Monday, June 9, 2008
The average price of gas hit a record $4 per gallon on Sunday, prompting some students across the nation to organize a gas strike this month.
Jeremy Lemos, Central Connecticut State University senior, decided to start a two-day nation-wide gas strike when he drove by his local gas station and saw the price of gas at $4.25 a gallon. He e-mailed 2,500 college students and faculty across the country to promote a gas strike on June 17 and June 18 as a response to inflated gas prices.
“It is my hope that on these two days that Americans, like myself, will send a message to the gas companies by taking a step in the right direction and protesting the high gas prices,” Lemos said.
Michael Kennedy, Syracuse, N.Y., doctoral student, pays more for the gas that gets him to and from class than his summer course at the University cost. His class is on Edwards campus, a 30-mile drive, causing him to fill his gas tank twice a week. Despite the high cost of the gas, Kennedy said he thought a strike was not the answer.
“I will not participate in the gas strike because most gas retailers are hard working American business owners who operate on a razor thin profit margin,” Kennedy said. “A gas strike of any size would hurt them in a measurable way where the oil companies whom set their prices would probably not even feel a prick.”
Oil prices hit a new record on Friday of $138.54 a barrel.
Mark Cooper, director of research at the Consumer Federation of America, blamed the rise of prices on the mergers of U.S. oil companies and the decrease of refineries and their productivity. Cooper said even if gasoline consumption decreased, it would not affect prices because oil companies typically lower production during summer months in order to drive prices up.
“If you look at history you see a 75 cent increase,” Cooper said.
The 75-cents-per-gallon increase could potentially equate $75 billion out of consumers’ pockets for the remainder of the year, which is now a higher concern because of fears of a looming recession.
The U.S. Senate will vote on the Consumer-First Energy Act on Tuesday. The bill would address high gasoline prices by rolling back tax cuts for oil companies, investing in renewable energies, creating an energy independence trust fund to help consumers pay high energy costs and allowing legal action in U.S. courts against the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries for oil price manipulation.
“After eight years of George Bush and Pat Roberts giving handouts to Big Oil, we have $4 gas, $130-per-barrel oil and 342,000 lost jobs just in this year,” said Jenny Davidson, communications director for the Kansas Democratic Party and 2001 graduate. “Both our economy and our national security demands energy independence.”
— Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
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Comments
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
Because they really give a damn what you think...
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
Anyone who partakes in this strike has no clue why gas prices are so high. At least try to look at the economics. Is demand rising very fast? China and India are growing very fast and consuming more and more oil. That adds to the rising prices. Is supply changing or shrinking? In the U.S., there hasn't been a new oil refinery built in decades. Why? It isn't because of greedy oil companies. They've tried to build new refineries, but the state governments have blocked these attempts. Exploration projects to find oil using new technologically advanced methods are also being blocked by state governments. Are there any other factors? Since the dollar hasn't been gold backed since 1913, it's been up to the federal reserve to keep inflation down. Adding to the rising prices of gasoline is the fact that oil is traded in dollar denominated barrels. With a cheapening dollar, the price of oil is gets relatively more expensive to the U.S. in the global market. Other countries haven't been hit as badly with the rising price of oil because their currency hasn't been inflated as much as the U.S.
It is really your government you should be protesting.You can't control demand, especially demand from other countries, unless you want war.
If you're asking for cheap oil, you should really be asking for more drilling and controlling inflation.
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
Everyone is looking at the wrong way to solve this problem. Oil will not get cheaper. The supply is not going to increase. The only way to get oil companies to lower gas prices is not to increase supply, but to decrease demand. Not buying gas for two days will not change that, because you'll just go to the gas station and buy gas the day after. How about looking into some alternatives to driving and consuming gas? Instead of driving to your friend's house, why not try walking? Ride a bike, that doesn't cost a dime and will get you there faster. Take the T! It only costs a dollar to ride one way. Sure it isn't quite convenient (yet-we'll get there folks), but you will save money. Trade your car in for a more fuel efficient vehicle, such as a compact car, hybrid, motorcycle or scooter. The problem isn't greedy oil companies, it's us. We demand cheap oil to continue our current lifestyle, when we need to realize that oil prices aren't going to go down anytime soon, unless our need for it goes away.
We need to change our habits.
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
FYI
In some countries in europe, prices are at $5.67 per gallon. These strikes serve mainly to make a point. That the gas is crucial. The prices are not going lower that this. Car manufacturers must provide an alternative and the scientific comunity must resolve the problem of electric storage.
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
Gas is a lot higher than that in most european countries. More like $8 in a lot of places. That is not the point though....a gas strike is stupid and coreyo is right. I think I'll actually go buy gas on those days in my own "protest." While the energy issue is a complex one, there a number of very simple solutions our country simply refuses to consider because the environmentalist lobby has control over the Democrat Party and Obama.
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
Also, hybrid cars are stupid and ridiculous. Priuses, Volts, Leafs, etc. They're a joke and simply a status symbol for people who like pretending to be "green." Buy a turbo diesel instead. The head of Audi summed it up pretty well when he called the Chevy Volt "a car for idiots."
http://www.marfdrat.net/2011/12/16/audi-chief-calls-chevy-volt-a-car-for-idiots/
I will be buying an Audi very soon.
Record gas prices prompt gas strike
Children, children. A strike punishes the wrong people. Words like "inflated" gas prices don't help either. The price of oil is at an all time high. Obama has closed down several drilling areas despites claims otherwise. Production lags in the summer as oil is being processed for the end of the heating season AND the driving season. You can't have both at the same time. We don't have the refineries since we haven't built any since the 1970s. Also, every year refineries have to shut down for maintanence. You don't want explosions do you? The typical gas station owner is a hardworking independent business person with a family and employees. That is who you are going to be hurting. The gas companies (or as they are called the nefarious "Big Oil") make about 8 cents a gallon. Multiple that by millions of gallons and, yes, the profit is huge. Did you know that the federal government makes over 50 cents off each gallon and the state makes a couple of dimes. If you want to go after the right people then go to Washington DC and protest in front of the White House and Congress. Tell them to cut taxes, open the drilling areas, and allow more refineries to be built. Otherwise, you are just a bunch of foolish people doing more harm than good.
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