The world is returning to something a bit more normal since last week's hurricane and gas prices are coming down fast. We were paying $3.19 here a week ago, then a couple days ago $3.01, this morning when I gassed up it was $2.91. The market works, the sky didn't fall, oil rigs coming back online, life is good. … [Read more...]
Private transportation saves lives
For those of us who really like motor vehicles and often own several, I found this article extremely interesting. When looking at the recent hurricane and examining why so many people were stuck and left behind, rather than blaming a lot of different people or government agencies, you can look at one simple fact: Most of the people that had their own vehicles simply left, those … [Read more...]
Tribes
The Kneeslider is not a political blog and I have done my best to stay out of all of the commentary following the recent hurricane even when I was ready to explode. If I had tried to write what I felt, it would not have turned out anywhere near as good as this. The post is long but excellent. If you have time, read it now, if not, bookmark it for later. … [Read more...]
High gas prices mean more oil reserves
When I posted about there being no need for higher fuel economy standards, I mentioned in a later comment how high gas prices do two things: alter people's behavior when it comes to choice of vehicles, change how much they drive, etc and new resources become economically feasible. I mentioned the tar sands in Alberta, Canada as an example, this article talks about Shell's work … [Read more...]
More on High Gas Prices
You're going to see a lot more of this in the coming days, you might as well get used to it. Right now, everyone is warning against "price gouging" as though that means something. But think about it. A gas station has a finite amount of fuel until it runs out. Say your costs allow you to charge $3.00 but you decide to charge $6.00 per gallon instead. A driver pulls up with … [Read more...]
Higher Fuel Economy Standards
There was much talk last week about new CAFE fuel economy standards with adjustments for trucks, mandating different mileage levels for various vehicles. Some complained they were too restrictive, others said they didn't do enough and reactions were predictable depending on the source. With Hurricane Katrina shutting down oil rigs in the Gulf, gas prices will rise along with … [Read more...]