Think gas prices are too high?

[Robert J. Yates]

....then this may interest you:

Brazil hopes to build on its ethanol success
By David J. Lynch, USA TODAY
RIO DE JANEIRO ? Drivers here can fill up their cars with just about any imaginable fuel ? except plain old gasoline.

A three-decade-long alternative energy campaign has outfitted Brazilian filling stations with fuel pumps that offer pure ethanol, a blend of gasoline and 20% ethanol called gasohol, or even natural gas. This year, Brazil will achieve energy independence ? a goal the United States has been chasing without success since the energy crises of the 1970s.

Now, even as the U.S. haltingly sets out on the path Brazil blazed, producers here are drawing up plans to transform sugar-cane-based ethanol from a national success to a global commodity. Brazilian companies are investing $9 billion in dozens of new sugar mills to boost ethanol production while aiming to double exports by 2010. The eventual goal is to spread new ethanol industries in countries from Japan to Nigeria.

"We are moving fast to the wholesale export of ethanol. ... We're investing in infrastructure in Brazil to make it easier to export in large quantities," says Jose Gabrielli, chief executive of the state-owned oil company Petrobras, which oversees ethanol sales abroad.

In the USA, ethanol imports are expected to surge from modest levels this year as refineries phase out a gasoline additive called MTBE, says the Energy Information Administration. But Brazilian ethanol won't do as much as it could to help the U.S. reduce Middle Eastern oil imports because of domestic trade protection.

In 2005, the U.S. produced 3.9 billion gallons of fuel ethanol and imported 109 million gallons, almost all from Brazil. By expanding purchases of Brazilian ethanol, the USA could curb what President Bush has labeled its oil addiction. But the U.S. imposes a 54-cent-a-gallon tariff to discourage imports and protect domestic farmers. American ethanol is produced from corn, which costs more and produces less energy per unit of input than sugar cane.


In light of this, MO is that we are offically a 3rd world shiathole as far as our energy policy goes. Disgusting....aboslutely disgusting

[Joe Dillard]

Ha - I spoke with a guy a few weeks ago who works in Argentina and he mentioned that gas there is ~$0.17 a gallon (yes, seventeen cents a gallon ).

However, a quart of oil is ~$15.00.

He was having a few beers with us at the Dallas airport bar, so he may have gotten a few decimal places mixed-up.

[Joel77]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
Ha - I spoke with a guy a few weeks ago who works in Argentina and he mentioned that gas there is ~$0.17 a gallon (yes, seventeen cents a gallon ).

I know for a fact the the good buddy status between Argentina and Venezuela liberal/socialist government helps. Venezuela practically subsidizes their gasoline.

[Matt Pascoe]

Think gas prices are too high?

If people are willing to continue paying the price, it must be priced just right. Right?

[Robert J. Yates]

I love this discussion

Tell me Matt (and mind you, I work in the business), what are your alternatives for getting around while conducting your business if you don't want to pay for gasoline?
















Its not a trick question but simply, the other half of the equation that nobody talks about

[Dan-H]

I don't understand your question Robert.

[Robert J. Yates]

How do you propose to use less gas while getting around every day? Other than buying a hybrid or more miserly car, alternatives are nil for most people. This all the while with demand growth being pretty near constant and the supply relatively stable.

All this talk about free market supply and demand is hogwash - particularly when one goes snooping around to get at the roots of the reasons why gas is expensive. I personally love the ethanol supply is tight reason. Gee, with the stuff I posted above, its no wonder

Shiat for energy policy. Shiat for free trade policy. Shiat for planned growth and infrastructure to promote energy efficiency = 3rd world shiathole.

[Art Welch]

what are your alternatives for getting around while conducting your business if you don't want to pay for gasoline?

Work from home, it's great. That not being an option for alot of people and with LA being what it is you're right. I commuted to El Segundo for about 8 months, driving was 2-3 hours each way which really sucked. I checked out mass transit but if I recall it involved 3 trains, 2 buses, and a 20 minute walk at the end. On top of that it would have been 4 hours each way with delays.

Shiat for free trade policy

Should the free trade apply if the workers only make $1 per hour

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by Art Welch
Should the free trade apply if the workers only make $1 per hour

Isn't that what the immigrants are arguing for with their mass protest rallys





Bwahahahahahaaaa

[Matt Pascoe]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
I love this discussion

Tell me Matt (and mind you, I work in the business), what are your alternatives for getting around while conducting your business if you don't want to pay for gasoline?

Its not a trick question but simply, the other half of the equation that nobody talks about

From a business standpoint, the raising fuel costs require me to raise my prices to customers (home builders). They in turn pass them onto their customers (home buyers). Smells alot like inflation

From a personal standpoint, at some point the cost of fuel will break my personal threshold of acceptable and I will have to reduce my consumption. Fewer Jeep trips, buying a more economical car, carpooling to work with my wife etc.

There are MANY options to burning fuel - mass transit, telecomute, live closer to work... most of us however prefer to pay the price of fuel than put up with the inconvenience of the alternatives.

At what price per gallon would you make drastic changes to reduce your fuel consumption? For some people, I think that threshold is being hit.




BTW, not only do I use alot of fuel for business, my wife is an officer in a large petroleum company. I do have a clue about whats going on and have to admit it is a perfect example of the free market economy run amuck

[Iceman]

Think gas prices are too high?

everybody should quit their whining about gas prices ... it's still the cheapest liquid available at the gas station

[Stu Olson]

On the way to work this morning, the two "freeway" gas stations I go past (heading towards CA) had increased their prices by 10 cents overnight.

They now have regular @ $3.099 a gallon.

[LeadFoot]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
I love this discussion

Tell me Matt (and mind you, I work in the business), what are your alternatives for getting around while conducting your business if you don't want to pay for gasoline?


[

Want to know?

Ditch NASCAR. What good is that sport, driving in circles the whole time? Think of the gas the cars use screaming at 9-10,000 RPM for hours on end. The diesel fuel to transport the cars to the tracks. The gasoline the redneck trucks burn driving to the races so they can see the races. The thousands of quarts of oil the redneck trucks leak while driving to the races. Ditching nascar will:

Rid of a dumb sport. Keep sport bike and indy car racing. Just nascar.
Bring gas prices to $1.50 a gallon

That was easy. Next?