May 15th: Pass on Gas

[bear15]

I found the following interesting......

May 15th, 2007 Take a Pass on Gas

If everybody observed the boycott on Gas on May 15, 2007, it could drain more than 2 billion dollars from oil rich companies, hopefully making a strong enough statement to impact the over price for gas (The Herald News, May 5, 2007).
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...OTT_S1.article


Exxon Mobil profit increases

Published: Apr 27,2007 the associated press
NEW YORK -- Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said Thursday its net income grew 10 percent in the first quarter, as higher refining, marketing and chemical profit margins overcame lower crude oil and natural gas price...
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...XON_S1.article

[Silveredwings]

So the theory is to not fill up on this one day of the year but you can go ahead and consume as much as you want to regardless.

Note: This hasn't worked in 8 years, but what the heck, maybe this is the year. Has it had any effect but to a) create a lot of chain-mail traffic; and b) prove to the oil companies that we couldn't boycott gasoline if we wanted to?

The GS site does more to towards a real change in gas consumption than any superficial gimmick like that.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by bear15

I found the following interesting......

May 15th, 2007 Take a Pass on Gas

If everybody observed the boycott on Gas on May 15, 2007, it could drain more than 2 billion dollars from oil rich companies, hopefully making a strong enough statement to impact the over price for gas (The Herald News, May 5, 2007).
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...OTT_S1.article


Exxon Mobil profit increases

Published: Apr 27,2007 the associated press
NEW YORK -- Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said Thursday its net income grew 10 percent in the first quarter, as higher refining, marketing and chemical profit margins overcame lower crude oil and natural gas price...
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/h...XON_S1.article

So they lose 2 billion on the 15th and make 4 billion on the 17th when everyone fills anyway??

Unless people conserve this will do nothing.

[rh77]

Future News:

Even though gas prices spike 20-cents in one day, a surge in fuel sales on May 16th show record profits for the oil companies...

[XFi]

Even if they did lose 2 billion dollar$, wouldn't they just up the price to compensate?

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by zpiloto

So they lose 2 billion on the 15th and make 4 billion on the 17th when everyone fills anyway??

Unless people conserve this will do nothing.

this is exactly it... a one day boycott doesn't change a thing, because the fuel will be purchased either before or after the boycott day...

now, get people to not drive their cars for a month and that will send a real message. I'd be willing to pick up my kid every day in my bicycle in order to make a statement.

[trebuchet03]

here's What Snopes has to say....

Really... the best thing ever... May 16 -- gas goes up $1.00 based on supply demand.

This is not a boycott... A boycott is a halt on consumption by definition... not a temporary halt on purchase.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Why was it such a popular email spam?

1. People want the easy way out.
2. People don't think anything through.

3. People think gas prices are high


As for the thinking... It's probably ignorance over anything else The internet magnifies a lot of things... Unfortunately -- ignorance and stupidity too...

[Compaq888]

Not going to work. Best solution is you give me a ride to work and school, saving me $170 in fuel costs a month.

[Randy]

May 15: Destroy your car day. Now that would make a difference in gas prices. This whole boycott a day/brand doesn't change anything.

[Lug_Nut]

At 1000+ miles per tank I go for a month at a time between fuel purchases. I'm doing my bit, you slackers!

So what would happen? Station owners would see a drop in the day's receipts. Since they already bought the fuel from the suppliers, the suppliers couldn't give a ship less if you or I don't buy. They already have the day's percentage of the umpteen billion they earn a year.
Slurpee sales and state lottery receipts would be down, more day old hot dogs would merrily spin for another night. Twinkie's would lose about 1/5000th of their remaining shelf life. Other than that? Not a thing.
Let's stop human CO2 emissions! Everyone hold their breath for 20 seconds at noon GMT!

[atomicradish]

When I head out to Uni I will be ditching the car in favor of mass tranist and riding a bike. Gotta save all the money possible.

I might be tempted to pick up a honda spree, or another cheap scooter. Anyone know the gas mileage on those?

[repete86]

If it were a "don't drive day" and everyone participated, we would hurt them. Otherwise, we're just paying them the next day.

[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by atomicradish

When I head out to Uni I will be ditching the car in favor of mass tranist and riding a bike. Gotta save all the money possible.

I might be tempted to pick up a honda spree, or another cheap scooter. Anyone know the gas mileage on those?

Yay! A scooter man. I would pick up an elite 80 over a spree for mileage, I myself am putting together a metropolitan.

But yeah, the spree should net around 80 MPG minimum and the elite 80 is lauded by honda for getting 115 in in house testing.

[DracoFelis]

As others have pointed out, this can't (even in theory) work. And historically (on years when it's been tried) it didn't in fact do any good.

The reason this can't work, is that it does NOTHING to lower overall usage (which might effect "supply and demand"), and merely shifts the purchasing to a different day. And worse yet, because people didn't spread out usage out as evenly (because people were trying to skip buying of gas on this day), it actually has the potential to cause a slight spike in demand on days around the 15th (thereby actually causing prices to go up a little)!

IMHO this is a cute "feel good gimmick" only. The only positive things that this could possibly do (even if all goes well), is possibly get a few more people thinking about gas prices and/or send a "symbolic message" that people are "serious" about this issue. But more likely than not, the only message this will really send, is that people are stupid sheep that can't really do anything that matters. And the whole premise of this exercise (in futility), is so flawed, that (far from getting people to think) it has the significant danger of distracting from other things that might actually do some good (for example, techniques to get better gas mileage, and therefore have to use less overall gas)...

