurization. The
byproduct is a refinable hydrocarbon that can be made into any kind of fuel. The
German used the process to make synthetic fuel during the Second World War and
presently the South Africans and the US Air Force are using FT-based aviation
fuels.
I'm walking on sunshine. The fact is the higher the prices, the less people
drive, the less carbon dioxide emissions there are. Also a stronger push for
hybrids and electric cars is being created.
Frankly Shoujoboy, your description of the presidents situation at the time of
the declaration of war is a bit exaggerated or perhaps even melodramatic. It's
not like he had a day to think about it or anything.
And when it comes to the CIA, how believable do you find it that this
intelligence agency was so utterly fooled in Iraq as to think that some country
that did not even possess even the slightest beginning or hints of production of
WMDs or currently existing WMDs somehow was sufficiently far in the development
of WMDs (or even possessing them, at it seems the claim is) to be a near future
threat to other countries?
These Iraqis must be the worlds greatest ninjas in order to fool the famous CIA
so thoroughly to have created the illusion of an arsenal where there was
nothing.
Of course, one might argue that the CIA are not famous for their skills.
Considering the past one might even argue that they are famous for quite the
opposite.
However, if the CIA are truly so inept, then placing so much on their intel was
the fault of whoever did this. One must imagine the president of the time was
part of this.
The price of gas where I live has risen to a new high. It's $1.52 a litre.
Across the border in the US, its about $0.30 a litre cheaper than where I live.
I guess for the new price increase, is the new carbon tax implemented on Canada
Day (July 1st) by the provincial government. I know that this carbon tax is to
address climate change, but its taking a hard hit on my wallet and how I get
around. I now have to drive slow to save that precious fuel.
My country is badly hit by the fuel price. Our government reduced oil subsidy
and now there is a chain reaction of increase in everything in my
country.
However, the average wage earner in my country is not earning enough to cope
with the increase and inflation. Somehow, the hike didn't seem to deter the
cititzens in my country from driving unnecessarily.
Joan must be MALAYSIAN ! xD, Well I m Too a Malaysian
let see , I m a Sales Representative, so i drive alot , i use 6 little of Fuel
everyday , And my car is a SMALL Daihatsu Mira(Kancil for those who are
malaysian) ~ so AVG i pay USD 3.15 per day for Fuel ~
and I drive 28 days per month ~ so its USD 88.15 per month ..... T.T
Its Good if ur Government got Experiment on material to Replace Fuel , But in
Malaysia ?
We got ZILCH ... MEANS NOTHING ~ Malaysia is Getting Weaker by the Time, Poorer
every Moment,
Take Citizen money for their Own Benefit, ALL THX to Pak Lah ~ The Prime
Minister who Sleeps at Important Meeting...........
I live in a rural town. Gas prices are $4.82 a gallon. I drive a Mazda 626 and
it costs me around $54.00 to fill it. I'm waiting for them to make a car that
runs on trash, like in Back to the Future 2. lol
well, I'm not old enough to drive yet. Just one more year to wait!
My family isn't the most riches people in the world and we already have money
trouble as it is, and there goes the gas prices sky-rocketing!
My brother isn't doing anything to help. What's wrong with just riding the bus
to school? His need to drive the car to school every freaking school days is
costing my parents a lot of money, and of course, he doesn't give a damn.
It also pisses me off that he always asks my parents for money to pay gas, and
since he's 17, shouldn't he get a freakin' job?
anyway enough of my ranting, I hope the gas prices go down soon. I don't want to
pay a lot of money for gas when I get my license.
Hmmm, logically, the typical reasons concerning increasing prices for any
product are more DEMAND, and less SUPPLY. That's the chemical-type
formula.
IS that really the case? Well, definitely, the human society is consuming more
energy resources than ever (for transport, lighting, heating, cooling, etc,
we're playing around with energy more naturally than even maintaining our own
healthy bodies). And yes, the oil resource doesn't regen as fast as we like
nowadays, even though not so far back in our history it was treated as a foul
liquid pollutant.
