Gas buying boycott September 1

Ozark-Dew · #1 09/01/05, 03:35 AM

BRAVA!!!!! Hipshothannah, very well stated!

PonderosaQ · #2 09/01/05, 05:14 AM

What gas? There is none to buy here. Pretty much all the tanks in the county were drained by last night and the retailers don't expect to get any more. In rural areas with only independantly owned stations we are on the bottom of the "food chain" when it comes to our retailers being restocked by the "big boys".

PQ

Cindy in PA · #3 09/01/05, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegascowgirl

Unfortunately it will affect everything. from heating prices to food. It is very unfortunate that we have become so reliant on one power source such as oil...however, we have done it to ourselves. It is only in recent years that people have started thinking about alternatives. Maybe something good will come of this though...maybe people WILL start trying to use alternative fuels instead of just talking about it.

Uh no, we talked alot and thought about it in the seventies, but Americans have a short memory, the gov't had no incentive to push it, so the I want it now mentality took over again in the 80s and 90s. Now we are so far gone that it is going to be awful to come off our dependency. I am amazed to see that the concept of "protest" is lost on many of us. No wonder we feel we cannot do anything to change our gov't or our world!

tyusclan · #4 09/01/05, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gardentalk

The ONLY people that I have any sorrow for in that area are those that live in nursing homes and are confined to a hospital. Even THOSE I have only a shred of sympathy for. You have to know that living in hurricane country is a "bad thing". Yet, they could care less. After all, their insurance will just pay for everything and they can always replace their pets (if you catch my drift). People that move down there love the danger of hurricanes, that's why so many of them didn't leave when they were warned. Nothing like getting yourself on national news and yelling "It was the most awful thing I heard and saw, ever!".

Only someone who's never been through a hurricane would mention loving the danger of a hurricane. I was born in this area and still live here by choice because we have a lot of family and friends here. I've also been through several hurricanes including Kate, Opal, and the tornadoes from Ivan. But I can promise you no one who lives in "hurricane country" loves hurricanes. We know that they are a reality and we prepare for them the best we can.

katlupe · #5 09/01/05, 06:21 AM

We live in the country, and last year we did live for 8 months without a motor vehicle. We really did enjoy that period. No insurance, registration, repairs, oil and especially no gasoline! That was great. But our parents are older and we needed to be able to go to them, so we broke down and got a truck.

Our area does have a bus that will come to our house, but because we are not on the main route it does cost more. About $9. one way to my closest city.

What I did was to use the internet to order bulk foods, pet foods, anything that we really needed. I had a friend who picked me up when she went grocery shopping during the summer months. We had our hay & feed delivered. In fact, we still have our feed delivered. Even if they raise the charge for that I don't care, it's worth it.

Of course, we do not have to drive to a job. I have a website (that averaged 421 hits a hour in August), plus my ebay store and I do my banking online too.

I do think that the times are changing. And the internet is going to make the difference. Now with the gas shortage, I think online business will increase. I have always felt that being a homesteader was the way of the future - not going back in time like most people think.

gilberte · #6 09/01/05, 06:32 AM

As a lot of others have pointed out, a one-two- or three day boycott isn't going to work. But hey, I'm in. We filled up the Toyota three weeks ago and it's still got a quarter of a tank, won't have to fill her up for about a week.

antiquestuff · #7 09/01/05, 06:35 AM

Everything will go up...food, clothing, matches, jars, etc. Gotta do some more canning for sure before food goes too high....can it now while it's low enough to get plenty! Stock up is the idea...something I've done lots of already but am gonna do more...just got more kerosene last night and coleman fuel. Kero was "okay" at 2.99 a gallon, coleman fuel was 4.64 a can! But, I think I beat the race to stock up though....others haven't figured out they should be stockpiling those fuels too...I've seen lots buying up all the gasoline they can get, then getting more cans to get more! There were still plenty of gas cans at a store last night, but in just a day since I had been there, half the cans they had had were sold! Will probably be running low eventually there...

