Paying Too much at The Pump? Tell Bush....

[labill]

Hi William,

With oil prices rising to record levels, consumers are beginning to do their part to reduce oil consumption. Now it's time for the Bush administration to do its part by increasing gas mileage standards.

The Bush administration has the authority to make cars go farther on a gallon of gas right now, which would reduce oil consumption, save billions at the pump, and reduce global warming. In August, the Bush administration announced a proposed rule that would change gas mileage standards for light trucks. But the proposal barely makes a dent in the problem - requiring an improvement in gas mileage standards of less than 6% over four years. Instead, it opens loopholes that would let manufactures reclassify their vehicles to meet even lower gas mileage standards and it says federal law preempts states from doing more to improve gas mileage standards.

Please take a moment to tell the Bush administration to take real action by requiring cars and trucks to use already available technology to get 40 miles per gallon. Then ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this email to them.

To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your web browser:
http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id=22&id4=ES


Background

The good news is that car manufacturers already know how to make cars and light trucks that average 40 miles per gallon fleet wide. With current gas mileage standards at 20.8 miles per gallon, this change alone would cut our need to fill up in half. When fully phased in, this would reduce oil consumption by 20%, save us billions at the pump, and reduce global warming pollution.

The bad news is that the Bush administration refuses to require automakers to use existing technology to significantly increase gas mileage standards for new cars and trucks.

In August of this year, the Bush administration announced a proposed rulemaking for changing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE standards) for light trucks. However, the proposal inadequately increases gas mileage standards - less than 6% over four years. In fact, it allows manufacturers to avoid meeting even these weak standards by making their light trucks longer, wider and heavier. As a result, manufactures could be making vehicles that get fewer miles per gallon than they do now.

There is no better time again to protect consumers, reduce our dependence on oil, and reduce global warming pollution. At a time of skyrocketing gasoline prices, the Bush administration should require automakers to significantly increase the gas mileage of their vehicles. We don't need new loopholes that encourage more gas-guzzlers.

Please take a moment to tell the Bush administration to require cars and trucks to use already available technology to get 40 miles per gallon instead of encouraging more gas guzzlers. Then ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this email to them.

To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your web browser:
http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id=22&id4=ES

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
U.S. PIRG Executive Director
GeneK@uspirg.org
http://www.USPIRG.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.

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[fishboy]

All I can say is the government is not the best organization to mandate business practices.
Only supply and demand can determine the right course. Free market is the most efficient path to follow.
David

[crappiefishergirl]

saving our natural resources, providing a cleaner environment, and helping to sustain our public health are not mandating business practices. i would understand holding back the government on setting prices on autos and trucks, but mandating that the products they produce run cleaner and more efficient is for the better good.

[J White]

just the thoughts of the govt getting even more involved in this gives me
the creeps... I believe there are only tiny percentages of efficiency left
to be wrung out of the internal combustion engine as we know it.
To make any real difference, you're gonna have to get lighter, and more
aerodynamic. If you want a 2,500 lb half used bar of soap vehicle with
no power, that'll be unsafe to tow anthing bigger than a jet ski - they are
out there to be had. What it would boil down to, is the govt. telling me
I can't fish in the River when its windy, cause I can't have a big enough boat,
cause I can't buy anything to tow it with - probably with the exception of
those rich enough to pay a big gas-guzzler tax. I assure you, the well to do
aren't going to get rid their big toy pullers. There is already way too much
unsafe towing going on. I towed for years in my younger days with an S-10,
and if (when) some idiot pulled out in front of you, it was a choice of do you
want to dodge left, or right? 'Cause you sure as heck weren't gonna stop
anytime soon. I guess this wasn't about towing, but to me if I can't pull my
boat to the lake, I don't need to go anywhere anyway - I just work to support my fishing habit. and as for the govt getting involved, just wait
till OBDIII hits - if your car develops a slight problem, and you don't get it
fixed quick enough, you will get an emissions ticket in the mail. Laugh if you
want, its coming! The technology exists - On-Star knows when your check
engine light is on, and what code is set. The ticket in the mail is the easy
part, just waitin on the govt. to jump in.

[twodogs]

Hence high prices ......need to be questioning the powers that be who have successfully stopped refineries and new drilling from happening,,,we need more of both;and there is a lot out there for the taking; free market and supply and demand is what will take care of the problem..NOT MORE GOVT REGULATIONS....

