Which would effect a larger, stronger impression, no buying or not using gas?

[uppityperson]

Which do YOU think would work better to send a message to Big Oil: boycotting buying gas for a day, decreasing using gas, decreasing consumption.

FOR THE RECORD: ANYone who protests in ANY way is good, we need ALL SORTS of people protesting in ALL SORTS of ways. Just because someone says THEY don't want to participate in a particular action does not mean anyone else should not either.

And no, there is no "both" because I made up this poll and am offering and either/or choice. If you don't like that, you can make up your own poll. Participation is voluntary.

Edited for smilie that wasn't meant to be.

[AndyA]

1. Decreasing the amount of gas used hits them in the financial column.

They can have billions of gallons for sale, but if no one is buying it, it's not worth much.

Of course, they'd just redirect it all to China and India, where the economies are great and the demand for gas is skyrocketing. And that is thanks to America, it is at our cost that those countries are doing so well.

[133724]

2. buy an electric car...

so what if they only go 25 mph & 30 miles on a charge????

most travel is within 10 miles of your home anyway.

Slow down, smell the roses...

Slow down, smell the coffee....

[Clark2008]

9. Great idea if A.) I could afford one and B.) I wouldn't feel

scared to drive it around all the semis I battle on the roads daily.

Can't they make those things just a tiny bit bigger (and not so ugly)? I don't drive a huge car now, but it's bigger than any electric car I've seen.

[piedmont]

18. Convert your own!

http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/

Lots of people are converting gas-burners to electric. Cost and performance vary, of course, but for folks who usually commute less than 40 miles per day it seems to be a good choice. I plan to do it in the next year when I get some spare time for the conversion.

[elocs]

15. I usually drive less than 10 miles a day. n/t

[Dora]

3. Both, so I can't answer your poll.

A collective reduction in overall gas use can only happen gradually - and is unlikely to phase Big Oil, as they will just as gradually raise their prices to reflect the change in demand.

A one-day boycott is nothing to Big Oil.

A prolonged boycott, or organized effort for collective reduction NOW, might get the attention of the PTB, or it might not.

Big Oil has so much money now that they can't hear their own nefarious thoughts over the sound of the coins clinking in their counting houses.

[uppityperson]

4. I wonder if people would be up for not going away for Memorial Day?

Of course, looking for a consensus amongst the widely varied party is difficult. To say the least.

[tubbacheez]

5. I favor the sustainable route.

Using without buying can't be sustained.

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. No car and I walk to work

When I need to take the bus somewhere, most Seattle buses are powered by an overhead electrical system, with the hydro-electricity provided courtesy of the Columbia River. Those buses that are not electrified run mostly biofuel. When nothing else works, I borrow a car from the FlexCar co-op.

Althogether, I am directly responsible for the use of maybe a quart of gasoline a month. I'd say I've decreased gas consumption as much as I reasonably can. :hi:

[uppityperson]

7. Thanks for the FlexCar site, looks interesting.

[TechBear_Seattle]

29. It has been very useful

Not to mention cost effective. I owned a car for three years; I spent almost $5,000 a year in payments, insurance, parking, maintenance, gas, etc. and when I returned it to the dealer, it had all of 4,012 miles on it.

With FlexCar, I spend maybe $200 a year on a vehicle, which includes insurance, maintenance, even gas. And they have a variety of vehicles in my neighborhood, including a pickup truck, so whether I am picking up friends from the airport or making a trip out to Home Depot, I'm covered.

Oh, and if you do sign up, PM me for my name so I can get a referral bonus, thanks! :hi:

[MonkeyFunk]

8. What's the goal?

cheaper gasoline?

I don't think that's something we should be striving for.

[uppityperson]

10. Why? Serious inquiry. eom

[MonkeyFunk]

11. Because

we already have severe environmental problems caused by using too much oil. We need to reduce the amount we use, not make it cheaper and easier for people to consume more.

[uppityperson]

12. Very true. I'd like to see a way to put pressure on mandatory increase

in gas mileage AND increasing public transportation AND stopping making mega-malls way out in the middle of wherever that you have to drive to and then drive between buildings because it isn't safe to walk AND make it so we don't have to Or want to drive as much. And a pony.

My theory of the moment: Big Oil has so much power that they want to do whatever to make as much as they can now. If we consume less, now, they will make less, charge more, make less, eventually it will collapse and my about ideas will get implemented. Musing here now. Will decreasing consumption temporarily, like a "don't drive on X-day" prove to BO that we can live without them? Probably not. Will it encourage legislators to pass legislation putting Good Goals into effect? Still don't know.

[Bjornsdotter]

13. I've cut down a lot over the past couple of years

...I've tried to condense my shopping trips as much as possible. I take the train instead of driving into Chicago when I have to go there...well that's a twofer, I HATE driving in Chicago so the train is a blessing.

Cheers

[slackmaster]

14. If everyone simply checked the air pressure in their tires weekly

It would make a HUGE difference.

[elocs]

16. How do you use the same amount, but boycott buying gas?

Nice trick if you can pull it off.

[uppityperson]

17. Ah, you don't buy it 1 day, but the previous or next day.

For instance, you put off buying it on, say, the 15th, instead fill up the day before.

[elocs]

19. Oooh! Nice shell game.

So you use the same amount, but boycott buying it that day, the day you use it. But I have to at least drive home after I fill up, so I have to use it the same day. This is too confusing. I suppose shell games are supposed to be confusing.

[piedmont]

20. Do you use a whole tank of gas driving home?

Maybe you should move closer to a gas station!

[elocs]

22. So it is the pretense that I am not using a full tank of gas? I get it.

I guess the point is not to reveal which shell has the pea under it. I suppose I could announce as I put in the gas that I will only be using enough to get home. That way I could feel like I was really, really doing something useful.

[piedmont]

25. Actually, I think "gas boycotts" are idiotic for exactly that reason.

Most of the participants only abstain from buying gas on a particular day, but go about their business as usual, so for the week they buy every bit as much gas as in a week when they didn't abstain from buying. It makes no difference whatsoever on overall demand, and doesn't demonstrate anything at all to the oil companies.

[elocs]

28. I think you are absolutely right.

But it makes some people feel like they are actually doing something.

[uppityperson]

21. Do you use the whole tank of gas driving home?

What, you can't fill it up one day and not fill it the next? I feel sorry if you have to fill up every day, must use a lot of gas in your work or else live out really far. I do know people who use a tank a day, driving for work, it is really a pain for them.

[JuniperLea]

23. I've already drastically decreased the amount I use

And I know many other people who have done the same. I feel the prices are artificially inflated to make up for big oil not selling as much gas. They are producing less, yet we have no gas lines, right? They are producing less, yet they have record profits.

[JVS]

24. Stealing! Duh!

[bentley]

26. I have decreased my gas usage and I consume less.

I only buy what I need and I'm trying to buy most of my food locally.

[Initech]

27. We can send the best message by not electing oil barons to the White House in '08

We need to get these assholes out of our government, pronto!