A guest post, by my dad, in response to:
On May 15th 2007, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places. There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companys pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil in dustry for at least one day. If you agree (which I cant see why you wouldnt) resend this to all your contact list. With it saying, ''Don't pump gas on May 15th"
OK- it's out here and this is my response....
This stuff doesn't work.
Cutting $3 billion of retail gasoline sales in one day makes no difference. That's because we're going to buy that gas anyway. The only way to really make an impact is to stop buying gasoline. Now, putting a $3B dent in the TOTAL sales for EACH AND EVERY month, with no recovery would make a difference.
This is a matter very dear to my heart (must be that old leftover hippie in me). The only impact we can make is to make long-term lasting impacts. One-day "feel good" stuff like this does nothing to the market forces that create fuel costs. And remember that the US has generally the lowest retail fuel pump prices of any industrialized non-oil producing nation. Europeans were paying $3.00/gallon when we were whining about it hitting a buck and a half. However, we never forced the automakers to make realistically fuel-efficient cars- we kept buying those big honking things that suck fuel at rates that make OPEC smile.
I suggest you instead send a written letter (they ignore most e-mails) to your legislators at both the state and national level and demand that
the money currently going to support oil companies goes to building a reliable and efficient public transportation system that includes local and national. Our railroads should be the best way to get around the mid-west instead of the unreliable joke Amtrak has become. It's ludicrous that Bloomington/Normal buses require one to leave two hours early to get from South Main to West College. It silly that the busses stop running before the malls close- how can mall employees use a bus if the last bus leaves before they're done closing their stores? That's the kind of stuff that will make the oil producers take notice.
Ride bicycles, use public transportation, share rides, get your car tuned up, get rid of anything that gets less than 25 mpg (real measured MPG from your actual driving- not the bogus EPA ratings on the stickers when you buy the car), plan trips, be a good and faithful steward of all the resources with which God has blessed you.
In addition, the gas station owner isn't the one getting the money- most places make more profit off the candy, pop, and other junk they sell than the gas. The food chain puts the money into two main places- the oil corporation and state tax coffers.
Make a difference by doing something that really makes a difference...
jte
