GAS PRICE`s are going up I heard it this morning,...

[Andy L]

One semester of college, there was a gas war. Gas was 50 cents for about the whole semester. That was great.

I thougth a few years back that if it would stay around 1.25 I would be happy. I guess I would now for sure.

Who the hell knows where this is going.

What happened to all the oil fields out west in the 70s? If I remember right, they helped us out of another (false) bad situation. And created alot of jobs. I know alot of guys around here went west to work the oil fields and made alot of money. And, there is always Alaska. Lots of oil and could be more jobs like the old pipeline days. And, isnt there a runnin ton of oil off the NE coast of the US that is supposed to rival the middle east?

Whats goin on here? Are we completly at the mercy of the rest of the world now?

I still say we need to toughen up a bit. To the victor goes the spoils. We have pretty much saved the Iraqi people and the Kuwatis. No matter what the media says. Ive yet to have a person I know that went over there and fought that didnt think we were accomplishing what we needed to in a great fashion. Totally opposite the media. Good news wont sell or get Hitlary elected. But, with those two oweing us favors, shouldnt we have cheap oil? By favor or force.

I know of our oil right under our soil, if I knew what to do, I would love to mow around an oil well......

Andy

[Hawkeye6]

Rocky:

Notice the children are talking again? Remebering gas at less than a dollar a gallon? Hell's bells, I remember gas at three gallons to the dollar!

Hawkeye

[fabsroman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

and my dad remembers it at 10 gallons a dollars (i.e. 10 cents a gallon).

Hawkeye6,

That post of yours had me laughing pretty good. I would give a lot to be the age I was when gas was less than a dollar.

[Wolvie]

Upstate Ny REPORT :
It looks like the trend for rising gas prices are still in affect for this part of the world or U.S.

$2.61 a gal. for low grade stuff,...and over $3.05 a gal. for the Super stuff.

I myself would like to see a drop in prices on gas , but i dont think that is likely to happen,..and if so not anytime soon.


Later All
SAFE HUNTIN~

[Hawkeye6]

Originally posted by fabsroman
Yeah, yeah, yeah,

and my dad remembers it at 10 gallons a dollars (i.e. 10 cents a gallon).

Hey! I ain't so old that I cain't still do math!

Yesterday morning, $2.40.

This morning $2.59

This noon/early pm $2.55

Pretty typical of the way things go around here.

[Hawkeye6]

Gas prices are going up. Still reasonable comapred to 10 or 20 years ago and general inflation. But what are you doing about it?

One of the reasons that gas prices can continue to creep higher and higher, or even jump is that, so far at least, the demand is very inelastic. That's an economics term and basically means that the demad for gasoline does not appear to be affected by its price. The price goes up, and yet people still consume jsut as much as they did at the lower price. In fact, the demand may actually be increasing as the price increases.

So, what are you going to do to become more energy efficient? Anything?

Here's what I've done. This was not a knee jerk reaction to the recient price trend but something that I've been giving some thought to for several months. I went out yesterday and traded my Suburban in on a Subaru Outback (a used one but newer tahn the Suburban with about half the miles on it) My average mieage should go from ~15 or 16 mpg to ~26-30 mpg. (I'll report back on the actual in the future.) Did not really cost me much to do so and I ahve a much newer vehicle to boot.

I realize that that's not an option for everyone, but it worked for me. I had the Suburban for about 5-6 years and my live-at-home family has gone from 6 to 4. We also traded my wife's Toyota 4-Runner in on a Toyota van this spring. (Another increase in mileage). with the van we certainly do not need the Suburban, although I will occasionally miss the capacity, I'm sure.

What else? Well, my wife and I both want to get more exercise, so shen she gets home from vacation, I'm going to suggest that we try riding our bikes to the grocery for at least one trip a week (on the weekend). Its only about 6 miles RT soe it should be doable, weather permitting. Also, that she send me the shopping list for the local Aldi (discount grocery) since its accross the street from where I work. I can go there after work once a week or so and save her/us a ~15 mile RT.

None of this is going to make a major diference, but incremental changes on a mico basis could have a macro effect if we all tried something.

Its all about being open to changes and trying to find a postiive response.

[fabsroman]

I read an article that said if all Americans traded the vehicles for vehicles that get 5 mpg better gas mileage, we would have almost no reliance on oil from the middle east.

The wife and I are planning our next car/suv to be a hybrid, but that won't happen for a while. She drives a Hyundai Sonata and I drive a Ford Taurus and both of them get about 27 mpg highway, which almost all the driving we do.

