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Re: FW: Gas Boycott (fwd)



>- Plastic is made from oil.
>
>- Look up what energy is required to make one pound of aluminum or
>steel.  You will be completely amazed.
>
Thanks for the perspective Rich. I've been hearing a lot of politically
correct, feel-good enviromental stuff regarding this gasoline price thing.
That is just fine and surely everyone means well by his or here concern. But
a few comments are in order with respect to a slightly different, though not
entirely oppositional point of view:

First off, the price of fuel is largely a tax issue and any complaint
against the market forces that control the cost of the actual product are
like complaining about the price of butter. There is a simple supply and
demand/competition equation at work. If you took away the taxes, petro
products would be dirt cheap everywhere, despite recent cost increases. If
you want to look to achieve more "value" for your money spent (or
confiscated), I would suggest forwarding all complaints the public sector.
At least the oil companies give us something we can fully use of in a
clearly measurable way that was in a accordance with our consent. And at
least they compete against each other.

Second, a clean environment is like children - how can someone be anything
but for it. Nobody likes pollution and saving energy is generally a good
thing. But a few years back, Mount Pinotubo (SP?) in the Phillipines blew as
many tons of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere in ten minutes as did the
industrialized world up the present day over the last 150 years. Mount St.
Helens did something like that about 1980, and lot of other ongoing natural
sources of nasty crap will continue over time. Aside from that, industry in
general, fleet vehicles, jet planes, and carbon-source powerplants belch out
prodigeous volumes of awful stuff into the atmosphere every minute. While
certainly passenger cars and motorcycles have their impact, so too does the
flapping of a butterfly's wings effect the global wind currents.

Sorry, but I don't think there is much that individuals can do to make much
a difference on pollution or fuel prices beyond voting for candidates that
support scientifically sound policies that also allow industry to operate as
free and profitably as possible. If you want to find the most stinking
polluted cesspools on the planet, just go to a place were economic activity
has been curtailed by gov't regulation. There you will find your worst
environmental nightmares. In places with prosperity and freedom,
pollution-related issues will continues to be successfully resolved through
a maze of carefully managed progressive legislative initiatives over a
period of many decades. Already things are much better than they were and
certainly motorcycles by 2050 will get 100 miles/gal and have 150 BHP at the
rear wheel. In the mean time, relax. The bottom line - support your local
aluminum, plastic, and metal fabricator by buying motorcycles with lots of
exotic metalwork, big engines, and stylish plastic (petrochemical) body
panels. Then go on to support your local oil magnate by running as much
petro through your motorycles as you possibly can, enjoying every fine
moment of what a precious instant of time we have on this planet.

Greg Girard


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