Author Topic: Gas prices (Read 20121 times)

Sal Atticum · « **on:** April 22, 2008, 09:38:55 AM »

Well, someone had to say something. There is an interesting discussion going on at the GF Herald website.

My solution might be to start selling bicycle trailers, but I don't know if people would go for that here.

ajekt · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2008, 02:42:27 PM »

Its the government just letting oil companies screw the economy and all of us.

I heard the govt. should cut taxes, but I am more thinking a price freeze or something. Technically we are still in a war and this is price gouging.

Plantains · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2008, 02:57:47 PM »

Umm... I have an idea. Stop using E-85 and/or ethanol.

Plantains · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2008, 02:59:51 PM »

Hmm... I wonder if this will open a market for bike messengers here?

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2008, 03:07:55 PM »

I wish I had the time and materials to finish my pedal car.

Plantains · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2008, 04:08:20 PM »

I tried to make a pedal car once. It was before my vast understanding of physics but after my immense mechanical knowledge of such things.

Basically, the lesson learned was... as things get heavier, you need to upgrade the brakes.

Im in for some mad help on a cycling car project. I think it would be a neato thing to ride in a parade as a "UND Cycling" float. Not to hijack that vehicle or anything.

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2008, 05:52:36 PM »

We can see what we can do with it--it's actually built mostly of PVC pipes with steel pipes reinforcing the base. It could use some more reinforcement, but I wanted to get it functional first. I ran out of time and money at the beginning of last summer before I could develop the steering mechanism.

I can show you sometime if you'd like--I'm sure Commando Eli would like to get it away from his garage.

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2008, 05:52:51 PM »

Maybe we could take a cruise tonight after the meeting.

Plantains · « **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2008, 11:28:32 PM »

gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh U shoulda said something @ the meeting!

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #9 on:** April 24, 2008, 07:50:05 AM »

I forgot

pmp6nl · « **Reply #10 on:** April 24, 2008, 06:30:20 PM »

I am just trying to cut back my driving. My car gets pretty reasonable gas mileage.

Maybe I will take the bus more often.

Admiral Ackbar · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2008, 09:00:44 AM »

Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
Author James Kunstler says the Automotive Age is almost history and deconstructs McMansion living

Quote

The suburban landscape has been marred by foreclosures and half-built communities abandoned in the subprime aftermath. But James Howard Kunstler, author of a dozen books, including The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape, thinks there's a bigger threat to those far-flung neighborhoods: the scarcity of oil. As Kunstler sees it, oil wells are running dry and the era of cheap fuel is over. Given the supply constraints, he says the U.S. will have to rethink suburban sprawl, bringing an end to strip malls, big-box stores, and other trappings of the automotive era. Kunstler, 59, predicts a return to towns and cities centered around a retail hub—not unlike his hometown of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But the shift to this new paradigm, he says, will be painful. (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.) BusinessWeek writer Mara Der Hovanesian spoke with Kunstler about suburbia, which he calls "the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known."

More

JakeJZG · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2008, 09:06:00 PM »

Four things:
-Coal Gassification
-Nuclear Power
-More Drilling In Our Borders
-Stop Ethanol Subsidation

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2008, 09:31:22 PM »

None of which is going to immediately bring gas prices down, and none of which (excepting nuclear) is going to give us more nonrenewable resources in the end. The idea of power itself needs to be rethought.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2008, 11:42:22 AM »

Wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, ...?

JakeJZG · « **Reply #15 on:** May 15, 2008, 05:40:58 PM »

Quote from: Sal Atticum on May 11, 2008, 09:31:22 PM

None of which is going to immediately bring gas prices down, and none of which (excepting nuclear) is going to give us more nonrenewable resources in the end. The idea of power itself needs to be rethought.

They are long term solutions, and are the only real viable ones available that can be made NOW.

Now, if you can get some renewable solutions out and made I'm game. We just need to do something that works at the same time as new technology development.

Plantains · « **Reply #16 on:** May 21, 2008, 09:21:33 PM »

Quote from: Sal Atticum on May 11, 2008, 09:31:22 PM

None of which is going to immediately bring gas prices down, and none of which (excepting nuclear) is going to give us more nonrenewable resources in the end. The idea of power itself needs to be rethought.