Still, have we become so efficient at consumption that we've exhausted a supply
that took, uhh, the age of the planet to form (ok, probably an exaggeration, but
possibly not), and consume the bulk of it within about the last 200 years?
Maybe, ya know, but the human society doesn't seem to be turning to other energy
resources with a fervent passion. Yet.
Some ugly rumors can occur when people try to derive a logical conclusion. From
their limited perception, anyways, an example here:
-the oil companies etc are purposely jacking prices up, since the entire human
society is so dependant on their production (suspicious people would think of
Microsoft at this point) ; still, they'd have to be extremely dumb rich people
if that's the case, since the money they've hoarded up would be worth heinously
less due to the resultant deteriorating economy (check out 'banana money').
Currently, they're still making money faster than almost anyone else (except
probably Microsoft), but they're also losing value more dramatically.
What the human society needs and is unable to produce by design (kinda like
vital minerals found in health tablets) is a wakeup-call, from the stagnancy of
it's dependency on nearly everything that's deemed important nowadays,
energy~oil, value~money, absurdly faster transport, numerically longer lives,
the tallest building in existance (gonna be h*ll trying to pull it down when the
time comes). We're so pre-occupied with the present what's-important without
grasping the reason why it was so, and if there are alternatives (solar cells,
..., energy-efficient transport, actively healthy lives, buildings that give you
a welcoming sense of home).
That philosophical rant done with, I'm imploring the world's economists to
invent a new economic system. The current one with so much emphasis on stocks
and shares at present, obviously has come to a point where it s*cks (when it
started, people invested because they personally trust whatever they're
investing in and hope that their contributions will bring that company or
whatever a step closer to success; nowadays, most people never even know what
funds or companies they're investing their money with, it's become mostly an
impersonal numbers-and-info-game where the biggest winners appear to be those
who care about making money very much, but don't really care that every bit they
earn is a bit that someone else loses, and that overall since nothing of actual
value has been produced despite the exchange of money on such a scale, the
result is a big numerical WIN for such individuals, value-wise an irrevocable
LOSE for the human society, and now we have the current economy.
actually the best way to deal with economic crisis would be to unite the whole
world. of course, this sounds like fantasy, because our world is not ready for
that yet. and the country initiating the thought would be accused of new age
imperialism or something like that. sadly, a united earth continues to stay in
fantasies like Animes and Movies.
Isn't the price determined by demand and supply? If there are more people
wanting more fuel and then there is limited fuel supply then obviously it's
going to go up. More and more people are driving cars around the world, more and
more people are traveling to work from greater distances, then more and more
fuel would be used up. There are no solutions to this unless they can find a new
resource, more resources or go to war which is a waste of money just to gain
money/resources. That's what I think...
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that the price of oil has gone up to a point that is starting to worry me and how I will keep my daily lifestyle. With these high oil prices, it also makes me angry at the oil companies, who are making billions of dollars off these high gas prices. And making the consumers to pay more, while they are there just collecting the money.
The price of food has gone up, and is making life a bit harder for most people in the world. Especially with the price of rice going up, its going to cause food shortages around the world.
Also with the high price of oil, its costing me more to drive to school. Because of the high price of gas per litre, I had to change my driving habits to save the precious fuel.
Also now I have realized that in order for me to continue driving, I may have to buy a new car that is more fuel efficient.
What do you think about the high oil prices? And how does it affect you?
Omg u r right! Oil has gone up sooooo much! It's really hard to go places that is inexpensive anymore. My family has even considored cancelling our beach trip this year!
PS regarding your Sig Image is it 10?
That's because of ethanol. It being made of corn(wheat sometimes) and rice in osme places, I guess, it's gonna create a shortage in the nutritional use of them. Such a thing's gonna cause those products to be more rare, ans thus increasing the prices. But the worst part of all this, is that it's clearly proven than ethanol is worse, energy efficiently speaking, than the original fuel. Some people on TV took a test: taking 2 Ford avenger(if I'm not mistaking), and putting 5 litres of fuel with 10% ethanol in one car, and the other with 85% ethanol. The one with 85% ethanol lasted 50 km, while the other did a little more than 63 km. In Canada, as well as in Iowa(if I'm not mistaking) they use corn to make ethanol, but corn is something that uses about the most weedkiller and pesticides, deteriorating the environment. Moreover, growing corn all year long is clearly going to weaken the soil. Also, for a full car tank of fuel, you need corn for about a year full of supply for one person(assuming you consume 2000 calories daily, you'd last about 347 days of corn all day long).
