Are people in the US cutting back on their consumption of gasoline?

[me b zola]

Are people in the US cutting back on their consumption of gasoline?

Earlier tonight on the network news they did a story contrasting the rise of milk prices with the decline of gas prices. The reasons they gave for the lower gas prices were 1)the refineries were refining less oil and 2)OPEC's lower price/barrel.

A year ago the corporate media sang in unison that the price would continue to climb until the "market" saw the ceiling of what people were willing to pay. Of course people will continue to pay whatever they demand from us, but are we collectively cutting back enough to effect the market? I think maybe so.

What do you think?

[emilyg]

1. No.

[me b zola]

2. Well now I'm convinced. n/t

[Cobalt-60]

3. Indeed, think they're using more

The Kamikaze corps seems to be in a bigger hurry every day.

[me b zola]

4. I agree that the "Kamikaze corps" will always guzzle gas

But my question really refers to those who under the * regime have become unable to afford gas and those of us who have become more aware and have made a conscience choice to conserve. Are we making a difference?

[fed-up]

5. I would love it if someone could find data on gas useage this summer-I have cut back

and my BF who drives from Chico to Sacto and back every Sunday for the farmer's market says that traffic has been way down the last few months.

I did try looking but got lost in all the wrong data bases...



Did everyone modify their summer vacation plans?

Did they decide that the gas company thiefs had stolen enough of their hard earned cash???


Is lowered consumption the reason for the lowering of the price of gas?

Ours is down to about $2.75 from a high of $3.25 around Memorial Day.

Come to think of it I never did see data of number of drivers/miles driven for Memorial Weekend. There was lots of talk on MSM about how people were not cutting down, but I think that was a load of BS.....

[me b zola]

10. That's what I would like to see--data on gas consumption this summer

I know that they always raise the price of gas for Memorial Day (as well as other traveled holidays) and then slightly lower the price after the holiday. But we are well after Memorial Day and the price is falling.

I can't help but feel as though many have been priced out and many others are cutting back, either from social conscience or necessity.

Sometimes it is what the msm fails to report that reveals a truth.

[razzleberry]

14. try this link

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/wgfupus2w.htm

gasoline demand, 1991 thru Aug 2007

[sandnsea]

6. They're liars, oil is $72

Gas is cheaper because the oil companies know the people have reached their limit and will string somebody up if the prices went up any higher. The rest of it is all lies. All any of them do is lie.

[me b zola]

8. $72?

Damn. Thanks for the info. Yeah, NBC is a big financial fabricator. I guess I was hoping for something positive :evilfrown:

[sandnsea]

11. Record high, $78.77, Aug 1

Now isn't that something that we didn't hear a peep about it, and gas prices didn't fluctuate wildly like it always has in the past. Something has taken hold of our country when something like this can happen and we don't know anything about it.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=hotStocksNews&storyID=2007-08-13T115005Z_01_SP288621_RTRUKOC_0_US-MARKETS-OIL.xml

[Javaman]

21. Naaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

Americans will drive till they can't anymore then wonder how feet work.

[depakid]

22. LOL- they'll drive from one end of the parking lot

to the other, rather than do something so sinister as walk.

And they'll start wars with almost anyone for the right to do so.

[Sherman A1]

7. Overall, I think not

Because we can only cut back by so much. When the prices rose to $1.29 I cut back all unnecessary travel and many folks did the same at their price point. Whatever it was. We still have to go to work, school, the store etc. Could we be more efficient, certainly, but for an individual they have already cut out the fat in their consumption (at least to them) because all these trips are "necessary".

That said -- we have cut out many other things, such as retail purchases. Working in retail for these last 30+ years I know that I am seeing a drop in volume (higher prices, keep sales numbers up at least at the grocery store where I work) but we are not moving near the quantity that we did even last year, much less 10 years ago. People are also splitting their grocery lists to find the best deals each week so the pie is further divided between traditional and non traditional grocery stores. You can go to Target (or the evil Walmart) and pick up your milk along with the other items on your list, so you do in order to save a trip to the supermarket.

Just what I am seeing.....

:shrug:

[radfringe]

9. we have

can't remember the last time I 'topped' off the tank, no sunday drives and that also means no stopping at stores to browse/shop or stops to buy a snack or have lunch/dinner at a restaurant.

If possible we car-pool with neighbors to do the grocery shopping. Errands are grouped/planned around the most efficient routes, and when possible to/from work to eliminate special trips into town.

been busy insulating the house to cut back on heating fuel, switched to those funny curly light bulbs, just placed an order for 8 cords of wood for the winter.

[me b zola]

12. Yeah, we've been conserving for a while now

At first (when we were still middle class) we cut back mostly to put more money in our pockets for retirement. Now it's a necessity for us to cut back even further. Now we almost never use the car and are cutting back even further in our use of power in our home.

NBC's coverage of the story tonight made me think that there is an increasing number of people like us, using less.

[Selatius]

13. I could not cut back further except if there were viable mass transit.

I drive a somewhat old 1995 camry. Two gallons can take me roughly 60 miles if I push it, but I usually refill after 50 so to be safe. This is city driving that I'm getting 30mpg. Nearly all my driving is for work related reasons this summer. There are no summer breaks for the working poor.

I would be hurting more when gas hits 3.50 and then eventually 4.00. Then I'm out.

[fed-up]

15. kicking for morning input on table-I realize population has increassed, but haven't looked that up

yet, as I just woke up.....

can someone make the table a viewable image?

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/wgfupus2w.htm

[global1]

16. If Americans Were Cutting Down On Their Gas Consumption We'd Never.......

know. The oil companies would not acknowledge that the prices were coming down because people were cutting back. They will come up with some BS excuse as to why the price is going down - but would not want the people to know that it was because of their efforts that pricing was coming down. If we were to know that - we would find their achilles heel and might be able to work the system.

[Ganja Ninja]

17. I remember seeing a story a few weeks ago that gas usage has

gone down this year in California compared to last year. I think it was attributed to more hybrids and economy cars on the road.

[Tsiyu]

18. What I think is

that yes, Americans have cut back.

First, there is no extra money in many budgets for the extras like vacations, movies, shopping, sightseeing, going to visit friends. This translates into less gas consumption.

Also, in many areas experiencing drought conditions, who needs to mow the lawn? This means less gas is needed to power lawnmowers, etc.

Kids are big gas guzzlers, too, but in many familes, kids can't afford cars let alone insurance, etc, so that means they are not using gas as they historically have in the US.

I still see motorcyclists and there are lots of four-wheeled ATV's in this part of the US, but I see fewer of them this summer.

The man i buy hay from had to cut me a single round bale yesterday as the hay is not ready for a second cutting yet. He is using less gas as well, as are many farmers who have given up on parched plantings.

[Ilsa]

19. I think they were when it maxed out, but now that it is 50 cents a gallon

cheaper, people will start taking advantage of it again.

[bamacrat]

20. Well...

some have bought hybrids and begun to help, but people are still buying mammoth SUVs so it probably evens out. ANY company that makes 36 billion dollars profit in one quarter is price gouging and should be stopped, well unless they own your government. Then you just have to bend over and take it.