Isn't that what capitalism is about? Raise prices to the point where consumption drops and then back off a little to find the optimally profitable balance (like the Saudi's do)
Its a supply and demand issue, nobody is forcing people to buy the monster SUVs. Once the gas price is at a level where a lot of the SUV driver are feeling the hurt, their next purchase will change.
Hm. Well, I can only think of ONE incredibly deadly refinery explosion this year, so I guess a lot of American communities are probably itching to have one built in their town.
Actually there are, Toyota/Lexus sells a hybrid SUV, and will offer the hybrid engine to most of their cars/SUVs. With the gas price going up like this, more and more people will pay the 2-3g extra for the hybrid model. If there is a market, company will made the products. Sadly, U.S. car companies are lagging behind the Japanese in this area. Once the profit making SUV sales starts to decline, they will be in even worse shape.
CAFE standards for cars? We don't need no stinkin socialism. One Market Under God, guys. Don't lose faith. Everyone has a God given right to drive a Hummer.
And I'm sure us building more refineries will cut down on the PRC and India's consumption, stabilize the Middle East along with opening up new reserves.. Building a refinery is like putting a bandaid on a major laceration.
There are already-existing alternatives to oil. There is biodiesel, and there is natural gas (which burns cleanly by the way, is available in abundance, and a natural gas-run vehicle can be refueled from your own garage if you want to). Anyways, the bottomline is this: the oil/energy companies are unwilling to finance/support an alternative, especially not when they are raking in all-time high profitability and have oil men running the biggest consumer country in the world. BTW, big SUV sales are down BIG time, and this is a large reason why GM is facing its current financial troubles. Ford has an Escape hybrid that can get about 34 mpg. There is a Highlander hybrid, and there is (my favorite) an Accord hybrid that can get you above 30mpg, and still deliver about 255hp and better performance...all while consuming less fuel than a regular V6 Accord (I am hoping I will be buying one soon).
Fabienne: Where's my Honda? Butch: Sorry baby but I had to crash that Honda. Fabienne: Whose motorcycle is this? Butch: It's a chopper, baby. Fabienne: Whose chopper is this? Butch: It's Zed's. Fabienne: Who's Zed? Butch: Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.
I was of course joking about building a refinery. What needs to happen is a nationwide plan to lesson the countries dependence on oil. Not a bunch of talk, but an actual plan that starts right now. It's not going to happen during this administration though; GWB and Cheney are not going to make their oil buddies mad.
The answer which at least 75% of the population can agree on is to begin building new nuclear power plants ~ they're clean and they're safe. Let's get to it...
anyone else find is ironic that bigtexxx is blasting "liberals" for failure to build more refineries, but he is the biggest advocate on this board AGAINST mass-transportation alternatives for Houston that could reduce fossil-fuel dependance?
I heard in southern California, as an incentive, they permit "green" cars ridden by single occupants in carpool lanes on freeways, which are usually reserved for vehicles used by two or more persons.
Expensive gas is the best thing that can happen to this country from an environmental point of view. You want people to seriously consider alternative forms of energy? You want people to seriously consider cars with better fuel economy or public transportation? Hit them where it hurts: in their own pocket books. There is no way the will of the country will bend towards alternative (and more expensive fuels) as long as oil/gas are cheap. The ONLY reason people thought differently when Carter was President is because of gas shortages and long lines. As soon as those went away, people went back to their old ways. IMO, President Clinton's (and VP Gore's) biggest failure in office was NOT comming up with an alternative energy plan. They were too concerned about their "legacy" and didn't want to rock the economic boat thus didn't push a good energy policy. Any shift from oil to something else will probably temporarily affect the economy and it's going to take a President and Congress with guts to stomach the temporary (and shortsighted and partisan) backlash. But, they were the party to do it and they had the economy to stomach it and, unfortunatly, didn't take advantage of it. Right now Bush is pushing for nuclear power, alternative power and temporary measures to deal with oil until we get to some other energy source (more refineries and Anwar). At least it's a plan. What sucks is that any President who comes up with a plan will be attacked by the other party regardless of the merits of the plan. Probably whatever plan someone comes up with will have good points and bad points but, instead of working towards refining the plan into something good, the oposition party, will attack it because Party first/country second. I hate partisan politics. President Bush should put his dad and President Clinton on an energy task force to try and take partisanship out of the equation. I bet those two guys (with nothing to lose) could come up with something workable and worthwhile.
