Think Progress

“Gasoline prices hit a new record

By Nico Pitney on May 14th, 2007 at 2:19 pm

“Gasoline prices hit a new record

at the pump on Monday,” with the average national price of a gallon of gas hitting $3.073, “well above the previous record of $3.057, set on Sept. 5, 2005, soon after Hurricane Katrina hit.”



108 Responses to ““Gasoline prices hit a new record”

  1. m12 says:

    Not adjusted for inflation, I see.


  2. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Alright! Now where’s our Chief Energy Correspondent Roger Rabbit to explain to us all how we will be driving on $1.15 a gallon gas by this Spring?… oh wait a minute.


  3. Art says:

    The Bush administration was right!
    The Iraqi oil is paying for the war!
    But because of cost overruns, we have to raise the price of gasoline.
    Sorry about that!


  4. david says:

    The automobile is the Cancer that has destroyed the American landscape, devoured all the arable land, polluted the water and air. I destroyed the urban core and stretched the supply lines of America to the breaking point. And now the fuel of this cancer has turned against itself. Woe unto you, you generation of vipers.

    Well, I can’t keep this satirical invective up. Suffice it to say we need to shrink the urban landscape. We need to work closer to home. We need to move in packs and not in ones. We need to completely rethink the economy. This gas price will never go down again. Get used to it.


  5. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Hey – here’s a TP thought experiment for everyone.

    If you take the amount the US spends on Defense each year (please factor in Iraq supplementals), multiply that number that you think is a proportion of that budget currently being spent ’securing the oil supply’, then divide that number of barrels of oil imported per year by the US…. the number you get is an approximation for the premium that US taxpayers are paying on their oil…. let’s see some estimates of the ‘true oil price’ for Americans… go.


  6. Ben Dover says:

    If I’m not mistaken, the price of gasoline was about $1.40 a gallon before Bush’s energy policy was put in place in May 2001. You dont think Chimpy McFlightsuit or Deadeye Dick have had anything to do with the price of gas going up so much under their “leadership” do you?

    This rise in gas prices must be Bill Clinton’s fault.


  7. Briseadh na Faire says:

    California has oil, and refineries. Yet the cheapest gas where I live is $3.31/gallon.


  8. margaret says:

    I paid $3.43 per gallon yesterday.


  9. kelso says:

    Get used to it. Next year when it’s 4 bucks a gallon everyone will be pining for the good ol’ days when a gallon of gas was $3.


  10. HumboldtBlue says:

    Take a gander at what we pay for gas up here. Here’s a simple equation to figure out high gas prices and why I scoff at these latest rounds of hand wringing.

    Take the price of a gallon of gas where you live now, add 40 cents to it and you’ll be a Humboldt Homey.

    We’ve been paying well over 3.50 a gallon for months, as high as 3.95. Not a complaint, just an observation.


  11. m12 says:

    #6

    Clinton did provide tax breaks for Exxon and company in 1998. Yet the media blames that on Bush.


  12. tablogloid says:

    Americans should stop whining about the price of gasoiline. Most Europeans countries have been paying much more for gas for many years. Even Canada is paying about $4.00 per gallon today.


  13. Crump's Brother says:

    m12,

    “Clinton did provide tax breaks for Exxon and company in 1998. Yet the media blames that on Bush.”

    I blame that on Clinton. However, when Clinton did those things, he made sure other things were paid for first. It’s called fiscal conservatism.


  14. Sharon says:

    It’s been $3.48 for unleaded here in Wahington State for the last 2 week’s..Would bet it’s higher this morning but haven’t gone any where to check…Later..Blessings


  15. Sharon says:

    Oop’s sorry, here’s the s I missed in Washington…


  16. Geekfather says:

    #11

    … Really? “But Clinton” already? Isn’t it a bit early to play your trump card?

    The Oil Co. profits under Clinton were not in the tens of billions like they are now.

    Good day, sir.

    I SAID GOOD DAY!


  17. Patrick1 says:

    We can lower the price Tuesday by eliminating the federal and state tax on gasoline. Odds of that happening? Same as Algore saving electricity.