Ruby · #8 09/01/05, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gardentalk

The ONLY people that I have any sorrow for in that area are those that live in nursing homes and are confined to a hospital. Even THOSE I have only a shred of sympathy for. You have to know that living in hurricane country is a "bad thing". Yet, they could care less. After all, their insurance will just pay for everything and they can always replace their pets (if you catch my drift). People that move down there love the danger of hurricanes, that's why so many of them didn't leave when they were warned. Nothing like getting yourself on national news and yelling "It was the most awful thing I heard and saw, ever!".

A lot of the people who live there were born and raised there. That is their home, the only home they have known. Also there is lots of very poor people there that has no means of leaving. If you have never been very poor then you don't understand that you don't just pick up and leave. You have to have the money to go.

Those of us who does not live in a hurricane area can sit here and blame the people who live there for living there. There is areas all over the United States that are dangerous places to live. Here is Texas it's Tornado's, out west it's Earthquakes, and fire. So just because the people live there does not always mean it's there fault they couldn't leave.

Mike in Ohio · #9 09/01/05, 07:21 AM

Alex called it.

Folks who are calling for a boycott have a reality issue. Prices are going to continue to increase and that is that. The era of cheap oil is over. We may see temporary drops in price because supply and demand (Worldwide) are roughly in equilibrium at the moment. A little extra fuel hits the market or demand drops....prices will drop. A little extra is taken out of the market or demand increases and prices will spike.

You can either take steps to change your energy consumption pattern or you can pay the piper.

I'm less concerned about price than I am about being able to get any gasoline at all. I went out and bought 3 more 5 gallon gas cans and filled them up yesterday so that I can bring them out to the farm. Harvest time is coming up and I want to make sure I have enough gas to run my tractor for a day or two even if fuel isn't available from the gas station. I figure that between the (now) 30 gallons in cans plus what's in the tanks of my pickup (I keep them full) I can get a good portion of the nut crop in.

Otherwise we risk losing our nut crop.

As usual, just my 2 cents.

Mike

homebirtha · #10 09/01/05, 08:15 AM

A one-day boycott is so stupid. I get emails calling for them every month or two. THEY DON'T WORK. Stop wasting our time with crap that does no good and do something useful instead. You talked about worrying about the price of propane. Well, do something helpful, and STOP USING IT. Get a woodstove. Do what you can to lower your use of oil every day. Not just for one day a year to send a message that noone will hear.

nodak3 · #11 09/01/05, 09:42 AM

Oh wow--gas prices cutting into fun money??????? Get real!!!! We are dealing with a finite comodity. Get used to a change in lifestyle for real!! If you really want to "stick it to" the oil companies, stop using petroleum products as much as possible permanently. Of course, that will help the environment, the nation, the world, etc. Oh--and it won't hurt the oil companies one bit. They are leading the charge in finding alternative, efficient energy and sythetic lubricants. Fun money??? You should be worrying about meeting your basic needs as this situation worsens.

WisJim · #12 09/01/05, 09:54 AM

People need to wake up. Back in the 1970s I thought there would be a change in lifestyles and priorities, but most people went back to excuberant over consumption, and look at the mess we are in again today. Gasoline prices, when adjusted for inflation, are finally higher than they were in the early 1980s.

Back in 1977 we made a conscious decision to use less energy and live a more efficient lifestyle, and have been driving as little as we can, and using vehicles that get good mileage. First an old VW Beetle (25 to 40 mpg), then a Rabbit, now a Geo Prizm (30+ in town, and 40+ on the interstate). We moved (in 1989) to a place within walking distance of work, but still a farm at the edge of town. Nobody wanted a place like that, then. We have gardens, orchard, berries, chickens, firewood, windgenerator and PV electric.

I have little sympathy for anyone complaining about gas prices who hasn't changed their ways in the last 30 years--that's at least how long we have been warned about this.

FrankTheTank · #13 09/01/05, 10:02 AM

This is the stupidest idea i've heard yet.