[Hawkeye6]

Fabs:

I've read some of the same stuff, too. I would never advocate making wholesale changes that don't fit with your lifestyle, but when and where its appropriate... My younger son has been looking at getting a hybrid after he graduates next year. From what I've seen of them they are fine for one or two people, but I'm not sure whether they would work well for more than that.

H.

[fabsroman]

Hawkeye,

When you say the hybrids are fine for one or two people, do you mean for hauling one or two people?

The wife and I have been looking at the Ford Escape Hybrid because we would be able to take future children and other cargo down to Florida with us to visit her parents. Is the problem with the hybrids the fact that they lack horsepower? I have heard that hybrids have plenty of torgue from the electric motor helping them accelerate out of the hole. I am a leery about this stuff because it is new technology and I don't want to get stuck with something that will be a disaster 5 years down the road. That is why we are going to wait a while to see what develops and to see if Ford offers the Explorer or Expedition in a hybrid later.

[Hawkeye6]

When you say the hybrids are fine for one or two people, do you mean for hauling one or two people?

Fabs:

Yes, that's pretty much what I meant. I have not done any extensive research on them, just some superficail reading. but they did not seem to really meet the kind of needs that I reasonably anticipate with a family of 4, tow of whom are on the verge of their teen years. I'm not even sure the OUtback's rear seat will give them comfortable leg room for a longer drive.

I also kind of question the economics of hybrids. My understanding is that they are currently commanding a premium over similar sized and equipped gasoline-only vehicles. And that the premium is too large to be readily offset by a reduction in fuel costs, even at the higher prices that we are seeing now. (And will only get worse if the predictions that gasoline will drop back into the near $2 range in 12 to 18 months come true.)

I hav eheard that there are moves afoot for some tax credits from various States and also that the HOV lanes may be opened to hybrids even if the driver is solo. If that ocmes to pass, there may be some non-economic incentives in certain areas of the country. Like out where you live. But out here in the rural heartland we don't have HOV lanes.

H.

[fabsroman]

I too have read articles stating that it is very hard to recoup the premium price on a hybrid unless you drive it a lot and keep it for a long time. I think the car had to be kept for over 7 years with the national average of miles driven on it before you would recoup the additional money spent on it.

Of course, here we are thinking about what is good for us instead of what is good for the country and for our children. Less oil consumption means less reliance on the middle east and a cleaner environment for our kids and grandkids.

Regarding HOV lanes out here, they are pretty much all around me. I have one on I-270, another on the Dulles toll road, another on I-66 going into and out of downtown DC, and there are plenty more. There is mention of making the HOV lane a toll lane and/or allowing hybrids to drive on them solo. If that is the case, the wife and I will both be buying a hybrid.

[myEspringr]

i think the main reason for not tappin' into our oil in the u.s. is so when everyone else runs out the u.s. can make the companies go for broke . The main problem i see w/ this is by the time the middle east runs out all the cars on the road will prob. electric so it would all be for nothin'. In other words another backfired plan in the future for this country. Just my two cents.

[myEspringr]

There is a rumor here in nebraska that a couple of transit buses are runnin' on used veg. oil. Now if it is true how long before this tries to be a new trend.

[Hawkeye6]

Originally posted by myEspringr
There is a rumor here in nebraska that a couple of transit buses are runnin' on used veg. oil. Now if it is true how long before this tries to be a new trend.

I don't know what's goin gon in Nebraska, but there's nothing new or surprising aobu that. Diesels have ben known to run on some oddities like that for a while. Hmm, could that make all of a city's busses moving adds for Mcdonalds and Burger King?

I read an article in Backwoods Home a year or so ago aobut a fiamily that had pretty well converted to providing their own fuel for the farm vehicles (all diesels, including pick-up trucks driven for family use) by some of the plants they cultivated. I've forgotten the bean they raised, but htey had a pres system set up to squeeze the oil out of it and captured it for use in their vehicles. I think they used the left of pressed cake for an animal feed.

[Hawkeye6]

Fabs:

Of course, here we are thinking about what is good for us instead of what is good for the country and for our children. Less oil consumption means less reliance on the middle east and a cleaner environment for our kids and grandkids.

Yep. but if you notice, my post is predicated on you doing what makes sense for you, your family and your lifestyle.

Things don't seem to be that desparate yet that eveyone needs to convert to hybrids. Those that want to and can afford the vehicle can do so. If they decide that's the right thing for them to do, that's their choice. Ah, the beauty of a free market economy. You are free to choose a hybrid or an Escalade!

H.