But EVERY power source will have its downfalls. Nuclear is AMAZING, but you have to figure out what to do with the byproducts. Hydrogen is AWESOME, but I can forsee in another 100 years people complaining about too much water or something. Wind and solar are renewable in a sense, but how will huge wind and solar farms affect the climate and weather.

When people say nothing can happen right away, thats bullshit. E85 happened right away. People saw potential to make a product they have selling at say $1 a bushel sell for $10 a bushel.

I mean... even if people cycled everywhere, you have to feed them and deal with their waste. Its a cycle. Its just about what the best option is.

Hydrogen. Its the wave of the future.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #17 on:** May 21, 2008, 11:37:20 PM »

Maybe more money on research would help speed things up? I dont know, do they have enough people doing research and do they have large enough budgets... or are they kinda just out there doing research?

JakeJZG · « **Reply #18 on:** May 23, 2008, 03:18:17 AM »

Nuclear byproducts + breeder reactors = no problem.

Nuclear > Hydrogen because: available now, infrastructure in place.

You have to make the hydrogen from something. If you can solve that then I'm game.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #19 on:** May 23, 2008, 06:08:10 PM »

I find it interesting that gas prices continue to rise at ridiculous rates.

Especially because I heard that there is no oil shortage (which is often blamed for high oil prices), exxon and others are simply just not requesting more oil ... hence driving up oil and gas prices on speculation so they can make more money? Exxon and others did post record profits. $11.7 billion in quarterly profit; earned $1,300 a second in 2007.

At least thats what people are saying, do you think its true?

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/01/news/companies/exxon_earnings/

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq9IBAPClSI[/youtube]

goon · « **Reply #20 on:** May 28, 2008, 11:56:39 PM »

Quote from: pmp6nl on May 23, 2008, 06:08:10 PM

I find it interesting that gas prices continue to rise at ridiculous rates.

Especially because I heard that there is no oil shortage (which is often blamed for high oil prices), exxon and others are simply just not requesting more oil ... hence driving up oil and gas prices on speculation so they can make more money? Exxon and others did post record profits. $11.7 billion in quarterly profit; earned $1,300 a second in 2007.

At least thats what people are saying, do you think its true?

The reason gas prices are up is that the democrats and environmentalists have not allowed any refineries to be built.
That is the problem.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #21 on:** May 31, 2008, 11:02:40 PM »

Quote from: goon on May 28, 2008, 11:56:39 PM

Quote from: pmp6nl on May 23, 2008, 06:08:10 PM
I find it interesting that gas prices continue to rise at ridiculous rates.

Especially because I heard that there is no oil shortage (which is often blamed for high oil prices), exxon and others are simply just not requesting more oil ... hence driving up oil and gas prices on speculation so they can make more money? Exxon and others did post record profits. $11.7 billion in quarterly profit; earned $1,300 a second in 2007.

At least thats what people are saying, do you think its true?

The reason gas prices are up is that the democrats and environmentalists have not allowed any refineries to be built.
That is the problem.

Thats the problem? Speculation is a big part.

Maybe we should be looking a little harder to move beyond oil.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #22 on:** June 09, 2008, 04:37:45 PM »

I am so excited as gas prices near $4/gal !

To find cheap gas near you dont forget about http://www.gasbuddy.com/

ajekt · « **Reply #23 on:** July 14, 2008, 03:19:40 PM »

um ok:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEsEvb1WsIY&NR=1[/youtube]

I gotta try this one

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKKsVtCuxDU[/youtube]

Admiral Ackbar · « **Reply #24 on:** September 10, 2008, 10:05:34 AM »

I got a thing in the mail today from Conrad that wants support for the "New Era" bill. First he called for an Apollo Project on energy (only $20 billion) and more conservation and efficiency ($64 billion). Which I am fine with, and I think are good things. Then he shoves in this line about "increased domestic energy production"--which translates into "drill, baby, drill" and there is even a picture of where he wants to open up offshore drilling, something that I think most of us don't know anything about.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #25 on:** September 10, 2008, 11:19:58 AM »

I have said it time and time again, we need to use some money and invest in alternative energy. Cost effective, renewable energy is not that far out, especially with some serious backing. Of course you have to fight the lobbyists or do want to see it.

