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Is it possible to do this with multinational corporations?</p>
<p>I am not worried about prices at this time. I am worried about supplied. I just read news reports about serious shortages of gas in NC, SC, and WVa.</p>
<p>With so much refinery capacity off line because of katrina, we could be facing some serious problems in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>And yes gas prices are going to continue to escalate. I wouldnt be surprised to see $5 gas in the next several weeks.</p>
<p>And we havent even begun to talk about home heating oil and ngas.</p>
<p>I hate to sound resigned, but much of the rest of the world has been paying far higher prices for gas for years now – as chocoholic’s link points out, gas in most of Europe has been the equivalent of $5/gallon for some time now. (And consequently they’ve learned to fit their families and goods into MUCH SMALLER AND MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLES when they <em>do</em> use cars.) We noticed it over $5 in Finland this summer… but that didn’t seem to matter much, since public transit was so available and reliable. People’s first thoughts when planning how to get somewhere involved trolley, bus, subway, walking, biking, train… and only after that, driving. It’s so unfortunate that our society has been built with such little regard to public transit, but I think eventually we’ll have to pay more for gasoline along the lines of the prices paid in the rest of the “western world”, regardless of the availability of public transit.</p>
<p>Bring on the next generation of vehicles, the ones that need little to no gasoline. We’re ready. (Hybrids are a good start, by the way, but they aren’t the long-term solution.)</p>
<p>The way to do it is not to build smaller cars and just accept expensive gas as a inevitable fact of life, that is the wuss socialist European way. Here according to just my opinion is what is going to happen: They are going to build a dearth of new refineries in the next 5 years to combat the need to keep processing expensive oil. Then after capacity is reached to the maximum that can be, gas and oil prices will freefall because there is way more supply than demand. We have not seen the end of sub $1 gas yet. I will bet on it.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t. Whatever they do, it will not be at the expense of ever-greater and more outrageous oil company profits, nor curb the criminally high salaries and bonuses of oil company executives. My guess is that they are dancing with glee and rubbing their hands with anticipation. Their only problem will be in figuring out how to inflict the very highest possible prices for gasoline and petroleum products without causing overall economic collapse. </p>
<p>“They are going to build a dearth of new refineries in the next 5 years to combat the need to keep processing expensive oil.”</p>
<p>Oh really…? Where did you read that fairytale?</p>
<p>The highway really evolved America. Through highways people could live out in the lavish suburbs and drive into the inner city for work. It was a great idea. Now that gas prices are rising, we need better public transport.</p>
<p>Okay, vocabulary Nazi here–“dearth” means “lack” . (sorry, English teacher, can’t help it…)</p>
<p>I was wondering about that comment also, garland: I couldn’t see how buiding too few refineries was going to contribute to cheaper gas. Now I see that the poster may have meant exactly the opposite, thanks for the lightbulb-going-off moment.</p>
<p>when you are talking about the high price of gas in Europe, remember, the difference is mostly taxes. Yes, they have expensive gas, yes, they use alternate methods of transport, but, too, they are much smaller geographically than the US. Here there is very little public transport to use, on the west coast, and when there is public transport, it is frequently only in the city proper…BART in the Bay area seems good, but I’ve not seens anything like it in LA!</p>
<p>Filled up this morning with the cheap gas at 2.99/gallon. The premium stuff was 3.18.</p>
<p>For me it is cheaper to take the bus to the mall then to ride with my mother.</p>
<p>Well, the price here is the same price it’s been for the last few weeks. $3/gallon for 92 octane.</p>
<p>When I stopped at a local station this morning, they were out of mid-grade and premium, so I got the lowest grade at $2.79 per gallon. I’m supposed to go to Indiana this weekend to visit my sister and her family. She tells me the average cost of gas there is $3.15 per gallon.</p>
<p>Well, that’s fine if you’re in Saudi Arabia, Mr. B. Thankfully we’ve got experts 
.</p>
<p>Gas stations have to charge what their NEXT refill will be, not what they paid for the one already in the underground tanks. Most gas stations get refilled every 1-3 days, with a check due at delivery. </p>
<p>So, if you had to fill up a 10000 gallon tank with a 40 cent/gallon increase, would you have enough in your checking account? Really, folks…</p>
<p>My hubby and I dropped D.'s computer off and drove home. We were able to pass tons of cars because we were in the HOV lane. All the other cars only had 1 passenger.
On another note tons of kids here drive to school instead of taking the bus…one reason is because the bus comes so early, but it results in long lines waiting to turn into the school, pollution etc.</p>
<p>This may or may not be true, but I had read somewhere that orders have been placed, and contracts have been signed, between gas stations, suppliers, refiners, etc. over 30 days in advance, IF this is true, aren’t they just capitalizing on the situation?</p>
<p>Here’s what my take is on the situation:</p>
<p>the gas CURRENTLY at the gas pumps, is being WAY overcharged for. they DID NOT pay that much for that gas. I can understand raising prices of gas they will get in the FUTURE - as it will be more scarce… but they are definately gouging on what is currently there.</p>
<p>Lol, I can’t see why Americans freak out so much over the price of petrol… It’s been over 5 euro for a gallon here (about $6-ish) for over a year now.</p>
<p>Not making any excuses for how much petroleum we use in the U.S., but people here drive long distances to work, unlike the rotw.</p>
<p>This is Cangel’s daughter. Cangel and I spent an hour today on a quest for gasoline. There is a true shortage in Mobile at the moment. The demand is WAY up (people from MS and LA, plus all of the emergency workers are staging in Mobile). Unfortunately, there aren’t any supplies coming in. It requires fuel to bring fuel (ironic, isn’t it). So it could be worse for y’all.
Also, the Gulf Coast is littered with refineries, all of which are shut down. I don’t know how much of the US supply comes through here, but it is a large percentage. The prices are only going to get higher.
Hopefully, the forty-car lines for gas won’t be a reality everwhere! Hopefully, people will try to ration their gas. Maybe this will be the wake up call we need to change our fuel consumption!</p>