We can see that ethanol fuel is purely to make monney, they don't care about what happens to the environment. Sure Bush says that they need to let go of their dependancy towards Middle-East, but hey, that's not a reason to make all the things worse. Same thing goes for Canada's Stephen Harper, all they think about is monney. Isn't the economy already going wrong?
I think the answer is 9, I kind of forgot the answer.... lol
Ya you are right about the fuel efficiency of enthanol versus petroleum. Ethanol isn't beneficial at all. Most car companies think that ethanol is the way of the future, but it isn't. Recently I watched on the BBC, that cars that use ethanol have problems not only with fuel efficiency. One such problem is that ethanol eats away the plastic parts of a car, which are used hold the wheel axis and other components of the car.
The only fuel that I can see in the future that is beneficial are fuel cell cars. Although the concern with these cars are accidents because hydrogen is an explosive chemical.
Well folks it was only a matter of time when the American population stated to feel the "Bite" of oil/ crude oil prices as the finite resource becomes more limited. We as a nation uses more oil than our European or Asian or anyone else uses on the planet. More than 50 percent of our oil comes as "imported" from the Middle East, from Venezuela, Nigeria, Mexico and Canada. The are other nations that the U.S imports from.
It doesn't help the American population to pay higher oil prices/ food / other consumer prices from around the world. What hurts us in the long run is the Dollar (USA) weak performance on the global currency echange rate (s). Whenn our economy was "riding high", our currency was the king of monetary products. It was like that for mor than 50 years after WW II. Many nations pegged their currencies to the US dollar.
Of course our politicians (so beloved, yeah right !) bungled when it came to economic policies with other nations. With the rising USA debt/ rising deficit with our fellow trading partners, the ever evolving "sub prime" fiasco now spilling over into the main stream economy. This puts us in a more precarious light. The trust and faith of the USA dollar has been weaken.
Then you have the American's insatiable appetitie for foreign goodies. Ohhh do we love to save a dollar when possible. Hence "our friends over there in China and in Wal Mart" {the nice people over there at WallieWorld}
While most other industrialized nations have some nationalized energy programs, the United States has no structured energy program at this time. It doesn't help when our nation has two men who are connected with the oil companies ( Dick Cheney, whom I call "Darth Cheney" and George "W" Bush) and are running the USA.
The war in Iraq and in Afghanistan does not help with the US economy. At over 2 billion dollars per week flowing out of the US (economy wise) this weakens our dollar, putting us in more debt to ourselves and to our creditors (Like China, Japan and other nations ) The USA will fall on it's own economic sword before the opponent's sword does. (Some say the war will cost the American taxpayers at least 2 trillion dollars by 2009. )
As far as the prodution of ethanol is concerned, personally, I think it's a "shell game" for the big farmers (mega) and the oil companies involved. They make the money, the environment gets degraded and the people who do the speculating (commodities), they force the cost as much as 1/3 of the total costs. Then you have the hoarders who hoard the goods, making resources more finite.
For me, yes the prices of oil/ gasoline products has affected me. I don't drive as often to my fav places as much. Mostly for work or visiting family (like once a week instead of twice.) Vacation has been cut out for this year. I'm deciding whether to give up my truck for a more fuel effiecnt car. (the truck is paid in full ! ) Just don't want to deal with another car payment. I have to limit my runs to the store, buy cheaper goods and not as often. It's called tighten the economic belt, folks.