  18. TerrytheTurtle says:

    My opinion wil be that historians will look back at US 20th early 21st C history and after their ‘Jared Diamond what-the-fuck-were-they-thinking moment’ will pin the blame squarely of the presence of two Presidents in the pay of the oil companies at the two key moments when Americans would have been able to be persuaded to cure their addiction to oil. Both presidents were called George Bush……


  19. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Which oil company is paying you patrickoneball?


  20. m12 says:

    #16

    Good day for the oil companies, indeed, and their investors. They get the high price of oil, high international demand, and favorable tax deals by the Democratic administration.

    Drilling leases used to include agreements to void the tax breaks if the price of oil went too high. Yet somebody forgot to put such a clause in during the years of 1998-1999.

    Whoops!


  21. TheToonGuy says:

    Want to lower the price of gas? Slap some windfall profits taxes on those SOBs.

    Hey, I’d love to work closer to home. I’d also love to take advantage of mass transit to commute. I think the chances of seeing new jobs or mass transit appearing during the Bush regime are about as likely as seeing monkeys fly out of my butt.


  22. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Hey Zooey – I think I may have figured out the f filter….


  23. bob (not the hacker) says:

    Does anyone else remember the conservative pundit class railing against taxes on gas to go to alternative energy research, back when gas was 2.50 a gallon?


  24. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Oops no I haven’t – well spotted there, Nico. You must admit, it was a pretty in offensive use of the word…..no?


  25. Sharon says:

    m12, dum bass..The house and senate were run by the reich wingers in 98 & 99..Back under the bridge black hearted tiny troll..


  26. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Oil profits windfall tax – open up a fund for the New Apollo project – same model as Superfund for environmental cleanup…

    That’s my suggestion…

    And for the trolls who say their is no Dem plan… then read this..
    http://www.apolloalliance.org


  27. m12 says:

    #24

    Clinton was a reich-winger? It was his administration that set up the oil deals.


  28. tarazan says:

    #6 & 11
    m12—-: “Clinton did provide tax breaks for Exxon and company in 1998.Yet the media blames that on Bush”

    If Clinton was able to balance the budget,have a surplus,keep the gasoline between $1.19- $1.30 for consumers,also gives a tax breaks to Exxon and gasoline companies….then Clinton was a good smart economic genius.

    What do we have now?!!..
    Huge deficit,gasoline shooting to the roof…and no end in sight to this war in IRAQ…
    Bush is not even telling us when all of these problems are going to be
    solved.


  29. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Hey Sharon – isn’t Jay Inslee your Rep?….

    Patrick’s done a bunk. Maybe he’s broken his fax machine… or maybe drive-by-trolling is becoming expensive…. maybe you should be supporting that minimum wage raise, Patrickoneball.


  30. Vinnie says:

    m12,

    Please tell us all that Bush has done in the six years that he controlled the White House AND Congress to help alleviate the peak oik energy problem that has been documented for years now.

    (Note that my question is specifically about a period where Clinton was NOT in office so you may not use his name in your reply. I know that will be hard for you.)


  31. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Guess what m12? People on the progressive side don’t agree with everything Clinton did. NAFTA…. nope, Tax breaks for Exxon – nope, BJs…. well no, but I confess I would like one too every now and again…

    Take your ‘Clinton did it’ talking point and stuff it somewhere dark and smelly.


  32. Ben Dover says:

    The most important thing to remember is that with the rise in gasoline prices the stock portfolio of Bush, Cheney and the rest of the cabal will be skyrocketing. BP will have another quarter with $40 billion in after tax profits. THOSE are the things that are really important to His Highness the Presidunce, not a bunch of us sitting around reminiscing about the good old days with Bill when we had a fiscally conservative President in office – someone who knew how to create friends AND balance budgets. Too bad Chimpy is incapable of anything other than profiteering. But thats been a Bush Family Value since World War II when Grandpa Prescott was trading with Hitler…so we shouldn’t be surprised.


  33. Coffins Draped with Flags says:

    Before the Iraq war, gas was $1.30/gallon, now 4 + years of Iraq war brings us $3.10/gallon gas. It’s still cheaper than what the Iraqis pay for oil. They are giving up their lives to keep their oil.


  34. margaret says:

    Well said Mr. Ben Dover!!!


  35. Proud Dem says:

    And yet the Oil Companies report record profits…AGAIN!!!!!