[mudwitch]

The answer again is govt ? The only way people drive less is when fuel costs rise.Raise the mpg standard and the cost of the vehicle increases,Most state road repair comes from fuel tax. Fuel cost increase due to less revenue collected at the local and state level because of less gas sold. In Indiana this week, a Proposal by or state Democrats wants to tax the Hybrid owners cause of LESS REVENUE FOR THE SAME USAGE.It got withdrawn momentarly. I spend near 10,000$ more to buy a Hybrid, and it takes 8 years to save enough money just to break even over the cost of a comparable non-hybrid, and pray to GOD, YES GOD that the battery pack don't go 4000$.Everyone bitches about the Big Oil Profits.Right now they get roughly a dime per gallon profit. the Govt gets 50 cents a gallon. The problem is the Govt. Now Global Warming Can"t be Proved. There was a Global Warming Trend in the late 17th Century and the internal engine didn"t arive till the 1870 or so.Ever thought of how much oil change oil was dumped over the hill across this country from the 30s till the 90s before companys started recycling oil. The clean air act of 2006 will be in effect soon. J White ,Fishboy and twodogs are right. Capitalism works and Socialism has failed in every country it has been tried in.....

[Larry-Southern Indiana]

One of you needs to check back the past 25 years and see who shut down refineries in this country to less than half of what it use to be. Real simple answer too. Do you want your tax dollars to pay for their drilling? I sure in the hell don't. The oil companies have already recieved enought welfare(YOUR TAX DOLLARS) from this current government.

The other one of you actually believes the oil companies ONLY MAKE 10 cents a gallon profit? You better do a little more research fellow. That dog ain't gonna hunt here. Some people are gulliable some ain't.


Larry

[KARL]

..I'm a logical type of fellow...so here's my logic, maybe too simplified but here it is..........if the price of gas at the pump is $.21/gal now in Oil producing countries.....and the price here in US is say $2.00/gal then the only difference I see is the cost of shipping and profit margins for those involved...and I can't see shipping costing 1,000% increase.. .so then the difference is profit by either the Oil Co. or our govt...either way it's a rip-off... ...just my $.02....

[twodogs]

It takes are heck of a lot more money today to go after the much needed oil that is in the ground ...lots more than what it did back 20-40 years ago..an example of this is ..the massive patch of naturaL gas in the Barnett Shale Reserve in Ellis,Tarrant,Johnson and Denton county area where I live...wells are going up left and right..hundreds of them...this all takes money ..and when the price of natural gas rose to what it is ...people were able to RISK their capital to start drilling and produce this commodity that is much needed and in demand...BOTTOM LINE IS IT TAKES MONEY TO BRING THIS STUFF UP AND OUT OF WHERE IT LIES ....IT IS A RISK DRILLING; NOT EVERY HOLE POKED IN THE GROUND PRODUCES...Another thing to consider is that oil is a commodity that is traded on the world market..oil that is pulled out of the ground right here in the good old USA; some of it goes to other countries.Im all for conservation but the reality is with other countries such as China needing more oil than ever before ,the SUPPLY DOES NOT MEET THE WORLDS DEMAND.Lets open up the available ares that hold oil and go get it.

[mudwitch]

I wont argue 10 is probably out of line since gas went through the roof. I do know that the crude has to take a lot of turns before it flows out of the gas pump. Crude on a ship from the middle east.Refining cost.The shipping alone from the refinerys to the first mega tank town which will than feed the little tank town which feed those big semis which feed every mom and pop convience store in the country with fuel has gotten costly due to drivers are required to have haz and tanker cdl's from the time it hits our soil. Those drivers are expensive and don't grow on trees. Used to know a Family who probably still do run a small refinary in Niles Mich, across the street from there towns tank town. They took raw crude and refined it for other companys.They were a small version of the real thing, minus the exploration cost....which americans dont want to hear bout that but it does factor in when some next big russian oilfield goes bust cause the govt changed hands over nite and they say thanks for finding it and please leave.I also know they are a corp whos job it is to make money for its shareholders.I know that oil scandals go back to the TEAPOT DOME SCANDAL.The media makes it sound like big oil is one big monster. In reality its a whole bunch of little monsters differnt sizes,some old worn out,some new and efficient.I heard that a few oil tankers were told to take the long way into new orleans after Katrina to drive up the price .I also heard that even if they wern't delayed, they couldn't unload cause the refinerys were down. I do know one thing, if it could be made cheaper, there would be a Chinese, Korean, or German Corp down on my street corner selling it 25 cents less. I won't defend substities cause I watch our local Ethenal Plant spend 10 cents to make 9 cents worth of fuel.I watch farmers being paid to not plant fields.Again if it could be made cheaper, Walmart would be there.