Why do you think gas prices are so high? The price of gas has not been increasing gradually, it just keeps shooting higher! It seems as if nothing is been done about it. The sellers of gas are taking more and more everyday from our pockets, more from the money that we spend our precious (or maybe not so precious) time to earn. There seems to be no organization or group looking out for the welfare of the people.
I wonder who is responsible.
Could the culprits in this be us the people? Come to think of it, how many of us have changed our daily routine to consume less gas (oil/energy) since the prices got out of hand? We hear of people suffering everyday, being put out of jobs and having their business’s close down. Have we changed our habits to help these people!? Guess what we have not. Amongst all the cries and complaints we have managed to miraculously increase our consumption. We are consuming more oil now than we ever did in history while the prices are higher than they have ever been. Why are we complaining then? From the signs we are very intrigued with high prices. Oil has possibly taken on new value. I wonder if there are diamonds in it.
What about the people who are growing hungry and helpless day by day because of our insatiable desire for oil. We have widened the gap on them and are shutting them out. Why? Have we no concern for the weak among us. The little children, the poor, the old folks and other vulnerable secs who cannot fend for themselves, do we not care about them any more. It is really sad.
Look at it this way. If you were a business man and you saw a greater demand for a product, and you increase the price of your goods for one reason or the other; then you see more sales coming in than than before; would you lower the price? Ninety nine percent of us along with a great fraction of the other 1 percent would not. Why? It is simply because the companies have to work harder to produce more to fulfill our greed. They have workers to pay. At least that is the one reason I can see. Where does that leave us?
There are many ways to stem the price increase, I do not know them all, but what I can say is. I doubt the companies will lower their price, because, they have to be increasing production. It is either we reduce our consumption, or, we find alternative energy solutions and use more energy efficient technology. I doubt we will achieve much by the former. I don’t know. Am I the only one feeling perturbed by this?
July 2, 2008 at 2:28 am
I believe I have a solution or beginnings of a solution which should end high gas prices. It involves AAA, YES AAA, taking an active role as an organized non-profit leader.
As we all know, it would be a pipe dream to expect oil companies and the government to take less profits. It would NEVER happen. We also know that the oil companies are well suited to understanding business tactics which guarantee them windfall profits. They are VERY organized, and we, the public, are definitely not. Or are we….
I believe the largest organized group of citizens I can think of which have a direct stake in this situation is a little club known as AAA. There are hundreds of thousands of AAA members across the USA. AAA is a rich, non-profit organization with a huge voice in congress, yet they have done NOTHING thus far. I believe it is their American duty to act, and here’s what I propose they do…
Much like how the logging industry was forced by activist groups, like the Sierra Club, to stop stripping forests bare, I believe this is the model we can use to fix the oil problem. First, AAA gets into the gasoline delivery business, (I’m sure they can afford it) which will cut out a portion of the distribution costs. This less expensive gasoline will be dispensed to AAA approved stations only, where AAA members get the discount. (unlike BJ’s gas, there’s no real profit being made, except for a few cents on the dollar at the pump. Even the truck driver is on AAA salary). Then, as public awareness of this cheaper gas becomes known, AAA membership grows ten-fold. Once this is in motion, AAA opens it’s own gas stations (full benefit stations to members, partial to non-members). AAA membership continues to increase, while allowing deeper discounts on gas prices due to quantity buying (guaranteed by governmental law). At the same time, Shell, Citgo, Exxon, etc. see less business at their stations (thus pushing them out). Now here’s the important part… All proceeds (from small earned AAA gas profits) go directly and fully into the most promising green technologies. NO OIL COMPANIES WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVE FORWARD… PERIOD! All AAA business MUST be 100% transparent. The CEO of AAA MUST not make huge profits, or should be fined accordingly.
This plan gives everyone what they want; the oil companies get their profits (until they get pushed aside). The Government gets a way out. AAA gets a HUGE membership base. Consumers get ever-falling gas prices until green technologies takes over and kills the oil companies and our dependence on fossil fuels. And the Earth wins big!