    I am in the process of transferring to a job that is less than 5 miles from my home. My child will be going to school that is a 10 minute walk from my new office. I am going to be doing my part to conserve my fuel in my car. Patrick1, m12, jake, etc…. will you be walking back and forth to work? Will you be riding a bicycle? Hmmm? Didn’t think so.

    SULOGA!


  36. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    Drilling leases used to include agreements to void the tax breaks if the price of oil went too high. Yet somebody forgot to put such a clause in during the years of 1998-1999. Whoops! Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 2:47 pm

    What political party was in charge of Congress then? And completely distracting the American people with a trumped up charge of Impeachment? All while r*ping the American people without the press doing anything but licking their *sses?

    Oops indeed. You wingnuts never care about *accountability* or *responsibility*, and like some psychotic child that’s one step away from getting put in Juvie – you *laugh* at your own criminal behavior. You’re a lunatic – get help – wingnut.


  37. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Right on Coffins, reminds me of Project for the Old American Century’s posters….:

    Chimpy: “It’s TORTURE getting this gas to market”…


  38. Phil McCavity says:

    Ben Dover? Is that you laddie? Come home, I’m sorry we argued… you can carve the haggis next time..

    (sorry… old joke)


  39. Coffins Draped with Flags says:

    Huge deficit,gasoline shooting to the roof…and no end in sight to this war in IRAQ…
    Bush is not even telling us when all of these problems are going to be
    solved.

    Boy Bush doesn’t give a rat’s behind about solving problems. He has one concern and it’s called “photo opportunities”. Someone told him that the presidency is all about photo ops.


  40. tarazan says:

    m12,

    Last time Clinton was President was last century, the end of 1999. Bush has been the President since then and we are now almost mid of year 2007 and you still bring Clinton’s name and blaming him for all the ailments of this administration.


  41. TerrytheTurtle says:

    I find myself wondering whether Douglas Adams was channeling HL Mencken when he conceived George W Bush, sorry Zaphod Beeblebrox.


  42. m12 says:

    What political party was in charge of Congress then? And completely distracting the American people with a trumped up charge of Impeachment? All while r*ping the American people without the press doing anything but licking their *sses?

    Congress has nothing to do with the deals negotiated by the Democratic administration. I like your position though:

    If theres a D congress and an R president, its the President’s fault.
    If theres an R congress and a D president, its Congress’s fault.


  43. m12 says:

    I am in the process of transferring to a job that is less than 5 miles from my home. My child will be going to school that is a 10 minute walk from my new office. I am going to be doing my part to conserve my fuel in my car. Patrick1, m12, jake, etc…. will you be walking back and forth to work? Will you be riding a bicycle? Hmmm? Didn’t think so.

    Nope, and nope. I don’t care much for conservation.

    Free country and all.


  44. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    Congress has nothing to do with the deals negotiated by the Democratic administration. I like your position though:
    If theres a D congress and an R president, its the President’s fault.
    If theres an R congress and a D president, its Congress’s fault.
    Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 3:20 pm

    Project much?

    Prove that Clinton knew of those agreements – you can’t, but please try…


  45. evergreen says:

    When talking about all the murders the Bushies are responsible for, I can just see the right wingers say “But Charlie Manson did it too!”.


  46. Trekkie says:

    We can lower the price Tuesday by eliminating the federal and state tax on gasoline.

    Small problem…in many states the gasoline tax is used to pay for highway and road construction projects.

    So doing this would reduce the price of gas, but then you’d probably spend more to fix your car after the roads begin to crumble.


  47. m12 says:

    #39

    No, I’m blaming him on the long term tax breaks (that last until today) that were signed by his administration.

    Why would a “smart economic genius” sign a long term tax deal favorable to oil companies without hedging against the price of oil? All his predecessors did.


  48. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    Nope, and nope. I don’t care much for conservation.
    Free country and all.
    Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 3:21 pm

    Yeah, and gangbangers don’t care much for gun control, drug laws, and civic responsibility either – free country and all. The difference is that you’re delusional enough to falsely believe you’re a responsible citizen. Then again, maybe you don’t care if you are a hateful, selfish, self absorbed, and self loathing little d*ck?


  49. Crump's Brother says:

    M12

    “If theres a D congress and an R president, its the President’s fault.
    If theres an R congress and a D president, its Congress’s fault.”

