High Gas Prices: Obama's Half-Truths vs. Reality

[ChumpDumper]

It sure as dropped natural gas prices.

Unlike natural gas or electricity, the United States alone does not have the power to change the supply-and-demand equation in the world oil market, said Christopher Knittel, a professor of energy economics at MIT.

[boutons_deux]

What's Making Americans Less Thirsty For Gasoline?

The price of gasoline keeps rising for Americans, but it's not because of rising demand from consumers.

Since the first Arab oil embargo of the 1970s, the U.S. has struggled to quench a growing appe e for oil and gasoline. Now, that trend is changing.

"When you look at the U.S. oil market, you see that there's actually no growth," says Daniel Yergin, chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

He says gasoline demand peaked in 2007 and has fallen each year since, even though the economy has begun to recover.

"The U.S. has already reached what we can call 'peak demand.' Because of increased efficiency, because of biofuels, we're not going to see growth in our oil consumption," Yergin says.

That view is shared by the government's official source of energy data, the Energy Information Administration. Its long-term projection is that gasoline consumption will steadily decline by around 7 percent over the next 25 years.

Howard Gruenspecht, the EIA's acting administrator, says the projection does not take into account the latest proposal on automotive fuel efficiency, likely to be approved later this year. It requires fleet averages of 54.5 miles per gallon.

"If you put those into the mix, we would expect a somewhat steeper decline in overall liquid fuels demand, and gasoline demand in particular," Gruenspecht says.

http://www.npr.org/2012/03/22/149061...e?sc=17&f=1001

========

Maybe that's why Fox Repug network, and similar ilk here, are politicizing electric/hybrid cars, trying paint them so black that consumers will not try them out, so that consumers will have fabricated negative image/memory of electric/hybrids even as they increase in efficiency.

And of course, closing gasoline refineries is great way to restrict supply and prop up/inflate the price of (less) gasoline.

[ChumpDumper]

Well, even if the refineries were reopened the gas probably wouldn't stay in this market.

[RandomGuy]

I see another day of spursandcowboys running away from this turd.

Bwaawck bwaawck bwaawck...

[Winehole23]

after buffing them to a high polish, what need is there to return? at any rate, new ones can be obtained at a moment's notice.

[boutons_deux]

20 Experts Who Say Drilling Won’t Lower Gas Prices

In a pretty impressive act of journalism, the Associated Press recently conducted a “statistical analysis of 36 years of monthly, inflation-adjusted gasoline prices and U.S. domestic oil production.” The result: “No statistical correlation between how much oil comes out of U.S. wells and the price at the pump.” It’s neat to see math cut through the talking points and get straight to the truth of the matter — which is that expanding drilling is a fundamentally ineffectual response to gas price es.

Given that changes in U.S. oil production don’t move gasoline prices, it should be clear that U.S. government policies related to drilling are of even smaller consequence. Indeed, 92 percent of economists surveyed by the Chicago Booth School of Business agreed this week that “changes in U.S. gasoline prices over the past 10 years have predominantly been due to market factors rather than U.S. federal economic or energy policies.”

Still not convinced? How about another 20 economists and analysts from across the political spectrum who will tell you the same thing:


http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/0...er-gas-prices/

[boutons_deux]

Why Keystone XL, War With Iran, and "Drill Baby Drill" Will Actually Raise Gas Prices

As noted, the above are only four examples. While we're at it, we might ask about the Republican attacks on efforts to explore the potential of low-cost, low-pollution biomass fuels (such as algae) that may lower liquid fuel prices in the mid-to-long-term. Or, for that matter: their resistance to improved rail transit, bicycling, electric vehicles, household energy efficiency programs (which would reduce demands for home heating oil), and a whole host of other paths to reduce U.S. liquid fuel requirements that could also help drive down U.S. prices at the pump over the mid-long term.

