Big Gas Price Hike Likely Come Springtime

An Expensive Seasonal Additive Could Spike Coastal Fuel Prices To Near $4 A Gallon

(AP)  Get ready for another surge in gasoline prices.

Experts are predicting pump prices, which jumped by almost a dollar a gallon in each of the last two springs in many parts of the United States, will spike again this year as refiners and gas stations switch from winter- to summer-blended fuels.

The increases, starting as early as February in southern California, could push the average national price to a record $3.50 a gallon or more by June.

That would be 17 percent higher than today's average of just under $3 a gallon, which already is about 80 cents a gallon higher than year-ago levels thanks to the surge of crude oil that took futures prices briefly to $100 a barrel. Prices in urban areas on each coast could approach $4 a gallon.

And the reason for the spring price shocks? Analysts say it's linked to a shortage of alkylate, a little-known and expensive gasoline additive that some in the industry are calling "liquid gold." It has become a must-have ingredient since refiners stopped using MTBE two years ago when the potentially cancer-causing additive was found to be seeping into ground water.

The alkylate shortage has become the most important driver of summer gas prices, said Doug Leggate, an analyst at Citigroup Global Markets. "Supply of (alkylate) will set the price of summer gasoline - not inventory levels," he said.

Oil companies deny they are purposely limiting production of alkylate, which like gasoline, jet fuel and asphalt is a byproduct of the oil refining process. But only recently have some started studying how they can boost output, and alkylate prices today are more than 15 percent higher than spot gasoline prices. That means overall costs will jump when it is added in larger quantities to summer-blend fuel.

Without additives, gasoline doesn't burn completely, increasing tailpipe air pollution. And untreated gas evaporates more quickly in hot weather, potentially causing vapor lock when it changes from a liquid to a gas and blocks fuel lines.

The federal government long ago required refiners to boost the oxygen content of summer-blend gasoline to make it burn more completely, a problem that was solved by adding MTBE and, more recently, ethanol.

But ethanol also has a high evaporation rate, so refiners increasingly have turned to alkylate, which Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, N.J., calls the "magic bullet" in making summer gasoline.

Alkylate and other gasoline additives don't raise the same safety issues as MTBE because they don't bond with water as effectively as MTBE did, analysts say.

Demand for alkylate changes with the seasons, falling in autumn and rising in the spring. On average, alkylate makes up about 10 percent of a gallon of gas, though that rises to as much as 15 percent in summer. But making more of it is not as simple as throwing a switch since the underlying chemical properties of oil limit how much of any one refined petroleum product can be produced.

On average, about 44 percent of each barrel of oil ends up as gasoline, 22 percent as diesel fuel and heating oil, 9 percent as jet fuel, and about 4 percent each as heavy fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gas, according to the Energy Department. The remainder is comprised of smaller products and additives.

The refining process is loud, hot and smelly. Boilers separate, or "crack," oil into new substances by subjecting it to high temperatures and pressure. As different products are boiled out, pipes carry them to other boilers or vessels where they're further refined, mixed with other substances or cleaned of pollutants and toxins.

Alkylate is made via a chemical reaction sparked when olefin fluids and isobutane - two of the smaller byproducts of the main gasoline producing unit - are mixed with acid.

"As opposed to the (gasoline unit) that cracks big components into small, this one takes two components and basically combines them," said Mark Fligner, director of planning and economics at Valero Energy Corp.'s refinery in Paulsboro, N.J., across the Delaware river and just south of Philadelphia.

Owners of about two-thirds of U.S. refineries have invested the $100 million or more it takes to add an alkylate unit. The rest have to buy alkylate on the spot market if they want to use it as additive in their gasoline supplies.

Refiners aren't gaming the system, purposely limiting alkylate production to boost gas prices, said John Auers, senior vice president at Turner Mason & Co., a Dallas consultancy. "They're not because they can't," he said. "You can't make more alkylate than you have feedstocks."

But there are tradeoffs that every refiner must weigh. For example, olefins and isobutane are in high demand for use in producing other lucrative products like plastics. Refiners can tweak their main gasoline producing unit to make more olefins and isobutane, but that would cut the gasoline output.

Alkylate prices have jumped from 77 cents a gallon in the summer of 2001 - when MTBE was still in use - to nearly $3 a gallon at points over the past two summers. Wednesday's price on the spot market was $2.72 a gallon, 40 cents more than the spot price of gasoline, according to Platts. Retail prices for gas are higher because things like state and federal taxes are added. In recent summers, that spot market differential has jumped as high as 60 cents.

