Gas Prices

[Morning Dreamgirl]

True. I'm just one of those strange people!

You know, the kind that admits that capitalism (when performed correctly) works and can admit that it works better than other ways.

However, I'm also "one of those people" who go around talking about how if things don't change, our eco-system is going to be totally fried one day. Granted, that might take hundreds, if not even a thousand years, but I've just seen time and time again the way people act when they get into large groups. It's just my opinion that if things don't start to change now (even small steps), then it's going to be:

1. Much harder to change things, or
2. Too late to change them.

I pretty much disagree with drilling for more oil because bigger corporations want to do it. I've just known people who have been screwed over when it comes to corporations/government, so right now I'm not a huge fan. (As you stated about multi-million dollar corporations squashing new technology.) Don't get me wrong, I love my country and wouldn't trade it for anything, I just think that sometimes we're so concerned about not breaking any rules, that we've forgotten why they were put into place.

I don't take offense to your comments. The only way that I would take offense to them would be if you were ignorant, while starting to spout out words with nothing to back them up. However, you appear to know enough about the subject to take a stance on it and defend it, so I have no problem what-so-ever!

And I do agree with the majority of your statements... just a couple of things I would tweak here and there.

But that's the great thing about being human, right? We can have differences, and still be correct! LOL! At least in our own minds!

Still - If I ever had to pay that much, I would buy a bike! Even in this Texas heat!

Ashley

[Heavenli24]

Still - If I ever had to pay that much, I would buy a bike!

You know, a bike would seem like the best money-saving option, but when you have to drive 16 miles a day (to/from) work, your brothers' have badminton tournaments/gymnastic competitions all over the cournty practically every weekend and your dad has to take an entire drum kit to work every day (he teaches the drums at various local schools), a bike isn't exactly the most ideal mode of transport.

Unfortunately it also means that my parents have to pay up to $150 dollars a week for gas; they just have to budget for it. In the general, the cost of living in the UK is higher than in the US. Everything costs more - public transport, clothes, music. Our house prices are getting so high that my brothers and I may never be able to own our own houses (in my area a 3-bedroom average family home costs close to $0.5 million, which is double what our 5-bedroom extended house cost 7 years ago)!

It's crazy .

[Zanity]

Don't get me wrong, I love my country and wouldn't trade it for anything, I just think that sometimes we're so concerned about not breaking any rules, that we've forgotten why they were put into place.

Well put. I stick to a version of Winston Churchill's "Democracy may be the worst form of government... except all the others that have been tried throughout human history."

The same idea holds true for most of our country's faults. We have really big problems but any solution to them that's already been tried by one nation or another in human history has had even more problems.

And as for that last remark about forgetting why the rules were in place to begin with... Truer words were never spoken.

And I'm going to have to agree with Heavenli24... As much as I hate and detest driving, as much as I hate traffic, and as much as I hate gas prices... I just have to travel to bleeping far in a day to make anything else an option.

[Morning Dreamgirl]

I feel bad that you guys have to travel so far! I'm lucky in that I don't have to any more! My college is just a straight shot down one street and I don't have to go too far for shopping either.

However, my brother (who is still in HS) has a greater distance to go. He also has to go to most of the different games since he's a photographer at the school for the yearbook.

I do see how most people would be unable to just buy a bike, and I'm not recommending it for everyone, just that, for where I am now, if I had to pay that much, I could see how it would be very easy for me just to get rid of my car.

The same idea holds true for most of our country's faults. We have really big problems but any solution to them that's already been tried by one nation or another in human history has had even more problems.

Or people can't agree on how to fix them. There are perfectly good solutions for some problems, but when you have people who are worried about how the solution is going to affect them instead of how it can help others, things tend to get muddled.

"Democracy may be the worst form of government... except all the others that have been tried throughout human history."

Heard it before and still think it's as true today as it was when I heard it. I'm sure people would disagree with me... but that's the great thing about a democracy - they can!

I would love to continue this topic darlins, but I've got an entire house that's trying to run away from itself because it's so messy.

Talk to you guys soon...

Ashley

[Lorastar]

Heavenli, unfortunately, our house prices are catching up with yours! My town is within driving distance to San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles, so tons of people are flocking to buy our new homes. Which has driven up prices $300,000 in the last decade. I've lived here for 8 years and have seen the prices go from $130,000 to $400,000. More people leads to more traffic which leads to stop and go traffic which leads to people having bad tempers and accidentally getting to work late. And stupid city planners who plan for a street to be fixed and run out of money before completing the project. I'm a bit bitter. They keep making the street my work is on into a one lane street.

