Doesn’t work. Look this up on Snopes.com for the more detailed explanation, but it basically boils down to the fact that we’re stuck at certain levels and the oil companies really don’t compete with each other. So we don’t buy from ExxonMobil - someone else gets the money and we still have to import oil from outside of the country.

If we want cheaper gas prices in the US, we need to pursue some of our available options that a certain party in Congress keeps saying is “not an option” (and each time they say it, the price goes up). We need to build more refineries and allow drilling offshore and (gasp!) in ANWAR. If we had done that 20 years ago, we wouldn’t be in this situation. If we’d done it 10 years ago, we’d be close to ready with that solution. Now - well, at least could look at prices going down in the future.

I’m all for the idea of the renewable energy sources, too, but they have to come because there’s a market for them, not because we use our tax dollars to subsidize the heck out of them (ethanol). Incentives to develop and use and bring down the cost of manufacturing would be great. However, we can’t just mandate that within 10 years we’ll be doing something different when the technology doesn’t even exist yet to do that.

Sorry for the long response, but I think this is definitely missing the bigger picture and a simplistic approach like this won’t work because oil companies really don’t work that independently.

Won’t work. The only way is for everyone everywhere to drasically buy less gas from every station.

Also stop using your lawnmower like it’s digital (full on or full off). Throttle down for shorter grass. I save a gallon every season this way.

These items address 2 key points - Oil Supply & Speculation.

The Energy Non-Crisis - Lindsey Williams
www.reformation.org/energy-non-crisis.html

Written by a Baptist minister who was a chaplain to Alaskan pipeline workers in the 70’s and also had access to the high-ups at Oil Companies. Great read!

The Danger of Speculation - Mike Norman
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166038,00.html

Written when oil was $67 a barrel, and he offers a solution.

–MPG articles–

Three Laws of Car Fuel Economy - from www.mpgresearch.com/forum

1. In highway driving, for each 5 mph that you slow down, your mileage will increase by 10%.

2. For any trip with a present average speed of (mph) and fuel consumption of (mpg), if you speed up to save time, the extra fuel you will use can be estimated by—

Extra gallons = (mph /mpg) (minutes saved /35)

In words, if you divide your normal speed by your usual mpg, then multiply by minutes you want to save (by speeding up) and divide by 35, that’s the amount of extra fuel you can expect to use. It is a handy rule to see the fuel cost for speeding to save time.

3. Very efficient drivers use pedals less and can get 30% better mileage than inefficient drivers.

The 3 Step MPG Solution
www.c4caraudio.com/mpgs/3steps.htm

pick me!

Can’t work.
Let’s do the math:
With oil at over $100 per 40-gallon barrel, this means the oil companies pay over $2.50 per gallon, at the spigot. They then have to pay to transport that oil to the refineries, then refine it, then transport it to the gas stations, then get it to your car, plus a (currently approximately) 8.5% profit (an entirely reasonable profit rate; forget the dollar amounts).
We need to remember that the oil companies are buyers, too. And Exxon-Mobil is dealing with competing companies to buy the supply of oil that’s on the market.
Unfortunately, Justin, you understand less about the way the oil/gas market works than Congress does.

Exxon/Mobil will just sell their extra gasoline to the other companies, who will need to fill their increased demand.

I’ve been driving a Prius since 2002 and have saved tons of gasoline (3,240 gallons) and money ($8,100) for the 108,000 miles driven so far (assuming an avg. $2.50/gal, my 50 mpg vs. avg. 20 mpg). At the current price of $4.00/gal, I will be saving 450 gallons and $1,800 for each 15,000 miles (approx 1 year) I drive. As the price keeps rising, I keep saving more $$. It’s a no-brainer, folks.

The only way to influence gas prices are to decrease demand. And that means within the US: slow down, drive less by planning trips, use mass transit, car pool. Note that we are not repeating 1987’s gas crisis when there simply was no supply. There is supply, but others (China, India) are ready to consume along with the US. Prices will continue to go up until the price hurts and people stop using gas.

It’s really remarkable that we are willing and able to pay regardless of the current high price. It’s equally remarkable that we are supposed to be in an economic slowdown, yet quite a bit of money is being spent on political campaigns to advertise. But with the price of everything dependent on the price of gas, we all will become more watchful of our money.

I don’t know what college you’re at, but you might want to see if you can get your tuition money back.

[…] biggest gas giants in the United States, until they combined into one company.  There have been attempts to lower the gas price by boycotting the Exxon Mobile gas stations — but it seems that attempt will no longer be valid.  Exxon says not to expect immediate […]