What are people thinking?

[Ryland]

so why don't we start some spam of our own?

[Bill in Houston]

Maybe a "Stay home" day?

[bear15]

Anything that would help. Gas is getting very expensive and many are starting to feel the impact.

Any other thoughts?

Originally Posted by atomicradish

When I head out to Uni I will be ditching the car in favor of mass tranist and riding a bike. Gotta save all the money possible.

I might be tempted to pick up a honda spree, or another cheap scooter. Anyone know the gas mileage on those?

[Bill in Houston]

If you wanna put some people out of business, have a month where you buy gas, but none of the stuff inside the store. That would totally mess with them.

[Ryland]

Here's an idea, pick a country at random and figure out how much gas is there and next time you buy gas put the amount you save by living here in your bank account...
every time the price of gas goes up, it makes me smile, they are doing what a buissness is ment to do, making money, oil compenys are not running a charity, they didn't go in to the industry out of the kindness of their hearts, if they don't do everything they can to make a profit then they are violating the first law of buissness, "make as much money as possible for your share holders" if you don't do that as a buissness you have failed.

[DracoFelis]

Originally Posted by Ryland

they are doing what a buissness is ment to do, making money, oil compenys are not running a charity, they didn't go in to the industry out of the kindness of their hearts, if they don't do everything they can to make a profit then they are violating the first law of buissness, "make as much money as possible for your share holders" if you don't do that as a buissness you have failed.

That's one theory about how business should work. But it's a theory that has some real problems for ethics, society, and even for the long term health of the company itself.

I agree that businesses aren't in it for charity (unless the business is a charity or a not-for-profit), but neither do they need to try to make the biggest profit at any costs. Just look at the history of Enron (even the technically legal stunts they did), to see where "profits at any cost" lead.

Business is (or at least should be) always a balancing act between making profits and keeping your ethics. And good ethics (not to mention avoiding "ticking off your customers") can also be good for the long term health of the company (just look at how well Google is doing, in part due to the fact that they apparently do draw a line as to how far they will go). But it's not just about "profits at any cost". Profits yes (and there is nothing wrong with a business making profits). But profits at any cost, no.

[kickflipjr]

Word about this must out. Even my friend said something about it. Yeah it really wont work.


Why one-day gasoline 'boycott' won't work
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18492185/

[caprice]

I got this in a bulletin in myspace. In reply, I posted why this wouldn't work. unfortunatly myspace deletes bulletins after 10 days, and I lost what I made.

[Shining Arcanine]

What might work to lower fuel prices is if President Bush would authorize drilling in ANWAR, drilling off the coast of Florida and the creation of new oil refineries through an executive order in an attempt to cut off the flow of cash to terrorists in the Middle East by removing obstacles oil companies face in increasing US domestic oil and fuel production. It would be killing two birds with one stone, but I do not think that he will do it.

[slurp812]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

this is exactly it... a one day boycott doesn't change a thing, because the fuel will be purchased either before or after the boycott day...

now, get people to not drive their cars for a month and that will send a real message. I'd be willing to pick up my kid every day in my bicycle in order to make a statement.

The oil industry wouldn't even notice, AT ALL! A gas station already bought the gasoline, and he would wonder Hmm, why I am not selling today? Then the next day (or the previous day) it would make up for it. His monthly sales would be the same, so he would buy the same amount for june, as he did for may.

[rvanengen]

Originally Posted by slurp812

The oil industry wouldn't even notice, AT ALL! A gas station already bought the gasoline, and he would wonder Hmm, why I am not selling today? Then the next day (or the previous day) it would make up for it. His monthly sales would be the same, so he would buy the same amount for june, as he did for may.

Only way as a temporary/protest measure that I can see it would be noticed, is if the boycott were long enough for gas stations to cancel regular orders, causing the distributors to see a rise in on-hand stocks...perhaps even passing on pipeline/barge deliveries. Anything less is meaningless noise.

How about everyone just use less fuel? :-)

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by rvanengen

How about everyone just use less fuel? :-)

But that may actually work!

[James]

It would be a lot of work, but it would be neat to know how much gasoline all of the gassavers members have saved vs epa numbers for their vehicles. I bet we save a lot of gasoline per year...and each month many of us do better and better! Maybe still not good enough, but better, and we should try and get the word out.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by James

It would be a lot of work, but it would be neat to know how much gasoline all of the gassavers members have saved vs epa numbers for their vehicles. I bet we save a lot of gasoline per year...and each month many of us do better and better! Maybe still not good enough, but better, and we should try and get the word out.

You know, that's probably not too hard at all... I think a simple database query can grab all the necessary info quite easily in one pass (EPA# - actual# - gallons used). Then interpret that data - simply calculate how many miles we would have gotten following the EPA estimate and compare to the actual mileage/gallons used.

It would be an interesting stat for the site - how many gallons/liters we haven't bought

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by theclencher

Why does everything these days have a WAR in it?

ANWR reserves are but a drop in the bucket. If we got in there and grabbed it all, it would hardly have any noticeable effect.

We should save the ANWR until we really really need it.