Refiners place the blame for spring gas price increases on crude costs, environmental regulations that have increased the overall cost of refining, and their inability to expand or build new refineries fast enough to keep up with gasoline demand.

John Pickering, vice president and general manager at the Paulsboro refinery, said Valero makes enough alkylate to meet its needs, but concedes that there is a national shortage of the additive in the spring and summer.

Other refiners contacted by The Associated Press said they are reluctant for competitive reasons to talk about how they blend gasoline, or whether they face alkylate shortages.

What is known, however, is that refiners are hiring companies such as UOP LLC of Des Plaines, Ill., to determine whether they can increase the capacity of their existing alkylation units. "In the last year or so, there has been a significant uptick (in business)," said Ashis Banerji, director for refining at UOP, which licenses alkylation technology to refiners.

And the 36 percent of domestic refineries that don't have alkylation units are looking at adding them.

"Our impression is that refineries are moving as fast as they possibly can to add alkylation capacity," said Jim Pawloski, business director at UOP competitor DuPont Clean Technologies, a unit of DuPont Co. He said his unit's business has jumped five-fold over the past five years and will likely double again this year.

The steep jump in summer alkylate prices has also caught the attention of at least two companies that used to produce MTBE. Enterprise Products Partners LP and Texas Petrochemicals Inc., both of Houston, say they're closely studying whether to convert idled MTBE plants into alkylate factories.

That also highlights the conundrum that is alkylate: If too many refiners decide to spend big bucks to crank up production, the premium prices now enjoyed by alkylate makers could disappear.

Refiners have to weigh the cost of such an investment against the incremental cost of simply buying the extra alkylate they need. "I'm not sure that it would be economical," said Jeff Hazle, technical director at the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association.

But if production doesn't rise, American motorists will be faced with big jumps in spring gas prices for years to come.

[rudy654-2009]

I personally think they should take these big oil executives and make them eat their oil. And if this continues to get out of hand, they just might find themselves in an awful spot.

[barbjc1]

Good grief, the country is in recession now. When is someone going to see where the real problem has been?

[nothappyatall]

"it''s linked to a shortage of alkylate, a little-known and expensive gasoline additive"

And it comes from oil, what a COINIDENCE it happens to be in short supply- raising the costs of fuel.

"a problem that was solved by adding MTBE and, more recently, ethanol. "

MTBE; cancer causing toxic krap, done away with
Bring in; ~Ethanol~,
you lose 10% of your MPG so you have to burn 10% MORE to drive the same distance before they added this overpriced filler. Your corn, grain and land prices have jumped up big as a result of the new demand on these for ethanol production.

Bring in; ~Alkylate~ another toxic cancer causing chemical that given a few years we''ll read about ITS ban like MTBE.

[nothappyatall]

"Is there any way to hold the gas price hike? More and more people can not afford it."

The planet doesnt revolve around whether you can afford something or not- DRIVE LESS! think twice about having more kids!


"Good grief, the country is in recession now. When is someone going to see where the real problem has been?"

The real problem? gas prices? no, the REAL problem is the population in this country has gone from 150 million in 1950 to over 300 million in 2005- THATS the problem!
The same limited finite supply eaten up by TWICE as many people, till there are none ADOPT one, till then spay-neuter your children.

[jeff-fla]

We all can prepare ourselves by dropping our pants and slathering up with Vaseline.

It would make the humping far less painful.

The bad part is Vaseline comes from Oil. They will charge us for it before we bend over.

[ontheleft]

Gas is now about $3 a gallon. What this story is telling me is that gas will go up by over a dollar a gallon because of a newly required gasoline additive? I''m not buying it.

[croft777]

We''ll all be like the Flintstones, running our cars around. Well, we don''t need the oil, we need someone with anough brains out there who can come up with a perfect cheap car that runs on hardly nothing, we got plenty of garbage in this country, why not use that for fuel.

