|
|
Posts: 4266
| Just got done listening to some pundits going on about the fuel spill and the long range ramifications. To make a long story short, they claim that the faulty valve and subsequent spill in the Gulf would cost the American Public $1-$2 at the pump over the next 6 months. I know gas went from $2.88 last week to $3.07 in two days of panic and subsequent falling stock prices. One guy from the mid-west was talking $3.50 by Memorial Day and $4 by the 4th of July. They said it wouldn't be a spike, that this is going to take at least a year of clean-up, repair, and getting back on line. Is it our turn for a bailout, or do we just throw ourselves of the mercy of the Middle East?
Here all this time I thought we only got about 2% of our oil reserves domestically. Seems it's much more than that especially when you figure that domestic oil companies will be paying for the clean-up and repairs. Let's hope that these guys are wrong, but unfortunately it all makes sense. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1086
| Makes complete and total sense for one oil rig to go down and gas prices at the pump could nearly double. You'd think there were only two oil rigs known to man kind in existence. this just gives them another excuse to price gouge. It's a monopoly that they run. There's no other alternative. Sure...Ethanol, But we won't go into that dead horse beaten debate of a joke.
They're purely basing this all on nothing more than fear. They feed on the public's fear.
The barrel of oil doesn't need to cost a penny more than $20 bux a barrel and the prices at the pump for 87 octane don't need to cost a penny more than $.87 cents a gallon. Everything over that that we're paying, is all highway robbery. It's just that there is nothing that we can do to stop it. They'd still make their record profits hand over fist.
We were at these prices not too long ago and yes it hurt and yes it'll hurt again. Yes my family and I did things to cut back on our gas consumption and spending. And yes we'll do whatever we have to again.
There's nothing better to keep the Great Recession around than soaring gas prices and unemployment. The Great Recession is staging for a Double-Dip. The housing market is on thin ice once again as well.
Any conspiracy theorists out there think that this oil rig fire and now oil spill is all too convenient to the timing of the talks of off shore drilling all of a sudden being tabled again? Anyone think that this is all too convenient to keep the economy in the tank to push a certain persons personal agendas while in office?
Man I hate political debates. Argh. I wanna go fish....even if it's just from the pier anymore these days...geeeez.
Edited by MACK 5/4/2010 11:06 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
| oh yeah, we will be playing the same riduculous gas games like 2 yrs ago, $4 or more. the price to play has increased significantly. with or w/o the oil spill i knew it was coming sooner or later, it has been going up about every week. i really think the $4/gallon deal w/ have an extreme effect on the already poor economy. just looking at personally and like few of my friends (for us) common sense- i either spend all money on gas/along w/ food prices increasing or pay bills?? this will really help the economy, jobs, etc!!!!! good luck w/ raising the prices of gas again, it will shut it down!!!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1296
Location: WI | If gas goes to 3.50-4/gallon I'll just have to eat less so I can still go fishing..or maybe I'll start keeping a few pike to eat once in a while. It sucks, but like a lot of things, not much I can do about it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2361
| I was listening to a pundit today and they said it shouldn't have much effect directly.
However, this whole thing is kind of screwy, how can there not be technology to cut this well off or at least some kind of pumping mechanism to harvest that free oil. Unimaginable that some guy with an engineering degree has not invented something to suck oil and sea water and separate the two by now. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 123
| Why have we not built a new gas refinery in over 30 years? How about drilling in Alaska to get almost the exact amount of oil we're currently getting from the middle east? I remember gas prices skyrocketing after 9/11 and gas stations having to pay back some of their customers for overcharging them for no reason. Hopefully they learned their lesson and won't just jack up the prices on speculation. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 235
| Venting might make some of you feel better. I guess its better than just letting it build up inside of you. The sorry truth is we can't do a thing about it and they have us bent over and are going to keep sticking it to the working class. I know it sucks but so does having to pay for all the illegals and freeloaders & thats becoming the american dream. Washington just looks the other way, encourages people not to work or to come here illegally. Theres no american dream anymore. Its just an ugly rerun & its almost to the point of no return. So get used to it. At least you can still fish?? or can you?? The ugly truth. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1086
| firstsixfeet - 5/5/2010 1:03 AM
However, this whole thing is kind of screwy, how can there not be technology to cut this well off or at least some kind of pumping mechanism to harvest that free oil. Unimaginable that some guy with an engineering degree has not invented something to suck oil and sea water and separate the two by now.
Exactly.
What I can't believe is that these oil rigs have been allowed to be built and exist and operate at all without Emergency back-up plans for an event just like this! I mean...c'mon...you'd think they'd have three tiered emergency contingency plans for this sort of thing...a back-up plan for the back-up plan for the back-up plan.
