Thursday, June 26, 2008

If Oil is too expensive, stop buying it

The U.S. congress is busily trying to identify the culprit behind high petroleum prices. Speculators are betting that individuals, companies and governments will continue to use, invest in and buy petroleum. The culprit behind high gas prices is everybody who continues to buy gasoline, fuel oil, diesel and most plastics. Stop buying these, and the price of oil will drop.

Or continue buying gas, and accept responsibility for the short and long term costs of a petroleum- based economy.

Updated!
It seems that speculators in industries hurt by rising oil prices are driving the goal to use legislation to keep cheap oil available. This may help some people, and save some stock portfolios, but it doesn't change the fundamentals. Petroleum will only drop in price when people stop paying for it. Maybe because of this.

2 comments:

Fakirs Canada said...

Bikes won't replace cars. And most people are not sufficiently connected with each other to car-pool. More energy put into developing cars that run on electricity and (dare we hope) solar power, now that might replace cars that run on oil. More recycling centers that actually take all the stuff we need to recycle and that we paid recycling deposits on, now that might reduce the amount of petroleum by-products used to make those products.
Marnie Tunay
http://fakirscanada.googlepages.com/

adamvs said...

I doubt we'll ever eliminate all forms of personal, motorised transport. But when some people estimate half of a car's pollution occurs in it's production, it may be time to think about more efficient approaches to putting people where they want to be. Making vehicles reflect their true costs would be a start. Tax'em by weight- why drive a one-ton when a hatcback will do.

And we're connected, Marny, even though we've never met, and live half a continent apart.Surely people living in a city could arrange to pool. I'd be glad to offer you a lift, but I'll be back to car-free in a couple of months.

 
"If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."
-E.M. Forster