[crystal0502]

Alkylate prices have jumped from 77 cents a gallon in the summer of 2001 - when MTBE was still in use - to nearly $3 a gallon at points over the past two summers. IF THAT DOESN''T SOUND LIKE PRICE GOUGING, WHAT DOES?! Not to mention the price of EVERYTHING ELSE has to go up so stores can afford to have products shipped to them and still make a profit. The cost of gas for transportation is in store''s bill. Then we have to turn around and buy MORE GAS to get to the store to get the things we NEED! This is crazy and running the economy into the ground! Something needs to be done to put an end to this and bring prices back down. I live within 2 miles of everything, schools, stores, post office, everything. It costs at least $30 a week just to take my kids back and forth to school, go to store when needed (3x wk on average). Our hang up is it is so cold you have to let car warm or you end up with sick kids, so you go through more gas. SOMEBODY PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

[crystal0502]

Alkylate prices have jumped from 77 cents a gallon in the summer of 2001 - when MTBE was still in use - to nearly $3 a gallon at points over the past two summers. IF THAT DOESN''T SOUND LIKE PRICE GOUGING, WHAT DOES?! Not to mention the price of EVERYTHING ELSE has to go up so stores can afford to have products shipped to them and still make a profit. The cost of gas for transportation is in store''s bill. Then we have to turn around and buy MORE GAS to get to the store to get the things we NEED! This is crazy and running the economy into the ground! Something needs to be done to put an end to this and bring prices back down. I live within 2 miles of everything, schools, stores, post office, everything. It costs at least $30 a week just to take my kids back and forth to school, go to store when needed (3x wk on average). Our hang up is it is so cold you have to let car warm or you end up with sick kids, so you go through more gas. SOMEBODY PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

[sparks224]

"Internet is a good place to share information and meet friends. I recently found a nice web site called..."
Posted by sophielhu

The comments section of CBS news is NOT a good place to try to advertize some stupidass website.

[crystal0502]

Sorry everyone, I somehow posted my opinion twice! Didn''t mean to, not sure how, just wanted to say sorry since it is kind of long.

[sparks224]

Americans deserve to get screwed. I think it''s funny.

[crystal0502]

Now that ain''t right sparks! Nobody of no race, no religion, no country deserves this. Especially the people trying earn an honest living! Now I do have to agree the American government is wrong for letting this to continue for the simple fact it is hard on everyone, but the government keeps saying they want to get people off of welfare and food stamps, but not doing anything about gas prices so people can afford to drive back and forth to work. How can some of the people needing that type of assistance hold a job if they can''t put gas in their car? But it isn''t right for you to judge everyone by where they are from or the color of their skin!

[ms38654ob]

I want to see $7 and even $10 a gallon prices for gas. That''s the only way we''re ever going to get off our a$$''s and come up with a viable alternative.

Once we can ween ourselves of this *** poison, we can kiss the middle east and all their problems goodbye.

[brianbwb-2009]

For decades American gas prices were artificially kept low, the Europeans were paying $3.50 per ten years ago.

Now the oil companies have made the price more uniform, as they lose potential profit by not having the largest consumer group paying less than everyone else in the world.

Too bad the federal and local governments still don''t believe in improving and expanding mass transit systems, and when they do get around to it, they give the contracts to corrupt friends in private businesses, so the system suffers from slipshod construction, and poor maintenance, and is of no real use to society.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by crystal0502

Sorry crystal, but I have to agree on sparks on this one, but for exactly the reasons you posted, the neocons shouted "end welfare" until everyone believed their racist lies that only "minorities" took it, despite publicly available data to the contrary.

So they gutted public assistance, replacing it with sorry programs to train the unemployed for jobs that don''t exist, or the "workfare" programs, which are nothing more than slavery.

Put gas in their car? How about the millions who can''t afford a car to put gas into? They are not "lazy minorities", as the sociopaths label them, they live in areas where the economy has already collapsed, and they have no means to simply move to a better area, which wouldn''t welcome them anyway.

But the Reaganite trickle downers, and the Newt Gingrich "contract on Americans" crowd had everyone cheering as they put this sociopathic agenda into place, so Sparks is in a sense right, we do deserve this, because we let it happen.

[crystal0502]

That is the point I was trying to make! Cost of gas going up low income people can''t afford it! Not that I am trying to put them down, believe me I''m not! I have been there, I grew up with my Mom trying to raise 4 of us basically on her own. I know people who would take minimum wage jobs an hour away because that is all there is hiring due to all the factories moving to 3rd world countries to make more $$. With gas so high, people can''t afford to drive an hour away for a minimum wage job, but when that is all there is and they have no $$ to move, they are up the creek. And THESE PEOPLE are the people who ARE HURTING the WORST from this situation. That is the point I was trying to make. And all of America doesn''t deserve it, it is the ones who put us in this situation that do, and they have enough money that they don''t give a d@!n about the people suffering. Seriously, do you think they would actually go through a workfare program, they would kill themselves first because they have to much pride! Until some gets in office that has lived on both sides of the tracks, and remembers both sides, someone has to speak up for those who can''t afford gas let alone internet!