Instead....they have nothing.
Guess what? You can bet now all oil rigs will have to be outfitted with emergency gear and have those back-up plans in place. Always make sense to come up with back-up plans AFTER the event happens.
Whatever happened to good 'ole fashioned common sense?
I mean..c'mon...you're pumping crude oil out of the Earth's core, from a mile deep in the ocean, where weather and storms, ie, hurricanes, could wreak havoc on those oil rigs, let alone the risk of fire that could risk one of these things going down and creating a spewing mess? They rely on a valve to shut it off? That's it? C'mon....
I kinda look at this just like the Space Shuttle Challenger back in '86. A multi-million dollar piece of space equipment blew up due to a faulty $.05 cent o-ring. Can't rely on simple valve to just shut off an oil rig's pumping ability if the rig should go down. Have some back-up plans in case that valve can't do it's job.
Edited by MACK 5/5/2010 8:12 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| There was a plan created in 1994 to contain a disaster like the one currently happening. the problem is, our gov't or BP wasn't ready for it.
Please don't blame the oil companies for all of our woes.. they make a profit but so should any business and their profits are in line with others. No one complains about how much profit microsoft makes and it's 3x what exxon makes. Also, keep in mind that our state and federal gov't take over $.50 a gallon just in taxes. and they do nothing for that. They don't explore, they don't refine, they just take. IN wisc, our state takes $.33 a gallon on top of the $.17 federal take. |
|
| |
|
| A raise in gas prices in evitable despite the recent oil leakage. Yeah, it sucks, but I'm not so worried about that.
However, it is ridiculous that emergency plans were not in place. The problem at hand now is the clean up. Like firstsixfeet said, some engineer can't develop a way to separate oil from water - sounds relatively simple.
What about the fish and habitat in the gulf? The reprocussions of destroying that fishery are much worse than a rise at the pumps! Sportfishing and commercial fishing alike. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 109
| Here is the deal - oil companies are private companies and set prices that people are willing to pay for their service or product. This discussion is hashed every time the price goes up....it is not going to change unless you stop using it. The fact is, more and more people on the globe want to have our life styles, so oil becomes more and more valuable - more demand and limited supply. The fact is, we do not have enough resource for everyone on the globe to drive a vehicle.
As for drilling more - I don't think that people understand that when oil is harvested here in the U.S. by a private company, it is not the property of the U.S. - the oil just goes onto the open global market just like the oil pumped in Saudi Arabia.
-Conservation Guy |
|
| |
|
|
Profits of oil companies are in line with others?? When profits are continually breaking records of previous years how can anyone claim that??
Bottom line is oil companies (and other groups), continually lobby against regulation. The argument is always the same, it will hurt profits, stilfle the economy etc. etc.
Nobody wants the govt. involved in business until there is a either a financial or environmental disaster.
The reason this is a problem is because nobody forces these companies to be more prepared or have better safety nets. There no excuse for these companies to not be more prepared for this other than they don't want to invest money into being safe and responsible.
Now everybody suffers because lobbying against govt. safety regulations.
JS |
|
| |
|
| Well maybe this sort of thing should be a wake-up call for everyone? Yeah gas might go down to 2.00 because the economy sucks but its basic economics that when a supply goes down the price is gonna go up. Yeah, there's alot of oil but its not gonna last forever. Not to mention the fact that its grossly inefficient.
I wish people would stop trying to just put a piece of gum on the crack in the dam and think about rebuilding the #*^@ thing. Nuclear power is the way to go. Wouldn't be having these issues if we ran on nuclear. I hate to use France for an example of anything, but they're up and running on close to 90% nuclear. Talk about efficiency. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 395
Location: NW WI | ...
Edited by Ifishskis 5/5/2010 3:09 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 395
Location: NW WI | MACK - 5/4/2010 11:00 PM
Makes complete and total sense for one oil rig to go down and gas prices at the pump could nearly double. You'd think there were only two oil rigs known to man kind in existence. this just gives them another excuse to price gouge. It's a monopoly that they run. There's no other alternative. Sure...Ethanol, But we won't go into that dead horse beaten debate of a joke.
They're purely basing this all on nothing more than fear. They feed on the public's fear.
The barrel of oil doesn't need to cost a penny more than $20 bux a barrel and the prices at the pump for 87 octane don't need to cost a penny more than $.87 cents a gallon. Everything over that that we're paying, is all highway robbery. It's just that there is nothing that we can do to stop it. They'd still make their record profits hand over fist.
