May 15th - Don't Buy Gas

I was encouraged to see several posts suggesting that a one-day boycott is not effective. (A little discouragesd to see the quibbling responses also).

The best way to reduce gas prices is to use less gas overall, and less energy overall. Certainly most Prius owners are attempting to reduce gasoline consumption, but I think it goes beyond that. We shouldreduce energy consumption overall: natural gas, electricity, propane, etc.

During my commute, I see SUV's, jeeps, other gas guzzlers going up the grade at 80 MPH (I think it is a 7 % grade); driving aggressively in general. Their driving habits demonstrate that they are not concerned about the price of gasiline, based on evidence of how they consume it. I wonder how many of such drivers gripe about the cost of a gallon of gas, and then use it inefficiently?

 

It's unclear that it'll actually do anything since it does nothing to reduce overall demand. Even with a high participation rate, it only shifts it to different days. Also, it's not like we all buy gas everyday anyhow.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.asp
http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

 

ok we will not buy gasoline on the 15th.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenayroux @ Apr 30 2007, 09:23 PM) [snapback]432929[/snapback]</div>

Some options that would actually make a difference:

• Walk
• Ride a bike
• Car pool
• Repeal the law of supply and demand
• Outlaw capitalism
• Start your own oil company and show the rest of them how to do it better

Some of these are more difficult to do than others.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ewhanley @ May 1 2007, 07:13 PM) [snapback]433673[/snapback]</div>

My answer to this would be to put a $10/gallon tax on all fossil fuels, and use the money to biuld a renewable-energy infrastructure. To reduce the unequal impact on poor folks, I'd pass a $15/hr minimum wage law so that anybody who works full time would have enough money to be able to live.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(deh2k @ May 2 2007, 06:20 AM) [snapback]433864[/snapback]</div>

Now this is the best idea anybody has suggested yet. Gas consumption rises exponentially with speed over about 55 mph. People are in such a goddamned hurry that they go ballistic at the suggestion of driving 55. The a-holes on our roads don't want to save gas. They think god decreed to Moses "Thou shalt have the right to burn all the gas you damn well feel like and pay a nickel a gallon for it."

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ May 2 2007, 08:12 AM) [snapback]433952[/snapback]</div>

In written communication, it is almost impossible to convey "tone." People see nothing but your words. No tone of voice, no facial expression. Even "smileys" are of little help. It is therefore incumbent on you to say what you mean if you don't want people to misunderstand your intent. Your posts appear extremely angry and hostile.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ May 3 2007, 01:38 PM) [snapback]434978[/snapback]</div>

What would happen is that people would realize how utterly and completely dependent they've become on gasoline.

The basic problem is that people are unwilling to change their lifestyle. Darell has a perfect right to feel smug because he's changed his lifestyle, and it has improved his quality of life!!! Even we Prius drivers, who feel so smug because we've bought a more efficient car, are (by and large) unwilling to drive it fewer miles, or do anything else to change our lifestyles towards a greener footprint. Every one of us has excuses that we are convinced are legitimate. We can't possibly live closer to work because... (fill in the blank). We can't possible live in a smaller house because... (fill in the blank). We have a "right" to live where there's no natural water, or where air conditioning is a "necessity" or where it costs a thousand gallons of fuel oil a year to heat your house. We don't have time to ride a bike because we'd miss an episode of our favority TV show... The list goes on and on.

Sure the oil companies are greedy bastards, just like every other corporation in any free-market economy. But the reason they can gouge us is that we've put an iron collar around our own neck and given them the chain. We insist on using ten or a hundred times the world per-capita fossil fuel consumption.

Since I was a kid the standard of living, as measured in consumption, has doubled, while the quality of life has dropped by half, and it's been accomplished by doubling our consumption of fossil fuels. And now that oil production is peaking and the two most populous nations in the world are beginning to industrialize and want to emulate our wasteful extravagance, it's only going to get worse.

We have two choices: go green, or go extinct. And in this context, there's no such thing as a green car. (Except of course Darell's solar-powered Rav4EV).

Don't like the oil companies? Change your lifestyle so that you don't buy their product. Your cost of living will drop, your quality of life will rise, and you'll become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

Hypocrisy alert: I'm not doing any of the above, because I'm no different than you. But at least I see where the problem is: It's us, not the greedy bastards of big oil.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(oxnardprof @ May 5 2007, 09:56 PM) [snapback]436249[/snapback]</div>

All you have to do is count the number of people who gripe, and who also drive gas cars. In ANY way. About the best efficiency you can hope for from an automotive gasoline engine is 30%. And of course most cars on the road today don't come anywhere near that. Closer to 15%

 

Well, I just filled up the Prius. I probably won't need gas until after the 15th anyway......... and yes, I admire how other PC members have changed their livestyle to leave a smaller footprint. I'm making small strides to do the same, in my own way, which started with the Prius, then tankless hot water heater, next solar panels and and maybe even a small wind turbine with all the wind we get up here in the mountains.

