Hate High Gas Prices? Get Used To It, Unless…..
I'm not political. I do vote, but tend to do so based on my gut. I mean, if the candidate seems like a smart person, or appears to understand my needs, I tend to like them.
I'm not a member of the Tea Party. Nor am I a Republican, or a Democrat. I'm an independent American. Which is why what I continue to learn really pisses me off.
Gasoline is expensive. You don't need me to tell you that. And by now you've most likely begun to embrace the reality that gas prices have pretty much settled. Permanently. Which means, I strongly believe, a gallon of the stuff will not ever get any cheaper . Prices may actually go up a bit, but your fill- up will never get less expensive.
Which us to the big question and why:
Is there less oil in the ground? Answer: No.
In fact, oil reserves as of 2011 appear to be somewhat robust with Saudi Arabia (our VERY good friend in the Middle East), Venezuela (not a good of a friend at all given President Chavez... that somewhat nutty leader of a socialist country... but he's also desperate for the massive amount of taxes his country's oil fields bring in and as such a decent bet to keep pumping), and then rounding out the top 3, our big, not-so-bad neighbor to the North, Canada.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Canada will probably keep our supply of oil just where we…and they… want it.
So what's the point? Well, the point is that the top 3 oil producers are, and will, continue to feed our insatiable oil appetite. Don't worry.
And I don't want to be that guy, but didn't we save Kuwait from being overrun by a crazy dictator a few years back? I would guess they would owe us just a bit for that rescue. By the way, Kuwait is number 6 on the list of the largest oil reserves.
And then there's Iraq. We spent a heck of a lot of years there. And far, far too many American heroes didn't make it back home. And even more who did come home will never be the same. Physically or emotionally. Oh, by the way…interested in where Iraq ranks? That would #5 on our famous list of who's got the Black Gold. And don't think Uncle Sam isn't going to call that debt due at some point. Trust me, they will.
So let's move on.
We've now established THERE IS STILL A LOT OF OIL IN THE GROUND! Heck, even conservative estimates are that Canada alone is sitting on 178 years of reserves at current production volume. 178 years!
But you will continue to pay more. And that's because our envious citizens in China and in India want what we have. Higher quality of life. More conveniences. More power for their homes, more appliances to run, more cars, more trucks. Look, I don't doubt there's a father of four in New Delhi right now jonesing for his very first leaf blower. Gas model, of course.
The only way we as American's can fight back is simply by reducing our demand. Big oil needs us. Big oil producing nations crave us. They both can't survive without us. And they won't let us go without a fight. But we can win, and it's not that hard.
For the next two months, starting tomorrow, November 1st,2011, I have promised my household we WILL USE LESS FUEL. My goal is reasonable: decrease our gasoline consumption by 30 gallons a month, the equivalent of one tank full in my SUV. The savings to our household budget will be real: over a grand a year for sure saved, but imagine if we all did this. It's no joke.
Markets constantly monitor demand for commodities like oil, and the minute investors sense a decreasing need for gas, prices will drop faster than anyone could imagine.
It seems simple. And it could actually work. Just drive less. Ride your bike. Walk. But just try, even a little. And just imagine if for once, we as Americans stopped being reactive to issues like gas prices and collectively become proactive.
It might just be enough for me to become political.
Doug Brauner is a nationally renowned automotive broadcast and print journalist. Doug also owns and operates The Car Czar Auto Repair Shops in Sacramento and Citrus Heights, CA. Coupons for FREE auto repair and FREE service can be found at www.thecarczar.com or at facebook.com/thecarczar. And yes, Doug hates high gas prices too.