We were at these prices not too long ago and yes it hurt and yes it'll hurt again. Yes my family and I did things to cut back on our gas consumption and spending. And yes we'll do whatever we have to again.
There's nothing better to keep the Great Recession around than soaring gas prices and unemployment. The Great Recession is staging for a Double-Dip. The housing market is on thin ice once again as well.
Any conspiracy theorists out there think that this oil rig fire and now oil spill is all too convenient to the timing of the talks of off shore drilling all of a sudden being tabled again? Anyone think that this is all too convenient to keep the economy in the tank to push a certain persons personal agendas while in office?
Man I hate political debates. Argh. I wanna go fish....even if it's just from the pier anymore these days...geeeez.
One of the best posts on this site EVER..... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
| MACK - 5/4/2010 11:00 PM
There's nothing better to keep the Great Recession around than soaring gas prices and unemployment. The Great Recession is staging for a Double-Dip. The housing market is on thin ice once again as well.
there it is, exactly what i was saying, watch it soar, repeat and do it again, start at step 1 again
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1086
| MACK - 5/4/2010 11:00 PM
Any conspiracy theorists out there think that this oil rig fire and now oil spill is all too convenient to the timing of the talks of off shore drilling all of a sudden being tabled again? Anyone think that this is all too convenient to keep the economy in the tank to push a certain persons personal agendas while in office?
I don't mean to quote myself...but....I got a chuckle out of what I posted last night and what I found with an article today (this will probably get deleted...but...it helps to prove my point):
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/political-resistance-to-new-oil-dr... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Why would that be deleted?
Fuel prices are now as much a child of the Futures market as Pork bellies and Oranges have been.
That's not a good thing for stability.
Freaking capitalists.
I'm going to down size everything. I have Tuffy looking at building a new rig right now.... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1086
| sworrall - 5/5/2010 3:44 PM
Why would that be deleted?
I couldn't remember the policy of posting links to other sites on this site... :shrug:
No worries. |
|
| |
|
| I am lovin my little 25 horse tiller rig now! I may not get there as fast, but I can fish forever on 5 gal of gas. And haulin it to the lake is not to bad either.
I see guys fillin up both truck and boat and cringe at the amount paid at the pump. And thats fine its their money. But Im conservitive and think but
geez that one bill for gas could feed my family for a week. Somebodys getting our money and some our are countrys enimies.
HAPPY FISHING!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 52
| Almost every minute of my spare time is spent fishing and hunting. I'll spend the money on fuel no matter what. I only have two hobbies and I'm not about to quit either of them. Is there really anything we can do to bring the price down?? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
| no but i am assuming fuel economy in some tow rigs in the near future will get alot better gas mileage, wouldnt it be great to have a 4x4 truck get 30MPG towing a boat??? |
|
| |
|
| Prices go up in the summer, every summer for the most part...this is no more a conspiracy than Bush going to war in Iraq was for oil....Actually with the strong dollar oil was even under 80 a barrel for much of the day in trading today...BR |
|
| |
|
Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I try not to fill up my waders too often. It really sucks when you have to take them off. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 389
Location: Corning, Iowa | Well, yesterday our gas went up 7 cents. It's been steadly going up every week. Good Luck Doug |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1030
Location: APPLETON, WI | This is definitely going to be inevitable. The long lasting effect will be devastating. Unfortunately, businesses like oil companies are going to reap the rewards and benefits.
I heard a figure on the news last weekend that stated within that radius of the spill, an approx. 25% of the seafood for North America comes from that area. Better head to Red Lobster now. Shrimp Scampi will cost you $50 by the time this thing is over. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 109
Location: Spencer, Wisconsin | Thank god the 4-stroke yamaha sips the fuel but again I dont go screaming across the lake either and burn a gas station in the process, just have to watch the rpms and should be ok with fuel consumption this summer. However, I agree with the others in the string here, it seems ironic summer time hits cha-ching...the prices go up a buck and a half. Next the oil tycoons will make up another excuse to ram the %*&# to the consumer. Makes no sense... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 136
Location: Chicago | We are the largest consumer for oil and contrary to what some may believe we don't even compare with gas prices in other countries. Ethanol, wind farms, bio-fuels these are terms were just becoming familiar with on a personal level. On the other hand many countries have been involved in these resources for a long time because they flat out cannot afford gas and have resolved to alternate resources. Conservation guy speaks the truth as long as we consume and keep the demand up we'll continue to see higher prices. When gas reaches 7$ a gal. that's when we'll maybe see that tow vehicle that gets say 25 mpg. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| The weak dollar policy isn't helping either. If any of you play in the market you know that you buy commidities when the dollar is weak. That being said, the fact remains we need more oil. More on the market to raise supply. Even thou supply is fine, it needs that push to bring the costs down. You can't power your tow vehicle with a windmill so get over it.. NOT gonna happen. This economy runs on energy (oil) so we had better start drilling for it unitl these alternatives are actually reality which they are NOT. Its such a shame that we have our own supply and we keep buying it from hugo and the arabs. And one oil spill isn't going to change my mind.
