more on gas prices

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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> Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:32:05 +0200
> From: Henrik Brameus <blondino () gmail com>
> Subject: Re: [IP] more on gas prices
> To: dave () farber net
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> Dave,
>
> For IP if you wish.
>
> As a European I am always stunned when there is talk about the
> American gas (or petrol) prices, since they consistently lie on about
> 25% of what we pay in Europe. In other words, you pay for a gallon
> what we pay for a litre.
>
> This of course means that not as many people here have as many cars,
> and that the cars we have are more energy efficient. If I look out my
> window here in Amsterdam I see a lot of small cars, like Nissan Micra,
> Peugeot 206, Ford Focus or the extremely small Smart car. And I see
> almost no SUV:s, and there I think is the big difference.
>
> If I remember correctly the automobile industry did a good job
> lobbying to exempt light trucks from the fuel efficiency initiative in
> the 70's. That meant that while station wagons were getting more and
> more difficult to produce due to increasing efficiency regulations,
> the SUV became the new family vehicle that was needed to cater for a
> family with a few children.
>
> Then the automobile industry managed to convince people that building
> a car large would make it safer, but they never mentioned that trucks
> don't have to pass crash tests, so the only safety feature is the
> amount of metal between you and your fellow motorists. No crumple
> zones, no extra strong cages or anything else that makes a modern car
> much safer than an old one. And then on top of that an SUV guzzles
> gas.
>
> So the lack of useful public transport in the US is a conscious choice
> that the government made to appease the automobile industry lobby. If
> light trucks had not been excempted and the gasoline prices had been
> hiked upwards more since the 70s and the money made had been put into
> creating good alternatives, the state of the nation would not be where
> it is. Instead the US would be a country full of reasonably sized and
> energy efficient cars, a better public transport system and an
> emission level that would be much closer to what is mentioned in the
> suggested Kyoto agreement.
>
> Henrik
>
>
> On 08/08/05, Dave Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
> >
> > >X-Sieve: CMU Sieve 2.2
> > >Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 10:03:25 -0500
> > >From: Kenneth_Mayer () Dell com
> > >Subject: RE: [IP] more on gas prices
> > >To: dave () farber net
> > >
> > >Interesting comments from everyone, being one of the younger ones in
> > >here. I have only seen gas prices rise from 97 cents to over 2.25 (as of
> > >this mornings drive by).  We gotta be concerned.  The gentleman from
> > >Europe who lives over here is a little of base. Most of the European
> > >countries have the mass transit we do not, i.e.,The euro rail.  When we
> > >live in a big city, LA, NYC, those people have to live out of the city,
> > >b/c no one can afford to live their.  So gas prices will have an effect
> > >on us moreso than the Europeans, but he is right in one regards, we have
> > >set ourselves up for this, the car companies and gas companies have
> > >dictated this all for years.  I just worry about gas prices going so
> > >high that I have to go to one car and my wife and brand new baby are
> > >stuck at home all day!  She will ring my neck.
> > >
> > >
> > >Ken Mayer Jr
> > >Advanced System Group
> > >Dell Server and Storage Department
>
> --
> "If you're right 98% of the time, why quibble about the remaining 3%?"
> Henrik Brameus - http://www.benitel.com/ - blondino () gmail com.invalid
> skype me: hbrameus (IM first to allow voice connection)

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