Gas prices

[jester]

this sign says it all......:p

[BigV]

$3.76 / gal regular yesterday.

[HungLikeJesus]

CNN had an interesting article on gas prices: Behind high gas prices: The refinery crunch.

The article says that no new refineries have been built in the US since 1976, and discusses how this affects gas prices.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Why build expensive refineries when you can just raise the price for more profit? The greenies support this also because they feel increased price is the way to cut consumption.

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Why build expensive refineries when you can just raise the price for more profit? The greenies support this also because they feel increased price is the way to cut consumption.

Don't you?

And, what's a greeny?

[xoxoxoBruce]

An environmentalist.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by HLJ

And, what's a greeny?

Environmentalists mostly.

Basically people that follow the Green Party.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Why build expensive refineries when you can just raise the price for more profit? The greenies support this also because they feel increased price is the way to cut consumption.

It hasn't cut consumption...yet. I wonder what price will be the breaking point? Scary thought.

[freshnesschronic]

3.49 in suburbs of Chicago. Is it really 4.25 in Cali??? Sorry I haven't kept up with the thread.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

It hasn't cut consumption...yet. I wonder what price will be the breaking point? Scary thought.

I don't know, but read somewhere a prediction of $4.50 before it starts to affect SUV sales. That would be the first sign, evidently.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

It hasn't cut consumption...yet. I wonder what price will be the breaking point? Scary thought.

Apparently there actually was a driving cutback over the past year.

[Shawnee123]

It looks to be more of "it's not increasing at the same rate" rather than serious cutting down (for the most part.) It's a start. But wait a minute...look who did the study:

"You have demographic shifts, traffic congestion and increased gas prices," says Ed McMahon, senior research fellow at the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit group that promotes innovative development. "For the first time in recent history, the rate of vehicle miles traveled is not increasing at the rate it was for 25 years. It's having an effect and is changing in subtle ways the way people think about their driving."

He should be delivering my American Family Publishing Sweepstakes check, not conducting gas use studies.

[Happy Monkey]

Not increasing at the same rate as the population means that people are cutting back. Not enough to counteract the larger number of people, though.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Not increasing at the same rate as the population means that people are cutting back.

True. Duh to me.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I wonder if that data includes commercial traffic as well as personal vehicles? I'm betting the trucks rolling into walmart, supermarkets and home depot haven't reduced.