ever wonder why oil and gas prices continue to rise?

[screamingmetal]

hydrogen based engine is too dangerous. U get into an accident, you blow up like an atom bomb. *wink*

Hydrogen is no more dangerous than Gasoline. It doesn't explode like an atomic bomb, it is the combustibility of hydrogen that's dangerous, think Hindenburg.
Unfortunately, the best way to produce Hydrogen today requires the use of fossil fuels such as methane.

The best method to power a car is electricity. Which can be produced by wind, nuclear, solar, etc.. Most electricity in the US today is unfortunately produced from Coal.

 

[tylerd]

i thought you may find this funny. now the reason for high gas prices is that oil companies cannot keep up their supplies because of increasing demand. anyone else finding these lame excuses infuriating? captain yahoo strikes again.

https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080630/bs_nm/energy_congress_speculators_dc

 

[creature4000]

It's all BS.. they are just trying to make all the money they can before something big happens.

 

[Darklord Dave]

i thought you may find this funny. now the reason for high gas prices is that oil companies cannot keep up their supplies because of increasing demand. anyone else finding these lame excuses infuriating? captain yahoo strikes again.

https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080630/bs_nm/energy_congress_speculators_dc

Actually this has been the reason for the rising prices all along according to most experts. Just as some can't believe our toys are more expensive because of the economic boom in China, I guess some can't believe that China and India are using more oil than ever before, even though the evidence is obvious.

 

[tylerd]

Actually this has been the reason for the rising prices all along according to most experts. Just as some can't believe our toys are more expensive because of the economic boom in China, I guess some can't believe that China and India are using more oil than ever before, even though the evidence is obvious.

not buying it. i don't think anyone would pass up the opportunity to make their investments worth more so i'm blaming financial investors buying oil futures, like our dear trustworthy prez.

i firmly believe that the price of necessities should be regulated by law. call me a socialist but it seems this is the only way to prevent price gouging on things we need to survive, and gas is definitely in that category. funny, people seem more vocally upset when a local grocery chain tried to raise their price of bottled water with a hurricane approaching. the law prevented them from doing so there, so why not gas too? price gouging is price gouging.

 

[Kabukiman]

I wish I could find the stats online, but Brokaw was on the Daily Show and dropped some stats about oil consumption. It was something like an american consumes 10-11 barrels a year while the average chinese person consumed 2-4. As India and China develop more, that 2-4 barrel stat will quickly rise to more American like numbers.

 

[Dusty]

If everyone stops driving so much and starts carpooling when you HAVE to drive, gas prices, while still high, won't affect you as much! People are driving less it's now a fact. I can't remember the exact stats, but it's in the billions of miles. We just bought city bicycles 2 weeks ago and ride them everywhere within a 10 mile radius and have been noticing a lot more biking going on in our neighborhood. Luckily we live within 10 miles of movie theaters, restaurants, malls, grocery stores, libraries, etc. We're a little over that mileage on getting to work (about 12 miles one way) but are considering taking the extra hour to bike to the office and back rather than drive back and forth. Plus, we're getting in great shape!

Unfortunately, people who live outside of cities are kinda screwed, as they don't live within 10 miles of those types of places

We're also trading in for a Honda Fit (maybe, if we can work it out with payments and stuff). Great gas mileage, without the high cost of hybrids right now. Plus, they are surprisingly roomy - space for a large labrador retriever, a baby seat, two adults, AND groceries all at the same time. Just saving that much on gas would justify a monthly car payment! Sell your SUV's now!!

 

[OK SITHLORD]

If everyone stops driving so much and starts carpooling when you HAVE to drive, gas prices, while still high, won't affect you as much! People are driving less it's now a fact. I can't remember the exact stats, but it's in the billions of miles. We just bought city bicycles 2 weeks ago and ride them everywhere within a 10 mile radius and have been noticing a lot more biking going on in our neighborhood. Luckily we live within 10 miles of movie theaters, restaurants, malls, grocery stores, libraries, etc. We're a little over that mileage on getting to work (about 12 miles one way) but are considering taking the extra hour to bike to the office and back rather than drive back and forth. Plus, we're getting in great shape!

Unfortunately, people who live outside of cities are kinda screwed, as they don't live within 10 miles of those types of places Though i still fell lucky that we are sill below $4.00 here in OK

We're also trading in for a Honda Fit (maybe, if we can work it out with payments and stuff). Great gas mileage, without the high cost of hybrids right now. Plus, they are surprisingly roomy - space for a large labrador, a baby seat, two adults, AND groceries. Just saving that much on gas would justify a monthly car payment!

People like me gotta drive every day Carpooling is not an option for me. I do feel lucky that we are sill below $4.00 here!

 

[Kabukiman]

We're also trading in for a Honda Fit...

That's the one I'm looking into getting too! It will be my first non-beater ever!

 

[Kuzeh]

That's the one I'm looking into getting too! It will be my first non-beater ever!

Ditto!!
But I'll have to wait towards the end of the year to get it, though I don't know if I should wait for next year's Fit Hybrid...

 

[Kabukiman]

next year's Fit Hybrid...

Oh? I have some googling to do...

 

[gdb]

The oil market is in US dollars. And it's all supply and demand. So not only has the demand in Asia been rising, so has the power of their money to buy it -- just as the US dollar has been declining. By borrowing money from China to pay for the Iraq war and subsequent occupation (instead of raising taxes as we have done during every other war) and by constantly cutting the interest rates the governement has devalued the US dollar to the point where oil costs what it does.

Not to mention the fact that the amount of oil in the world is finite and that people's plans on consuming it has been infinite.

 

[Dusty]

Ditto!!
But I'll have to wait towards the end of the year to get it, though I don't know if I should wait for next year's Fit Hybrid...

Do you know how much those are gonna cost and when they'll be released? We really need to switch now, but if the Hybrids are coming pretty soon, I'd be willing to wait if the cost is right. I also LOVE the Element - do you know if there is any talk about a Hybrid Element? The gas mileage isn't the best on those.

The Fits are pretty great. It's really surprising how roomy they are - and the backseat configurations mean even more cargo space for picking up random stuff. And you can also customize them to put a roof-rack on for out-of-town getaways. I mean, you're not gonna be able to fit an 8 foot bookcase into it (well, unless it's from IKEA and you have to put it together yourself - then you can just tie the boxes on the roof rack ), but in those 2 or 3 instances per year when we need that space, we can just rent a flatbed truck for 20 bucks from Home Depot. (you can get a 7'10" surboard in there with long-mode... but only two people in addition)

Seriously though, if you have an SUV and were considering selling it or trading it in at any point in the future (and you don't live out in the country where SUVs are needed - ie: you don't own a ranch or farm or live on a dirt road) - now is probably the time, or you might be stuck with it.

 

[Kuzeh]

Here's some info on the Hybrid Fit

https://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=126385

I'm not sure about the Element, I've never really liked it, a friend of mine had one and it's just a huge shoe-box!!
I have an old Kia Sportage, and even though I get decent milage on it, I need an upgrade pronto!!

 

[Kabukiman]

Does 2010 mean fall of next year? I don't think I can make it that long... I'm driving a 17 mpg POS urban assault vehicle.

 

[Kuzeh]

Oopss, my bad, for some reason I thought it was coming out next year,
oh well, then I'll get the regular Fit,!!
Oh I see what happened, I got confused with the new Toyota Prius...