    This is a technique employed by both sides. Who should get credit? It’s interesting isn’t it? Does Clinton get the credit and the blame for his successes and failures or the Republican Congress. WHat about Reagan and his successes and failures? Are they his, or are they the Democratic Congress he had to deal with?


  50. Proud Dem says:

    Nope, and nope. I don’t care much for conservation.

    Free country and all.

    Comment by m12

    This sounds name jacked, but it proves a neocon point.


  51. m12 says:

    #43

    The deals in 1998-99 were negotiated by his administration. Shouldn’t he know about it?


  52. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    Not adjusted for inflation, I see.
    Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 2:21 pm

    You mean your arrogance, your ignorance, or your st*pidity? All of which do seem to *inflate* daily.


  53. geranim says:

    The price of gas is not going to go down again. It will get higher and higher. Why? Supply and Demand. China and India are coming online in a big way and need more and more gas.

    What some ostrich’s won’t admit but is obvious is; WE ARE AT PEAK OIL! We are on the graph’s plateau and will soon (5-7 years) be hitting the Olduvia Gorge. The big drop if you will. Then things will get REAL hairy. Then we will see the start of the great dying. Several Billions will die, mostly in the third world countries but also some here.

    So use the gas while you can for soon, there won’t be near as much left. I don’t know about you, but I’m taking some long drives this summer. The last viewing if you may. Good Luck with yours.


  54. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    So midlevel managers in the Interior Department under Clinton just *accidentally* removed a standard clause for the oil companies. Then they covered up (hid) the mistake until it leaked in 2006. Wow, yeah, that’s surely Clinton’s fault.

    Poor m12, you’re just another criminally inclined, selfish twit that’s unworthy to live in this great country. Do us all a favor, and move to one of those Authoritarian Religious regimes where you belong? Ok child? Although I bet they won’t take kindly to your repressed sexuality. Then again – who knows – you might be the most popular boy in the madrasa!


  55. m12 says:

    Please tell us all that Bush has done in the six years that he controlled the White House AND Congress to help alleviate the peak oik energy problem that has been documented for years now.

    He has tried to drill ANWR to give us more oil.
    He has established and renewed the hybrid tax credit (which I don’t agree with BTW)
    He’s tried to reduce the ethanol tariff, but that’s been stomped on by Tom Harkin, Chuck Grassley, and Obama.


  56. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    The deals in 1998-99 were negotiated by his administration. Shouldn’t he know about it? Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 3:26 pm

    Yeah, just like Bush should have known all of the details that there were no WMDs in Iraq that the intelligence community knew about. Yet he says he didn’t! Imagine that! You want it both ways – again…


  57. Vinnie says:

    Repost – I’m still waiting for an answer on this. Or are you basically admitting that the answer is nothing?

    m12,

    Please tell us all that Bush has done in the six years that he controlled the White House AND Congress to help alleviate the peak oik energy problem that has been documented for years now.

    (Note that my question is specifically about a period where Clinton was NOT in office so you may not use his name in your reply. I know that will be hard for you.)


  58. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    You know m12, this has all been addressed in Congressional hearings, right?

    Earl E. Devaney, the Interior Department’s inspector general, told lawmakers that midlevel officials apparently failed to inform top officials in the Clinton administration about the problem with the leases and that senior officials in the Bush administration decided in 2004 they were powerless to fix the mistake.

    Yeah, it’s hard to know something, when people cover it up – right child? I’m sure that’s how you implement all of the crimes in your life – non-disclosure?


  59. m12 says:

    #53

    We’ve got an apologist on both knees here. Actions by midlevel managers at Walter Reed are Bush’s fault, of course. But actions by Clinton’s midlevel managers? Nope.

    That even ignores the most obvious problem. How do you *accidentally* remove a clause that was in the 1997 lease?


  60. TerrytheTurtle says:

    M12 – you are making your obeisances to the ‘market’ – but guess who decides the way the market works? The federal government and who decides the make up of the government? The lobbyists who pay for the campaigns…. the market is rigged m12….. or do you go to Vegas every year as part of your plan to retire early?