Any questions? Direct them to AAA!!!
Dean Forman
July 2, 2008 at 5:35 am
I assume you are referring to the American Automobile Association. That is a good suggestion but as you know there is always a problem with creating a monopoly. You will find that as the other companies fade the monopoly starts raising the price again as they assume market control. We could only hope that the CEO or the board does not collect a wad of cash. Transparency in the real world is only an ideal situation so we have an issue there again. Someone will get greedy. I also doubt the membership should be necessary for discount. If someone wants to join they could, but I do not think it should be compulsory to be a member in order to get a discount. The club would get advertisement out naturally and so people have a choice then. The discount method is almost like forced membership, especially since it is a service that is urgently required. It would be like they are taking advantage of the circumstances for there own benefit.
That’s my take for now.
July 3, 2008 at 7:15 am
I know a lot of people that are cutting back on fuel because of the price of gas but they still have to get to work. The best thing we can do is get the government off their drug trip and grow a crop that works. Industrial hemp is useless as a drug but it can provide over 50,000 products more environmentally friendly than products in use today. This single plant can provide all the basic necessities of human life, food, clothing, building material and fuel. Don’t let them lie to you about the land, there is plenty of farm land. We have over 100 million total farm acres in the USA and only use about half. The half that’s not being planted is way more than enough to grow ALL our fuel. Not only that but the government is still paying farmers not to plant. Watch the video titled “HEMP FUEL Can Supply All Our Energy Needs” and read the article titled “Marijuana Facts The Government Does Not Want You To Know” on the website referenced at the bottom of this post.
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Hemp requires no pesticides, no herbicides, and only moderate amounts of fertilizer.
Source: MARIJUANA AND HEMP THE UNTOLD STORY
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Hemp can produce several different kinds of fuel. In the 1800’s and 1900’s hempseed oil was the primary source of fuel in the United States and was commonly used for lamps and other oil energy needs. The diesel engine was originally designed to run on hemp oil because Rudolf Diesel assumed that it would be the most common fuel. Hemp is also the most efficient plant for the production of methanol. It is estimated that, in one form or another, hemp grown in the United States could provide up to ninety percent of the nation’s entire energy needs.
Source: Schaffer Library of Drug Policy
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Hemp is 4 times more efficient than corn as biofuel. Hemp pellets can be used to produce clean electricity.
… so powerful it could replace every type of fossil fuel energy product (oil, coal, and natural gas).
… This plant is the earth’s number one biomass resource or fastest growing annual plant for agriculture on a worldwide basis, producing up to 14 tons per acre. This is the only biomass source available that is capable of producing all the energy needs of the U.S. and the world…
Hemp will produce cleaner air and reduce greenhouse gases. When biomass fuel burns, it produces CO2 (the major cause of the greenhouse effect), the same as fossil fuel; but during the growth cycle of the plant, photosynthesis removes as much CO2 from the air as burning the biomass adds, so hemp actually cleans the atmosphere. After the first cycle there is no further loading to the atmosphere…
Source: USA Hemp Museum
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WATCH THE FUEL VIDEOS, read “Marijuana Facts The Government Does Not Want You To Know”:
Internet Explorer: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home
Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html
July 3, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Thank you for this post. It is another issue I wanted to raise. The use of corn for biomass is causing more bad than good and I always believe it should stop. Sacrificing food for gas is not getting us anywhere and it isn’t all that efficient.
Marijuana has been under the microscope for years. The scientists have brought forward their studies and have proven the benefits over and over again. I just cannot see why it is so hard for the governments to respond. Is the money they are receiving from drug companies that wreck peoples lives by having them addicted to the pharmacy more helpful than using a product that actually heals?
These government officials really need to open their eyes. They are there to represent the people and their beliefs not mislead and cause more harm.