GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work

>>>> >>
>>>> >> This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive It came
>>>> >> from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It's
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>>>> >> worth your consideration.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00
>>>> >> a gallon by next summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline
>>>> >> prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united
>>>> >> action.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes MUCH MORE
>>>> >> SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was
>>>> >> going around last April or May!
>>>> >> The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we
>>>> >> wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It
>>>> >> was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.
>>>> >> BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can
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>>>> >> really work. Please read on and join with us!
>>>> >>
>>>> >> By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is
>>>> >> super cheap. Me too! It is currently
>>>> >> $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies
>>>> >> and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of
>>>> >> a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take
>>>> >> aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the
>>>> >> marketplace..not sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more
>>>> >> each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are
>>>> >> going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the
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>>>> >> pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT
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>>>> >> hurting ourselves.
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>>>> >> How?
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>>>> >> Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But
>>>> >> we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force
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>>>> >> a price war.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY
>>>> >> gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON
>>>> >> and MOBIL. ! If they are not selling any gas, they will be
>>>> >> inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the
>>>> >> other companies will have to follow suit. But to have an impact, we
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>>>> >> need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers.
>>>> >> It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this
>>>> >> point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach
>>>> >> millions of people!!
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at
>>>> >> least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at
>>>> >> least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000)...and so on, by the time the
>>>> >> message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached
>>>> >> over THREE MILLION consumers.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends
>>>> >> each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes
>>>> >> one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION
>>>> >> PEOPLE!!! Acting together we can make a difference.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest
>>>> >> that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO
>>>> >> THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Kerry Lyle, Director, Research Coordinator
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I do not know about other states, but in Massachusetts we do not know if the Mobil station actually has Mobil gasoline. The individual stations can be supplied by anybody. (Yeah, I know that is stupid, but welcome to the People's Republic of Massachusetts. : )

Also, I'll agree not use those expensive stations... (Although that Exxon station can be competitive.)

What am I missing? The one day boycott was easy to debunk: this "everyone drink Pepsi until Coke reacts," seems OK at first glance.

If it has nits to be picked, I trust you'll find them.

Please check before posting Urban Legends.

Basically, using the same amount of gas means the same demand, so prices will more or less remain the same. To lower gas prices:

use less gas (yes, that's not as painless) - it helps not have a SUV with a consumption of about 15 gallons per 100 miles (or whatever Imperial measure you use),

or buy a modern car (European or Asian), which uses only about 5 to 7 liters per 100 kilometer

or use other fuel sources (biodiesel, direct veggie oil, Hydrogen, hybrid cars, electric cars).

Same as what constanze said. With the following addition.

It is goign to take those actions to start reducing the usage of oil somewhat but the oil companies have such a strong monopoly and dont care about your ideas that it will take a strong public outcry to the government before actions that will actually bring the oil companies to heel can come about.

...that it will take a strong public outcry to the government before actions that will actually bring the oil companies...

With this government, and with Oil Man Bush in the Oval Office? The Jewish people will forgive Hitler for the Holocaust sooner.

+1 in The Game!

Everyone is aware there is a Political Musings for talking about politics, right? Right. Good.

Sorry your magnificence. Your grace overwhelms us and we grovel in your presence for forgiveness.

Nice game. Interesting site.

Oh and Adam. One can have hope can't they? Besides governments change, eventually.

Relax. He's just directing the topic to where it should be.

On the note of not driving a SUV, what is better to transport a family of 8 people around in? two cars means more gas bought plus increases in traffic and pollution. Another thing, not all old cars have poor gas mileage. My 92 Ford Escort gets around 32 miles to the gallon.

While individual people can do much to save gas and so forth, a lot of it has to do with how the city streets are set up. Around here, there's no sidewalks and if I want to go anywhere, I have to drive because its not safe to walk along a 45 mph road. Also, people will buy what they can afford to buy. I'm sure many people would love to do their part by driving a more fuel efficient and less polluting vehicle but they can't afford to go out and buy one.

"Everyone is aware there is a Political Musings for talking about politics, right? Right. Good."

Don't you mean:

"Everyone is aware there is a Political Musings for talking about politics, right? Left. Good."

On the note of not driving a SUV, what is better to transport a family of 8 people around in? two cars means more gas bought plus increases in traffic and pollution....

Because SUVs use two to three times as much as normal cars, so even if you use two normal cars, you use less gasoline and pollute less than one SUV. There are also things like minivans, which might be better than SUVs.

Also, another factor of why SUVs are bad in city traffic (where most of them apparently are driven, not off-road where there's a reason for them) - not related to enviroment - is that they are dangerous to pedestrians in accidents. Normal cars - at least european cars, not the broad-style, bulky american cars - have been streamlined and rounded in the last decade, so when a car hits a pedestrian, he has a good chance of rolling over the hood and receiving less injuries. A SUV hits a child in the head, and an adult in the stomach with the cover grill/broad hood, causing serious injuries or death directly.

Another thing, not all old cars have poor gas mileage. My 92 Ford Escort gets around 32 miles to the gallon.

I'm sorry, I'm just not familiar with Imperial measures. We calculate the amount of gas in liters per 100 kilometers. Fuel-efficient cars use 5 to 7 liters per 100 kilometers.

While individual people can do much to save gas and so forth, a lot of it has to do with how the city streets are set up. Around here, there's no sidewalks and if I want to go anywhere, I have to drive because its not safe to walk along a 45 mph road.

Agreed, that's very bad planning. Can you make a petition or similar to your local planning board/city council to change that - have side-walks and cycle paths built, or set up a public transport system?