  61. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    We’ve got an apologist on both knees here. Actions by midlevel managers at Walter Reed are Bush’s fault, of course. But actions by Clinton’s midlevel managers? Nope. Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

    Actually it was outsourcing that cause the problem at Walter Reed – and that’s entirely a Bush and Company failure. So yep, that is his responsibility. The difference is that the Bush administration continued to deny a problem existed even when informed, but the Clinton administration wasn’t informed of the issue.

    That even ignores the most obvious problem. How do you *accidentally* remove a clause that was in the 1997 lease?
    Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

    You don’t, that’s why it’s a coverup. Many employees in the department of the interior in recent years are very wingnut loyalist. You can be assured this was no accident. It was another criminal act, by another wingnut like you. Most of you are natural born corrupt criminals – it’s why you f*ck up everything you touch.


  62. Zimzone says:

    Unwilling to get in a shit fight with trolls, I will leave the vermin venom to better debaters, but…

    Henry Ford built the Model T to run on pure alcohol. No petroleum distillates at all, other than lubricants.

    We could leave OPEC, Venezuela & the rest of oil producing whackos overnight by going to full alcohol. Not ethanol, that’s just subsidizing big oil with the refinery bottlenecks.

    Alcohol burns cleaner, (it’s still a class in drag racing), give more power, and can easily be produced locally in many regions to save shipping costs.

    What say you, alrighty Trolls?


  63. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Ethanol, m12 – I have no time for that beyond a certain point. Different drug, different pushers, same result….


  64. ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus says:

    #53 We’ve got an apologist on both knees here.
    Comment by m12 — May 14, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

    You aren’t *just* an apologist, you’re also a selfish, hateful and st*pid fool… Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a *bigtime* loser…


  65. TerrytheTurtle says:

    Zimzone – what’s the difference between ethanol and alcohol?

    Back later – doors closed on aircraft…


  66. m12 says:

    Actually it was outsourcing that cause the problem at Walter Reed – and that’s entirely a Bush and Company failure. So yep, that is his responsibility. The difference is that the Bush administration continued to deny a problem existed even when informed, but the Clinton administration wasn’t informed of the issue.

    So Bush is responsible for a private company, and Clinton can’t even handle his own appointed members of his own administration!

    Those damn Democratic wingnuts!


  67. John H. Farr says:

    The price of gasoline BEFORE the invasion of Iraq was about $1.60. Bush is a friend of the oil companies. The price is now double. This isn’t rocket science.

    BTW, here in northern New Mexico, we’re pushing $3.40/gallon today. Makes a person sick, it does.


  68. Katie says:

    And the oil companies will again post record profits. Please, how can we not think that Oil companies are profiteering off of the current world situation.


  69. tarazan says:

    The excuse…: “We don’t have enough OIL refineries”…
    With billions and billions of profits by oil companies…The question is ..What is stopping them from building refineries…Or this is just another exuse…The bonuses of these oil bosses alone will build a nice size refinery…
    It is no surprise that oil prices go down always before elections….,then go up again after.


  70. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    John, how exactly do you survive? Are you eating termites?


  71. m12 says:

    This is a technique employed by both sides. Who should get credit? It’s interesting isn’t it? Does Clinton get the credit and the blame for his successes and failures or the Republican Congress. WHat about Reagan and his successes and failures? Are they his, or are they the Democratic Congress he had to deal with?

    The Democrats in Congress certainly deserve some of the credit for Reagan’s revival of the economy and the critical tax reform.


  72. Crump's Brother says:

    m12,

    “The Democrats in Congress certainly deserve some of the credit for Reagan’s revival of the economy and the critical tax reform.”

    So then does Clinton deserve some or most of the economic expansion during his presidency?

    How do we decide who gets what credit?


  73. John Gilpins says:

    For sale:

    2003 Lincoln Navigator, 9,000 miles, all service records, showroom condition, Cancun vacation included, motivated, all reasonable offers considered, $750.

    2003 Honda Civic, 107,000 miles, service records destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, flood
    damage but a good deal at $39,500, firm.


  74. Saywho says:

    OK here is my thought on this thread…

    Have a look at this picture (RED is WATER & BLUE is OIL)

    http://www.theoildrum.com/files/Picture%20240.png

    I suppose there is plenty of work in IRAQ if you like killing! When are you getting laid off?


