The news reported that a barrel of oil is traded on an average 40 times. Oil is produced faster than we consume it, speculation not demand brings the price up. The price is double from 16 months ago, will $10 a gallon change your driving? The price of gas will get me to finish adapting my observatory, and as for SPOC it will make it unlikely I will drive out there in ify weather. I guess I should find a chauffeur.
Gas prices in europe are higher along with average mpg, meaning europeans probably spend less money on transportation. My recollection of Europe is that you don't need a car, mass transit goes everywhere. Plan B 3.0 is a free book available on the internet (download). The true
cost of gasoline may amaze you and this was in about 2007.
"For a gasoline tax, the most detailed analysis available of indirect costs is found in The Real Price of Gasoline by the International Center for Technology Assessment. The many indirect costs to societyincluding climate change, oil industry tax breaks, oil supply protection, oil industry subsidies, and treatment of auto exhaust-related respiratory illnessestotal around $12 per gallon, slightly more than the cost to society of smoking a pack of cigarettes. If this external or social cost is added to the roughly $3 per gallon average price of gas in the United States in early 2007, gas would cost $15 a gallon. These are real costs. Someone bears them. If not us, our children. Now that these costs have been calculated, they can be used to set tax rates on gasoline, just as the CDC analysis is being used to raise taxes on cigarettes."
The book (Google PB3) makes for depressing reading so be warned!
Steve _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com