Will Gas Prices Ever Stop Going Up?
The latest news is that the U.S. is thinking about suing OPEC because they suspect price fixing. Are they just now figuring out that OPEC has been raping us for years and we’ve all just bent over and taken it or is it that they realize things have gotten out of control? It’s getting to the point where people will have to start driving less and putting plans for long trips on hold and spending less on non essentials so they can afford to buy gas. We’re either in or heading into a recession but if the gas prices keep rising we could be looking at a depression.
The sun is over our heads every day and yet solar power is considered an experiment. By now we should be getting a large percentage of our power from the sun. We also can produce cars that run on hydrogen, but again, it’s still treated as experimental and even though BMW and other auto manufacturers already have cars waiting in the wings that are designed to run on hydrogen, no one is driving them. How long will it be until there are enough places to fill up with hydrogen to make those cars practical?
Then there are electric cars. And I’m not talking about fancy golf carts that can’t hit the minimum speed limit. Check out the Tesla. It looks as good as a Ferrari, does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds (beating a Porsche Carrera), the batteries are guaranteed for 100,000 miles, it can go 200 miles per charge and costs less than $.02 a mile to run which is about a tenth of what it costs most of you. At $100,000 it’s not cheap but if you calculate what you’ll save over a few years it seems almost affordable and if it wasn’t a rare specialty car but rather mass produced, I’m sure they could be built for a very reasonable price.
Perhaps the silver lining in all of this is that maybe now that gas prices are more than just annoyingly high but have gotten unaffordably high we’ll actually make some forward progress in alternative fuel development and go from dabbling and experimenting to actually producing and using.
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 under Commentary.
Comments: 5
Comments
Comment from Mike
Time: May 22, 2008, 12:21 pm
You make no sense at all.
If alternative-power-based-on cars were manufactured broadly at an affordable price and using clean massive energy that is almost free to purchase, oil companies and all the people having shares in these companies would not make a lot of money.
Furthermore (I’m not from the US) your army wouldn’t have to invade countries with oil and your soldiers would be like saving lives in poor countries where disasters have occured and killed thousands of people (I am not sarcastic, I’m from a country that basically works on the same principles than yours does).
Seee ? no sense at all.
Comment from Hammer
Time: May 22, 2008, 1:26 pm
So what oil company do you work for?
Why do I care if oil companies make money? Companies will find ways to make money from solar engergy, hydrogen or any other alternative. Are you suggesting that it’s my responsibility to keep oil companies and the people that work for them in business and I should be happy about paying ridiculous prices for gas and making it possible for a bunch of Arabs to live like kings?
Is it possible that you aren’t aware that oil is a non renewable resource and that if we don’t come up with alternative fuels eventually the oil will run out?
What about the environment? Everyone is talking about global warming and trying to find ways to stop pollution. I guess they’re not making sense either?
And what does our invasion of other countries have to do with anything. I don’t support invading other countries for their oil.
Following your logic I guess I should also start smoking even though I know it causes cancer because if everyone quits, the tobacco companies will go out of business. Or maybe I should support illegal drugs because if everyone stopped using drugs the producers, smugglers and dealers would all go out of business.
Do you seriously think you are the one making sense?
Comment from H
Time: May 22, 2008, 4:42 pm
To Mike,
Believe me, once oil becomes useless, they will do the same price fixing bullshit to hydrogen, or whatever source of fuel we come up with. It will never end.
They will probably make the electric cars with some kind of specially made, convoluted, proprietary capacitor or whatever and charge you through the nose to charge it as well. They will see to it that you cannot simply use any old power outlet for your car. trust me. I don’t put anything past greedy corporations.
If only someone would invent the fusion thing from Back to the Future where the car runs on garbage.
Comment from wrbpilot
Time: May 23, 2008, 1:05 pm
Hammer, great comment. Don’t forget that it is increased worldwide demand for energy(AKA oil) and food that is causing our current inflation and possible recession. According to NPR the Chinese are wanting to eat meat on a weekly basis now if not more frequently. (Maybe some genius will come up with a frequent carnivores plan for grocery credit cards!!) The nations, corporations and people who improvise, adapt and adjust to these changes will prosper while helping the rest of us claim back some, if not all, of our standard of living.
Also, I love the new banner. I have to ask, however, why a great white shark?? A hammerhead is a better mascot for this blog.
wrbpilot
Comment from Hammer
Time: May 23, 2008, 2:46 pm
Hey Wrbpilot, you make some good points.
I think a hammerhead would seem a tad too obvious and cliche but I’ll think about it.
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