The Importance of Gasoline
As the driver pulls up next to the gas station to fill his car up with gas, he sees a small piece of paper with writing on it taped to the old rusty gas pump. Surprised, he gets out of the car to read the paper, “Due to the gasoline shortage, we will not be selling gas at this time.” According to the EIA.gov website, there are over 200 million vehicles being used today, and gasoline is the number one transportation fuel used in the United States. We can safely say that gasoline is a pretty important. If there was a shortage of gasoline, it would have a huge effect on this country. First a gas shortage would affect the price of fuel and then suburbs would become less attractive; it would also increase the use of cars that are less expensive to fuel and the use of public transportations.
The first effect of a gas shortage would be an increase in the price of fuel in this country. Ever since the year 2001 there has been a trend of gas prices increasing. According to an article written by K. Bonsor and E. Grabianowski titled “How Gas Works”, in May of 2008 the average price of gasoline was over four dollars per gallon and increased almost every month after. A gasoline would raise the price of gas even more than usual. There are two main reasons why a gas shortage would make the price of fuel increase. The first reason is supply and demand. When there is low supply and high demand, the price of fuel will increase. If there is a high supply of fuel and a low demand of fuel the price of fuel would generally decrease. A gas shortage would have an effect on the supply of fuel by lowering the amount available. This would then increase the price of fuel. The othe...
... middle of paper ...
... on us. First a Gas shortage would raise the price of fuel, then it would affect where we would live. A gas shortage would also affect what kind of transportation we would use. A shortage of gas would raise the price of fuel because of supply and demand, and because of the monopoly the O.P.E.C. has on oil distribution. Then a gas shortage would also have an effect on the amount of people living in suburbia because they would not be able to afford to commute from the suburbs to the city every day. A gas shortage would also force us to use cars that are less expensive to fuel. Since the price for charging an electric vehicle is as inexpensive as forty five dollars every month, an electric car would be a perfect alternative to regular gasoline powered car. Finally the gas shortage would increase the use of public transportation. Cities would see an increase of people
Gasoline is one of the many conversation starters anywhere you go. People have different opinions on why gasoline prices are fluctuating at such a rapid pace. Some Americans have chosen a way of thinking towards the prices. Whether it be making up rumors or just plainly trash talking towards our government. You make ask yourself the same questions many economist do, why has the price of oil been dropping so fast? Why now? This a complicated question, but it boils down to the simple economics of supply and demand. Supply and demand means a relationship between how much of a particular product is available and how much of it people want, and especially the way that this affects the level of pricing. Now of course there would be a shortage of gasoline during the summer time when everyone is traveling
The national spotlight is dominated today with the debate over how much control should the government have in an individual’s life. With this in mind the question is asked, should the government be allowed to dictate the quality of gasoline that individuals use in their vehicles? Unbeknownst to consumers the Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the sale of E15 gasoline which contains harmfully high levels of ethanol. John Tomlin states, a “recent survey showed that a majority of consumers (95 percent) had not heard of E15 gasoline or the damage it may cause” (1). Is it ethical for the government to make this determination without notifying the public? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ethical behavior as, “following accepted rules of morally right and good behavior” (1). Based on this definition, changing to E15 gasoline without the publics’ knowledge is ethically wrong because it can cause accelerated engine wear, fuel system damage, and ultimately result in car warranties being voided. This change in the quality of gasoline blends has proven to be more cost effective to producers, but in the long run it will end up being more costly to consumers.
...oline is affected by many different factors. The biggest factor is crude oil, but the supply and demand of crude oil will ultimately determine the price of gasoline. The supply and demand of crude oil and gasoline are also affected by several factors. The price is continually increasing and the supply is becoming harder to produce and deliver. So it seems we, the United States, need to find a way to slow down our fuel consumption and decrease our demand. This may be the only way to bring down the price of gasoline. I know I would not mind, because then I could use the extra $40 to buy a couple more DVDs for the kids to watch while we are running around town in the Expedition.
Americans also became concerned about the gas supply and the possibility of being unable to obtain gas. It was reported that drivers in America were lined up out in the streets for fear of not being able to get gas for their automobiles.
Fuel prices is an area of concern for the motor carrier industry. Fuel prices are at an all-time high, driving the industry to make drastic changes. Individuals in the industry believe that by reducing the demand for fuel is the best way to address the current fuel issue. One of the leading alternatives to this fuel issue could be natural gas.
Currently, the most important factor in the rise of gas prices is the increasing cost of crude oil. Unfortunately, the United States has three percent of the world’s oil reserves. (Horsley) In 2009, the United States was third in crude oil production as well as the world’s largest petroleum consumer. (e. I. Administration) Such consumption required and still requires the United States to import petroleum/crude oil from other countries.
