Yes, we all know it's hit category 5. But did you know this?
"This storm is going to pass through the meat of the oil and gas fields. The whole country will feel it, because it's going to cripple us and the country's whole economy," said Capt. Buddy Cantrelle with Kevin Gros Offshore, which supplies rigs via a fleet of large crew vessels.
"No matter where it hits at this point, it's going to hit a lot of rigs, and the whole country is going to notice," Cantrelle said. "And if this thing comes up through Port Fourchon like they're calling for right now, well, that's where 30 percent of the country's oil comes ashore. They are forecasting 40-foot seas for Fourchon."
Oh yay let's all raise the gas prices $.40 per gallon JUST INCASE then when the storm's over and everything is back to normal, let's just convenientlyFORGET to lower the prices back down.
I'm not trading my SUV for a car. They just need to find cheaper ways to manufacture gas. Like Deapee said...they need to stop making excuses to raise the price.
Guys, this is a hurricane about to hit our oil production facilities and knock out 30% of our production. It has nothing to do with terrorism, cheaper manufacturing, or anything else. This is a hurricane, pure and simple. They've already shut down 8% of production because of evacuations. That is a simple supply cut. At least 563,000 barrels a DAY have already been lost in the region. Because of *evacuations*. These aren't excuses.
I totally agree with dave and shawn! The winters can get pretty bad here and you practically need something with 4WD unless you want to stay at home or get stuck on the side of the road.
My SUV isn't just a soccer mom grocery getter, I use it for camping and off-roading (in summer and winter). Which would be impossible in a car. Yea the mileage sucks, gas prices suck, and I'll keep complaining, but I'm still willing to take the hit for the features that an SUV affords me over a car or one of those 25mpg wanna-be SUVs.
But, the government should be working on ways to lower fuel prices unless they want a little taste anarchy. Take a look at the news already (and gas is only $2.50), there are already more drive-offs this year than ever before and a few gas station attendants have run over / killed by someone who didn't want to pay. People are getting really pissed. What do you think is going to happen when gas hits $3.00+?
Mikes got it right. I use my SUV to get around Pittsburgh in the winter. I also use it to tow my 2 quads and a dirtbike to my summer home up in the mountains of PA.
We are basically getting gauged right now. Someone gets the flu in the middle east and they see fit to raise the gas price .20 a gallon. It's getting ridiculous. Something needs to be done.
I understand that the hurricane is going to case real problems...but we are already at $2.50 a gallon in Pittsburgh....BEFORE the hurricane. That .80 a gallon more than we were paying last year at this time.
This is not an artificial crisis like the 70's. Oil prices are so high because you have two IMMENSELY large countries that over the last decade have increased their economies and oil demands at staggering rates.
Want to have cheap gas? Eliminate China and India from the face of the Earth. If you're not willing to do that, then get ready for a major, major energy crisis in the near term.
You could not begin to imagine how much construction and expansion is going on in China right now, and that is eating up more oil than anyone anticipated, and frankly, more than we've really got.
We built up China's economy by making sure that 90% of everything sold in the USA says "Made in China" so I guess we can't really complain now, can we?
Of course, most people didn't have SUVs about 30 years ago, and they got around OK, went camping...I understand that some people use their SUV a lot, but I keep hearing what a low percentage of SUVs are actually ever truly used "off-road" anyway. And it's kind of funny that I see so many SUVs and pick-ups slowing down for pavement bumps around town as I cruise past in an 18-year-old Buick.
This is not an artificial crisis like the 70's. Oil prices are so high because you have two IMMENSELY large countries that over the last decade have increased their economies and oil demands at staggering rates.
Want to have cheap gas? Eliminate China and India from the face of the Earth. If you're not willing to do that, then get ready for a major, major energy crisis in the near term.
Don't forget Russia. They're industrializing rapidly too. Peak oil is looming large. Katrina is just gonna get the ball rolling for us.
