last i saw, and i'm sure all of you are award, a gallon of regular unleaded is going for around $3.30
my last fill up set a new record of ~$40.
however, as much as is pains me to have to buy gas, i have mixed feelings about it. on the one hand, the big oil companies report record profits every quarter! clearly, they are making a killing by jacking up prices on us, the consumer. its obscene, grotesque and outrageous.
on the other hand, we still aren't paying nearly the true cost of a gallon of gas. our government subsidizes the oil companies, directly and indirectly, such as not charging for royalties that anyone with a brain knows are rightfully owed to the taxpayers. furthermore, there are the externalities of resource wars, climate change, and pollution that are incurred everytime we fill up, but we pass the cost on to future generations.
if oil executives weren't making record profits, i don't think i'd mind the high prices. in other words, if the price at the pump reflected the true cost of oil "production" and consumption, i wouldn't be so apt to complain about paying more, but would still try to reduce my demand for the good. which is another dilemma, because the more people reduce their demand for oil, the more the price will likely fall, encouraging the real gas guzzlers in society who don't give a damn, more ability to continue on guzzling.
2 comments:
if i could afford an electric car or could afford to retrofit my car, i'd do it in a heartbeat. we need an incentive program to encourage folks (and help $$) to convert to electric vehicles.
my last trip to the pump cost $26--i had a little over 1/3 of a tank and asked for a fill up. this is criminal. $26 isn't much for those making a good income but for those of us who are working for slum wages, this is a hard cost to swallow. just one more reason to create a sliding scale fee for goods and services.
Most people would disagree and think they are entitled to $1 a gallon gas. If we paid half what Europe pays, maybe a movement would actually begin, but it wouldn't be the likes of you and me.
Gas will run out soon. Maybe by then, cities will have a design that accomodates bicycles more than what we have today. People say I'm nuts- bicycles are the future!
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