I think I said my "2 cent's worth" I hope I didn't bore anyone or depressed anyone. It's just the fact how much we as a society have become soo ***** dependent to the "black gold" called crude oil. It's a finite resource. Perhaps one day if our society has matured enough and makes the alternative resorces affordable and workable (say hydrogen), then we can move on and make our way of living more viable. it's the reason why we go to war, for greed and for power and control. Thanxs :-)
First thing I think needs addressing is the whole ethanol impact on food shortage and rising prices. Months ago it was reported that movie theaters would be raising the prices of popcorn due to the increased demand in corn crops for such things as ethanol. It caused an outrage as popcorn costs are already astronomical at the theaters. Shortly after that, corn producers came out and called it a lie. They held a press conference with enormous bags of popcorn behind them and told them how much it cost to produce that much. The cost was miniscule and accused the theaters of simply scapegoating corn farmers for their own greed. Point is, ethanol has very little impact on food shortages and prices at least of yet due to the limited use of ethanol.
As for oil in general, I think it's easier to speculate on all the greed and failure of an administration than it is to actually examine the facts. We as the general public only hear what we want to hear when it comes to rising gas prices, and even then we only hear the things that outrage us. I imagine factors like the war and Middle Eastern dependency have an effect on the overall price, but there is probably many more variables tha go into it as well. But since we are always looking for someone to blame, we are quick to judge Bush or Shell or whoever. Having knee-jerk reactions to situations without proper information leads to trouble.
I for one welcome the higher gas prices. I've said for years I hope that gas prices keep going up. Sure I feel bad for those who are in need of it and are having to make changes in their lives just so they can commute to and from work. But on the other hand, had gas remained at that $1 area of old, we would have never been motivated to work towards something new. Now that gas has risen to nearly $4 a gallon, we are feeling the crunch and the need to develop alternative energy. Humans adapt due to necessity, and cheap gas never forced us to adapt. Now that it has risen, we must adapt or find ourselves in a heap of trouble.
And as a side note, all of you who judge oil company executives and curse them for existing, can you honestly say that if you were in their position you wouldn't do everything you could to line your pocket? Are you saying that if you were at the top and in position to pull down hundreds of millions of dollars vs cutting people a break on price therefor undercutting your bottom line, that you'd be willing to do it? It's capitalism people and it's the basis of society, American society at the least. Make sure you can say you wouldn't be greedy or I will point the finger of hipocrisy right at you.
I don't go many places, I go out maybe once a week so it doesn't really bother me anyways...but it is coming to a sad conclusion...in my grandmother's day is was medicine or food, now it's food, medicine or gas...if bush would get his thumb out his butt and release the reserves then we wouldn't be in this problem...sounds like the 70s is coming again, where you filled up based on the first number/letter of your licence plate
So exactly how much do you know about the oil reserves? What is your conclusion based on? Is it hatred for Bush? Is it what Fox News told you to believe?
Why are people so quick to assume theres a simple solution to all of this. The fuel reserves exist in event of a fuel crisis/emergency. Yes, prices are high and it's making life difficult, but I wouldn't equate this with an emergency yet. Would it make an impact if we released the reserves? Sure it would in the short term. But again they exist in the event of a fuel emergency.
Take into account that the United States fuel consumption is just under 21 million barells per day. According the the Department of Energy, our supply of sweet crude oil (that which is usually used for gasoline) is 280.4 million barrels. At what rate would the government have to release these reserves to cause a distinct drop in price while at the same time maintaining a reserve for any future emergency. And even if they did, exactly how much of a drop would we see and how long would it last?
It's simple, short term solutions like releasing reserves or dropping the gas tax is not the answer. We need to have a broader view of what's ahead in averting any future crisis that may evolve. Finger pointing gets you nowhere. So if you are so deadset on showing those oil executives and GW Bush that you are tired, I guess you'll have to sometimes ride your bike to McDonalds. But it's so much easier to blame someone else than make sacrifices yourself isn't it?
