Will high gas prices spur more involvement in conservation/ alternatives from DC to Small Town, USA?

[pinto]

Ali Velshi (one of CNN's financial reporters) brought up the possibility with an adroit soundbite - "The answer to high gas prices is high gas prices".

He noted historical responses to gasoline costs and the growing availability of more fuel efficient / hybrid vehicles.

:shrug:

[Diamonique]

1. Gas prices go up at this time every year.

It hasn't made any difference so far.

[pinto]

2. Yeah. I think he was referring to the idea of longer term costs, not seasonal variations.

He mentioned growing demand in China and India, which will only grow I suppose, and speculation on oil pricing.

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. No.

Instead we'll have fingerpointing, followed by rewarding the very people who caused or exacerbated the problem (by fighting higher CAFE standards, fighting cap-and-trade, reducing or eliminating support for conservation programs, opposing a lower interstate speed limit), like every other problem we face.

[pinto]

5. Agree on the finger pointing. That seems to be where most are at right now, disregarding

systemic, long term approaches.

[bobbolink]

4. It will "spur" more suffering and more hunger to poor people, but that has never mattered, and won't

now.

But, the lectures on "eating healthy" will continue.

[pinto]

7. Agree on the impact to food costs; those weigh most heavily on the poor as a basic daily expense.

Transportation (fuel costs) account for much of those costs. I'd like to see targeted incentives to support growth of local access to local foods. It would be a good step toward disconnecting from the system we have now, which is part of the picture.

[bobbolink]

8. "local food" often costs more. Often, it appeals to the elitists.

What those of you who applaud high gas prices don't take into account is just how close to the edge so many people live. People either have to give up their jobs because they can't get to work, or stop eating because there isn't money left over.

The constant reply is "mass transportation", totally ignoring the obvious fact that it isn't available in many place, and that single moms CAN'T take their children to school on the bus, then get to their own work, then get their children from school on a bus, etc.

ALSO, there are women (usually, although also a few men) who clean for a living, and they simply CANNOT get from one client to another by bus, and still clean all the places they need to clean in a day. The same is true of men who do snow removal during the winter and lawn care during the spring and summer.

It is so amazing that "progressives" can't consider that there are people who AREN'T "middleclass".

If conservation is so important, then why can't you all begin to focus on and demand RATIONING?

[pinto]

11. Yeah local food can be more expensive, especially when chains run loss leaders as sales.

I play all avenues to make ends meet. Farmers' market when we have a glut of local crops, sales at the supermarket and food bank staples. :hi:

[NYC_SKP]

6. Some of us opted for biking and/or hybrids and/or public transportation when prices were still low.

While others just weren't thinking or weren't caring or for some other reasons refused to adapt.

Yes, the answer to high prices is high prices. I like that.

:patriot:

[pinto]

9. I sold my vehicle last month, repair costs were getting to be prohibitive. Doing fine.

I'm fortunate in that I live in a small walking city - most everything is within a walk. And a neat new concept / business has taken root here - rent a green car by the hour. I joined. They give you a fob for access to a car, you reserve on line and pick up / drop off on your own. The closest vehicle available to me is ~ 6 blocks from my house. It works.

[bobbolink]

12. Great that works for you. Did you read what I said about poor people.. especially

single moms and those working jobs like clearning?

[pinto]

13. When I sold my car, I had enough to hire cleaning help - a one time go through.

Found a crew on Craigslist. Asked all the questions I could think of and went for it. The owner had all the supplies and brought a young couple - his employees. He picked them up to get to my place, took the mom home to meet her kid after school and came back to help finish the job with her husband. Worked along side of them both, as did I. It went well.

Realize it's only my experience, but an eye opener on how things can work.

:hi:

[bobbolink]

14. OMG. Do you realize that instead of actually PAYING the people who DO THE WORK, you gave the money

to the corporation, which DIDN'T do the work?

Yeah, like that works. :eyes:

It is so interesting that the awareness of LABOR stops when it crosses the line from middleclass to poverty level.

As I asked before, why are none of you even willing to discuss rationing?

[pinto]

17. Hank, the boss, is hardly a corporation. All three are just making ends meet.

And they worked as a team. Hank did the stove, inside and out. They all did the work.