Also, people will buy what they can afford to buy...

I made an earlier post somewhere around here about the possiblity of cheaply converting a normal Diesel car to use unmodified veggie oil, which you could get as waste oil from fast food places or similar.

I'm sure many people would love to do their part by driving a more fuel efficient and less polluting vehicle but they can't afford to go out and buy one.

Is a catalysator for reducing SOx and NOx and COx emissions required in cars in the US? If not, how much would it cost to have one added to your existing car?

Besides, when those people who want to do their part bought their car in the first place, did they look at the emissions and fuel efficiency at all, or only at the price tag? Did they shop around and compare, did they read consumer reports and contact eco groups and similar? Because I think - based on the people I've talked with about this - that most people (not all) use the "not enough money" simply as convenient excuse not to change any of their habits, since they never take any of the small steps and never factor in the enviroment when making their decisions.

On the note of not driving a SUV, what is better to transport a family of 8 people around in? two cars means more gas bought plus increases in traffic and pollution....

But how many people have a family of 8 these days? The average family is like 2 kids, and half of those have only one parent at a time.

Whats better than an SUV? Well for most people a minivan or small sedan or even a small wagon if the auto makers would bring them back would do just fine. And I know what you mean I have seen huge excursions and suburbans with only 3 people in them before. Now this isnt to say that they might not occasionally haul 8 or 9 people in it but you can get a van to hold that many cheaper and better fuel economy.

And PV I'll agree a well maintained older car can get some pretty good milage. My 84 caprice police Pkg still wound up getting 21mpg (usually unless I lead footed it) with a 350 4brl carb engine. It all depends on how well the car is maintained and how the person drives. The problem with older cars is that parts do start getting worn out and thenyou have to start getting ahead of the curve to avoid cascade failure of one part breaking causing another etc..... And you have an escort that still runs under its own power. Wow thats a collector's item there. ;-) (Chevy or Mopar only!)

As for foot paths and sidewalks you have to get enough people motivated to show the public officials that its a cost worthy thing to put sidewalks and bike paths in. I know from my local area. When we lost a rail line rails to trails tried to see if they could bring a bike path to the area and a lot of the people voted it out and a few got very threatening to anyone who suggessted anything other than giving it to the people who lived next to it. As if you could farm it or do anything other than use it for a road.

Constanze: Catalytic Converters have been a federal mandate on all cars manufactured since the seventies. However these thigns are not cheap to replace when they burn out or get broken. Also some racers and tuners will either gut or remove the cat from their car if they dont have echeck to improve the exhaust flow. Bad thing is it decreases the fuel efficiency and increases the pollution from the car.

Vegetable oil and Biodeisal information can be found at: www.biodeisel.org

And anonymous I realized that and that was meant firmly toungue in cheek as acknowledging the political aspects and trying to stay on generic and general topics with this.

The other thing people need to think about is how fast are they driving and where; like was mentioned above. My Escort can't go faster than 85 mph and if I go past 80 mph, I can hear and feel a distinct difference from the engine. I can't even keep up with traffic some times.

People like to go fast, they think that just because their vehicles have the ability to go that fast, that it does no harm and that their cars or suv's perform the same whether they are going 95 mph or 65 mph.

Many people have no clue about fuel consumption and engine efficiency.

The other thing is that SUV's aren't the only thing that pollutes. You ever take a look at a semi tractor trailer truck?

Oh, and for anyone who needs it.
http://www.onlineconversion.com/


last but not least, the point of this thread, should we fight back on gas prices? Well, it won't help unless you can find another source of fuel.. that is as common as a gas station. Sure, there's other things to burn in your engine to get it to run, but you won't find stations to fuel up where you need them so unless you're carrying around loads of extra fuel tanks or you produce your fuel, change won't come as long as people CAN buy it.

Depends on the SUV. The Honda Pilot seats 8 and gets ~20-22 miles per gallon. Two individual cars would each have to get 40-44 mpg.

True PV. Like I said before if I drove sensible in my caprice I got pretty decent milage out of a big engine big car. If I drove like a bat outta hell I could almost watch the gas guage move.

And after having raced as well as worked at the dealership you are right about how cars handle, work and drive differently at different speeds.

And yeah most people arnt too sure about fuel efficiency thats why I love on a lot of the new cars the trip computer with the instant economy and avg economy displays. Maybe it will help show how your driving correlates to your fuel usage.

A promising SUV (though its more of a midsize one) is the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The front wheels are powered by the synergy drive system and the rear wheels have their own dedicated electric motor. So there is no drive shaft between the front and the rear so weight is saved and with the instant torque of an electric engine they are just as powerful (if not more so) offroad or in rough road (though IRC it is not a trail rated vehcile) conditions with a smaller gas engine.

What gets me about people who say they need the SUV to haul people around is that they are not always the most comfortable people movers. I mean the third seat in the durango is hard to get into and out of for some people (though it is better than in the old one) the third row in a suzuki xl-7 is fit for maybe kids or small adults and even though the excursion and suburban are as long as a star destroyer the third row is still difficult to get into as you have to flip the second row seat forward like in a two door car. Not to mention they are still handling like a truck for the most part.

What gets me about people who say they need the SUV to haul people around is that they are not always the most comfortable people movers.

You ain't kidding. I rented a Ford Explorer for business reasons back in 2004. (It was all they had available.) I drove from Staten Island to Elmira, NY, through New Jersey and Pa. I felt like I sat way too high, and even at 65 mph, I felt like I was standing still. Plus, when the CD player ejected the discs, they were red hot.