Gas prices.
So we all saw some sky rocketing gas prices this week. I have two thoughts on it.
One, I’m sort of happy. Our low priced gas has caused us to use and depend on cars far more then we should, and it’s destroying our planet. We choose to live and work and go to church and other places without regard to their proximity to one another (relatively speaking). We rarely carpool or consider other modes of transportation for our regular commutes. We drive gas guzzling vehicles without a second thought.
I think there is a chance these skyrocketing prices will at least help us start considering some ways to cut down on our use of gas. Maybe folks will start combining errands instead of taking a trip to the store everyday. Maybe we start asking co-workers about carpooling, or look into taking public transit. Maybe we at least start thinking about mpg as an important feature for a car. Maybe, just maybe these gas prices will get us to start thinking about how we harm the enviroment, mainly cause we are thinking about the hole it is burning in our pockets.
Second, and this is food for thought. If there really does become any sort of shortage on gas or something, will motorsports be willing to take a break? I mean gas guzzling liesure and entertainment activities seem like they’d be first on my list of things to go in a time of shortage. Anyone?
I just don’t know what I’d do without my Nascar…
Comment by Zach — September 5, 2005 @ 9:43 am
you know whats even funnier? even though gas prices are skyrocketing, the world knows that oil is gonna run out for sure, and its already been predicted ages back… i think it was a publication by the club of rome or something? 1980s some time…
anyways, what im getting at is, that unlike everyone else in the world, the americans seem to ignore that fact, and are making bigger trucks and SUVs that suck up more gas than ever, and seem to sell them real well… not sure if its just me, but companies like GM tell the cunsumers what they want, or so it would seem that way…
Comment by aaron — September 7, 2005 @ 12:10 am
It’s so true… most Americans seem blind (or play dumb) to the fact that the oil we pump from the gulf isn’t going to last forever, and that this oil doesn’t even cover half of what the US uses. It’s sickening, watching monster trucks SUVs rolling down the road, and what for? To impart status to their drivers, pure and simple. I think the American attitude towards oil is a signpost towards a much bigger reality: Arrogance. It is arrogance on the international scene, the likes of which is starting to cause us big trouble in places like Venezuela. It is arrogance towards the environment, towards each other: “I am an American. I am inpenetrable. I will live forever.” I could go on and on.
Comment by Bryan Blakeley — September 22, 2005 @ 4:09 pm
America is dependent on gas like a child is dependent on his or her mother. Gas prices affect EVERYTHING. It is time we stop our huge dependency, but how can we do this? We see the poverty gaps widening because the less fortunate can no longer commute. We see children suffering because bus programs must triple up on loads to conserve gas. Although this rings gold in the environmentalists’ ears, we are slowly hurting our economy as well as other countries’ economies. Exactly how? We aren’t consuming. (Now, as Americans, we are experts at consuming. We make only Consumer goods. We import capital goods. Not good for our future, but that’s another economic story). We aren’t driving to the malls to buy the clothes. So the clothes become more expensive because the companies still want the same profits. Unfortunatly, we jump the equilibrium and our economy dwindles down.
Holy cow! All of this because of gas? You’re right. Cut our dependency? The new hybrids (mady by Honda and Toyota) are just a baby step in the right direction.
Produce prices raise.
FedEx prices raise.
Dollor menus at Taco Bell turn into Value Menus.
Prices are going up; our wages are not going up. This means America’s standard of living is dropping.
We aren’t traveling; air fare prices are increasing.
All because of gas prices? It sounds silly, but yes.
Comment by Emily Nelson — September 27, 2005 @ 2:31 pm