Yesterday Exxon-Mobil, Reported for the 1st business quarter in 2008 that they made 11 Billion dollars. This was a record breaking profit margin. It was the biggest profit margin in U.S. history.
What are your thoughts on paying fuel prices that are being manipulated by a free market system?
The cost situation is even worse in Europe and Asia.
I personally am happy that gas is becoming more expensive. This may sound crazy, but what's taking place here I believe is that we are seeing the twilight of the fossil fuel era.
As new technologies become available and cheaper than petroleum, the oil industry is scrambling to get every dollar they can on their way out.
So essentially these are exciting times to live in right now.
What are your thoughts on this subject?- J
P.S. Aside from my appearances here I operate a non-profit resource page on myspace that gives anyone and everyone information on Environmental activism and things you can do reduce global warming. Check it out if you like and let me know if there is anything I can do to help you to get active in your community.
here's how go to myspace and the URL is greendahliaproject Hope this helps, fight the power! - J
Of course I hate the price of gas and I hate the fact that I know it could be cheaper. I couldn't go on a vacation this summer because gas is too expensive. I haven't been to one of my BEST friend's houses more than twice this summer because of gas prices. It's ridiculous! I remember when I was in 7th grade, gas was 77 cents a gallon. You could fill your tank up for 10 bucks. Now, 10 bucks will barely get you 50 miles down the road. UGH!
However, I know it has made a lot of people use alternate forms of transportation and cut down on driving, which is great for the environment and I am very environmentally conscious. So that's a plus.
You know what makes me happy? We won't be driving as many HUGE trucks anymore that emit a lot of pollution. That's what makes me excited! Plus it encourages people to ride bikes and even walk. I drive a small fuel efficient car by the way. The bare necessities of life are great.
To differ from your point. I personally believe there are two reasons for the "high" price of gas in the US.
1) Inflation 2) Supply & Demand.
The US Dollar has been devalued and in reallity it is costing more to buy things. If the dollar had not been devalued as it has especially over the last decade, we would not be seeing a drastic increase in fuel cost.
Supply is controlled by the oil-rich nations, mostly in the Mid-East, and our own government. With an artificially low supply there is higher demand. There is higher demand because more and more people are starting to drive and build. This creates higher prices.
Also, most Americans do not look on the global scale. Look at China. China is presumably about to take over as the world biggest user of oil and refined oil products. This demand in China lowers supply here in the US thus creating an increase in cost.
I never was maing a point trying to figure out the reasons behind expensive gas, I'm just glad it is already expensive. I agree with your theory of globalization. Our co-dependency economy with China has made things more difficult. A document that I read that supports your theory was written by Herb Meyer. I had to do a research paper on this subject. good stuff. - 5 months ago
i agree with most of what you have said. the only thing I disagree with.
we still have a lot of fossil fuels available, we are not really coming to an end yet, its just a matter of drilling into deeper platforms beneath the sea. when I was studying my first degree which was marine biology, I lived with ocean engineers which is oil rigs etc. and they weren't worried at all about their jobs in the future. oil and gas are still very plentiful, they are just in harder to reach locations.
i am studying documentary film making because I am so passionate about gaia. and want to communicate to the public what we are doing to this planet of ours
go to you tube and watch a doco called 'global dimming' its a must watch for someone like you
the other one would be inconvenient truth but I'm sure you have seen that,.
The twilight of fossil fuel to me is I believe we are witnessing the dawn of the alternative energy explosion. It's very possible, It has been around since the 70's, but the technology is just now becoming affordable. I think technology will surpass expenses that will make it cheaper than fossil fuels. once this happens in different market and it can be tested as reliable. Then the economy will take that turn. Theory can only exist for so long before practice becomes inevitability. - 5 months ago
Answerer
Yes you are quite right.... we are definitely entering an energy boom... if I had any money to invest, I certainly would be investing in clean renewable forms of energy :-p
oils will still last for a long time purely because it is convenient.. they will eventually become obsolete and hydrogen etc will take over.. have you watched the documentary yet? global dimming... ;-) lol - 5 months ago
It really sucks, not only for the middle class workers, but its taking a huge toll on the lower class that have little money to use for gas.
The thing is that we are spending money on stuff where we could be drilling here in the USA. Its just really ridiculous to spend so much money for something that is coming from the middle east. They are pulling our strings, they know that we love oil, and they give it to us. We could be spending on so much more like health care, education, security.
hard to sympathize with americans complaining about 4 dollars a gallon
Here in Ireland fuel is €1.31 per litre! so that works out at $8.14 per gallon
in the uk for some reason its even worse - around £1.38 - so just over $10 per gallon
Don't know if its sold in the states - but I know a few people who use Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to reduce the amount of petrol they use - over here its like half the price of petrol - its handy if you actually need a 4x4 for work - not just as a status symbol
I like the idea of alternative fuels - but I'm definitely not an environmentalist - In a few years for my 25th Birthday - I will be buying a muscle car :D
The type of thing that would turn your lungs black just by standing behind it :)
Slainte to you on the muscle car! that's brilliant. When I lived in germany last summer benzin was 1.10 euro per liter. so I know how painful that can be. And I was living off a u.s. dollar pay rate. but I do agree with alternative energy. The swedes and the dutch use it quite a bit and so the norse if I remember correctly. good stuff! Glasgow Celtic Football for life! - 5 months ago
What are your thoughts on paying fuel prices that are being manipulated by a free market system?"
Are you suggesting that we move to an authoritarian system where someone dictates what the price of each product is, ala communism?
I believe that the peak oil theory is playing out in front of our eyes and that fuel consumption is going to reach maximum efficiency before we, as a civilization, find an alternative energy source. Besides, you can save yourself a lot of money and dignity by running away from the "going green" crowd. Word to the wise: nothing stays the same! Including climate. In the last 10,000 years, our species grew in size and technological achievement that was never experienced before. It comes as no surprise that those years were the most stable years in earth's history, climatically speaking. We were "born" in the warm period between ice ages. My theory is that, even though our pollutants and such have warmed up the planet by one degree, our climate will shift back into and ice age.
No amount of "going green" will change the environment back to what it was. You efforts are as insignificant as we all are individually in the sands of time.
That being said, I'll keep watching my "Keeping up with the Kardashians" to get my weekly dose of drama. But that's just my opinion. Be well. :)
Oh, no. Communism is not the answer. I do have to ask you, I agree with the ice age theory as well. I have been working with the nexial institute data and and Nasa'a NCIDS center. and the ice age shift is a very likely probability, but the question that perplexes me is how much acceleration are we creating in the inevitable shift we will experience? - 5 months ago
Is quite hilarious actually; cities in the usa were built in a way to encourage driving. However, we did have a fuel crisis in the 70s; back then they could have said, 'well geeez, lets build public transit systems to make it easier for people to commute.' Of course, that didn't happen; with this fuel crisis, now people are suggesting that we should have a better public transit system, and well, now there is the call for more taxes to build transit systems. Taxes to fight global warming, taxes to improve roads, taxes to save the failing banks.taxes taxes and more taxes.that's what I think about the subject! :D
Great post, would it be unreasonable to suggest exxon mobil pays for some of the public transportation. given that phillip morris has to pay for lung cancer? - 5 months ago
Answerer
Well, exxon is in the business of making money; even if they are told to pay, i"m very sure they will find a way to pass the cost to us. After all, they got the money to hire clever accountants, promotional people, etc. Now, if you sit back and watch the show, you will realize that standards of living keep going down. Wouldn't it be logical to say that we should live in a 'better' society?' Instead, I look at the 1950's as a golden age. Less taxes, more time with the family, high social values - 5 months ago
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