Annoucement here, from the New Oxford American Dictionary. I actually know this word, because I actually do this. "Hypermiling" is defined as "an attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one’s car and one’s driving techniques." I do this all the time, and I expect most hybrid drivers do. When you get below a certain mph, the gas … Read More
Waxman In
Dingell is out and Waxman is in as Energy And Commerce Chair. That may seem like inside-politics baseball, but it is kind of a big deal. This is a huge victory for environmentalists. TPM has the details: Dingell, who first entered the House way back when Eisenhower was president, had been the head Democrat on this committee ever since 1981. But … Read More
Time Travel
I saw a station selling gas at $2.05 a gallon this morning, and for a split second, it was as if I had travelled back in time. I wonder how long it was when gas around here was at $2.00 or under. Turns out, not that long ago… In Christmas 2005, gas prices were around the $2.00 mark.
The Price Of Oil
A pretty amazing graph, wouldn't you say? When Bush came into office, oil was at $23 a barrel. It's now just below $60, but was as high as $140 just a few months ago.
Closer To Home
(1) Oil prices plunged today, which is good, because we’ll see lower gas prices. Too bad we won’t have much around here. (2) Wachovia, my bank, got bought today by Citicorp. I’m assured that my money is safe. Riiiiight.
Gas Shortages In NC?
Last week, I went to fill up my gas tank. The station I pulled into had plastic bags over the "regular" pumps and over the "mid-quality" pumps. I was stuck buying the "premium" gas. It was $3.99 per gallon, which was what regular was at in July and August, so I wasn’t that upset. But around the office, I have … Read More
And As If Things Aren’t Bad Enough…
…the price of oil, which has been going down steadily for the past two months, just jumped up $25 per barrel. It was down to $100 per barrel, down from its all-time high (in July) of $147.27. Now it’s trading in the 125 dollar range.
All You Need To Know About “Drill, Baby, Drill”
That’s right. It’s only going to end up a comparative drop in the bucket…. by 2030!!! So says the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
I Think It’s Safe To Say Obama Won The “Tire Gauge” Battle
Obama, yesterday, in Berea, Ohio: "Let me make a point about efficiency, because my Republican opponents – they don’t like to talk about efficiency…" "You know the other day I was in a town hall meeting and I laid out my plans for investing $15 billion a year in energy efficient cars and a new electricity grid and somebody said, … Read More
This Tire Gauge Thing Depresses Me
To summarize, Obama mentioned to voters in Missouri that there are things individuals can do to help conserve energy, including bringing their cars in for regular tune ups, and keeping their tires properly inflated. He added that the amount of energy to be saved by routine auto maintenance is comparable to the savings we’d get from the GOP’s coastal drilling … Read More
The New McCain Ad Against Obama Is Staggeringly Dishonest On So Many Levels
McCain’s new TV ad, "Pump", blames Obama for rising gas prices. On its face, it is silly. Obama has been a one-term senator. How can one man be responsible for rising gas prices? Here are some very worthwhile critisicms of the ad: Daily Kos‘ BarbinMD: "John McCain has often said that he would run a respectful campaign, but he never … Read More
Al Gore, Plagerist, Offers A Convenient Truth
Me, on July 15, 2008, on this very blog, saying how it was possible to remove ourselves from being addicted to oil and gas energy, if we only had the gonads to make such a commitment: "We put a man on the moon in less than ten years. When Kennedy proposed doing it in 1960, the materials and technology to … Read More
Jimmy Carter Stole My Solution Retroactively
This afternoon, I wrote a lengthy post about the gas crisis, and I proposed that the best solution to get us out of this mess would be a concerted national effort to ween ourselves off of oil and gas. I wrote: If a President were to annouce a serious national effort to develop new (and hopefully clean) technology for running … Read More
Why Are Gas Prices So High? (In Which I Solve The Problem)
Okay, since I’ve been on an economy/energy blogging tirade today, I think I’ll answer the question on every person’s mind: Why are gas prices so high? I’ve wondered this myself. Energy and economic aren’t my forte, but I’ve done a lot of reading on it lately, and I think I can boil it down to (admittedly oversimplified) layman’s terms. The … Read More
Inflation, Recession, Energy and Ecology Woes, Dogs Mating With Cats….
Inflation grows at fastest pace in 27 years Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up 9.2%, the largest year-over-year surge since June 1981. Gas and food prices are to blame, since "core inflation", the economic indicator which excludes energy and food, was better behaved in June, rising by just 0.2%. The main culprit is gas, I would think, … Read More