Gas Prices

[Johnnylane]

Where do you think gas prices are headed? Always up?

Anyone think we'll see shortages any time soon?

 

[reiobard]

i think they may come down a bit after Bush gets out of the white house, but probably not, Probably just plateau until the earth runs out and we run cars and bikes on something that the make up somewhere...

 

[stevesnj]

Well 2 weeks ago everyone at work thought I was crazy for getting a bike. Comments like 'what are you gonna do when it rains?' when its cold? I have rides to work so its not a concern. Alot said a bike doesn't justify switching vehicles, that from those making 30 thousand more a year than me, now I keep telling them, after they say it cost them $60 to fill up, I say...damn It cost me $12.00 to fill up. they look at me in envy and walk away and I give a big chuckle so they hear me outloud. BURN!!!!! :Flip: :rockon:

 

[Denver_FZ6]

I say...damn It cost me $12.00 to fill up.

And that's for the good stuff too!

 

[cv_rider]

Well 2 weeks ago everyone at work thought I was crazy for getting a bike. Comments like 'what are you gonna do when it rains?' when its cold? I have rides to work so its not a concern. Alot said a bike doesn't justify switching vehicles, that from those making 30 thousand more a year than me, now I keep telling them, after they say it cost them $60 to fill up, I say...damn It cost me $12.00 to fill up. they look at me in envy and walk away and I give a big chuckle so they hear me outloud. BURN!!!!! :Flip: :rockon:

I'm sure, however, that a motorcycle is not cheaper transportation overall than a car. The cost of the MC itself is significant, the cost of gear is significant, and maintenance are more frequent and costlier than a car. I'll bet the savings in gas never overcomes those costs for most people.

 

[stevesnj]

I'm sure, however, that a motorcycle is not cheaper transportation overall than a car. The cost of the MC itself is significant, the cost of gear is significant, and maintenance are more frequent and costlier than a car. I'll bet the savings in gas never overcomes those costs for most people.

Well true but since i went from a truck that got 20 mpg t a MC of 50 mpg, an $1,100 a year insurance cost savings, this is definitely significant to me. But your right it is not for everyone. Oh and im single with no kids

 

[HavBlue]

OK, I believe that in the next 4-5 years the price of a 42 gallon barrel will be at or near 200.00 dollars. I also believe that if the nations of China and India continue their current trends in the next ten years they will be at or near a consumption level currently found by the rest of the world alone. I would agree with anyone that suggests the US begin coal to oil production as a relief mechanism. I would also agree that solar and wind are not suitable substitutes because they are not consistent. I would agree that building new refineries and nuclear power plants is necessary but their respective ability to help is years away if construction begins now. I believe windfall profits are a reality and controls for this should be put into action much like those found in the energy realm. I believe drilling in ANWR, Florida and California are necessary and they can be done in an environmentally sound manner. I believe Congress and the Senate better get their proverbial act together before a number of them are out of a job......

BTW, gas will be at $5.00 per gallon in the US by December.....

 

[dako81]

....I would also agree that solar and wind are not suitable substitutes because they are not consistent...

Hey, I'd say most of the time the sun is out. I mean, it hasn't burnt out or anything yet. lol But, the solution will require efforts and changes in EVERY area, not just one of the coal, solar, oil, wind, or nuclear technologies alone.

And I am scared as to how much fuel will start to cost in the future. I'm 19 and fuel has over doubled since I have been driving.

 

[Johnnylane]

Here, here!!

 

[HavBlue]

Hey, I'd say most of the time the sun is out. I mean, it hasn't burnt out or anything yet. lol But, the solution will require efforts and changes in EVERY area, not just one of the coal, solar, oil, wind, or nuclear technologies alone.

And I am scared as to how much fuel will start to cost in the future. I'm 19 and fuel has over doubled since I have been driving.

Yes, "most of the time" the sun is out but even if it were out, if a cloud cover comes along on that nice sunny day the solar efficiency level associated with those panels just dropped by a huge margin. We love to talk about electric cars but the batteries required to operate them are not environmentally friendly when they need to be replaced. Since 1953, if you took all the nuclear waste associated with fuel rods you could store it all in one high school gymnasium and the French have figure out how to reduce that down even more in recycling. In my time gas prices have gone up 20 fold to what they were when I was a teen. Now, a minimum wage employee better buy a bicycle because that employee can no longer afford to buy gas to get to and from work.

 

[Hellgate]

In December I saw a report that stated as high as $200 a barrel. We crossed $132 yesterday.

Remember the BS part of the whole thing is that that price is what the price is EXPECTED to be at a given date in the future. Think Eddy Murphy and Trading Places with the oranges, same damn thing.

At the height of summer driving season, driving season begins this weekend, I think $150 to $175 is a target price.

 

[GConn]

This sucks. Oil prices are sucking our blood. When is this going to stop? Never???????

 

[sideshow_downs]

I know that prices for the States seem to be really hign but we are still lower than our friends from across the pond

 

[Doorag]

This sucks. Oil prices are sucking our blood. When is this going to stop? Never???????