  75. SKdeA says:

  76. Saywho says:

    Here is another thought on this thread have a look here…
    http://home.entouch.net/dmd/cantarell.htm


  77. theRealist says:

    Sigh. You people need to review your Financial Accounting.

    Oil companies are setting “record profits” only as a function of scale. Their NET INCOME, or what the media likes to call PROFITS, seems high simply because they are also the largest companies in the world and they are doing a good job of reducing the expense of extracting, refinining, and distributing their product. But calling it “record profit” is a mistake.

    All companies/corporations are different entitites and it is difficult to make a real comparison between, say a Bank and an Oil Company’s NET INCOME and say which company, the Bank or the Oil company is more PROFITABLE.

    A better comparison is RETURN ON INVESTMENT. You have to spend money to make money (this is what PROFIT truly is), and Oil companies spend so much more money that their RETURN ON INVESTMENT is not nearly as good as other companies, like Pharmaceuticals and Banks. Take a look at Big Pharmaceuticals and Banks/Investment Firms. As a function of investment, they really make more PROFIT. Oh, and they tend to have more federal subsidy, and tend to bend/break the rules much more than oil companies too.

    Why aren’t you so angry at them?


  78. Saywho says:

    If anyone is interested…
    http://www.goldenislandmachinery.com

    Comment by SKdeA — May 14, 2007 @ 4:24 pm

    I like links quite a bit. That being said this one does not seem to work.


  79. Geekfather says:

    76: Because we (Dubya and his Pet Congress) wrote them a 9 billion dollar check the year before they post 10 billion dollars in profit. That was not ROI.

    There was no I.


  80. m12 says:

    So then does Clinton deserve some or most of the economic expansion during his presidency?

    Absolutely. Clinton was not a terrible president on fiscal matters.

    I suppose its to the individual to decide who you want to credit/blame.


  81. Craig Mack says:

    #64– Ethanol is a by product of bio fuel, such as corn (which is the base for ethanol right now). It still requires Gasoline as both it’s catylyst and main ingredient. The only problem with Ethanol (from a mechanics standpoint) is that you get a lower yield per unit, and it leaves more gunk in your engine. By less per unit, I mean that for every 1 unit of gasoline it takes to make ethanol, you only get something like 1.3 units of usable energy, so it’s still basically gasoline with a litlle extra.

    Alcohol is basically just pure form (think Bacardi 151 which most engines WILL burn). It’s cheaper, burns cleaner, but the heat and volitilty make it hard to control.


  82. Zimzone says:

    they are doing a good job of reducing the expense of extracting, refining, and distributing their product. But calling it “record profit” is a mistake. -Comment by theRealist

    I have to take issue, Realist, with the refining part. We haven’t seen a new refinery in over 20 yrs. I realize a lot of red tape goes into getting a new refinery approved, but I would not describe any attempts by big oil as ‘doing a good job’. What good are reserves if you can’t bring them to market in an efficient manner?

    Pure alcohol, as posted above, would solve many of these issues.
    Ask Henry Ford; he had it right the first time!


  83. Saywho says:

    Comment by theRealist — May 14, 2007 @ 4:28 pm

    Those are some good points but oil companies don’t spend MONEY on finding or pumping oil. Oil is a more than a commodity at this point. Oil is in fact what currency is based on now. The US started to import more than 50% of its oil needs and that triggered massive devaluation of the dollar. Regardless the only item of true value in this thought is OIL. It takes OIL to pump OIL. In the early days of Texas oil had (+) 110 EROEI however we now see (+) 5 EROEI globally. That means it takes 1 barrel to get 5 now. Once the process hits 1:1 the process stops otherwise we wind up with a negative EROEI or simply stated a complete and utter waste of time.

    PAX


  84. leftcoast says:

    Bush’s 20 in 10 plan is nothing. It serves to placate the supreme court. The WH’s announcement today also blamed congress for not acting on his plans when he took office trying to put the current problem on democrat’s back.


  85. Saywho says:

    This photo…
    http://dieoff.org/Olduvai.gif
    Is the best representation of our situation.


  86. John Gilpins says:

    Gas IS NOT $3.40 a gallon. Gas IS NOT $3.25 a gallon. Gas IS NOT $3.00 a gallon. Gas IS NOT $2.75 a gallon. Tell the truth for a change. I’m tired of hearing lies and misrepresentations.