 

Wow. That was a good post, Daniel! And not just the parts about me.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 6 2007, 07:43 AM) [snapback]436340[/snapback]</div>

Daniel isn't telling the whole truth here. While he does "need" to drive for various reasons, he is putting his money where his mouth is to buy an EV for the bulk of his automobile trips. So "not doing any of the above" is a bit off the mark!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rangerdavid @ May 6 2007, 08:14 AM) [snapback]436357[/snapback]</div>

From what I can tell, this is likely the best impact that the Prius has. It seems to inspire many to do more. And that's really the story of my EV as well. Once I had my first EV, all kinds of opportunities opened up to improve the situation. A green source of electricity "fuel" was job number one, and then you start to think of all the other ways to conserve. It is all good.

 

Ah, forget it.

 

Conserving makes a difference, shifting usage of gas from one day to the other does not. It would have to be a week long boycott to show up on anyones bottom line and most people cannot avoid buying gas for a week.


There are not enough refinaries in the USA and no new ones are being built. That would be ok if we conserved gas but instead we squander it. On top of the bigger cars/trucks in the usa we now have more people. Our country is growing and the number of cars are growing. Some of it is of course not accounted for due to illegal immigration. Each week this summer the gas 'draw' is larger then expected and the normal sprint build in supplies did not happen as it normally does. Expect higher prices and spot shortages.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hampdenwireless @ May 6 2007, 11:27 AM) [snapback]436379[/snapback]</div>

In consider this to be a good thing. Higher prices should lead to bigger demand for higher MPG vehicles. Yeah, we can't all be like some folks here who make Henry David Thoreau look like Donald Trump, but every little bit helps.

 

Just curious if anyone avoided purchasing gas today.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ May 15 2007, 12:44 PM) [snapback]442608[/snapback]</div>

as a matter of fact I did indeed not purchase gas today will wait until the next day. But I have seen more than plenty pumping the stuff.

also another thing would be to do this for more than 1 day a year if everyone did this 1 day a month I think it may have a bigger impact

 

I didn't have to. I filled my Prius last week so I should be good for almost the next 2 weeks. I have no doubt though that ppl are at the pumps anyway today.

 

I gassed up at 5am... wanted to beat the rush....

And the price increase... I got in for 3.259, expect it will match the station across from it at $3.499 when I'm on my way home.

 

I'm 3/4 done with a 800-mile tank.

My suggestion for the trollers that perpetuate this urban myth on emails and forums: throw them into a room-sized piston that will compress until they are processed into biodiesel.

 

In response to the first oil crisis of 1973, we enacted a national 55mph limit. It was repealed, partly due to the success of the CAFE standards in reducing gasoline demand. Since the Bushies have refused to enforce stricter CAFE standards and to tax SUVs for their consumption like the luxury tax on expensive cars, we now face escalating usage and priced 8 times higher than those that prompted the 55mph limit.

Time to bring it back, conditioned on CAFE improvement. Then watch how fast the car makers "find" the technology to improve mileage.

 

Do you really think the oil companies give a rats nice person if we don't buy gas on 5/15? They know we ain't pushing our cars to work every day. They'll just drink in all that money that come back to them on 5/16.

Who cares?!? More people need to buy hybrids, that'll fix their asses.

 

I still have half a tank. If I needed gas, however, I would get it today without a second thought. Which I admit is the problem: too many people get gas EVERY day without a second thought.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ May 15 2007, 02:44 PM) [snapback]442608[/snapback]</div>

Nope, no gas purchased today. All gasoline was purchased last week.

I hate to be pessimistic, but a "Don't buy gas day" to lower fuel costs is like a "Don't buy beef day" to lower the price per pound for steaks.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mini2prius @ May 6 2007, 08:19 AM) [snapback]436300[/snapback]</div>

If a majority of the American population did one of the first 3 for a substantial length of time, we'd definitely make an impact. Or not, as the major seagoing shipping companies, trucking companies, and railroads would still consume vast amounts of fuel as they do now. Heck, the military definitely consumes a rather large portion of fuel to this day. Only a small percentage of the military - the Navy to be exact - runs on something other than fossil fuel.

Nope, the only way to bring down gasoline costs is to develop the world's first 'Mr. Fusion'.