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by brianbwb at 02:25 AM

Here''s a different angle ont that: Gas prices have not been artificially low. Instead, in other countries they have been high because of taxes (from which they benefit). That being said, those countries have a much better system of public transportation than the US does. In Germany, I never needed a car to get around. And when I did need a car, I only rented it for a couple of weeks. Public transportation there is great. However, in the US, because of zoning laws, businesses and work are located far from housing developments and require extensive traveling. For example, one day I was staying at a hotel in San Francisco, but I just happened to ask worker if he lived nearby. Nope, he lived two hours away. He couldn''t afford to live where he works.

[g-gfather]

AMISH

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by rudy654

Yours is quite an acceptable view, but don''t forget that the taxes collected from gas in the US are "trickled down" and also "corrupted down" on the heads of the rich anyway, so one can still count that as profit.

However, I was referring only to the out of pocket costs for the average consumers. Sure Europe on the whole has a much more efficient transit system, as does Japan, and even tiny Singapore, but the "privatization of everything" advocates in the US would never allow that to happen in America, and the social fascists would never accept living in the same general area as the "working class".

Whatever the reason, any further sharp rise in gas prices could very well trigger social instability, as millions will no longer be able to afford to travel to work, as there won''t be enough left over to eat and maintain shelter.

The resulting displacement of the remainder of the middle class could trigger riots and general anarchy, and it is against this backdrop that Mr. "bomb Iran" McCain runs for president.

Any real threat perceived by Iran could compel them to sell to Russia, Japan and China exclusively, they will still get good prices for their oil while the US economy collapses.

[mikekleber]

How can the oil companies complain about spending $100 million when they are making billions of profit every month??? The thieves are taking their last stab at the American consumer since their buddies Bush and Cheney will be leaving Washington at the end of the year!! Since Iraq was dumping oil on the market keeping it around $20 a barrel, they ousted him as planned and started counting their money. When all of the details finally come out after Bush leaves, we will find how badly their calculated plan screwed America.

[jjp735i]

Looking back over the past several years the oil companies come up with a different excuse each spring. The price of oil is too high, not enough in supply, refineries are off line, refineries are off line due to needed repairs and so on.

Yet they continue to make not only profits, but RECORD profits and always claim they are not doing somthing to cause high prices and each time Congress looks into the matter and not once has Congress ever really found anything. Maybe the rest of us are really just stupid.

[aeasus]

YEEEAAAA!!!

It''s strange how this country can spend trillions of dolars protecting our interest in the middle east (oil). We can sacrifice thousands of our sons and daughters. No problem. But spend $5.00 a gallon at the pump,that''s the last straw.

Sadly it looks like this is what it will take to smarten people of this country up...$200.00 to fill my SUV,OMG we need to do something!!

We have had the ability to produce our own energy for decades,why congress allows this to go on is insane.

[mcvet]

Stay the course America!! ROFLMAO Down down we go and no bottom in sight but STAY THE COURSE. It''s almost as insane as Hoovers "Prosperity is right around the corner"... Okay the NEXT corner.. okay the NEXT corner!! ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Y''all

[pepperwood2]

I thank the World Global Warming Agenda. There is toooo much consuming going on out dere. Higher prices, no matter how pathetic the rationale, isn''t getting people & their economies to cut down usage. This contributes to a your larger Carbon Footprint.

You do want to save the planet?? right??. We''ll get Big Oil a major contributer to the Global Warming Agenda free room to help us overcome this sad scenario. Record profits you ain''t seen nothing yet. If we hit you consumers high & hard enough at the pumps, etc. we''ll get you to tone down your foot print.

We''ve got other tactics that we''ve been setting in place a little at a time to slowly choke you infidels out.

O give me a home where the buffalo roam and the deer & and the antelope play.

Love it! CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE

[crystal0502]

Global warming.........do reading and research as we may be aiding to it a little, they discovered we are STILL coming out of the last ICE AGE!!! So why is the weather continuing to get warmer? Hello. Not only that, but the earth is in the process of the poles switching sides, and if I understood correctly, that takes like 20,000 years and is chaos on weather, land, water, EVERYTHING. And everyone keeps yelling Global warming because that is either all they ever heard, been taught, or bothered learning. So if a person is that worried about saving the planet, if they do research, they''d see this has happened before and will again. Look closer at the Ice Age and before it. Keep up with everything they are learning about it, not just a few things they have.

