Fighting high gas prices has become a national battle for most car owners. With oil prices crowding 0 per barrel and gasoline at the pump over .50 a gallon it may appear that the battle is already lost. The problem is, it has only just began! Experts predict gasoline prices of at least .00 per gallon by summer's end. So, what can we do?
Since the summer of 2000 articles have circulated around the internet calling for a boycott of Exxon and Mobile. Now one huge company, the premise was to not buy gas from these big outfits thinking we could create less demand and they would have to lower gas prices because of our efforts. Other ideas call ed for us not to buy any gas on certain days of the week. High gas prices were causing concern eight years ago, but none of the tactics had an impact. The major reason these plans didn't work was because they were flawed from their beginning.
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Let's look at the first idea. By ignoring Exxon or Mobile, we would go across the street to the BP station, or maybe a Shell station down the road. So, while boycotting Exxon-Mobile we actually were increasing the demand for BP and Shell and what ever company we were now using. Many of us were probably buying gasoline that was refined by Exxon or Mobile refineries and sold under another name. For whatever the reason, it just didn't work. Gasoline prices are higher than ever. Larger global demand from large countries like China make our attempted boycott minimal at best.
The second idea didn't work either. By not buying gas on Mondays we just doubled what we bought on Tuesdays! The plan may sound good on the surface, but it won't eliminate high gas prices.
Fighting high gas prices may have to turn extreme if we are to win this battle. For example, by trading our gas guzzling SUVs for a Hybrid car we wouldn't have to worry as much about high gas prices. We need to explore other forms of alternative fuels. I've read where some college students have developed a way of running a car on used oil from fast food restaurants. They say it works fine if you don't mind the smell of burnt french fries! The internet is also loaded with articles about how to run a car on water. If you are a do it yourself kind of guy this idea may be worth exploring. Corn will have to be used for developing Ethanol, and their are even ideas for converting garbage to fuel.
Those may be extreme ideas, but if we are to win this battle we may need something more extreme than simply walking or riding a bicycle. Fighting high gas prices may be here to stay unless we begin to take measures now to defend ourselves.
Fighting High Gas Prices
Steve Kettle is a frelance writer from the Ozarks. Visit his blog at: http://www.drivecheap.blogspot.com
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