Don't buy gas Wed, May 19th??

[nifer]

not like i dont think this was a good idea, but i found this:

Gas Out - Don't Buy Gasoline From Certain Companies At Certain Times Or On A Specific Day

From May 2004 - Don't buy gas on May 19th

Earlier Message Not to buy from specific refiners on a specific day

May 2004 Message

The message urges people to not purchase ANY gasoline (a new twist in a message that comes out every year) on May 19, 2004. It claims this will hit the oil companies in the pocketbook and force prices down, but does that really make sense?

The message makes this claim: "IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES." One has to look a little more carefully at the wording first: "it has been calculated. . . " by whom? Where does this authoritative information come from? Has anyone bothered to look into whether this is true or not?

Urban Legends presents the following information: The claim that a one-day boycott would result in an industry loss of over $4.6 billion is a pure fabrication, by the way. According to Euromonitor International, the total sales of petroleum products for all U.S. gas stations in 2002 was $205 billion, which works out to just over a half-billion dollars a day. http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_no_gas_may_19th.htm

However, on researcher also pointed out that:

Even if a one-day boycott of all fuel purchases would be effective in lowering prices, it would be nearly impossible to achieve. On any given day, only about 10-20 percent of Americans buy gas (a very conservative estimate), so at best, only 1 in five people could participate in this boycott, to begin with. If you wouldn't have bought gas on May 19 (or whatever date this one has on it by the time it reaches you) anyway, your absence won't be felt. Add to that the fact that only 63 percent of adults are online and that not everyone online drives. http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/gasout.html

I've also thought about what the results would be if it were possible that this scheme be carried out fully - that no one would purchase any gas for a day.

If it were possible to have no one in the United States purchase gas on one day it might work, but not the way people think. Let's run down what this scenario would really bring about if carried out to it's fullest and then see that there is no practical way for it to actually happen anyway:

(1) The basic law of supply and demand says that the more a product is purchased, the lower the prices. When a product is not in demand, the price increases in order to pay everyone in the food chain.

Gasoline begins with oil production. The oil producing cartels and nations have the price of a barrel of raw oil at about $40.00 (May 18, 2004) right now. By the way, surprisingly, much of the U.S. oil comes from South America, particularly Venezuela. The amount of production of crude has something to do with the base price. As of May 2004, crude oil production is low. Next, you have the refinery companies. The oil has to be refined into gasoline. The rest is used in production of various products (like plastics) and the need for genuine oil products. Many people are involved in oil refining. A person who works in this business, from the CEO to the minimum wage employee, would not be so quick to advocate a possible lay-off or even loss of job due to lack of demand. Next come the sellers and the taxes. I wish I had an exact figure of how much tax money is gained from gasoline sales. I'll know a little better in August when our state has a short moratorium on gas tax. So, if you don't pay for it through gas, taxes go up somewhere else. You will pay for it one way or another. The convenience stores that sell the gas do want to stay in business. Most of their employees are there because they need to work. I ought to know since I used to work in one. Most of these companies are publicly owned, meaning that the bottom line for the investors is the end all and be all. Imagine being low man on the totem pole and being told one day that profits had fallen so sharply that it was no longer affordable to keep you.

(2) The U.S. economy is highly dependent on transportation. Perhaps some don't believe that. I turn their attention to September 11, 2001. What were the results of loss of flights for a week? Living in a mainly tourist area I can assure you that the results were horrendous and the people most effected were those who could least afford it - the minimum wage earner and the small business owner. Each of those jets must be filled up with gasoline. Next, each truck that carries the food to your supermarket has to be filled up with gasoline much more than once per day. Imagine the truck drivers not buying gasoline for a day! What would happen? Is the ripple effect beginning to make sense?

(3) Next, think about the people who must drive on a daily basis in order to provide needed services to the community. In our area, there are very few jobs of merit. People with really good jobs commute 30 -60 miles one way on a daily basis. My husband is a Hospice Chaplain. His entire job is dependent on him driving to the assisted living and nursing homes in a three county area on a daily basis. When someone is dying, he must respond. Imagine him telling a grieving family that he can't come because he's not supposed to buy gas! What about the ambulances? Some days they would need to fill up more than once I'm sure. This little scheme might sound good until it's your life and your family on the line.

Even a one day genuine shut down of gasoline purchases could have a terrible effect on a still fragile economy.

Original Message

IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.

AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.

THEREFORE MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR behind " DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THAT DAY.

THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WAITING ON THIS ADMIINSTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO?

REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"

[christyne13]

I see his point. Human beings have fucking DESTROYED the environment. Our use of gas and oil have contributed immensely to this. It sucks that there is not an alternative and it sucks even more that we have become so dependant on motor vehicles.

Agreed...but can we function properly without driving???..neva happen.

That's why the burden has to be on car mfg and not the consumers...fuel economy needs to be #1... not how BIG they can make the car/suv...just my .02

[acura]

Agreed...but can we function properly without driving???..neva happen.

That's why the burden has to be on car mfg and not the consumers...fuel economy needs to be #1... not how BIG they can make the car/suv...just my .02

I think It could happen as insane as it sounds. It wouldn't be in our lifetime, though.

I agree, a lot of the burden does have to be on the car manufacturers, but if it comes down to money then they could give a fuck. It all comes down to greed. Greed has really destroyed our environment.

[cwa]

i already bought my metrocard