    Stop paying for a gas station attendant to pump your gas, check your tires, check your battery, wipe your windshield, vacuum your mats, and rotate your tires every time you get gas. If you didn’t pay for these additional services every time you fill up, gas would be $1.60 a gallon.

    I have many wonderful, dear friends at Exxon and other energy companies. These folks are COMPASSIONATE and noble people. They have made many sacrifices for this great country, and not one person here is thankful. Give them around of applause and thanks. Not only that, GIVE ME AROUND OF APPLAUSE AND THANKS. Be thankful gas isn’t $10.00 a gallon.

    Exxon, and other energy companies, have your best interests at heart. Not only that, I have your best interests at heart, too.

    Sincerely,
    The Honorable George W. Bush
    President of the United States of America

    The preceding statement was not written by George W. Bush. I suppose it’s possible George W. Bush doesn’t know the price of gas. He doesn’t know a lot of things.


  87. leftcoast says:

    #85 Way to go John!


  88. radion says:

    Stop paying for a gas station attendant to pump your gas, check your tires, check your battery, wipe your windshield, vacuum your mats, and rotate your tires every time you get gas.

    LOL. This has got to be a joke. At least in California, Nevada and Arizona, there are no gas station attendants. All gas is self serve and all air and water are gotten out of 50 cent machines. And gas is still $3.50 per gallon.


  89. leftcoast says:

    A pres. not beholding to big oil would not have asked for a 20% reduction in government car gas consumption, but demanded that cars for consumers be done the same. His 20 in 10 Plan is a total joke.


  90. leftcoast says:

    #87 You’re right. It is a joke. California will demand a charge for full service, but there is no one there to give it to ya. My 83 year old mother still pumps her own gas (albiet she should give up driving to Albertsons once a week).


  91. leftcoast says:

    By the way mom’s car is an ‘83 Sentra that smells brand new inside. You can spot it easily. Its blue and the interior has a splash of grey.


  92. muckdog says:

    We haven’t built a new refinery in decades. The ones we have are running at 95% capacity. Take one down for maintenance or to make the “summer blend,” and we have fuel shortages.

    Tell your environmental friends THANK YOU for preventing the building of new refineries.

    Besides, you lefties love higher gas prices because you believe that it will reduce traffic. LOL. Remember when you wanted a fuel tax increase to stop people from driving and encourage mass transit? Look like that was another liberal fallacy. Isn’t happening. People would rather fill up the gas tank and cut back on their retail spending.


  93. leftcoast says:

    muckdog-
    I can agree on the 35 years it has been since a new refinery has been built. And there does need to be more, and soon. But, will you accept one two miles from you? Good space for these are hard to find.

    But I disagree on who stops their growth. Land developers have another use for the land. They are generally repubs. Fuel tax was meant to support a wide array of initiatives. If you are in California most cities are not set up for a perfect system of mass transit, because years ago land developers were not held back. Again a Repug initiated effort.


  94. paland says:

    Tell your environmental friends THANK YOU for preventing the building of new refineries

    Thats not why new refineries have been built. You can’t just plop a refinery down and make oil. The truth is that three of the worlds largest oil fields are running dry. and we don’t have enough at the other new fields to make up for it. The three going down:

    1) Ghawar in Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest, had it’s extraction dropped %8 in the last year and expected worse this year.
    2)Cantarell in Mexico, once the worlds 4th largest has dropped extraction by nearly %50 in just the last two years.
    3)North Sea fields. Once a stronghold for European oil has it’s production falling fast.

    Now we have three places that have some potential. The Alaskan ANWR fields, The oil shoals in Canada, and Jack 2 in the Gulf of Mexico (the largest of the three but harder to get to).

    All three are expensive but will produce some oil but not nearly enough to make up for the drop in the other fields. The truth is, we are now on the down side of the oil peak. The Olduvai Gorge is only a few years away.


  95. Coffins Draped with Flags says:

    The people that really need to complain are the military and the Iraqis. They pay for oil with their lives.


  96. mindcaster says:

    $ 7,50 over here. Quit whining. Start buying real cars. Or demand actual public transportation.

