Does this really make a difference?

melodious

a friend sent to me:

No Gas on May 15th*
**
*MARK YOUR CALENDARS....IT IS CERTAINLY WORTH A
TRY...WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO


LOSE...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

*IF ONLY 10% OF THE PEOPLE DO THIS, MAYBE WE WILL
SEE SOME REMEDY???*
* **
Hi All,
*
*NO GAS...On May 15th 2007*
*
Don't pump gas on May 15th*
*
In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted
nationwide in protest of gas
prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon
overnight. 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 companies pockets
for just on e 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 industry for at least one
day.

If you agree (which I can't see why you wouldn't)
resend this to all your
contact list. With it saying, ''Don't pump gas on
May 15th"*

Pearl Jam and toast

I guess the idea is that if we take a bunch of money out of the oil company's pockets they will lower gas prices (supply/demand).

Two big problems with it..

1. It would need to be done a HELL of a lot more to accomplish that.
2. Not everyone will do it. Not even close.

So yeah it's optimistic hippie crap I guess :rolleyes:

Lesbelges

I doubt this works.

First of all, how many of us will even need to pump gas on the 15th of May? I get gas once every week and a half, so yeah i guess if I happen to need gas that day I could not get any.

Secondly, what these people are really doing is inducing volatility in the demand of oil. Besides supply and demand, the other factor which influences prices is the uncertainty of demand. Well for oil companies to accept the risk of this uncertain demand they have to increase oil prices slightly. The more demand is uncertain the higher they have to be compensated for taking the risk. So this big dip will increase uncertainty a lot, and yes demand will go down for that day, but if everyone then fills up on the 16th, the revenues lost won't be great, but the volatility in gas prices will have risen.

Anyway, I don't a significant amount of people will do this. And I don't think the 30cents drop in gas prices is true, or at least due to the fact they did this previously.

farfromglorified

The logic here makes no sense. Not buying gas on 5/15 just means you'll buy gas on 5/16 instead. The gas companies won't lose a dime.

It should be "don't drive on 5/15".

melodious

farfromglorified wrote:

The logic here makes no sense. Not buying gas on 5/15 just means you'll buy gas on 5/16 instead. The gas companies won't lose a dime.

It should be "don't drive on 5/15".

or the 14th...;)but i agree with your theory

melodious

Oh for goodness sakes! Has no one taken my economics class???? If you decrease demand one day then, yes, prices might drop - as they often do when demand decreases (a shift to the left). HOWEVER, demand will then rise the next day and prices will rise again - probably to the same level they were at originally. If you really want to make a difference then you could (1) find an alternative source of transportation - this would make your demand for gas shift permanently to the left; (2) carpool - another reduction in demand; (3) elect a president who actually cares about the environment and strives for alternative sources of energy; (4) buy a more fuel efficient car - another permanent shift... you see my point? For there to be an actual change in demand (which would lead to a focused change in price) it must be a PERMANENT shift not a temporary (one day) shift. You want to talk about a supply shift? About an increase in gas taxes? Increase taxes, supply shifts left, prices go up and people are forced to use gas more efficiently. Price of gas in continental Europe anyone?


taken from a private email: i am not a teacher or have an economics class i facilitate..for clarification

Uncle Leo

This is at least the 5th time over the last few years that I have seen these. The previous did not work and neither will this. I understand the frustration with high gas prices, but do not really grasp why people think they have a right to cheap gas.

The only way the gas situation will change is if the market changes. And people don't want to change. They want to "send a message" that they are upset and they want the message to result in a reward for their continuance of the same lifestyle. It's not the way it works.

Carpool week would work a lot better than No purchase day. "Carpool, but that will reduce my convenience." Well then, keep paying what you're paying.

melodious

Uncle Leo wrote:

Carpool week would work a lot better than No purchase day. "Carpool, but that will reduce my convenience." Well then, keep paying what you're paying.

And...

So will our mother, as well as our descendents.

Thank you, Uncle
Leo

i've been to clown college too...great place to self explore and learn about inner balance as well as managing valuable resources called the SELF...;)

JaneNY

Even if it is made up the next day, perhaps its a way to send a message to big oil - see how many of us there are and what we can do if we join together? I will participate.

melodious

Maybe only way to make a difference against big oil is to join in on little big man's injunction against feds? His case still lives; however, I don't know details anymore.

Me thinks folks need to demand for reform at all corporate levels.


Thank you JaneNY

farfromglorified

JaneNY wrote:

Even if it is made up the next day, perhaps its a way to send a message to big oil - see how many of us there are and what we can do if we join together? I will participate.

What message are you sending -- that you're too unprincipled to stick to a behavior for more than a day????

melodious

farfromglorified: we all have temperments and attitudes and behaviors which are constantly evolving.

three years ago, i came here, so naive..so opinionated..and my how the tides have changed.

thank you for your input.
thank you for invoking thought
thank you for being part of this web we call life.

gue_barium

$3.55 a gallon here this morning. I spend about $20-30 a month, usually. I rarely drive, just for work and groceries, and that's all very close.

Fuckers.

gue_barium

gue_barium wrote:

$3.55 a gallon here this morning. I spend about $20-30 a month, usually. I rarely drive, just for work and groceries, and that's all very close.

Fuckers.

You know what's the subliminal message here:

fight for oil!


motherfuckers.

melodious

ooooh, don't give them what they want..join hands and maybe think about how jet fuel and others forms of transport are far costly to us all...

maybe try astral travel....

polaris

just use as little oil as possible ... that should be the goal ...

RolandTD20Kdrummer

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

I guess the idea is that if we take a bunch of money out of the oil company's pockets they will lower gas prices (supply/demand).

Two big problems with it..

1. It would need to be done a HELL of a lot more to accomplish that.
2. Not everyone will do it. Not even close.

So yeah it's optimistic hippie crap I guess :rolleyes:

Those who mock this are clueless. It shows the natives are getting fed up, wise, and organized. That type of thing scares the living fuck out of those from above.

Do just think about it ...do it.

Fill up in advance....work around it but don't buy a damn cent of gas on that day.

melodious

polaris wrote:

just use as little oil as possible ... that should be the goal ...

This is what I call practical application. Thank you.