Many people that have trucks, have them for a reason and that's fine. I think what they were referring too is the guy that has a 8mpg hummer, never takes it off road and drives it only back and forth to work. Obviously a lot of people need and use their trucks.
The free market will work. As the price of gas goes up, people will use less. THat will lower the profits of the oil companys and eventually put some out of business as they will need to compete to see who can process and deliver the fuels most efficently. People will trade in their gas munchers and buy more efficent cars/trucks (I have already). Rising prices will also give more reason/incentive for companys to research alternate fuels vehicles.
Exactly right, forgot about Russia. Point is people, if you think all of this is just price guaging, and you think one day we'll go back to $1.50 gas, you're fooling yourself. Try $6.00
Of course, a lot of things can happen. Once the price level reaches an unaccpetable level or oil runs out and there is no more money to be siphoned into the pockets of lawmakers, we might actually have to develop alternative fuels and make a hybrid car that gets 200 mpg. Sound crazy? One engineer has already done it.
I am laughing my ass off at people who are driving around in their big SUV's/trucks. Not laughing at the ones who have to use them to make a living. Just laughing at the ones who use their behemoths to bring the kids to soccer parctice, do groceries or drive to Starbucks to go buy $7 cups of coffee. And they can't use "safety" as an excuse either, cuz during accidents their big ass vehicles jeopradize everyone else who drives decent sized vehicles. Give it time and the large SUV will go the way of the 60's and early 70's north american muscle car: to be owned by enthusiasts and shown off on weekends.
I am a pround Honda owner. I will be replacing my old integra with a Toyota Echo. Think of all the gas money I'll save when comapred to someone who drives a huge SUV. I'll be able to splurge it on spiffy new camera gear to document all the sad SUV-owner faces at the corner gas station. Hee hee!
I also use [my suv] to tow my 2 quads and a dirtbike to my summer home up in the mountains of PA.
*head in my hands, reeling at the irony of it all*
While other countries (Thailand, Philippines) are promoting conservation and telling their citizens to learn to live with less, the American way is to tell the rest of the world "you better figure out a way to make sure I can keep living in the manner of comfort to which I've become accustomed." Summer home? Please. Talk to the people who don't even have one home. Your priorities are out of whack.
Want to have cheap gas? Eliminate China and India from the face of the Earth. If you're not willing to do that, then get ready for a major, major energy crisis in the near term.
You could not begin to imagine how much construction and expansion is going on in China right now, and that is eating up more oil than anyone anticipated, and frankly, more than we've really got.
So what are you saying? That India and China should curtail the development of their respective economies so that you can have cheaper gas? Their just trying to get a piece of the economic pie, just like the rest of the world, and they are entitled to it.
I think we have been spoiled here in North America and also a bit isolated from what is really happening all around us. Globalization was once touted as a cash cow for us. Sure, let's jump in make heaps of money. Now that other powers like China and India are getting their speed up and seriously competing with us, causing higher prices for some resources, we're in a fluster. Can't blame other people for wanting to jump on the wagon to prosperity, just going to have to make a little room and pay a bit more for the ride.
I also use [my suv] to tow my 2 quads and a dirtbike to my summer home up in the mountains of PA.
*head in my hands, reeling at the irony of it all*
While other countries (Thailand, Philippines) are promoting conservation and telling their citizens to learn to live with less, the American way is to tell the rest of the world "you better figure out a way to make sure I can keep living in the manner of comfort to which I've become accustomed." Summer home? Please. Talk to the people who don't even have one home. Your priorities are out of whack.
I cannot give up my current SUV. It is paid for and the monthly gas costs for it are still far less than the cost to get a newer, more gas-efficient truck (car payment+gas)... (I live in New England and use it for all the lugging around and snow-traipsing I must.) But lets not overlook the incredible benefits that newer fuel and development would give to the US as a whole.
