All I ever hear about is how the price of gas is going down, yet we are STILL paying over 2 dollars a gallon! Are we being robbed by the oil companies? Is there a good reason that with supplies at all time highs, and prices per barrel dropping more each day, that they are still charging us what they did when there were SERIOUS supply problems, and oil was more expensive than ever? Should we, as a country, boycott oil consumtion for a few days to send big oul a message? Do you think its possible?
2006-12-22 02:54:35 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Community Service
They keep charging that much because people keep paying that much. No need to lower prices until sales drop.
A boycott would send the message, but people would just stock up before the boycott, so there would still be no drop in sales. We would have to lessen our dependence on oil as a fuel.
2006-12-22 02:57:12 · answer #1 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It really doesn't work that way.
Oil is a commodity that is publicly traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This means that the oil companies in fact have little to do with setting the price of a barrel of oil. It is actually a price that is set (manipulated, if you believe in conspiracy theories) in a commodity market.
The oil companies benefit when that market gets pushed up, and get penalized when it goes down.
When my friends that worked for Exxon and BP were getting laid off in the early nineties because the oil companies were losing money and had to cut costs, I didn't hear anybody volunteering to pay a "reasonable price" for gas or oil.
Higher prices for a non-renewable energy supply are good, because they constrain demand and encourage research to take place in other areas.
High prices in oil will cause investment in all kinds of areas of energy. Low prices mean we all stay content with our current energy supply, and don't have the focus to develop new technology.
2006-12-23 08:49:22 · answer #2 · answered by myopenhandsguy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At two dollars a gallon thats still pretty cheap you know.
The UK has sat on substantial Oil and gas reserves since the early 70's yet people continue to pay some of the highest prices in Europe.
Basic rule of marketing : Charge what the market will bear.
2006-12-22 10:59:54 · answer #3 · answered by philip_jones2003 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We can't boycott the oil industry. We are too reliant upon it. What we can do though, is boycott certain brands. Say for two weeks nobody goes to a Amaco station...they are forced to lower their prices. Then everyone races over to Amaco and avoids the other stations...this would force them to lower their prices then too. We just keep doing it/rotating the stations. The oil companies think they are in control, but in the land of supply and demand, we are the ones who are footing the bill...we could and should set the standard.
2006-12-22 12:57:11 · answer #4 · answered by Hollynfaith 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you could actually get people to boycott in a large # at the same time...I think the message would be clear! People have tried to do this but it still hasn't happened! I wonder if it's because we americans are spoiled, lazy or just too worried about getting to work to make enough $ to get to work and still feed the family! My guess all of the above!
2006-12-22 11:03:43 · answer #5 · answered by peace2all 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Greed for the need... If everyone rode a bus, all levels of government would add tax to the price of a ticket, it would then only take debit cards to ride one, a $1.00 fare now would cost $5.00 for the same ride, wanna bet? We all be in back to back buses and faster to walk. As the population increases then we loose identity and people become compliant, look at your answers here..
2006-12-22 18:31:26 · answer #6 · answered by AJ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are doing what we can in Iraq, the middle east and Darfur etc. These places have oil and may be we can offer food (one meal a day for one whole year) for a trillion gallons of oil
2006-12-22 11:08:12 · answer #7 · answered by ByTheWay 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ONE DAY, THAT"S ALL WE'D HAVE TO DO !
If for just one day, we all stopped using our cars to get to work, it would send oil prices tumbling, just ONE SICK DAY, we all stay home, we keep it rotating so they never know when it will be, it would send a clear message !
2006-12-23 05:38:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no all we have to do is but gas from the station that has the lowest price, then you will have competition
2006-12-22 12:02:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stop using cars, take the bus.
2006-12-22 11:05:43 · answer #10 · answered by nininha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