Gas prices??? What are we to do??

[chetman7]

I'm gonna convert my car to run on happiness and sunshine

or just buy a motorcycle

[littleindiangirl]

I'm gonna convert my car to run on happiness and sunshine

or just buy a motorcycle

LOL!!!

[ctrlfreq]

I cannot see how it is cheaper for companies to ship things overseas to assemble, then ship back..

Considering the cost of the base resource, the labor costs associated with doing the manual labor, and taxation on all parties (especially for the UK, which has a national health care system to pay for), it can easily cost less, even with high fuel costs, to ship raw materials to a third world country for processing.

This is only made worse when raw materials must be imported as well (ie. American car manufacturing going to Mexico), and it costs significantly less to import the goods to the third world nation that's doing manufacturing.

Maybe the fuel prices raised will make it less profitable to do so?

Only if fuel costs rise above the financial gains realized from less regulation, taxation, and a cheaper workforce. The real point here is that we don't want to move manufacturing jobs into developed nations, we need to be focusing on the things that made us great in the past, which is to say an environment that fosters innovation and invention through education and the ability to raise your position in life through merit and accomplishment.

[ctrlfreq]

What gives money value? The amount of it in circulation, the more of it that's in circulation, the less value it holds.

The amount of money in circulation can only be directly tied to it's value in the microcosm of it's native economy. The point being that, if you reduced the amount of money in circulation down to a single dollar, or increased it to one-hundred quadrillion dollars, they would all collectively be worth the same -- the value the economy itself contains at that point in time (minus imports and plus exports).

When it comes to global economics, the value of a particular economy is always in terms of relative value to other economies. This is why the peso has never, and most likely will never be worth much -- even though they produce a lot of goods and services, Mexico simply doesn't have much of worth in their economy, and that which they do produce with their relatively low-skilled workers requires large-scale importation of resources.

[Warm-blooded]

I'm surprised the issue hasn't been adressed of besides the rising prices, how to make the most of the gas when we do buy it, I am not going to adress carpooling and don't buy a vehicle bigger than you need, etc.,as those are obvious, but heres some others which may not save you, but they will get you better mpg, and I'm sure people have heard them before, but really havn't taken them into consideration when costs were lower, heres some I remember offhand, feel free to add more if you remember any:
-Drive 60, most speeds above this aren't optimal operating conditions
-Don't be such a lead foot, doing such obviously uses more gas, really this reduces efficency more than anything else, accelerating rapidly between lights isn't necessary, can reduce mpg up to 40%
-Remove excess weight, be it junk you leave in it or anything else
-Use cruise control- varying the speeds arent helping
-Make sure your air filter is clean
-Properly inflate tires
-Don't use your AC when you don't need it
-Don't drive with the windows open at high speeds
-Make sure your fuel system is in good operating condition, be it the spark plugs, wires, as well as clean oil
-Also cold engines use more gas then warm ones
If your gas milage goes down, find out the reason rather than ignoring the problem.

[joepythons]

Well gas is now $3.67 ,gee its a shock they raised it 1 day after those checks went out .I HATE this price gouging pigs!!!!

[_Venom_]

Four dollars.

Sucks that my generation will never experience 2 dollar gas.

[gmcclurelssu]

The most cost effective way of powering anything is Nuclear power. People just don't want to live near one cause they think their children will be born with 3 eyes or something. People don't realize that the average Nuclear worker recieves less radiation exposure in a YEAR than the average person will recieve on a sunny beach for a DAY!

Also as far as tapping our countries natural oil reserves goes, can I ask Why? Lets use up everyone elses first. It may cost a little now, but if we ever have to fuel an "all out war" against the middle eastern countries that supply our oil currently we have a reserve we can tap into. Also in the mean time if we were not buying our oil from the middle east then what relation would we have that would prevent them from declaring war on us!

As for depressed states and the revenues got from taxing oil goes, can you say the democrats in your state are giving it to all those unemployed people instead of giving it to industry so they can grow and hire more people!

for my state, all i was referring to was that our state has had to cut basic public services like police and fire departments, not that the dems (who are in control and are doing some stupid things with money, but thats a whole other issue that is unrelated) are wasting it on welfare. my only point is that if the state were to tax gas more heavily, the extra cash flow isn't going to go to roads, but paying back the other state agencies that have had to take serious cuts.

also, i am so glad that you mentioned nuclear power. one of the best, cleanest forms of power available, but it is never talked about in the 'green power' discussions.

[darkbloodwyvern]

-Don't drive with the windows open at high speeds

is this to reduce air drag or something? I've heard the other tips, but not this before. thanks!

[gmcclurelssu]

Here's a good article that CNN just posted:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/24/bec...ces/index.html

you know, i've never been a huge fan of Glen Beck, but he does raise some great points. i had completely forgotten to put some blame on OPEC. while it seems that every one is ready to jump up and blame greedy ceo's, a lot of people forget that OPEC screws us not because they are greedy, even tho they are, but because the countries that that make up opec hate us!