Thursday, August 31, 2006

"Pumped" about gas prices?

I got an email from a friend today stating that gas prices would probably drop close to $2 by Thanksgiving. The tone of the email (quite frankly) was elation! But why?

Personally, I don't understand why we should be jumping for joy at the prospect of $2 gas. I know for a fact I am not the only one who remembers when gas hovered around $1 per gallon back in the late 90s. Over the past few years we've just gotten used to heightened gas prices for reasons that are either unknown or just plain beyond comprehension. So alot of us will be siced that gas is going from the low $3s to the low $2s, but not me! I'll be excited when gas is back at $1 (which it may never be). The fact that alot of us have NO CHOICE but to drive to certain places and that we've been paying these ridiculous prices for so long will probably mean a drop for a few months that only ends in another increase sometime in 2007.

In some ways, I wish gas prices will keep rising so that consumers would find alternate methods of transportation which would ultimately force car companies to be more innovative and design more fuel-efficient cars across the board. Not just hybrids or super-small cars that get 60 miles per gallon. The idea of a fuel-efficient Range Rover sport might *seeem* far-fetched, but I bet the engineers at these car companies know it's not unrealistic. And ultimately, forcing them to make more fuel-efficient cars would help the environment and make life better for those that follow us.

The article I'm referring to can be found on USATODAY.COM ("Gasoline prices could keep falling")

6 comments:

T.a.c.D said...

I am with you Mike...give me .90 for some regular 87 grade gas...for my freaking 23 gallon truck and that's when Imma get pumped about the prices!

Daneger said...

Man I want them to make every car run on that corn fuel....No way prices get jacked up on that one because the largest supply of that resource is in the US and it will save a lot of our farmland and farming families as well. Just my thoughts though...I'm sure there is something negative about it I have yet to discover.

Anonymous said...

I feel both of ya'll. What sucks is that I have to put 93 octane in my joint so I get pissed when people be like, "gas is $2.60 a gallon now!" And I immediately think "Sweet!" But then I realize they are talking about 87 octane and I get depressed all over again.

The corn fuel probably has some serious drawbacks in terms of power I would guess. Meaning you don't get the same power as you would from normal gas. Also, there would probably need to be some research done over a period of years to see what types of effects burning this corn-based fuel would have on the environment. Just b/c it burns cleaner doesn't mean it won't harm the environment or people in some other way. And aside from that possibility, how much does it cost to produce this corn-based fuel?

But the big issue with making alternative fuels is the fact that it would make the big oil companies lose money. And there are politicians who are probably on payrolls from these big companies or who get support from these big companies or kickbacks so they will probably lobby for the oil companies rather than for alternative fuels. I think there's a lot of dirt going on with politicians and big-time companies and that Enron was just the one that happened to get exposed b/c they got lazy with it. It's alot of shady shyt going on and the rich don't want to lose a penny, even if they've already got billions.

Lawrenorder said...

My advice is to get in good with the folks in South Carolina. Why?
Because switchgrass is a better alternative fuel source that corn. Corn is better for so many other things (BBQ, anyone? or perhaps some rations for Africa?) I can't see wasting that goodness in my car. Switchgrass on the otherhand is as useless as an asphalt truck in Baltimore (it doesn't get used). So why not churn that crap up and make a run at it. Tom Daschle knows it, it's part of the reason he lost his job, but if you're interested in being "the new savior of the south" get in good with a SC politician and push switchgrass. I need a price war, and I need it now. And if we can get rid of some ugly plants that grow like weeds in the process... I'm all for it.

Anonymous said...

Never heard of switchgrass until today. I'll have to look that up.

Anonymous said...

Well...I'll take whatever I can get Mike! lol I know I'm just so tired of paying 3.50 per gallon...