[Ansteorra] Re: gas prices too high...sorry had to share this

[Michael Silverhands]

On Apr 21, 2006, at 2:29 PM, Shane B wrote:

> Never gonna happen.  Even the last Administration did not do much.   
> Or the one before.   These prices are here to stay folks until we  
> start using alternative fuels.  Don't bet I am wrong- I always take  
> sucker bets.
>
> Alastair
>
>
>> Until we elect an Administration and Congress that can properly  
>> and swiftly handle these terrorist OPEC nations and stop playing  
>> second fiddle to the enviro-wackos and open the vast US reserves  
>> in Alaska and offshore, this situation is only going to continue  
>> to get worse.
>>
>>   Wolfgang

It's simple forces of supply and demand.

In the "good old days", we produced (locally, on-shore or just off- 
shore) almost all of the fuel that we consumed. Distribution costs  
were minimal, and fuel costs at the pump were really, really low.  
What a coincidence.

Currently, we only produce 40-60% (depending on which numbers you  
read, and what day of the week) of the fuel that we consume. Our  
refineries are operating at 85% of capacity, or higher. And still it  
doesn't keep up with our demand. Demand has exceeded supply, and fuel  
costs are taking off like a race-horse. What a coincidence.

If everyone could carpool (or work from home) just 1 day a week, we  
could cut our nation's consumption of automotive fuel by 10-20%. That  
doesn't touch fuel used for shipping (via air, rail or truck) or for  
generating electricity. But it would be a *huge* start, and make more  
of an impact than *any* other measure on the table -- including  
making war in foreign oil-producing countries.

But, to get back on topic: what can we do in the SCA to mitigate the  
high fuel costs, so we can afford to travel to events and keep  
playing our game?

Simple: consume less fuel per person.

There are two ways to do this: 1) travel less, but that would kill  
our hobby over time. Or 2) increase our ratio of (people x miles  
traveled) to (miles per gallon of fuel). In other words: carpool to  
events. If one person drives to an event by themselves, their fuel  
cost is $3/gal. If two people carpool, their fuel cost is $1.50/gal  
each. *No* other single measure can or will have as dramatic a result  
as the simple step of carpooling.

It also has the added benefit, if enough people do it, of reducing  
demand. If we get demand low enough, then once again we are less  
critically dependent on foreign oil, and once again have really,  
really low fuel costs.

Michael