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Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:32:05 +0200
From: Henrik Brameus <blondino@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on gas prices
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
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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@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >X-Sieve: CMU Sieve 2.2
> >Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 10:03:25 -0500
> >From: Kenneth_Mayer@xxxxxxxx
> >Subject: RE: [IP] more on gas prices
> >To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
skype me: hbrameus (IM first to allow voice connection)