Just read new article on yahoo, and they're expecting gas prices to rise to average around 3.75gal. that means that some of us will be paying 4.00 gal or maybe more.. its absolutely rediculous. I think that these oil companies see us finding an alternative fuel situation or creeping more toward hybrids and see that their profits will then take a hit, so they're "milking the cow" for all its worth while its still alive. such a dirtbag move. oil companies and politics make me sick. well, now that i have some anger built up, i'm going to go use it in a positive way, and go murder my bi's and tri's...
The weird thing is I'm studying this in Micro-economics now. That, along with other things I've found out over the last few months, has altered my thinking somewhat.
* My textbook was written 4 years ago when US gas prices were just over $2....prices in England were $5 and Germany was $6. It's not just "gas companies" either. The government taxes gas in order to try to curb it's use to prevent pollution. The same theory is used on cigarette tax...we'll just keeping adding taxes on it and less people will do it.
* The price isn't from shortage. We have several untapped reserves in the US...we just don't use them. We just found several hundred trillion gallons in N. Dakota. We have enough untapped crude in Alaska to last a hundred years or so. We dont tap it due to the environment.
* Another "blame" is the lack of refineries in the US. It takes approx. 10 years to build one. A refinery hasn't been built in the US since the late 70"s ...didn't we have a "crisis" then too (even though it was for completely different reasons)? So much for using foresight. There was actualy a scientist in the 60's that predicted the 70's crsis and said it would get better until the 21st century...looks like he was right, too bad no one listened.
* Refineries bring up another issue. Due to our ever increasing "emission standards" the crude must undergo a costly refining process and the cost gets passed on to the consumer.
* Alternate energy sources
No feasable with our current technology. Maybe...just
maybe...in 20 years or so. The amount of energy it takes to produce the energy from hydrogen to drive is very inefficient. Electric car's take dozens of batteries and need constant recharging. Ethanol...lol...yeah, lets tap into our food supply.
The increased demand for corn/wheat will increase the price. Not only do we eat it, so do livestock. Again, all the increased prices will hit the consumer.
* A good alternative for utilities is nuclear, but again "environmental issues"
Here's a great documentary if you have 90 minutes to kill
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-703701197044020456&q=crude+awakening&total=199&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0