An analyst that has kept tabs on the oil industry for 30 years says the turmoil in the oil-producing countries is to blame for the fluctuation in prices we're seeing at the gas pump here.
And things are getting pretty dicey.
Between Sudan, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq -- James Williams, owner of Arkansas-based WTRG Economics, told the Journal Sentinel things are a mess.
"I would say in terms of overall geopolitical risk of a major supply interruption with limited spare capacity to handle it, this is the worst of times. This is the most extreme," Williams said.
Click here to read more on JSOnline.com.
It will be a cold day in hell, the day I spend that much money for a vehicle. I can buy a lot of gas for that price. My son's old scrappy Mitsubishi that was given to them, gets 35-40 mpg. The 2012 model also benefits from a $1,005 price drop, with some lower-cost option packages available. The biggest change is that the standard GPS navigation system is replaced by GM’s OnStar turn-by-turn feature. The base price for the 2012 model will be $39,995, including shipping. After the $7,500 federal tax rebate, that brings the net price to $32,495. The top price with options such as leather seats and a map-based navigation system, but no dealer markups, will be $46,265, or $38,865 after the tax credit.
Currently you are correct. However, I see many more electric car options going forward. Competition always seems to do wonders bringing down the price of products. Innovation and smart consumers will certainly do their part too. I too would not purchase a car with a purchase price like that even with a $7500 tax break. As more people see the benefits from electric powered vehicles supply will improve along with a better price tag.
Like most things you can buy good, better and best. Your comments would be just as valid 30 years ago as it is now. People complained back then too. For our economic system to work you must always have continued growth in cost. If you are interested in how energy, the economy and the environment work together take a look at Chris Martinson's crash course. It has great information and would help answer your questions. Site: http://www.chrismartenson.com/page/crash-course-one-year-anniversary
Your response was so clear. Thank you for allowing me to suggest something and responding in such a kind way.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/28/opinion/opinion-european-gas-prices/index.html?eref=rss_us
So you are saying every country in Europe is socialist? These gasoline prices are the same all over Europe.... not just in the UK.
http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4ec2cf96eab8ea5e62000013/chart-gas-prices-in-europe-and-the-us-nov-15-2011.jpg
"The difference between countries comes down to taxes and subsidies," said Tom Kloza, the chief oil analyst for Oil Price Information Service. "Prices are incredibly high in Europe because of the stiff taxes that EU countries put on fuel. The same holds true for many other countries."
A big difference though is that here in the US we tax diesel much higher than they do in Europe. In Europe the governments want better mileage and they encourage it by having a lower road tax on diesel fuel. In this country we should have a two tier road use tax on diesel, a lower one for cars and a higher one for commercial trucks over 26,000 gvw --- that would really help to get folks to switch and dramatically cut their fuel costs, regardless of the size vehicle. As far as room inside the cars, I am somewhat of an expert at that, as I am 6'5". Here in the states, the automakers do not make cars driver friendly for different size drivers. I have a Dodge Magnum which has incredible leg room. Speaking to a foreign car mechanic, he also likes that car, because he is short and the car accomodates his needs as well. He explained to me that the Magnum was designed by Mercedes when they owned Chrysler, and built in the European style, with much more travel for the drivers seat, but fore and back.
"In a stark warning ahead of next month’s Budget, the Chancellor said there was little the Coalition could do to stimulate the economy. Mr Osborne made it clear that due to the parlous state of the public finances the best hope for economic growth was to encourage businesses to flourish and hire more workers. “The British Government has run out of money because all the money was spent in the good years,” the Chancellor said. “The money and the investment and the jobs need to come from the private sector.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9107485/George-Osborne-UK-has-run-out-of-money.html
Many are expecting a "Seneca Cliff" moment - “I would like to argue that whereas the method used to model Peak Oil using a Gaussian is reasonable when looking at individual oil fields, provinces and countries, it is not reasonable when looking at entire planets, because, unlike oil-producing provinces and countries in decline, planets can't import oil, while oil shocks cause industrial economies to collapse rather than decline gradually along some geologically constrained curve. In [my] article ["Peak Oil is History"] I have a long list of effects such as EROEI decline, export land effect, etc., to make the case for a stepwise decline rather than a gradual one." http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2012/02/pile-of-straw-at-bottom-of-cliff.html "Don't you stumble, sometimes, into something that seems to make a lot of sense but you can't say exactly why? For a long time, I had in mind the idea that when things start going bad, they tend to go bad fast. We might call this tendency the "Seneca effect" or the "Seneca cliff," from Lucius Anneaus Seneca who wrote that "increases are of sluggish growth, but the way to ruin is rapid." http://cassandralegacy.blogspot.com/2011/08/seneca-effect-origins-of-collapse.html
You don't live the dream, you pursue it. The dream is one's ability to pursue happiness, not happiness itself. My Gulag reference was a metaphor representing a person's inability to pursue happiness. i.e. You can't pursue your dreams while you're in jail. The only people living the nightmare, as you call it, are those who refuse to work hard at the pursuit. They take no risks in life and thus gain nothing. "Nothing ventured nothing gained", as they say. But, for some reason they feel they're entitled to a house, family, decent job and retirement at 65. Maybe that's how they were raised, I don't know, but no one is entitled to anything but their own ability to pursue the dream. If they're successful, good for them, if not, well that doesn't give them the right to point fingers and demand it anyway.
I'm sure the contractors that invested millions won't forget very soon who did this.
http://mountpleasant.patch.com/blog_posts/hoffas-retro-cinema-club-dreamchild-1985#video-9206916
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html HMMM... It is Obama's fault after all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/business/gm-suspends-production-of-chevrolet-volt.html