[Surfgirl02]

Gas here in RI is on average about $3 a gallon which sucks for me because I have to drive 26 miles to school and another 26 miles home about 6 days a week. I can't remember the last time I bought something that wasn't food or gas. But like someone said: they are paying $8 a gallon so it could be worse.

[Lolita]

Gas here in Vancouver, BC is $1.16 (CDN) per Litre that's approximately $3.86 (US) per Gallon. That's pretty damn expensive.

My question is, why do most North Americans still buy SUVs? I own a 1991 Honda Civic hatchback so it's very cheap on gas. I couldn't ever imagine owning a big ass car that sucks up as much gas as SUVs.

As for alternatative fuel, here's a few I've heard of:
1. pig manure (good source of methane gas)
2. french fry oil (as previously mentioned)
3. electric cars

The reason why these alternatives aren't mass produced is because they're too expensive to create and there are many vested interest in the crude oil industry - George W. Bush being on of those shareholders.

If I could I would trade in my car for a little Vespa scooter. They're easier to get around on and they're cheaper on gas. The only problem is, my dad and I are the only drivers in my family and I carpool with my mother 3 days a week. What I've tried to do lately since the weather's been good is to walk to places. The bus and train (subway) are okay too but public transit is a little costly since a ticket costs about $2.25 and it only lasts for 2 hours.

[Icequeen]

I have an SUV and i'm regretting it now. Luckily i live pretty close to work and everything elese (grocery store, entertainment) that when i do drive it's not that far.

Where i love public transportation is pretty much non existant. I see busses here and there but you can't rely on them to get to work and other places beacuse they don't run very often. When i lived in NJ most busses would come every 15 mins so i could take one then but down here in FL you just can't rely on them which sucks.

We do have a train system but the stops aren't really close to anything so you would need someone to pick you up from the stop anyway.

On a slightly off topic note. Does it bother anyone else when they see a car on the road that has MAJOR smoke comming out of the pipe (don't know what it's called.) I mean i don't expect everyone to have a brand new car but i saw this one car and i swear this guy was single handedly making another hole in the ozone layer. LOL

[Lorastar]

Does anyone know how often you need to charge electric or hybrid cars? It seems like a good idea, but if it makes your electricity bill equal what a normal car would spend on gas, it wouldn't be too cost effective. Especially when you consider the vehicle itself is more expensive.

Icequeen, are you talking about the exhaust? If so, YES! Correct me if I'm wrong, I probably am, but cars built before a certain date don't have to get smog checked, right? At least in California. My boyfriend used to drive a 1967 (i thing) VW bus, and he never had to get it smogged. Unlike my 94 Mitsubishi that had to get smogged every two years. People should be more careful. If you can't get a new car, at least keep the old one in good condition so that it doesn't pollute the environment.

[cookiely]

In Germany it's about 1,332 € a litre which is approximately(dont know the exact USD course right now) 5,5 $

The funny thing is, about 6 years ago the Green Party which was part of the government back then wanted du gradually raise the gas prices ( by using an eco tax) raise the gas prices to 11$ a gallon till 2010.

Back then it was a huge scandal and the eko tax was still introduces but to a smaller extent.

Now when I look at the developement of the gas prices in the last year I think that even without the eko tax 11$ a gallon by 2010 isnt that improbable

life is so full of irony

The redesign of most things would be laughably easy. Some people have already designed, built and drive cars that run off of used french fry oil.

You can rebuild almost every Diesel car to drive to drive with french fry oil or any other vegetable oil.

But who wants to own a car that you have to fuel yourself without using a punping station.

Most gas stations belong to the oil companies who have invested billions to get their ouil fields. Why would they destroy their own buissness by supporting the distribution of something where the exclusive rights doesn't belong to them


The sad thing is, that sooner or later we will run out of oil. And gas isn't the only thing that we need oil for. Paints, synthetic materials even some medicacemts are all made of oil. And when we have finally ran out of oil, we will regret it that we have wasted so much oil for our cars for which we could have easily used regenerative energy sources


The same goes for the car industie and used oil. Already about 15 years ago a device has been invented that can filter and recycle the oil in the motor
and makes the regular change of oil unneccessary.

But since most of the garages belong to the car companies they are not interested in installing this device.

A scandal when you think about how much old oil damages our eko system

I'm pretty uneducated about current events, but I have heard of the french fry oil cars! It's pretty amazing that they can use something as simple as used oil to make our cars run. Not that used oil is really THAT readily available. More cars than oil. Plus, when you think about it, gas we're currently using is cheaper (in the US at least) than corn oil. You buy half a gallon at a time and it's around 2-3 dollars.

The oil doesn't have to be used. You can use fresh oil , the used french fry oil part is only to underline the recycling effect this method has