The oil belongs to them. They're entitled to triple the price if they want!

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally Posted by BillyTheMountain

NYTimes front page today: "To many Americans, oil companies like Exxon Mobil or Chevron appear all powerful, pocketing huge profits as energy costs soar. But in other countries around the world, huge oil prices are also making life considerably harder for big oil companies."

It's a good idea, because drivers and home heaters are captive customers. Got huge profits now? Even huger profits if we quadruple the price!!

5/19/06, NYTimes front page story: Vote in House Seeks to Erase Oil Windfall.

"oil companies want to play Uncle Sam for Uncle Sucker," said a Massachusetts Democrat.

Apparantly, "in an attempt to revoke billions of $$ worth of government incentives to oil and gas producers, the House on Thursday approved a measure that would pressure oil companies to renegotiate more than 1,000 leases for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico."

This is oil and gas produced from publicly owned land in the ocean.

Since the billionaires and oil magnates own the Senate, it's a safe bet this is just posturing by the House which will never pass the Senate.

Especially under Bush, who is a genious at moving tax payer $$ into the hands of billionaires who don't need it, while more in teh USA move into poverty.

[UniTyler]

Originally Posted by unisteve

People tend to buy less of stuff if it's more expensive.

I agree. Oil prices should be raised far past a "reasonable limit," so when our fossil fuel ran out, people would have already cut down on it, hopefully. The only problem is the incredible lack of non-fossil fuel powered vehicles. People aren't just going to break out the old Schwinn. We need a big company, with power, to put out cars that are powered by an alternative fuel and really press it into the customers - along with the fuel being readily available at gas station-like outlets. This would be a huge project, and going by the amount of cars and trucks and SUVs we have now here in America, it would probably not happen until we are literally on our last gallons. If somehow we could make alternatively fueled cars popular and in most people's garages, when we are running out of fossil fuel, the gas stations would not be raided with madmen driving Hummers. And gosh, I don't even want to think about what we will do with the cars we have now... convert the engines to run on alternative fuel, possibly?

[john_childs]

Billy, you neglected to use the word "disgorgement" or the phrase "windfall profit tax". You need to go back and study the talking points so you can get on the same page as everyone else.

[Gilby]

Originally Posted by UniTyler

so when our fossil fuel ran out...

...it would probably not happen until we are literally on our last gallons

Running out? The fossil fuels are still very abundant (enough to last us centuries). It's not a matter of running out, but a matter of the cost to refine and produce energy. The consumer, who the majority live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to pay more for "ethical" fuel (ie. clean fuel), will buy what's cheapest or most economical for them. This is what drives the market. So until an alternative becomes available that is more economical, we're stuck burning the dirty fossil fuels.

[MrBoogiejuice]

ExxonMobil are up to their usual tricks again.

Ain't they lovely

[john_childs]

Originally Posted by MrBoogiejuice

ExxonMobil are up to their usual tricks again.

Ain't they lovely

That's the kind of public education announcements you're going to get when you turn global warming into a political and propaganda issue.

I clicked through and followed a few links there and ended up here. I put propaganda like that in the same class as that commercial about CO2. Get used to more of that type of propaganda from both sides.

What's interesting is that nowhere on that climatecrisis web site did I see any mention of nuclear power to reduce CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions. In their Take Action section they encourage people to support renewable energy but they conveniently neglect to mention nuclear.

Until the wacko greenies can wrap their little minds around the fact that we are going to HAVE to switch to nuclear power if we want to make a dent in their supposed global warming crisis, they are just blowing hot air. They're in denial. Nuclear electricity generation and plug-in hybrid cars are the best and most practical way to reduce CO2 emissions. If we truly are approaching a global crisis then the wacko greenies would support nuclear power as a solution. If they aren't willing to support nuclear power then they obviously don't really believe that there is a global crisis. I call their bluff.