If we got solidly on the bandwagon - in fact, if we originated a better bandwagon - the economy of the US would explode in the best of ways! We would have new construction because of retooling, creating new fueling depots, hopefully better environmental impacts. We would create new jobs that had to support the new infrastructure. We would jump start new purchases and higher wages because of the need and manufacturing of these hard-goods. Our exporting of these goods would drive development in other countries in a way that would allow them to not make poor environmental decisions 'just to reap the economic benefits' and we would take a huge step to freeing ourselves from the slavery of OPEC.
Some of us just can't go out and buy new cars, for the simple reason that gas is unaffordable, but we will get there when the other factors start to come into play.
...and now to put myself back on the thread...
yup, gas prices are going to go up again thanx to good ol Mother Nature and the path of that little wind storm. There's nothing terrorist about it, if you want to save money this week, buy your gas today!
I have a truck...I use it like a truck a lot of the time for various reasons. I *had* a 93 ranger previously, with a 3.0 that got like 14 miles per gallon...my 05 with a 4.0L averaged 23 on a trip to my girlfriend's parent's house...that's not that bad.
Anyway...I understand the fact that production will be going down, so I can see the increase...but even after things are back in full swing, I guarantee if you're at $2.50 now, and they bump it to $3.10 for the hurricane, you will be nowhere near $2.50 when they do drop it back down some...probably stay around $3.00...and THAT is where my issue lies.
I also use [my suv] to tow my 2 quads and a dirtbike to my summer home up in the mountains of PA.
*head in my hands, reeling at the irony of it all*
While other countries (Thailand, Philippines) are promoting conservation and telling their citizens to learn to live with less, the American way is to tell the rest of the world "you better figure out a way to make sure I can keep living in the manner of comfort to which I've become accustomed." Summer home? Please. Talk to the people who don't even have one home. Your priorities are out of whack.
How are my priorities out of whack? I work for a living...If I can afford to have a summer home then thats my business. I don't see how having a summer home and not wanting to pay for a ridiculously priced gallon of gasoline has to do with priorities being out of whack. I'm not rich! Instead of wasting the extra money I have, I invested it in something that gives me great pleasure. Hopefully when I do have children, the will enjoy it also.
It's time to start developing new ways to fuel or vehicles...not time to go back riding bicycles.
NO, I'm saying that people should wake up and realize that there are other huge economies in the world now, and that this isn't "the man" trying to stick it Americans at the pump, this is a very REAL energy crisis that will not get better. What I'm saying is, countries such as Russia, China and India who in the past were only moderate consumers of oil are now massive consumers. So unless those countries just decide to disappear off the face of the Earth, Americans better wake up and realize that there is only one direction oil prices are going to go, and maybe learn a little bit about what's going on in the world around them.
Originally posted by Beagleboy:
Originally posted by rscorp:
Want to have cheap gas? Eliminate China and India from the face of the Earth. If you're not willing to do that, then get ready for a major, major energy crisis in the near term.
You could not begin to imagine how much construction and expansion is going on in China right now, and that is eating up more oil than anyone anticipated, and frankly, more than we've really got.
So what are you saying? That India and China should curtail the development of their respective economies so that you can have cheaper gas? Their just trying to get a piece of the economic pie, just like the rest of the world, and they are entitled to it.
I think we have been spoiled here in North America and also a bit isolated from what is really happening all around us. Globalization was once touted as a cash cow for us. Sure, let's jump in make heaps of money. Now that other powers like China and India are getting their speed up and seriously competing with us, causing higher prices for some resources, we're in a fluster. Can't blame other people for wanting to jump on the wagon to prosperity, just going to have to make a little room and pay a bit more for the ride.
I don't see how having a summer home and not wanting to pay for a ridiculously priced gallon of gasoline has to do with priorities being out of whack. I'm not rich!
See previous post by rscorp re: ridiculously priced gas.
And yes, by worldwide standards, if you can afford two homes, you are rich.