(Just a personal side note. Others may have a different POV.) I'm well aware of labor issues and the poverty level. I live on $12,000 / year. Social Security.

[bobbolink]

22. It took at LEAST the same amount of gas. What is it in that equation that you don't understand?

I have brought several very salient points to you, but you brush them ALL aside and, because YOU have great (?) solutions for YOU, then that is all that counts. And don't claim that I am "attacking" you. I have tried to bring the situation of OTHERS to your attention, and you keep making it all about YOU.

I have tried to get you to step out of your own comfort zone and recognize that there are people whose lives are already miserable, they don't have your resources, and they are alredy HURTING.

None of it sinks in.... the barriers to acknowledging other people are not penetrable.

Enjoy all priviledges that you have, and the ability to look down on others. That didn't used to be a "liberal" or a "progressive" or a "Democratic" value, but that is the state of things now.

Enjoy it.

[pinto]

26. Agree, on the gas point. Yet they all have jobs, which is a big point.

My personal situation is a side track to the big picture issue. :hi:

[taterguy]

20. I'm willing to discuss rationing if you provide specific details of how it would work

Would we all get the same amount?

If not, how do you determine who gets how much?

How much gas we would get per month? Would the ration roll-over so we could take a long road trip?

Put up or shut up. Answer these relatively simple questions.

[bobbolink]

23. Google rationing in the Great Depression.

Put up or shut up your own sweet self.

[taterguy]

24. We rationed during World War II, not the Great Depression but . . .

Just for the hell of it I did Google it and found a Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing#United_States

"An A sticker on a car was the lowest priority of gasoline rationing and entitled the car owner to 3 to 4 gallons of gasoline per week."

So are you recommending a standard ration of 3-4 gallons a week? Suppose a person has a 25 mpg car and works fifty miles from home? Do they only get to work one day a week?

Please clarify.

[ixion]

10. Hey! Conservatives don't like conservation... uh, er...

nevermind. :crazy:

[Kip Humphrey]

15. Gas prices are up 20% since 1-JAN-11, most of which = the loss of value of the dollar in your

pocket, some of which is caused by commodity speculation, and none of which is caused by demand (there has been and continues to be a surplus in supply).

[Davis_X_Machina]

16. It's the carbon tax no one had the balls to vote for...

...come in the back door.

[taterguy]

18. The easiest way to conserve is to walk or bike for short trips and that's not influenced by price

It takes about a quart of gas for me to get to work. If the price of goes up a dollar it costs me an extra quarter. If money was my only consideration I'd drive to work every day.

Other conservation measures like switching to a higher mileage vehicle or moving closer to work require significant investments that most people aren't willing to make.

Of course we could promote cycling and walking for all the non-financial benefits.

But we won't.

[TransitJohn]

19. Highly unlikely. n/t

n/t

[Nikia]

21. It would help if there were subsidies

Oil is subsidized. We vare also paying for expensive wars over this. It is time to promote the alternative instead and tell the Middle East that they are no longer part of American interests. Unfortunately, I think that someone is making big money on expensive gas and they prevent serious government investment in alternatives. Regardless, we'll be buying an electric car in a few years.

[PJPhreak]

25. Nope,

But I do belive that there is something that would work,This...



Notice that the Ford LTD in the lower right corner of this pic is for sale...This is what it took to get the average American driver to really start thinking that the Bloated Boat of a car that he/she was driving was not such a good idea.

And the thing is NO ONE born after 1960 ever had to wait in line for $2.00 worth of gas,Ya'll are not old enough to have had a DL in 1973!

I Was.

When people have to wait in line while their car runs outta gas tryin to just get to work,Thats when WE will do something about Real Fuel Economy/Conservation.

Till WE(American Drivers) Realize that you dont "Need" 475Hp/550Lbs.Ft. of Torque wrapped in a 4500-6000 Lb Package to just get yer happy ass to work or the store nothing will change!

This does not apply to All of the American driving public...There are Many people who are tryin to do our best to be energy minded...We tho are Horribly out numbered by folk who truly "Believe" that they need a F-350 Double Cab Dully with a Powerstroke Diesel to haul around three kids and a dog.