wow you sure do love "attacking" me don't you...but hey it's your personal problem not mine...yes I have a "hate" for bush, I dispise the man and I wish he'd never been born...but hey he put us in a "pointless" war at least he didn't let aids become an epidemic...and it would not solve the problem but work with or towards it, also getting rid of bush and this pointless "war for oil" would be a good start too...just to note I don't watch fox news I watch cnn
It's certainly good that you put attacking in quotes. It's not my point to attack you but instead your defeatist way of thinking. I'm not the biggest fan of Bush myself. I fought in the war in the middle east and it isn't exactly one that you can go into all gung-ho with the "I'm right and I know it" attitude. But you have to view things like this, hindsight is 20/20. If someone came in and whispered in your ear "Mr/Mrs President, the country is under attack" how would you have reacted AT THAT MOMENT? If your top CIA advisors said "we have evidence that Iraq is in possession of weapons of mass destruction" what actions would you have taken? It's easy to say what you would have done years after it's already happened, but what about at that very moment? You can't blame him for everything but it's the people around him that lead him awry sometimes. Sure he does have to be held accountable for what has happened since he has been president, but he can't foster all the blame. He's a human being and he did what he thought he had to do at the time.
But back to the subject at hand, I imagine he has many advisors involved with combating the gas crunch. I tend to doubt that he can just come down and say "I am Bush and I say to thee, lower gas prices".
With regard to ethanol I recall reading in Popular Science in January on research into genetically altering the microbes used in fermentation to produce the more effective alcohol butanol. Presently, ethanol production uses the food component of corn or wheat. Butanol does not, one could use the husks, the stocks, and other inedible plant material. The problem with is the process is far too toxic for the microbes presently used in the production of ethanol. If researcher's; whom are based in the US and UK, can succeed in creating a hardier microbe that can survive the conditions of butanol manufacturing, then we may have a fuel that is on par with gasoline and would not have to sacrifice food to obtain it.
Another means of producing hydrocrabon fuels is putting our natural gas and coal supplies through the Fischer Tropsch Process. The feed stock (coal or natural gas) is combined with steam and put through heating and pressurization. The byproduct is a refinable hydrocarbon that can be made into any kind of fuel. The German used the process to make synthetic fuel during the Second World War and presently the South Africans and the US Air Force are using FT-based aviation fuels.
I'm walking on sunshine. The fact is the higher the prices, the less people drive, the less carbon dioxide emissions there are. Also a stronger push for hybrids and electric cars is being created.
I use racing fuel anyway.
Frankly Shoujoboy, your description of the presidents situation at the time of the declaration of war is a bit exaggerated or perhaps even melodramatic. It's not like he had a day to think about it or anything.
And when it comes to the CIA, how believable do you find it that this intelligence agency was so utterly fooled in Iraq as to think that some country that did not even possess even the slightest beginning or hints of production of WMDs or currently existing WMDs somehow was sufficiently far in the development of WMDs (or even possessing them, at it seems the claim is) to be a near future threat to other countries?
These Iraqis must be the worlds greatest ninjas in order to fool the famous CIA so thoroughly to have created the illusion of an arsenal where there was nothing.
Of course, one might argue that the CIA are not famous for their skills. Considering the past one might even argue that they are famous for quite the opposite.
However, if the CIA are truly so inept, then placing so much on their intel was the fault of whoever did this. One must imagine the president of the time was part of this.
The price of gas where I live has risen to a new high. It's $1.52 a litre. Across the border in the US, its about $0.30 a litre cheaper than where I live.
I guess for the new price increase, is the new carbon tax implemented on Canada Day (July 1st) by the provincial government. I know that this carbon tax is to address climate change, but its taking a hard hit on my wallet and how I get around. I now have to drive slow to save that precious fuel.
My country is badly hit by the fuel price. Our government reduced oil subsidy and now there is a chain reaction of increase in everything in my country.
However, the average wage earner in my country is not earning enough to cope with the increase and inflation. Somehow, the hike didn't seem to deter the cititzens in my country from driving unnecessarily.
Joan must be MALAYSIAN ! xD, Well I m Too a Malaysian
let see , I m a Sales Representative, so i drive alot , i use 6 little of Fuel everyday , And my car is a SMALL Daihatsu Mira(Kancil for those who are malaysian) ~ so AVG i pay USD 3.15 per day for Fuel ~
and I drive 28 days per month ~ so its USD 88.15 per month ..... T.T
Its Good if ur Government got Experiment on material to Replace Fuel , But in Malaysia ?