Probably the scariest part of this is... if Iran ends up in a war with someone, they could shut off oil supplies to the world. Do you realize how bad the U.S. would be in this situation? They could basically hold the world hostage. OUr leaders and their lack of energy policies and a big threat to this country. When oil/gas hits $7 a gallon hold on for a depression. In fact, along with housing, gas prices started our current recession.
Edited by jackson 5/6/2010 7:16 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 109
| Once again, drilling for oil in the U.S. does not make the oils ours - we buy from companies like Mobile - regardless of where it comes from. The oil is a global commodity, unless you find it in your backyard and sell it to an oil company, it goes to the highest bidder, not where it is located.
Do we really think that there is no alternative to "using" fuel. I don't think anyone here has been talking about a total shift from fuel - how about more efficient use? For some perspective, if we increased fuel consumption (vehicles only) of the U.S. fleet by 5%, we would save over 8.5 billion gallons of gas per year. That would take all of the wells in the U.S. 2 months to create - that is 530,000 wells! I don't think the cost of adding a couple of wells (both economic and environmental) would have nearly the impact just using what we have more efficiently.
-Conservation Guy |
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| True, but more oil does affect the market. Right now, everytime someone in the middle east sneezes, speculators run up the price. The political unrest makes this country a hostage for energy.
And tell me how we make our tow vehicles more efficient? Me thinks, if it were possible someone would be doing it already. If a mfg came out with a truck that can pull my boat, and get 30mpg i would buy it tomorrow. The more emmisions junk you put on cars, the less power/efficiency you get. Why do you think the big V8's 20 years ago seemed to get better mileage?
also, please keep in mind that if the USA had our own oil supply we would be safer in the event of a middle east war which is probably inevitiable. Not to mention the jobs it could create if we had this industry.
Edited by jackson 5/6/2010 8:55 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1086
| There are a LOT of ideas, even patents out there, in existence today, to make all vehicles, not just cars, talking trucks too, be a LOT more fuel efficient and get a lot better gas mileage. Why don't they utilize those ideas and patents?
Politics.
The oil companies and the auto manufactures are in bed together. They keep each other in biz. They need each other. If the auto manufactures started to bring all of the good ideas out of the books to make the cars and trucks more fuel efficient and get great gas mileage...the oil company's wouldn't be too happy about that since there wouldn't be as much of a demand for their product.
Know anyone that works for any large auto manufactures, or engine development ,in the R&D department? Ask 'em....
Lots of smart, smart people out there with insanely great ideas. But...that's all that happens with most of those smart ideas, they go into the books, the archives, patented...but...can't be utilized, never to see the light of day.
Scary to think. Isn't it. 
I live in Indiana, somewhat close to Cummins in Columbus, IN. I have a few good friends that work there at Cummins. They know of several engineers that could have those big heavy duty trucks that consumers buy to be tow vehicles putting down double, if not close to triple the gas mileage that they currently do. But. Can't do that.
There's so many great ideas out there to have cars, trucks, boat motors be a heckuva lot more efficient than they currently are. But...what's available and whats allowed to see the light of day are two completely different things.
Frustrating. Isn't it.
Politics. It's an ugly thing. |
|
| |
|
|
I had a 350 V8 20 some years ago that got about 12 MPG.
My current V8 with more horsepower gets 18-19 HWY.
The reason we don't have more efficient trucks is because nobody cared until now, not because they can't make one.
I think it's hilarious when people say "we aren't going to use less, we need more".
Remember that in 20 years.
There is no possible way for our world to produce enough to keep up with increasing demand.
It's either change our energy sources now or wait for an impending disaster to force us to when it's to late.
JS |
|
| |
|
Posts: 582
| maybe there is a way to make a truck more fuel efficient. But what is the ROI? Can it be done at an exceptable price point or is it going to just tip the scales to another area in which many of you will cry "company X is raping us on prices" just like you say with the oil companies. Keep in mind, upwards of $.50 a gallon goes for taxes in most midwest states.
Our economy runs on energy, when there is not enough, we all suffer. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Go algae biodiesel
|
|
| |
Fuel Prices