WHy not stop using oil? Walk/bike/ride a horse? Americans in general could use more exercise. I've biked 50+ miles in the last week and you know what? Its a hell of a lot easier paying 3bucks a gallon to drive my ass then it is to get all sweaty and sticky biking 10miles!

Pony · #14 09/01/05, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankTheTank

This is the stupidest idea i've heard yet.

WHy not stop using oil? Walk/bike/ride a horse? Americans in general could use more exercise. I've biked 50+ miles in the last week and you know what? Its a hell of a lot easier paying 3bucks a gallon to drive my *** than it is to get all sweaty and sticky biking 10miles!

Sure, it's easier to drive -- for you, for now. You have that luxury; many others don't, and the number of those who don't will continue to grow.

And when gas prices continue to escalate, and the supply continues to diminish, you'll have no choice but to pedal your keyster to work.

My recommendation: If your work facility doesn't have employee showers, put a container of baby wipes in your back pack. Instant freshen-up, and cheaper than a gallon of gas. AND you can compost the wipes!

Further, you'll know that you actually pitched in to help conserve resources. That's a GOOD thing, BTW.

Pony!

mightybooboo · #15 09/01/05, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hip_Shot_Hanna

I have a great deal of compassion for many of them there. Many of those left are the poor - they don't own vehicles, can't buy tickets out, have few resources and do not usually have insurance of any kind. Most of those that were better off DID get out. That's why we have a far smaller death toll than it could have been.

.

Not much sympathy for people who REFUSE to leave,and thats a lot of people who made that CHOICE.

Then they whine.They had plenty of time,they could carpool,they could put their cash together to buy a lousy 10 dollars worth of gas.They COULD do something,and didnt.
Far too many CHOSE to stay.For those people,who had a choice,no sympathy.The consequence of irresponsible decisions.

I sure feel sorry for those who truly couldnt get out.

BooBoo

trappmountain · #16 09/01/05, 10:24 AM

These one day boycotts mean nothing. You just go in and fill up the day before or the day after. I agree we all have to sit back and decide what we can do to change our lifestyles. Drive less. Walk or ride a bike whenever possible. That is not so possible here. I have to drive to get anywhere. So I figure out what I have to do and try to get it done in one or 2 days during the week. That is not always possible. But I do my best. I use my truck less and therefore I have to fill up less. We have also cut back on frozen foods, junk foods etc. We put more money away and spend less so there is money for future gas price inflation. We just cut back. Everyone spends money they don't need to. WHen things like this arise we cut back on that. Everyone can find ways to save a little. So we don't get that new furniture we wanted. We can put a board under the cushions to make it last a little longer. Hey we can live with it even if we don't much like it. Guess what, I can make burgers that taste better than McD's. And if you want onions diced real small on them like they do I have a little chopper that I can show you how to use. And one of my burgers will fill you up. I like fast food but when it is between fast food and real food I take the real food. Fast food is a special treat. Something to do when things are VERY busy or we won't be back in time to eat. When I am out alone I would rather skip a meal and wait for the next one. Less time wasted for me. I know I have food at home and know I have gas and electric to cook it with.

Lararose · #17 09/01/05, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebirtha

A one-day boycott is so stupid. I get emails calling for them every month or two. THEY DON'T WORK. Stop wasting our time with crap that does no good and do something useful instead. You talked about worrying about the price of propane. Well, do something helpful, and STOP USING IT. Get a woodstove. Do what you can to lower your use of oil every day. Not just for one day a year to send a message that noone will hear.

Well now that is rather harsh since you know nothing about me or what I do to help or hurt the environment. One can only hope you are so holy and without environmental detrimental contributions that you are qualified to sit in judgement. That is another thing about our society that should change. No simple manners anymore. Opinions are great but they don't need to be rude. But then the internet always does attract alot of people bashers. I love a spirited debate, that is a great thing. But really use your intellect and try not to be rude to others. Rudeness never makes an intelligent point.