Pollution is a major problem for all of us. People need to recognize this situation so we can start making a difference to this problem. In order to start making a difference, the federal government should increase gasoline tax by one dollar a gallon. Fifty percent of this dollar will go towards public transportation, since passenger cars and trucks are a major contribution towards air pollution, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, E.P.A (10/4, http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/emsns.html). Due to the expected increase after this is put forth, the remaining fifty percent of the dollar will go towards safety on these transits. When public transportation increases, air pollution will decrease, which will lessen the harmful health risks towards the environment.
The sullen narrative This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen poignantly recounts the events of a typical day in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The author, Tadeusz Borowski, was Polish Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz, the series of death camps responsible for the deaths of the largest number of European Jews. Recounted from a first-person point of view, the novel unfolds at dawn as the unnamed narrator eats breakfast with a friend and fellow prisoner, Henri. Henri is a member of Canada, the labor group responsible for unloading the Jewish transports as they arrive into the camps. They are interrupted by a call for Canada to report to the loading ramps. Upon the arrival of the transport, the narrator joins Henri in directing the prisoners to either life, in the labor camps, or to death, in the gas chambers. In reality the path is neither one of life or death, rather it is routing prisoners to inevitable death or immediate death. Regardless of how many times he is asked, the narrator refuses to disclose to the transport prisoners what is happening to them or where they are being taken. This is camp law, but the narrator also believes it to be charitable to “deceive (them) until the very end”(pg. 115). Throughout the day the narrator encounters a myriad of people, but one is described in great detail: a young woman, depicted as being unscathed by the abomination that is the transport. She is tidy and composed, unlike those around her. Calmly, she inquires as to where she is being taken, like many before her, but to no avail. When the narrator refuses to answer, she stoically boards a truck bound for the gas chambers. By the end of both the day and of the novel, the camp has processed approximately fifteen thousand p...
Wright, R. T., & Boorse, D. F. (2011). The U.S. dependency on foreign oil presents many negative impacts on the nation’s economy. The cost of crude oil represents about 36% of the U.S. balance of payments deficit. Wright, R. T., & Boorse, D. F. (2011). This does not directly affect the price of gas being paid by consumers, but the money paid circulates in the country’s economy and affects areas such as the job market and production facilities.
The article by Mike Moffatt shows the price elasticity of demand for gasoline. According to Molly Espey the average price elasticity of demand for gasoline in the short- run is-0.26 and -0.58 In the long-run, which is a 10% raise in the price of gasoline lowers quantity demanded by 2.6% in the short- run and 5.8% in the long- run.Also, there are a studies were conducted by Phil Goodwin, Joyce Dargay and Mark Hanly at review of income and price elastics in the demand for road traffic and each of them has different study. Furthermore, the realized elasticities depend on factors such as the timeframe and locations that the study covers. If the gas taxes will rise, will cause consumption to decrease.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) news article titled, “Petrol price soars, more pain at the pump ahead,” discusses the rise in the price of fuel and its effect on Australian motorists. This article also discusses how this rise in the price of fuel occurred, mainly focusing on its effect on consumers (Janda 2014).
Economic: Gasoline prices, along with rising energy prices are the major concern. Jet fuel prices are at $2.80/gallon! However, many people would rather have items shipped rather than spend money on gas to go and buy the item.
The federal government continues to refuse to step in and help out the trucking industry and consumers by releasing some of the United States’ oil reserves and won’t put OPEC into the spotlight to make them increase their production of oil. Their so-called motives are that we can’t afford to use up some of our oil reserves because the fuel shortage is not a dilemma yet, and we may need the fuel more as time goes on. How can the government say that it is not a dilemma? Fuel prices have nearly doubled over the past year! Do they plan on waiting until the affects of their sluggishness brings the whole United States into an utter state of ciaos? As it was shown earlier nearly every activity of our day to day lives is governed by vehicles and machines using petroleum products, from the food we eat, to how we heat our homes, thus as the beginning stages of economic downturn begin, it is quite obvious that the government is not doing enough to give U.S. citizens, and companies our right to get a fighting chance of keeping our economy the solid, prosperous establishment that we see today.
Gas has many effects in our society, and some of these effects have a negative impact in our life. Our daily lives depend on gas, when we go to work, school and going out. We use gas for electricity, cars and many other things. The effects of gas are direct and very affecting in our lives because of the many forms it can be used in. There are many negative effects of rising gas cutting back in vacation time, prices of everything is going up “inflation”, car companies making more efficient cars.
“Pollution is the major disadvantage that is formed due to fossil fuels. When burnt they give out carbon dioxide, a green housed gas which is the main aspect of global warming.”(conserve-energy-future.com) That is an environmental hazard. Drilling can be inconsistent because some places may have a lot of oil, and some places do not. Sometimes if there is too much oil there can be a blow out. People also drill on their properties just for money, and some drill just to see if they have oil for money. Doing that is inconsistent. Gas prices rise and cause tension between nations. “Middle-east countries have huge reserves of oil and natural gas and many other countries are dependent on them for constant supply of these fuels.”(conserve-energy-future.com) Gas prices rise and some people cannot afford gas...