Gas Prices CAN be re-duced!!!

[Lisa Perez]

The only problem with eliminating taxes altogether, however, is the fact that the American government is using part of these funds to compensate for what debt the nation does have. If we rid ourselves of taxes on oil, we will forever be in a hole that we cannot dig ourselves out of. =/

It would be nice though.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

I go 2 weeks at a time without buying gasoline, so I don't think wendsday will be a problem.

I'd say the problem lies more with the car companies and the American people. Car companies keep putting out bigger and bigger SUVs and trucks, and Americans keep buying them, like the consumer whores we all are. Yes, some people need larger cars for their jobs or because they have large familes. Why on earth does Toyota have 5 different SUVs to choose from?
I could keep rambling, but, I have no need for a large vehicle. As it is, my camry is too large. Stop wasting the gas, America.

[Venkatesh]

*Build more nuclear powerplants! I can hear all the hippies now: NUCLEAR POWER IS EVIL! No. No. No. Its the best source of power we have right now. Zero emissions, massive amounts of power, and little, easily stored waste. Even the French realize the benefits of nuclear power, they got seventy percent of their power coming from nuclear power. It will elminate competetion for oil.

I am quite fond of nuclear (aka nukulur, nukeclear, etc.) power for peaceful purposes. It is one of the most cost effective sources of energy that we have. Also think of all the processes that consume oil, that could be switched to electric systems. One of my favorite examples is the process for purifying aluminium (Hall-Herout or something like that). It consumes vast amounts of electricity, which currently comes from oil. If the power of the atom powered such a process, we are essentially getting something for nothing.

Fusion is the true power source of the future - and it will always be.

I also am impressed with photovoltaics. I like solar cells for most light experimentation purposes, but their effectivity in converting solar flux to electric power is rather low. If we could improve that, solar power would get my vote.

[Astronouth7303]

3 words: Hydrogen, Hybrid, & Solar.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

I know how to reduce gas prices (and it doesn't involve some silly boycott):

*Don't nationalize Iraq's oil. Right now we are turn Iraq into a Scandanavian Liberal Socialist state, which is absolutely silly. Privatize the Iraqi oil industry and let companies like Shell and Exxon come and pump that country dry! Think about it guys, we control more oil right now than any other country in the world (Iraq has second largest reserves, we have large reserves ourselves) and we are paying 2 bucks a gallon for gas? We should be paying seventy cents!

*Around 37-50 cents of each gallon of gas goes to the government (state, local, federal). Taxes are tyrannical and are driving up the cost of gasoline. Elminate them.

*Get rid of MTBE. Not only does it pollute water supplies, have carcingens, and threaten wildlife, it doesn't work! Get rid of it!

*Kill all the elk in ANWR and drill drill! This will take awhile, but it will help America's longterm energy future!

*Build more nuclear powerplants! I can hear all the hippies now: NUCLEAR POWER IS EVIL! No. No. No. Its the best source of power we have right now. Zero emissions, massive amounts of power, and little, easily stored waste. Even the French realize the benefits of nuclear power, they got seventy percent of their power coming from nuclear power. It will elminate competetion for oil.

*Allow the construction of more refineries. Duh.

*Get more oil from Mother Russia. A non-muslim, non-arab nation which isn't controlled by OPEC.

75 cent a gallon gas here we come.

ZINNNNG!

I could sit here and poke holes in your arguments for the rest of the day...

Here's the main points-

1) We don't control Iraq, we have already established a provisional government with members from all 3 sects of Islam, and are working with them so that they can run their country with full autonomy. If you're talking about military power, then sure, we have the ability to control their oil, but for all practical purposes, we don't.

2) What's wrong with Socialism? Look at Norway, and how good they live. They get paid for vacations in greece, EXCELLENT free healthcare, childcare, and the list goes on. There are some downsides, but it is not a system like communism that just doesn't work.

3) I don't know what you're referring to when you say ANWR, but I'm going to assume you mean Alaska. If you look at the facts, that oil overall will not significantly reduce our dependency on oil from the middle east, and will destroy pristine wildlife.

4) Wait, you don't like MTBE because it kills the environment, yet you want to kill a bunch of animals and irreparably destroy protected wilderness? Which one is it?

5) Unless you've figured out some way to put nuclear reactors in vehicles, nuclear powerplants will not eliminate our need for oil. Your argument that they produce very little, and managable waste is also untrue. We have tons and tons of nuclear byproducts, most of which are sitting in Yucca mountain, which was said to not be a safe place for storage in a recent study, I believe (It's sitting over a fault or something, I think...)

6) Have you ever heard how much Europe pays for gas? I believe the average LITER, not gallon of gas is something like $4. That is why the French government is trying to find alternate power sources.\, among other reasons.

