Excessive gas prices could lead to prosecution

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's cheaper here in Yorkshire; right now it's between $7.50-$8 per gallon, depending on the day's exchange rate.

Bargain!

Yeah, really; I have no patience for people complaining about a $3.50 gallon of gasoline.

I don't know...out here we have something called urban sprawl...we are the great automobile society.

What the average commute for you where you are right now?

[William33 110]

Steven,

I know that question was not directed at me, but my commute is 90 seconds!!!

I walk to work!

The high gas prices are unnaceptable manipulation by big oil. F'em all!!

[homesick_american 1]

I don't know...out here we have something called urban sprawl...we are the great automobile society.

What the average commute for you where you are right now?

Thanks for the tip Steve, but one look at my avatar or signature should make obvious the fact that I am an American...and a Texan to boot. I am well familiar with urban sprawl.

While we're being preachy, my commute to my job in Harrogate took one hour and fifteen minutes each way. My morning commute here in York took twenty minutes, but we were only going three measly miles. It would take 35 minutes by bus and cost more in bus fare than the gas we used cost.

I know what your point was going to be, but believe me...you wouldn't win this argument in York.

[russ 1]

Actually the price of crude oil is low right now - OPEC's pricing is not being reflected at the pump... (see below)

The spot price for light sweet crude is $66 today, which is not historically cheap. It is about $8 off the high a year ago. Retail gasoline will not average less than $3/gallon at these levels. In my opionion, the pressures propping up crude prices are purely political. Oil has never been a very open or transparent business. The inefficiency of state run oil companies is the biggest reason I see for high crude prices, coupled with increasing demand in developing countries.

Given the added refining costs, Ethanol cost, and taxes in the US, the retail price of $1.30 we all loved 10 years ago will never be seen again. Crude would need to drop to about $15/bbl.

From 1920 to 1972, oil was steadily about $25/bbl in 2006 dollars. In the late 70s, this went up to about $80/bbl. It is about there now, which is hardly normal by historic standards (the last 100 years anyway). 1996 was the last time we saw crude at historically normal prices.

Most of the profit in the oil business is ending up in Mexico, Venuzela, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Russia. Petro-states have zero interest in producing oil more efficiently (read more expensively for them). High prices and high margins are their goal, increasing production raises their cost while lowering prices. These states tend to want short term profits from oil to fund their governments. They do not invest heavily in exporation or exploitation of existing fields (Pemex is a great example here. Virtually all of the profit funds the Mexican government. They can not drill the oil they have in the ground, as they literally can not pay for the drills.)

The Answer is "The Market / Technology / Government."

"Technology" is not even half an answer. The problem of oil addiction is not an individual problem. As Bush acknowledged, "America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world." Now that's a problem for America, but you can't expect people to volunteer to cut back on their lifestyle. We will have to take a stand as a nation, just as we do on other major issues.

The US and Canada still have vast amounts of tar sands, oil shale and coal. Enough to last hundreds of years, even converting it into oil with current inefficient technology. The problem is that oil is still relatively cheap and plentiful. Coal, oil and gas are all basically the same thing. Coal is just much dirtier, since being a solid it isn't easy to seperate it from the sulfur, uranium and other pollutants. Natural gas is expensive to move around. Petroleum is so much more convenient.

There is no shortage of hydrocarbons in the world. The solution isn't eliminating them. Most of the oil on Earth has already been consumed by bacteria, not people.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Course, everyone is going to be wondering why I am talking about donkeys in a Gas thread now.

I'm gonna let Charles make the connection between donkeys and Essex girls

i think it should be against the law for a woman to have a rear spoiler

[William33 110]

Course, everyone is going to be wondering why I am talking about donkeys in a Gas thread now.

I'm gonna let Charles make the connection between donkeys and Essex girls

i think it should be against the law for a woman to have a rear spoiler

Charles, er chuck....My wife has a hot spoiler!!!!

Take that!!!