We got ZILCH ... MEANS NOTHING ~ Malaysia is Getting Weaker by the Time, Poorer every Moment,
Take Citizen money for their Own Benefit, ALL THX to Pak Lah ~ The Prime Minister who Sleeps at Important Meeting...........
I live in a rural town. Gas prices are $4.82 a gallon. I drive a Mazda 626 and it costs me around $54.00 to fill it. I'm waiting for them to make a car that runs on trash, like in Back to the Future 2. lol
well, I'm not old enough to drive yet. Just one more year to wait!
My family isn't the most riches people in the world and we already have money trouble as it is, and there goes the gas prices sky-rocketing!
My brother isn't doing anything to help. What's wrong with just riding the bus to school? His need to drive the car to school every freaking school days is costing my parents a lot of money, and of course, he doesn't give a damn.
It also pisses me off that he always asks my parents for money to pay gas, and since he's 17, shouldn't he get a freakin' job?
anyway enough of my ranting, I hope the gas prices go down soon. I don't want to pay a lot of money for gas when I get my license.
Hmmm, logically, the typical reasons concerning increasing prices for any product are more DEMAND, and less SUPPLY. That's the chemical-type formula.
IS that really the case? Well, definitely, the human society is consuming more energy resources than ever (for transport, lighting, heating, cooling, etc, we're playing around with energy more naturally than even maintaining our own healthy bodies). And yes, the oil resource doesn't regen as fast as we like nowadays, even though not so far back in our history it was treated as a foul liquid pollutant.
Still, have we become so efficient at consumption that we've exhausted a supply that took, uhh, the age of the planet to form (ok, probably an exaggeration, but possibly not), and consume the bulk of it within about the last 200 years? Maybe, ya know, but the human society doesn't seem to be turning to other energy resources with a fervent passion. Yet.
Some ugly rumors can occur when people try to derive a logical conclusion. From their limited perception, anyways, an example here:
-the oil companies etc are purposely jacking prices up, since the entire human society is so dependant on their production (suspicious people would think of Microsoft at this point) ; still, they'd have to be extremely dumb rich people if that's the case, since the money they've hoarded up would be worth heinously less due to the resultant deteriorating economy (check out 'banana money'). Currently, they're still making money faster than almost anyone else (except probably Microsoft), but they're also losing value more dramatically.
What the human society needs and is unable to produce by design (kinda like vital minerals found in health tablets) is a wakeup-call, from the stagnancy of it's dependency on nearly everything that's deemed important nowadays, energy~oil, value~money, absurdly faster transport, numerically longer lives, the tallest building in existance (gonna be h*ll trying to pull it down when the time comes). We're so pre-occupied with the present what's-important without grasping the reason why it was so, and if there are alternatives (solar cells, ..., energy-efficient transport, actively healthy lives, buildings that give you a welcoming sense of home).
That philosophical rant done with, I'm imploring the world's economists to invent a new economic system. The current one with so much emphasis on stocks and shares at present, obviously has come to a point where it s*cks (when it started, people invested because they personally trust whatever they're investing in and hope that their contributions will bring that company or whatever a step closer to success; nowadays, most people never even know what funds or companies they're investing their money with, it's become mostly an impersonal numbers-and-info-game where the biggest winners appear to be those who care about making money very much, but don't really care that every bit they earn is a bit that someone else loses, and that overall since nothing of actual value has been produced despite the exchange of money on such a scale, the result is a big numerical WIN for such individuals, value-wise an irrevocable LOSE for the human society, and now we have the current economy.
That's my flawed point of view, anyways.
actually the best way to deal with economic crisis would be to unite the whole world. of course, this sounds like fantasy, because our world is not ready for that yet. and the country initiating the thought would be accused of new age imperialism or something like that. sadly, a united earth continues to stay in fantasies like Animes and Movies.
Isn't the price determined by demand and supply? If there are more people wanting more fuel and then there is limited fuel supply then obviously it's going to go up. More and more people are driving cars around the world, more and more people are traveling to work from greater distances, then more and more fuel would be used up. There are no solutions to this unless they can find a new resource, more resources or go to war which is a waste of money just to gain money/resources. That's what I think...