There are so many other viable paths to improving the economy, squeezing energy costs, and reducing the external costs (health, environment, and so on) of our energy system. But if you look at the reasoning behind Republican political rhetoric and policy priorities, there's only one possible, inescapable conclusion: The Republican agenda is to increase oil company profitability while increasing gasoline prices at the pump.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/154626

[Facts]

after buffing them to a high polish, what need is there to return? at any rate, new ones can be obtained at a moment's notice.

Turds can indeed be polished.

This thread, however, is beyond redemption.

[spursncowboys]

I see another day of spursandcowboys running away from this turd.

Bwaawck bwaawck bwaawck...

running from what?

Obama lied again...and again...and again....

[Winehole23]

This thread, however, is beyond redemption.

I was totally unaware "politics" posts were eligible for redemption.

[Winehole23]

running from what?

some taunt you did not respond to perhaps. there might be clews in the thread. have you reread it?

[spursncowboys]

No when I see pages of back and forth with no merit, or if I see a whole page of people I blocked, I don't really read. That is usually past the point of reason.

[Winehole23]

how can you know politics posters fell short of rationality again, if whole pages are blocked?

I will say I admire your confidence.

[spursncowboys]

how can you know politics posters fell short of rationality again, if whole pages are blocked?

I will say, I do envy your confidence.

Hopefully the reason why you misunderstood is because I didn't explain it well but it would be safe for me to assume you are just being wh 2.0. Those were the two reasons why I wouldn't read entire pages.

FWIW I usually only block people if they never add anything to the conversation. Everytime I get curious to see what they put, I am always encouraged that I made the right decision.

[Winehole23]

checking confirms how right you were to ignore them in the first place

[Winehole23]

I know the feeling, but about as often (maybe a little more, sometimes) checking proves me partially correct, partially mistaken or dead wrong. I'm frankly envious of your results...

[Winehole23]

Of course, I have no ignore list. I'll talk to any random jackass. I hope to develop it into a minor superpower someday...

[Drachen]

Of course, I have no ignore list. I'll talk to any random jackass. I hope to develop it into a minor superpower someday...

Winehole bravely speaking to jackasses to save the rest of us from having to.
A Hero among legends.

[Th'Pusher]

how can you know politics posters fell short of rationality again, if whole pages are blocked?

I will say I admire your confidence.

Spursncowboys isn't lacking in anonymous Internet confidence. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the mental chops to back it up.

[Winehole23]

I basically enjoy and/or am entertained here. I don't see what's so brave about that, but thanks just the same...

[Drachen]

I basically enjoy and/or am entertained here. I don't see what's so brave about that, but thanks just the same...

Was in response to your super power comment.

[clambake]

Hopefully the reason why you misunderstood is because I didn't explain it well but it would be safe for me to assume you are just being wh 2.0. Those were the two reasons why I wouldn't read entire pages.

FWIW I usually only block people if they never add anything to the conversation. Everytime I get curious to see what they put, I am always encouraged that I made the right decision.

cowards only rationalize their own voice.

[ElNono]

I wonder why bother posting in a public discussion forum if you're going to "block" differing opinions...

BTW, the problem with the OP isn't that Barry says half-truths. He does. But so does heritage. You're basically using Stalin to about Mussolini...

[ChumpDumper]

It's OK, snc could never discuss anything even if he tried.

[RandomGuy]

running from what?

Obama lied again...and again...and again....

THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE WILL HAVE NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER ON THE GLOBAL PRICE OF OIL.

--This is not my opinion.

They have several other proposed pipelines besides the Keystone pipeline.

Global prices are just that, global.

If Canada sells that oil to China from its west coast ports, then China buys less from the rest of the world, and the rest of the world then charges the US a bit less for its imports.

Fun.
Gi.
Ble.

Even if the US completely met its oil needs by domestic production, we would still be vulnerable to oil supply shocks in the middle east.

Middle east oil withdraws--> world consumers bid up prices--> US producers then can export oil more profibably--> domestic supplies go down-->US prices then go up.

This is how drilling all the oil we consume still exposes us to middle east /Africa instability.

The ONLY way to reduce your dependence on this area of the world, aside from government directives to private companies about who they can sell for, and for how much, is to use less oil.

QED. Basic economics.