Don't buy gas from Exxon or Mobile

[zpiloto]

Well I got this e-mail for the zillion time and instead of deleting it I decided to send this reply back.

I don't see this working. The only way to lower prices is to reduce our consumption, period! Although not a totally free market the thing with gasoline is that there is plenty of oil sitting at the refiners they just can't turn it over fast enough because we have not built a refinery in 30+ years. Although prices continue to go up the demand has continued to increase also. Until "we" the general public reduces our demand, drive more fuel effient cars and look to alternate energy it will be the same old same old. If you really want to hurt the oil companies send 50 emails to your freinds and tell them to try and reduce their fuel consumption by 10% this week and try to increase more each week. Although 10% sounds like a lot just by having the car in good mechanical shape, tires at proper inflation pressures, and DRIVING AT OR BELOW the posted speed limit will put money in the bank and out of the Oil companies pockets.

Here's a link (http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp) on this e-mail that's been floating around since gas prices hit $2.00 a gallon.

People still just don't get it. It's always someone else fault.

edit: Moderators if you need to move this to general feel free to.

[Silveredwings]

I know lots of folks, myself included, who haven't bought exxon or mobil gas since the exxon valdez catastrophe. ZP is absotootly right: it hasn't stopped them from being the highest profiting company in the world, now has it?

[Bill in Houston]

If there was a sustained 10% reduction in motor gasoline consumption, that would make a big difference in prices. Not just for gasoline, but for diesel, home heating oil, jet fuel, etc. It would be great to see that happen.

[brucepick]

If every one of those silly gas "boycott" emails instead told people to slow down, pump up their tires to max sidewall and not race from one traffic light to the next, they would be a lot more helpful.

In fact I think I'm going to prepare a canned email to that effect and forward it to as many people as possible when I get one of those emails.

Maybe put in a plug for gassavrs.org and cleanmpg.com while I'm at it.

[cfg83]

Silveredwings -

Originally Posted by Silveredwings

I know lots of folks, myself included, who haven't bought exxon or mobil gas since the exxon valdez catastrophe. ZP is absotootly right: it hasn't stopped them from being the highest profiting company in the world, now has it?

I stopped buying Exxon after the Valdez, and saw some Exxon gas stations go under. But then they merged with Mobil, which I used to go to, so I stopped going to Mobil, except in a pinch. Today I go to Chevron, so I am giving money to the proud owners of the Bhopal disaster. I would go to Citgo if I could, but they don't have any stations near me. You can't win by targeting an individual oil company. They're all corrupt in my book.

Do what Brucepick says and promote high MPG driving habits. Lower demand and that will cut their profit from 10 billion per quarter to maybe only 5 billion ( ).

CarloSW2

[Jim Dunlop]

Allow me to push this politically-charged thread into the General Discussion zone.

Originally Posted by zpiloto

The only way to lower prices is to reduce our consumption, period! Although not a totally free market the thing with gasoline is that there is plenty of oil sitting at the refiners they just can't turn it over fast enough because we have not built a refinery in 30+ years.

Why would any global oil company in its right mind want to build a refinery in the United States? I'm not necessarily complaining about our restrictive environmental regulations (I don't like pollution any more than the next guy), but I'm just trying to point out that there are consequences to businesses.

Originally Posted by cfg83

I would go to Citgo if I could, but they don't have any stations near me.

I'd rather buy gas from an American company that had a rare accident than from a communist dictator. Having said that, I prefer Shell because I can get it around here with 0% ethanol.

And having said all that, I also agree that consumers have the ultimate power and that we should exercise our influences on the market.

[repete86]

I haven't allowed anyone in my family to go to Exxon since 1989. I don't remember this, but my parents tell me that when I was 3 years old I used to yell out the window at people getting gas at Exxon.

Things haven't changed much.

I still refuse to buy anything from ExxonMobil, but for other environmental and humanitarian reasons that I won't go into here. Their business practices are well documented and can be easily found online.

They aren't making as much of a profit as we like to believe. If they were making 0% profit, gas prices will only drop by a few cents.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by repete86

I haven't allowed anyone in my family to go to Exxon since 1989. I don't remember this, but my parents tell me that when I was 3 years old I used to yell out the window at people getting gas at Exxon.

Things haven't changed much.

I still refuse to buy anything from ExxonMobil, but for other environmental and humanitarian reasons that I won't go into here. Their business practices are well documented and can be easily found online.

They aren't making as much of a profit as we like to believe. If they were making 0% profit, gas prices will only drop by a few cents.

Unfortunately one of the more popular motor oils is Mobil 1. It would would be interesting to see what products Exxon has control of.

[Jim Dunlop]

Originally Posted by repete86

They aren't making as much of a profit as we like to believe. If they were making 0% profit, gas prices will only drop by a few cents.

