High gas prices and a lack of options
May 6, 2008 at 4:49 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsTwo nights ago, I spoke with a friend in France who said that while she feels sorry for us Americans and our shock about high gas prices, the collective opinion of Europeans is “welcome to the club.” We’re finally paying the true cost of energy as they always have and — shock! — it’s a lot.
And in metro Atlanta, where decades of inaction on public transit has been almost a badge of honor for shortsighted legislators, people are realizing how woefully underfunded one of the best alternatives is now that they need it the most.
The sad thing is that save a sudden discovery of oil underneath the CL offices, nothing will bring down the price of gasoline. (I’ve looked — there’s nothing here but crumbling shrines to Karl Marx and old Michael Dukakis yard signs.)
There have been several “solutions” offered as to how to get us out of this mess. Drilling has unfortunately been mentioned, although that “solution” is a lot harder than it sounds. Oil found in the United States couldn’t be hoarded and just slipped to Daniel Day-Taxpayer. Any liquid gold we found — more like if we found it — would take years to accumulate to have any effect on oil prices. And in the long run, pursuing such a supply would only prolong the addiction to oil and exacerbate the ramifications of its use on the environment.
There is this weird little patch of oil in North Dakota. Robert Kaufmann, an energy professor at Boston University, says that he’s dubious of such claims, adding that if the technology were already there, this supply would’ve most likely been tapped years ago when oil was the then-unthinkable sum of $40 a barrel. Today it hit $123 a barrel.
What about reducing the nation’s oil demand by 10 percent, I asked Kaufmann. Wouldn’t any dip in demand be eclipsed by the thirst being seen in Indian and China? He writes in an e-mail:
A 10 percent reduction in US oil demand would reduce US demand by about 2 [million barrels a day]. If accomplished over a relatively short period, this could have a significant effect on prices. Yes, eventually growing demand elsewhere would offset this reduction, so its effects would fade. But even if the reduction [did] not effect prices, it would free up money that could be spent on other goods and services, thereby reducing the recessionary effects of higher oil prices, improve the US balance of trade, slow climate change, slow other forms of pollution., etc. So, I would not diminish a short-term 10 percent reduction in US oil demand–It would certainly be more beneficial than an similar sized increase in US oil production.
Another idea is the “gas-tax holiday” being tossed out to hopeful voters by some presidential candidates. That might sound comforting, but it’s been derided by economists and pundits — even econo-pundits — as the shortsighted political move it truly is. And while we’re spending a lot of time wringing our hands over fuel costs, no one’s really talking about the larger, looming issue, which is the long-term energy conundrum the country is facing. I’ll politely guide you to William Gale of the Brookings Institute on why the lack of discussion is a big problem for whoever becomes our next president.
Alternative fuels? Georgia’s brightest hope is pine ethanol, but experts such as Sam Shelton of Georgia Tech say it would only offset our consumption of gasoline by 15-20 percent.
Public transit takes dollars and time to build. But in the meantime, go here to check out what options you have at your disposal to get around Atlanta in a way other than your car. It’s a handy tool and the best resource available if you’d like to save gas, money and peace of mind. The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign also has a lot of resources available. If you’ve got free time and want to make your voice heard, press the candidates running for office in your district on what they plan to do about transit in the state. Go here to find out who needs to hear your concerns.
What have you done because of high gas prices? How has your commute changed, if it has at all? What do you want to see happen? What are your thoughts for the future? That may sound like a cheap ploy to solicit comments, but I assure you it’s genuine.
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