[olebd]

It sure seems after 9/11/01, the excuses as to why gas prices had to rise kept multiplying. Why didn''t we hear these excuses before 9/11? And it''s strange how the prices have only gotten worse since a man with deep roots in big oil came into power to run the country.

And just where are these record profits going? Research? Retrofitting pumps for alternative fuels? More refineries? I doubt it.

[jw218389]

I love how Bush Cheney Halliburton announce each time they intend to screw us with another intentional gas price gouging.

IMPEACH BUSH & CHENEY NOW!

Bush - the new Hoover...

[jw218389]

"Refiners have to weigh the cost of such an investment against the incremental cost of simply buying the extra alkylate they need. "I''m not sure that it would be economical," said Jeff Hazle, technical director at the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association."

TRANSLATION: REFINERS ARE FIXING THE PRICES!!!

[fstop100]

Middle America will be the new POOR America

[mcv57]

Europe Shell pull down 13 billion dollar profit. What happen Bushwacker, just yesterday you stated a oncoming windfall in oil prices (with a photo of a tanker at a Iraq port). I guess the White House and the Corporate Profiteers are not on speaking terms.

[trillion1]

While oil and utilities are recording profits in the billions every quarter some idiot is blaming treehuggers? Our counrty will never improve as long a stupid peole are allowed to breed.

[killtheliars]

If you listen to the industry explination for this they are basically telling the consumer f*** you. This additive is a byproduct of gasoline production. They started using it a few years ago in the warmer months, to make gas burn cleaner. In the past they were producing it almost year round so when the warmer weather started they had plenty on hand. This year they decided since it was "supply and demand" thing that they would not start producing any until they needed to start adding it. In other words they deliberately created a shortage.

[walt1944-2009]

It has been learned that oil companies will be increasing prices in time for the summer driving season, and also in time for you to receieve your "recession" rebate from Congress and the Great Emperor Bush II ( a rebate you will also have to pay income taxes on!).

As usual, the oil companies have advanced the usual excuses as to why oil prices are going up from "meltdowns" at refineries to moose pooping on the Alaska pipeline to the all-time favorite line of "the terrrrrrrorists are out there", but as we all know the real reason is a much "sweeter" bottom line. The fear that a Whimpo-crat may capture the White House and the Whimpo-crats take solid control of Congress, has the oil companies pushing their agenda of "I Cheat ''em And How" to the max.

It is expected that other areas of corporate America (now known as GREED America), will follow suit.

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!

[olebd]

I guess that talk Bush had with the Saudis a couple of weeks ago didn''t do any good. Yet the price of oil is down somewhat, is it not?

He needs to talk to his oil buddies closer to home. If he truly cared for the "''merican pea-pull."

[rowdytexan2]

Every day that gas prices hike it means about another billion dollars in oil producers PROFIT! When we de-regulated, it allowed them and every other business in the United States to charge whatever they wanted to for the product or service.

When they sold us that bill of goods, we screwed ourselves right out of holding them to a fair profit margin.

And most are still yelling for less government!!!

You have to live with what you buy!!! And you bought it!!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 09:31 AM : Jan 31, 2008

When you supported de-regulation and less government, you took the people out of government, and gave our economy to profiteers!!!!!

[oilfix]

There is nothing mysterious or difficult in making alkylates. You could do it at home. Looks like what the article is hinting at is the world has used up the light sweet crudes that produced abundant lighter compounds (used to make alkylates), and are now left with the heavy crudes that are harder to refine and produce less light compounds.

[crystal0502]

So here I am posting another one. This just gets me madder and madder. I watch local news. And if it is something big where I have family, I will watch U.S., but I am now catching up on ALL of this political garbage, something I have never watched (by choice anyway), so I can go vote to see if that might help. But in the meantime, what can middle class and low income Americans do to be heard about this? Is it going to take Department of Social Services taking kids into custody because parents are going to jail for manslaughter because they have to choose between buying food (since government keeps cutting back assistance) and gas for their car, have to keep job to keep a roof over their kids'' head, power, water, everything else needed. So they figure just a little less food here and a little less there and before they realize it the kid is dead from malnutrition. Then of course the government will say there were plenty of resources available. There are so many starving homeless people out there. Seriously, a lot of people don''t know, they can''t get food stamps because they don''t have an address!!! That is a fact! So, really what is it going to take, because I do not know what I can do as an individual, aside from voice my opinion, to get someone who knows what to do (or should I say someone who matters), to HELP the USA citizens. Before it comes to this.