Thanks for being honest...most people don't realize that on a percentage basis, the Money Center Banks industry (a "life necessity" like food or gasoline) makes a much higher average net profit margin than the Major Integrated Oil & Gas industry.

This is astounding to me since from a risk vs. return standpoint exploring for oil, buying illiquid capital plant equipment, and dealing with unstable governments would seem far riskier than lending money (which should be fairly easily nailed down by actuaries).

[civic94]

i get those emails many many times. they just tell you to dont buy gas on a certain day or company, so they will understand how much profit they will loose if no one bought gas......

BUT it doesnt work because the oil companies are just laughing because, they know you will be back at the pump sooner or later becase "millions" of people didnt pump on that certain day.

only way to solve the problem is to drive better or stop driving at all

[Jim Dunlop]

Good point (the latter half of your post). I like to make the people who invented "Big Oil" and "Big Pharma" regret it by slapping "Big" onto the front of ANYTHING. E.g. Big Corn, Big Lawyers, Big Teachers, Big Unions, Big Immigrants, Big Government, Big Banks, Big Casinos, Big Burgers, Big Beer, Big Tobacco...

[bobc455]

Who makes more profit from a gallon of gasoline? ExxonMobil or the Government?

Hint: It isn't even close.
Another hint: They REALLY don't give a crap about the consumer or this would change.

-Bob C.

[Bill in Houston]

I hate Big Grocery. Have you seen the prices on artichokes, red bell peppers, and asparagus lately? :-)

[ELF]

Originally Posted by zpiloto

Unfortunately one of the more popular motor oils is Mobil 1. It would would be interesting to see what products Exxon has control of.

Exxon is going away in a few months, it will be all mobil.
Mobil pretty much controls all the oil base stocks, they sell to almost all the major oil companies, every thing from group I to group V. they even sell basestocks to smaller companies like amsoil.
I am not sure how much of the gas market they control, but it is safe to assume that it is impossible not to buy from them, more than likely they supply many smaller no name brands with gas, not to mention if no one bought there gas they would just sell it to shell or some other big company.

[Jim Dunlop]

Originally Posted by bobc455

Who makes more profit from a gallon of gasoline? ExxonMobil or the Government?

Oh, that's an easy one. Here in Wisconsin, Governor Doyle is proposing a budget which has $1.7 billion in new taxes and fees -- including ANOTHER gas tax hike (all in the name of not raising income taxes). The dirty little secret is that if gas consumption drops off suddenly, the government loses a ton of revenue...so if FE is going to improve, it's going to happen SLOWLY.

Originally Posted by bobc455

They REALLY don't give a crap about the consumer or this would change.

Why should the state control prices in a free market? It almost always leads to long-term problems. If you don't like the price of gas, you can a) use less or b) explore, drill, and refine your own oil.

[proletariandan]

Citgo people, Citgo. I'd much rather support a government-owned company that invests in social programs both at home and abroad than a greedy multinational corporation.

[bowtieguy]

found this thread looking over the archives. it's a good one, not for the boycott of exxon, but for the different views on oil profits. BTW, i believe it foolish for anyone to overlook mobile especially if there's is the lowest price. i've lifted my boycott for that reason.

i challenge anyone to search, then compare and contrast profit MARGINS of different industries. i believe the "rough necks" extracting and refining oil should be well compensated. as far as the execs, they're overpaid just as many(most?) large companies of ANY business are!

and yes, oil is a huge money maker, for the US govt! and whose fault is it that the gov't and big oil are gettin' paid? the ones burning the fuel like there's no tomorrow, we the consumer.

i particularly like the opening post(thread starter), which states, "it's always someone else's fault." for the most part, we cannot control the speculators, price of crude, and taxes; but we can control(limit) our usage!

[theholycow]

Damn, man, exactly one year bump. Nice old bump.

[VetteOwner]

i just buy gas from FS or BP, sometimes shell but thier always 2-3 cents higher...

[baddog671]

Lately I've been filling up at a Pilot Station and its been the cheapest I've seen anywhere. Right now its like 3.85 for 87. Woot, what a bargain [sarcam]

[Biffmeistro]

Originally Posted by Jim Dunlop

Why should the state control prices in a free market? It almost always leads to long-term problems. If you don't like the price of gas, you can a) use less or b) explore, drill, and refine your own oil.

That would be all well and good and encouraged, except for one little fact. It's not a free market. B is not an option. You aren't allowed to drill anywhere, you aren't allowed to make a new refinery. So no matter how lucrative a business it would be to get into oil and start up some competition... You cannot. By being "environmentalist" the goverment is maintaining the oligopoly of the oil companies.