Monday, September 15, 2008

Summer Seige on Driving: When is Gasoline Renewable?

Summer was busy so I haven’t blogged. So here is a brief recap of my thoughts at the end of summer.

In the beginning of summer, I felt like my cul-de-sac-filled suburb was a war zone under occupation. The gas stations were outposts for the army of oil speculators - checkpoints that must be passed to prove one’s worthiness and loyalty. Approval, in the form of available credit is all that is required. Pay at the pump allows the worthy to pass the check-point without even seeing the poorly paid representative of our occupiers.

Finally, relief came towards the end of the summer in the form of merely stratospheric gas prices. Well, within a year of the $1+ gas signs being unveiled, we celebrated gas dropping below $1.25. It’s funny that the biggest surprise in the 13 cent jump in gas prices during Hurricane Ike was that it was unannounced; a sharp reminder that the oil companies are back in control while the speculators portfolios are dwindling.

Observations from the summer:

I saw a bumper sticker that said, “I’m driving as fast as I can afford.”

There is only one time when gasoline is renewable energy: when it is stored as kinetic energy in a coasting car. I don’t get people who speed up and then hit the brakes at the last minute when the light just turned red. I coast along side them and speed past as the light changes to green.

Most people have not changed their driving habits as far I can tell.

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