[crystal0502]

SOUNDS LIKE ROWDYTEXAN2 AND LASTDANCE7 KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. SO MAYBE ONE OF YOU CAN TELL EVERYONE WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THIS WILL CHANGE.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by crystal0502 at 10:03 AM : Jan 31, 2008

We need to step in again and regulate those industries that have huge effects on our economy...aka the oil industry, and health insurance companies, etc and quit allowing them to happily line their pockets while the middle class struggles to buy their products and pay their share of taxes.

Especially the oil industry because it effects the delivery of all our goods, and especially our food and cost of getting to work. Health care profiteers should not be allowed to limit our access to health care, nor profit so highly off of people''s suffering.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Benst1 at 10:08 AM : Jan 31, 2008

Well said!

I am all for the use of electric cars within the city limits. In fact, when I run around my neighborhood, I do it on a golf cart, lol

People living in the city do not need cars that go 120 mph on freeways especially after a night at the local beer hall.

[mwhc1]

I''m guessing that if the price of alkylate was $5 a gallon... the refiners would have no problem making a billion gallons of the stuff. But, as long as this shortage of alkylate continues - and this keeps gas prices up - the oil companies are ptobably not looking for a fix. I again blame Bush and all the stupid people who voted him... twice! Shame on you people... hope you can handle $5 a gallon next year. You probably should save that $600 Bush wants to send you. :)

[underdogus]

huh? 4 a GALLON? there you have it folks we are in serious trouble..gas goes uP,food goes uP,etc,etc,etc....cheers!

[killtheliars]

What we need is Congress to pass legislation requiring any oil company who sells product in the U.S. to make public a breakdown of the consts of bringing gasoline to the pump. This way we will know exactly what it costs them to bring a gallon of gas to the pump. Then set a profit limit, if they go over that fine them.
If they do not agree then the Govt'' needs to start importing, drilling and refining themselves. Anytime the companies (Exxon, BP, Shell ect) say there is a shortage, the govt'' should step up and say no problem we''ll flood the market with the gas we have to keep prices below $2.00 per gallon.

[drivelphobe]

As gas prices rise, fewer casual drivers will crowd the roads. This is good. More people will car pool. This is good. Aircraft and automobile builders will be forced to develop more efficient systems. This is also good. Waste of gasoline will diminish and that is good too. All is not bad about increasing gasoline prices.

More pressure to develop alternate fuels, which was obvious back in 1978, might materialize. The oil dominated leadership of this country will maybe be forced to make the honest changes. If this isn''t the right time, perhaps later. The oil industry runs the country and they will fight until the end to maintain their power, shifting only after they have secured the identical position utilizing alternate fuels.

The "We the People" have nothing to say and that''s a fact. Just figure out ways to survive. I drive less than I used to and I walk more.

[crystal0502]

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 10:15 AM : Jan 31, 2008

But what can we do as individuals to make this happen? Or is there even anything we can do, do we just have to wait it out if there is an end to it. A simple vote someone into office or the deaths of poor? What can I do other than get mad and post blogs and hope the right person reads it?

Electric cars are a great idea. We''d get one. But I know a lot of people who would still be stuck in the same situation because they can''t afford a new car now, let alone a whole new breed. So the lower income people will still be in the same boat. What about them?

[prairiefox1]

THE WAY THIS IS GOING THIS COUNTRY IS DOOMED!
PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD THE FUEL! PURE AND SIMPLE!
TALK ABOUT GRINDING TO A FAST STOP!

[passerby2]

this pretty much nulifies the tax rebate...just another way for them to funnel tax money to the oil companies. we get this tax rebate, which we have give back to them next year, in the meantime they raise gas price leaving us no choice but to give that money to the oil company...so instead of us getting $600 we get a tax debt in which we lose another $600.

[crystal0502]

Posted by drivelphobe at 11:36 AM : Jan 31, 2008

Did you read just the article? Have you read any of the posts made?
Not that that alternative fuel is a bad idea, it is a good idea. Do you you have any idea what it takes? I know a guy that breeds corn for a living. Yes, I said breeds corn for a living. He said it takes 5 years to turn corn into fuel! 5 years! This is a process that they have been working on for a long time, but if you want organic fuel, it is going to take A LOT of work.

And seriously are you going to car pool with someone who has to drop 2 or 3 screaming brats off at daycare on the way to work?