Um, no. The amount of available oil is pretty much finite so it WILL run out someday. I reckon that as it runs out, it will become more valuable than any other commodity - including gold and diamonds - until someone figures out how to make all the suff we now have that uses petroleum or petroleum based products. You would be amazed at the amount of stuff that has oil or oil-based products either in it directly or is created by something that uses them.

I'm afraid that we are well and truly f*cked as it starts to run out. The planet is overpopulated and we can't physically grow enough crops to support the population we have at the moment. Case in point - the eco-footprint of London (pop. 7 million) is a land mass the size of Spain. And that's with oil. I shudder to think how much that would change without oil.

It's one of the reasons your food prices are going through the roof. Crops that used to be used for food are now being grown for fuel instead. The more bio-fuels catch on, the higher food prices will go.

I fear for my kids. We have backed them into a corner.

 

[HavBlue]

Um, no. The amount of available oil is pretty much finite so it WILL run out someday. I reckon that as it runs out, it will become more valuable than any other commodity - including gold and diamonds - until someone figures out how to make all the suff we now have that uses petroleum or petroleum based products. You would be amazed at the amount of stuff that has oil or oil-based products either in it directly or is created by something that uses them.

I'm afraid that we are well and truly f*cked as it starts to run out. The planet is overpopulated and we can't physically grow enough crops to support the population we have at the moment. Case in point - the eco-footprint of London (pop. 7 million) is a land mass the size of Spain. And that's with oil. I shudder to think how much that would change without oil.

It's one of the reasons your food prices are going through the roof. Crops that used to be used for food are now being grown for fuel instead. The more bio-fuels catch on, the higher food prices will go.

I fear for my kids. We have backed them into a corner.

Hmmmm, 6.6 billion people, a finite product that will be gone in roughly 60 years and food transportation costs that"are" driving that foods prices through the roof? Interesting and very true but what about the asteroids or a rise of 1 foot in ocean levels?

 

[Hellgate]

The primary driver for the increase in fuel cost is not the scarity for oil but how much producing nations are willing produce AND the total refining capacity. In addition China and India have EXPLODED. In the US we have the NIMBY syndrome, ala electricty in CA a few years ago. The US has NOT build a new refinery in many years, 20 to 30 if I'm not mistaken. As a result when a refinery closes to pull maintence people freak. Because oil is a commodity, the traders can jack the bids up for futures. It's a screwy system but it is what it is. Be thankful we all have motorcycles.

 

[GConn]

Um, no. The amount of available oil is pretty much finite so it WILL run out someday. I reckon that as it runs out, it will become more valuable than any other commodity - including gold and diamonds - until someone figures out how to make all the suff we now have that uses petroleum or petroleum based products. You would be amazed at the amount of stuff that has oil or oil-based products either in it directly or is created by something that uses them.

I'm afraid that we are well and truly f*cked as it starts to run out. The planet is overpopulated and we can't physically grow enough crops to support the population we have at the moment. Case in point - the eco-footprint of London (pop. 7 million) is a land mass the size of Spain. And that's with oil. I shudder to think how much that would change without oil.

It's one of the reasons your food prices are going through the roof. Crops that used to be used for food are now being grown for fuel instead. The more bio-fuels catch on, the higher food prices will go.

I fear for my kids. We have backed them into a corner.

Agreed up to a point, but I still think it is not normal. This unrealistic increase in price cannot continue for another half a century untill we run out of oil. Oil goes up, product prices go up, salaries don't.

Whatsmore, I believe that the forwards/futures/options is what causes this inflation instead of the other way around. Instead of expectations affecting the financial derivatives' prices these instruments affect the oil price. I think it's exploiting people for the benefit of the few once again. And this is at a massive scale.

Could be wrong though :Flip:

 

[Doorag]

"The latest surge was driven by data showing that supplies of crude in the US had fallen by 5.4 million barrels."

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil soars to new record over $135

"All but three of Opec's members are already at their maximum daily limits for oil output..."

 

[dako81]

Yes, "most of the time" the sun is out but even if it were out, if a cloud cover comes along on that nice sunny day the solar efficiency level associated with those panels just dropped by a huge margin. We love to talk about electric cars but the batteries required to operate them are not environmentally friendly when they need to be replaced. Since 1953, if you took all the nuclear waste associated with fuel rods you could store it all in one high school gymnasium and the French have figure out how to reduce that down even more in recycling. In my time gas prices have gone up 20 fold to what they were when I was a teen. Now, a minimum wage employee better buy a bicycle because that employee can no longer afford to buy gas to get to and from work.

Yea, I wasn't knockin your opinion, just trying to be funny. I agree with you. It is going to be interesting to see how things are going to change in the future.

 

[HavBlue]

Yea, I wasn't knockin your opinion, just trying to be funny. I agree with you. It is going to be interesting to see how things are going to change in the future.

Yeah, I knew that. Pete was correct in that we have not built a new refinery in the US in roughly 30 years but the same holds similar for nuke power plants. At present, it is estimated the world's crude output is a maximum of 85 million barrels a day yet in 2004 it was estimated the world's consumption rate was almost 83 million barrels a day. 4 years later that means we are way to tight and when you factor in the consumption levels increase by China and India we have a big problem.