7) People like you are the ones that make foreigners think America is full of ignorant biggots, which isn't an entirely false idea. Your entire argument is centered around only yourself, and not the larger picture. Since you like how France is handling their energy needs, why don't you move there, then try to get a driver's license, which will cost you something like $2000, and then have fun paying 2-3 times as much for less gas than you would get here. And you wonder why the middle east hates us so much when you make comments like that about arab nations...

I don't even know why I'm wasting so much time responding to the ridiculous claims of someone like yourself.

P.S. Yan- I remember my parents telling me about the gas shortages of the late 1980's. I dont know about back east, but around here you could only go get gas on certain days, and only some ridiculous amount like 4 gallons or something, for a ridiculously high price.

Cory

[Lisa Perez]

(Ok, I'm off topic right now.. This will be the only time.) AH! AH! No more tension!

FREE HUGS FOR ALL!

[ngreen]

Getting rid of the gas taxes would be nice but it won't happen.

Gas tax serves several purposes.

First it builds the roads. No money, no roads, nowhere to drive on.

The second purpose is it serves a Pigovian tax. It is an incentive for people not to buy huge SUVs and to drive as much as you want. They want you to think. Hey gas is 2 dollars. Maybe I should by a more fuel efficient car that doesn't kill the environment.

I like the high prices. Maybe it will force some people to think about what they are doing driving a SUV or will help spur development in renewable energy sources in cars.

[Billfred]

alright, alright--here's my solutions:

1) We hunt down every still-functioning FIRST robot, and stick a seat on it. Thirteen seasons, a few thousand robots, a lot of oil in the long run.

2) Point and laugh at every truck and SUV that does not have a trace of mud on it, or any other sign of use as a workhorse. (I will, however, make an exception for luxury SUVs with obscenely large wheels. They just keep spinning!)

3) Drive more mopeds. Those things get crazy mileage...and you can park about six in the space of one car.

4) Require any driver who gets less than 20 MPG to take their wallet out and whack themselves on the head...before paying. (Afterwards, it'd be too light to have an effect!

[David Kelly]

I waited for today just to fill up my truck to get gas!! I only spent $1.92 for regular and it took in just under $50.


I have to have gas to get from place to place, and prices aren't going to prevent me from buying any.

The simple solution to solve this problem is to build more refineries and to open the ANWR.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by David Kelly

I waited for today just to fill up my truck to get gas!! I only spent $1.92 for regular and it took in just under $50.


I have to have gas to get from place to place, and prices aren't going to prevent me from buying any.

The simple solution to solve this problem is to build more refineries and to open the ANWR.

Actually, the simple (long term) solution is to develop renewable energy sources. Sooner or later it has to be done. Whether the world runs out of oil in our lifetime, or the next, it is going to happen, and drilling in the ANWR will not do anything to stop that. I'd rather have the technology available before the oil is about to run out, rather than being stuck between a rock and a very hard place.

Cory

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by David Kelly

The simple solution to solve this problem is to build more refineries and to open the ANWR

Drilling ANWR would be the simple, yet ineffective solution. IT would only provide temporary relief and would destroy priceless wilderness.

I have to agree with Cory that renewable energy sources are the way to go.

And BTW, I didn't buy an gas yesterday either!

[Aaron Knight]

It is now impossible to purchase gas near me for under $2. And I've seen it as high as $2.169 near me - for friggen REGULAR. Even the discount clubs (Sam's, BJ's) are above $2 now.

It's making it real hard to borrow the car now -'cause I'm then expected to put some gas in it. And my family drives a pair of minivans, neither getting much over 20 MPG.

And, no, I didn't buy any gas yesterday Not like it'll make a difference, seeing as I only buy gas like twice a month.

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by Aaron Knight

It is now impossible to purchase gas near me for under $2. And I've seen it as high as $2.169 near me - for friggen REGULAR. Even the discount clubs (Sam's, BJ's) are above $2 now.

It's making it real hard to borrow the car now -'cause I'm then expected to put some gas in it. And my family drives a pair of minivans, neither getting much over 20 MPG.

And, no, I didn't buy any gas yesterday Not like it'll make a difference, seeing as I only buy gas like twice a month.

Gas here is about $2.30 if I can remember correctly. However, I have a little Honda, so thankfully the gas milleage is pretty good!

I wonder what Wetzel's car's gas mileage is?

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Aaron Knight

It is now impossible to purchase gas near me for under $2. And I've seen it as high as $2.169 near me - for friggen REGULAR. Even the discount clubs (Sam's, BJ's) are above $2 now.

Yeah, it was $2.199 yesterday and was supposed to go up again today, here. My Saturn gets OK milage (about 30mpg highway, 24 mpg city) ... but $2.19 is getting to be way too much to pay.

[Lisa Perez]

Psssst.. Free gas at limited gas stations in Michigan for a few hours..

Anywho we can't use the reserves as long as Bush is in presidency with the same Secretary of Energy. They want to keep those reserves in the case of a national emergency.