What can we do as American citizens to fight against the high gas prices.?

Question

Several Americans are tired of big Oil companies making record profits while the rest of of starve to fill our vehicles with gas, while in Iraq they pay less than a dollar a gallon. There is a nationwide movement to boycott gas on May 15, 2007. Lets show the oil companies were tired and were not going to take it anymore. Tell everyone you know, and do it by mouth , phone , or email. Just think of how this will hit their pocketbook. Can you guess how many gallons of gas are purchased each day. Millions.... If you have any other productive ideas of how to lower gas prices I'd love to hear them. We all know the politicians won't help us. I'ts coming up on the Presidental election and the Oil companies throw too much money in their pockets. So lets help ourselves. Remember MAY 15, pass it on to everyone you know.

Answer 1

Well, good luck on your boycott. I'll join in.

However, it is a waste of time if you hope to send a message. A much better boycott would be for all Americans to boycott just one major oil company (Exxon for example) for an indefinite amount of time (even forever). That would surely send a message to all of the old companies.

Getting the cooperation of all Americans is about as impossible as winning the war in Iraq. No chance.

Answer 2

The free enterprize system is a great system but has some inherent pitfalls. Gasoline: this is based on supply and demand. Americans demand A LOT of gasoline. After the hurricanes in the gulf, some of the rigs were damaged and some of the refineries were damaged. This cut the supply. The gas companies cranked up the prices to try to cut the demand. It worked pretty well. Most of us drove less and planned our trips batter. Now, the capacity is pretty good but this is the time of year the refineries retool which cuts production but has to be done, hence spring price increases. Once the capacity comes back on line, summer driving season starts which drives up the demand again. Heating: Natural gas is a renewable resourse but it is difficult to transport. If the profit margin drops, suppliers stop supplying, prices go up, suppliers start supplying again. it's a roller coaster. Medical cost is the big one. An example of the problem is happening in my town. We have 2 major hospitals and they are constantly competing against each other. One hospital buys a 3 million dollar MRI machine so the other one has to do the same. This drives up cost. Then there is the laywers. Million dollar malpractice suits drive insurance costs thru the roof. Doctors can pay an ungodly amount for insurance so they have to charge more. Then there is the hipocratic oath, a poverty striken person gets so sick he has to go to the hospital, they have to treat him. He should have gone to the Dr a long time ago so now it's really bad and really expensive to treat him. The insured have to pay for that and the hospital has to charge more to make up for the loss. It's a snowball effect that will get much worse before it gets better. Sorry for the spelling errors, spell check is down.

Answer 3

Both bad ideas, sorry. The earth is too large not to drive. Transportation is a necessity, not a luxury.

Boycotting for a short period will do nothing. When the boycott is over we will make up for it immediately.

I don't think government intervention is right, but it would be effective. But as mentioned, politicians have too much motivation to support the oil companies.

I think a solution is for a new oil company to come onto the scene and start selling gas at $1.10/ gallon and put the big companies out of business.

And what's with having to buy gas from Iraq?! We are saving their a$$es daily with our military and we still have to pay for oil? What gives?

Answer 4

I wish I thought the boycott would work,but I don't.Is anyone noticing anything wrong with this picture of supply and demand?? I for one don not believe we are driving more!!I sure am not and its all because of the gas price.Have you noticed that they want you to focus your attention on "so called gas guzzlers" ?also on hybrid cars?but no where is there money for the new technology that will bring us relief.And yes I do think it extremely odd that we are fighting a war in a country with gas prices we haven't seen in many years so am I the only one sees something wrong with the scenario we are being told daily?? And that is the problem,we may be forced to drive less at more expense but I for one don't beleive most americans believe this story either.Why aren't more effecient AMERICAN cars being made?Other countries have had them around for years.True??SOOOOOOOOOOOO??

Answer 5

you are part of the problem, you rage against the wrong group. Your question shows you do not understand the market beyond what the media pumps out.
Special interests and the tree hugger are more to blame then the oil companies. We have the West Coast, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico ,and not to forget the Atlantic seaboard that have oil and it sits untapped.
It the oil companies are making such large profits. It is because the are selling a large quantity of products.
Do you know what their profit margin, compared to other industries?
Oh and if the President Want to Be thinks it would be good to acquire their profits Remember She would likewise robbing the profits of all those stockholders.

Answer 6

Follow the example of Brazil's energy policy. For the past 30 years, this country has gradually (and totally) gained independence from the OPEC petroleum cartel. If Brazil can do it, surely the United States can, too. There's just too much vested interest in oil, and too little common sense. Ethanol and biodiesel can be produced from many different sources besides corn and sugar cane. Unfortunately, it is a long process, but it will benefit the next generation. I used to think it was purely a political issue promoted by extremist conservationists and tree huggers. This is not true. I live in Brazil, and that is not the emphasis at all. It's a matter of WANTING to be free from foreign sources of oil, forming a plan, and adapting Brazilian and other technology to U.S. needs.

Answer 7

don't drive. The high gas prices are directly related to supply and demand. Don't do the stupid "protest and not drive for a day." if you seriously want to do something about it, carpool with someone to work, get a group of people to carpool to work. Take public transportation, just stop driving.

The problem is, people are too lazy to walk two blocks to the store to get a gallon of milk, they would rather drive, which creates more use for gas. Ride the bike, take a walk. Make the kids walk to school.

Less demand means less of a need means lower prices. You learn about that in Econ class.

Answer 8

Why not just abondon your cars on the road...buy a bicycle, move so that you are close to your work/shops etc. and just change the way you live...it's ridiculous when you think how much tax money is made off gasoline to expect that your government will do anything about this.

Answer 9

do you know, that the u.s. government makes more money off every gallon of gas sold in this country, through gas taxes then the oil companies do?,.....if we want cheaper gas, we must stop buying oil from o.p.e.c.,.....(oil producing exporting countries),.....lets stop the environmentalists from the law suites, and drill our own oil on Alaska's north slope

Answer 10

Well, if you use less gas, then you should spend the same as you used to. Of course, this requires an effort on your part...the problem with social responsibility