$3.99/gal.

[zimmy]

In my opinion we don't have to look any further than ourselves to blame for this. We enjoyed really cheap gas for over twenty years and bought vehicles that use it excessively. Repeatedly the congress voted against higher cafe standards and no one cared. We keep our heat at 70 and our computers on all day. For better or worse we never really change now because of what the future may bring. Go back 3 years and people that drove hybrids were environmental wackos. 5 years ago the vice president said it is unamerican to have to conserve. Things can change in a hurry. Its a free market and the industries follow the market trends. Ten years from now fuel economy will likely be dramatically higher by percentage than today because the market will force auto companies to adapt. Reliability aside, its already why Honda and Toyota are growing and the American companies are scrambling. I would like to see us consider the future impact of a variety of issues, but that doesn't happen (fisheries is one of the biggies and 20 years from now drinking water will be a huge problem). In the words of my grandfather, its the way humans are....

[fishpoopoo]

Originally Posted by zimmy

In the words of my grandfather, its the way humans are....

oh, i thought some 'tard was gonna pipe up and blame it all on Bush.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by Bassturbed

oh, i thought some 'tard was gonna pipe up and blame it all on Bush.

Nah, he's too easy a target I is not THAT much of a simpleton. But since you called my bluff...

The environmental law blame is catagorically incorrect. In the short term environmental laws would have caused higher prices. However, if stricter standards on consumption and such that envirnmental wackos called for 30 years ago were implemented we would have had price stability, more efficiency so less demand and greater supply. Markets kinda like stability. In the long run it woulda been pretty close to even on a cost. But you can't explain that, so thats why the markets have to take care of it as we will see in the next few years. Oh we would also spend a bit less on health care if the wackos had there way. But yeah its not Bushes fault. I think I am in the wrong forum...

[zimmy]

Actually, I have reconsidered; its my wifes fault. If it weren't for her I wouldn't be 150 miles from the canal and use so much gas to drive. Actually if it wasn't for her I'd probably have a boat too and I would need a bigger truck to tow it so maybe its not all her fault this time

[fishpoopoo]

why hasn't one single new refinery been permitted in the last few decades?

[Raven]

our refinneries are still in such a mess....then our military or national guard should be assisting the process and not wasting their time and resources in IRAQ. When the hell are we gonna do something for AMERICA and not for every other country on the planet !!!

if they want our help....fine then pay us in oil. the thought of their government going on vacation for 60 days....is completely outrageous.

Now maybe the three auto makers in trouble (and being out gunned by hybrid vehicles) might need until 2020 to catch up to toyota's sales...
but not to implement hybrid technology now.... thats a done deal...

SO....to get our cars to get 35 miles to the gallon is one thing....
but to outfit them with the new batteries and make them hybrids
it's all been figured out. buy one of the suped up battery powered vehicles ( that started out as a hybrid and then got an upgrade so it's like a super electric vehicle....) and copy it... J H Christ....
there's way to many friggan excuses....!!!

one thing that hasn't been done yet....which could make a huge difference
in fuel consumption...over-all... is to make traffic lights smarter so that people are not sitting at redlights waiting for no one to cross the road.

[Raven]

if you watched the discovery channel on yellowstone....
and realize that the volcano underneath that area is big enough to END America.... then F president Teddy's plan of keeping it totally a wilderness area....and tap that resource to provide America with more power that doesn't require nuclear energy... and the resulting pollution.

this country could easily be run on steam and it would be clean !!!!!