Admiral Ackbar · « **Reply #26 on:** September 26, 2008, 01:42:16 PM »

Why don't we have lobbyists for alternative energy?

pmp6nl · « **Reply #27 on:** September 28, 2008, 09:14:14 PM »

Quote from: Admiral Ackbar on September 26, 2008, 01:42:16 PM

Why don't we have lobbyists for alternative energy?

We do, but they dont have the huge financial backing as others do promoting other agendas.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #28 on:** October 09, 2008, 05:38:36 PM »

Gas prices are plummeting in Fargo, just saw $2.79 this morning!

Admiral Ackbar · « **Reply #29 on:** October 25, 2008, 10:35:56 AM »

Quote from: pmp6nl on September 28, 2008, 09:14:14 PM

Quote from: Admiral Ackbar on September 26, 2008, 01:42:16 PM
Why don't we have lobbyists for alternative energy?

We do, but they dont have the huge financial backing as others do promoting other agendas.

Stupid lobbyists

Looks like I'm posting lots of herald links today:
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=90775&section=Opinion
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=90769&section=Opinion

goon · « **Reply #30 on:** October 30, 2008, 02:35:36 PM »

Quote from: pmp6nl on May 23, 2008, 06:08:10 PM

I find it interesting that gas prices continue to rise at ridiculous rates.

Especially because I heard that there is no oil shortage (which is often blamed for high oil prices), exxon and others are simply just not requesting more oil ... hence driving up oil and gas prices on speculation so they can make more money? Exxon and others did post record profits. $11.7 billion in quarterly profit; earned $1,300 a second in 2007.

At least thats what people are saying, do you think its true?

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/01/news/companies/exxon_earnings/

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq9IBAPClSI[/youtube]

Remember the oil companies profit margin is only 8-11 percent so I would have such a fit over this they pay over 50% in taxes. That should be criminal.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #31 on:** November 04, 2008, 12:09:30 AM »

Well gas prices have plummeted. I paid $2.01 a gallon the other day in Fargo. Lets hope they go below $2.00 or at least some of the other areas of the Dakotas catch up to Fargo's prices.

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #32 on:** November 19, 2008, 01:39:52 PM »

Hooray for food prices going down!

pmp6nl · « **Reply #33 on:** November 19, 2008, 09:35:42 PM »

Are food prices dropping?

Gas hit $1.73 in Fargo.

goon · « **Reply #34 on:** May 15, 2009, 01:44:04 PM »

It would appear that gas is on its way back up. Nothing major probably but I do think that will be about 2.50 by the end of the summer.

Sal Atticum · « **Reply #35 on:** May 15, 2009, 01:58:50 PM »

Hello goon, how's it going?

goon · « **Reply #36 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:06:49 PM »

Sick of rain and cold weather. Other than that ok... Thanks for asking.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #37 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:26:42 PM »

I have noticed they are on the rise... I am hoping they dont go too high, $2.50 is manageable.. but of course the lower the better!

goon · « **Reply #38 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:50:59 PM »

I think there has to be balance. High gas prices stiffle the economy as well as low prices.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #39 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:58:17 PM »

Quote from: goon on May 15, 2009, 02:50:59 PM

I think there has to be balance. High gas prices stiffle the economy as well as low prices.

That is a good point. Do you think $2.50 is that balance?

goon · « **Reply #40 on:** May 15, 2009, 03:07:52 PM »

That is ok with me, I think three bucks get to the threshold of where it's painful.
I drive a trail Blazer I am hunter, my dog and gear and other stuff wouldn't do well in
a car. I thought about buying a smaller more efficient SUV but I am going to drive the wheels
off this one first.

pmp6nl · « **Reply #41 on:** July 13, 2009, 12:02:28 AM »

Well they went up a bit, and seem to have leveled off... possibly for the summer?

pmp6nl · « **Reply #42 on:** November 03, 2009, 10:09:56 PM »

Up Down Up Down Up Down ... sigh