A River of Tears at the Pump

Today's headline at the Toronto Star:

"Outrage over hike at pumps"

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/215714

"Filling his station wagon at the Petro-Canada at Richmond and Jarvis Sts., Paul Wilson estimated the visit would cost him $80.

"The gas is just killing me," he said. "It's just murder. It's just unreal. The cost is ridiculous."

Jennifer Harris said motorists should have seen it coming.

"It's always like this," Harris said as she filled her SUV at the Esso station at Lake Shore Blvd. E. and Leslie St. "They spike it up on weekends. They spike it up on the long weekend. They always have an excuse. It's refinery problems, or it's terrorism in the Middle East, or hurricanes. Oil is down, so there's no reason for high prices."

This story shows us three things:

1. Canadians are big babies who claim to be all concerned about the environment, but get their knickers in a knot when the price of gas goes up ten cents. Obviously, people will never be willing to make any meaningful sacrifices when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions or energy conservation. But, on the bright side, geology will give them no choice, even though...

2. Canadians are utterly unprepared for the grim future of oil scarcity, and unwilling to face reality. I suppose you get the leaders you deserve, because...

3. Canadian politicians are utterly unprepared for the grim future of oil scarcity, and unwilling to face reality.

It's a lot of fun to goosepile on Big Oil, etc., etc., but much harder to explain how the world's giant oil fields are running dry, and the fact that there are no adequate replacements:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2470

If people think the price of gas is high now, just wait a few years. Dedicating newspaper space to stoking the outrage of whiny, self-absorbed consumers should be used more constructively. The finger should be pointed at all the whiny, self-absorbed consumers whose over-consumption got us in to this mess in the first place. But, alas, that sort of reasoning doesn't sell newspapers, or get votes. And yes, though it's been said countless times before, SUV drivers should be especially singled out when they get worked up into a frothy lather over high gas prices. The SUV driver is like a fisherman who uses dynamite, then complains when there are no fish left in the pond.

Comments

[cowtowner]

even at a buck thirty a litre, gas is a fraction of the cost of the same amount of coffee from starbucks. nobody complains about that. as long as gas is this cheap, there will be no need to pressure the government or business for an eco friendly alternative to the monster truck.