Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Gas Prices -- what is to be done?

I'm hearing this on every doorstep -- gas prices are too high.

What do readers think we can/should do?

Let the market decide? Put on price restrictions? Have a Canadian price and a world price? Cut the taxes on gas to lower effective cost (if so where does the missing revenue come from)? (Re)nationalize the petroleum industry? Ignore this issue on the basis it will go away? Wait and let people buy smaller cars instead of monster trucks? Spend money on electric and hybrid vehicles?

There is no easy answer -- remember the attempts to regulate in the 1970s didn't work out very well and caused great resentment in the West.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's called supply/demand.

When gas prices get high enough, the required investment into alternatives becomes viable and you create competition.

You want to participate in high gas prices, buy the stocks of oil companies or oil ETF's.

When oil companies make money, your pension managers are making money because they hold these companies.

Indirectly, you are also gaining.

Take the bus. Or a bike, walk if you can.

Just quit your moaning please (everyone).

kathleen said...

agree wholeheartedly w/ Anon. Reduce your consumption.

Hishighness said...

4 words: INVEST IN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY!!!

Anonymous said...

It's not supply/demand. It's straight-up speculation, otherwise known as gaming the market. Some asshole decides he wants to get greedy so he plays the market as if supplies are running out and oil companies gleefully jack up the prices. Oil is one of those commodities that doesn't close trading when the prices go up or down by a certain number.

The Rat said...

If you want to start a Western revolution just set a "Canadian" price and lets do it. Otherwise it is entirely hypocritical for "green shift" Liberals to worry about the price of gas. You should be crowing about how it is a good thing and people will have to drive less and use transit. Unless, that is, you're only green when it is easy.

Anonymous said...

The higher the price of energy the higher basics such as food and shelter (at least heating it anyways) becomes.

Last time I checked an SUV in Toronto was a luxury, vegetables and refrigerators however,are not.

The taxes on energy are extremely high. They help cause spikes in the necessities that people both poor and wealthy need. The problem is that the wealthy just shrug. They'll pay more to fill the SUV and pay more for the lettuce.The poor are forced to do without.

The sad reality of the environment movement is that it increases poverty while those who can consume will continue to do so.

It has failed.