F... gas prices

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by That Guy

the main culprit was the over consolidation of oil refineries, the lack of contingency planning and fallback capacity (which we have for other vital needs, like the phone and power networks), and the general problem with politicians not wanting to address problems until it's already too late (engineers have been saying that those barriers needed fixing since at least the 80's... oops. At least they'll get fixed now :P that is, unless the country just decides it's not worth it and abandons the region for good.)

the oil consumption of war and middle east instability also has something to do with it. But again, the main problem right now isn't in getting the oil, it's in getting the refined fuels.

You're right that refining capacity is a big part of the reason that gas prices have jumped recently. But if you want to eliminate the pains of gas prices, the real answer is to stop using so much oil for everything. The root of the problem is demand. America is dependent upon oil for so much of what we do, finding alternative energy sources is the long-term, most viable solution to the problem.

That of course will take time though. So in the interim, you're right, more refineries are needed.

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

That of course will take time though. So in the interim, you're right, more refineries are needed.

unfortunately refineries cost a lot to build and don't make much in the way of profit.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by That Guy

unfortunately refineries cost a lot to build and don't make much in the way of profit.

Which is ultimately why we need another energy source.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

You're right that refining capacity is a big part of the reason that gas prices have jumped recently. But if you want to eliminate the pains of gas prices, the real answer is to stop using so much oil for everything. The root of the problem is demand. America is dependent upon oil for so much of what we do, finding alternative energy sources is the long-term, most viable solution to the problem.

That of course will take time though. So in the interim, you're right, more refineries are needed.

But our demand hasn't increased dramatically. The emerging demand in India and China is what is killing supply overall. It seems unfair for us to have to cut our demand while other countries expant their demand exponentially. I guess life isn't fair.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

But our demand hasn't increased dramatically. The emerging demand in India and China is what is killing supply overall. It seems unfair for us to have to cut our demand while other countries expant their demand exponentially. I guess life isn't fair.

No our demand hasn't increased. The demand for oil at a global level has increased because of China and India. And like we said, the price of oil is determined by traders on wall street who trade on the futures contract of crude oil. Those traders factor in global demand, not regional demand. If demand increases on the other side of the world and stays constant here, price goes up for everyone.

And cutting our dependency on oil should be something we all WANT to do as Americans, not something we reluctantly go along with. If we weren't dependent upon oil we'd have no reason to get involved in the Middle East. And if we can find a cheaper, more abundant source of energy, it would be a win-win for the entire world.

But you don't eliminate America's oil addiction by buying hybrid vehicles or taking public transportation. That will barely make a dent. You need a total switch to another source, whether it be solar, nuclear, hydrogen, or whathaveyou.