    *Utopia is only a bicycle ride away*


  97. Saywho says:

    We haven’t built a new refinery in decades. The ones we have are running at 95% capacity. Take one down for maintenance or to make the “summer blend,” and we have fuel shortages.

    Tell your environmental friends THANK YOU for preventing the building of new refineries.

    Besides, you lefties love higher gas prices because you believe that it will reduce traffic. LOL. Remember when you wanted a fuel tax increase to stop people from driving and encourage mass transit? Look like that was another liberal fallacy. Isn’t happening. People would rather fill up the gas tank and cut back on their retail spending.

    Comment by muckdog — May 14, 2007 @ 5:36 pm

    Why build refineries that we will not need shortly? How can we make gasoline from heavy sour crude since that seems to be all that is flowing? How can we get blood from a stone?


  98. Trekkie says:

    $ 7,50 over here. Quit whining. Start buying real cars. Or demand actual public transportation.

    I have a fuel-efficient vehicle and would love to switch to public transportation. But the dopes who run this state see anything resembling an efficient mass-transit system to be a “boondoggle”. After all, oil companies can’t make money off a light rail system.

    Not to mention that the jobs are in one town and affordable aprtment housing is in another. It’s hard to avoid getting soaked when you have to drive 60 miles round-trip every day because the housing market is geared towards families and not individuals.


  99. angryvietnamvet says:

    Yes, it is true that in the European Union the price of gasoline is higher. Most of that difference, however, is due to taxes, which pay for universal health care services, generous unemployment benefits and other people services. In the U.S. you just get the expensive gas, and good luck finding the additional bucks to buy private insurance, pay the high deductibles etc. as gas prices (and Exxon,Chevron profits just grow and grow).


  100. Misty says:

    $2.99 a gallon today (Vermont). Given other numbers I’ve seen from around the country, I guess we’re lucky so far. I can’t wait until this is ready for market:

    New Gas Additive Promises To Double Gas Mileage
    http://www.crystalair.com/content.php?id=31200705008


  101. Saywho says:

    New Gas Additive Promises To Double Gas Mileage
    http://www.crystalair.com/content.php?id=31200705008

    Comment by Misty — May 14, 2007 @ 8:24 pm

    I remember when magnets were all the rage. Then there was the venturi cyclone. Then there was super injector cleaner…

    I hope your additive works for you!


  102. Zooey says:

    $3.30 per gallon today in northern Idaho.


  103. Jay Randal says:

    Expect the price of gasoline to approach 4 bucks a gallon nationwide by mid summer. Big Oil corporations are very greedy for more profits.


  104. crescentdave says:

    Could one of the 30 percenters tell me how gas could plunge to the lows it hit JUST BEFORE THE 2006 elections and then climb up to where it is now, without ANY significant change in oil availability?

    As has been stated before, you only show your desperation and lack of credibility if you bring up Clinton. But hey, do what you have to do- seeing how reality is inimical to your world view.


  105. destardi says:

    um, try 3.49 in Chicago. BS!!!!


  106. Saywho says:

    She was great,,,
    She was big,,,
    She was grand,,,
    She is almost GONE…

    http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2470

    Ghawar and here more than 50 years of daily service will be missed! Please, a moment of silence for the official death of the industrial revolution and the biggest oil well in the world!


  107. null says:

    Hollywood elitists march along side other Americans demanding aid for third world countries like Darfur. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but when are we going to actually going to take a stand against something that is affecting every American. If we can form Anti-war marches, than why can’t we form Anti-big oil marches. Are we that afraid to face the politicians in Washington. Certainly not. And whether you are a republican, democrat, or independent it is naive to think that this is solely Bush’s fault. Every politician is responsible for SERVING the citizens of their respective states. Bush and Hillary are driving around in US Gov’t cars. They are not paying for their gas. WE ARE!


  108. Lets be Free From High Gas Prices says:

    How Wonderful!!HA HA! Bush talking about American’s needing to cut down on the fuel they use on a daily basis to decrease supply and demand pricing at the pump. THE LAST TIME I CHECKED I DIDN’T SEE PRESIDENT BUSH CHAUFFEURED AROUND WITH HIS ENTOURAGE IN HYBRIDS!!!!LOOKED JUST LIKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF GAS EATING SURBURBANS!!



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