Gas May Soon Cost $7 and $10 a gallon...

[Shibby]

If gas gets high enough and stays constant, the you'll see the end of the suburbs over time. People will move into or very close to the city. We have suburbs that are 60 miles outside of the city right now because it was feasable at the time. Like Bouncer said, the money drove that, people could afford a 60 mile commute. Now they can't so things will change. Will it happen overnight? Hell no. I never claimed that. But it will happen. Adaptation happens - but something has to drive it.

Where are those homes going to be built for the mass of people to live closer to the city? Most cities use to have homes and people moved out after corporations bought the land to build more business's. Do you think people will be able to re-buy the land and build new homes? This "adapting" to high gas prices is what will destroy this country. That's why everyone is scrambling to do like what Bouncer said with cars. The idea of moving closer to the cities and jobs just isn't feasible. People will need homes long before business will shut down and rebuilding of homes can begin.

[toolwtf]

Yes, but MY argument is that it's VERY hard to "adapt" when it is "all of a sudden" - we didn't get to gradually feel this pain.

Well. Gas has been around $3 for at least a year now - that's pretty high. The sad thing is... and this is something we all need to realize is that americans are so stretched and live paycheck to paycheck to the point that gas increasing by ONE dollar per gallon is enough to put us over the edge, put us in the poor house..... That is what's really sad. We should all have better savings and better money management so that when something like this happens "all of a sudden" as you say, then we can weather the storm.

FB, why didn't you respond to my thread up above with the action items you could do? Not interested in doing any of those things?

[toolwtf]

Also, just to see how suburbs have been built over the last 10 years and the design being built around cars... You will notice it's hard to find a side walk that stretches more than 5 blocks.

If gas gets high enough and stays constant, the you'll see the end of the suburbs over time. People will move into or very close to the city. We have suburbs that are 60 miles outside of the city right now because it was feasable at the time. Like Bouncer said, the money drove that, people could afford a 60 mile commute. Now they can't so things will change. Will it happen overnight? Hell no. I never claimed that. But it will happen. Adaptation happens - but something has to drive it.

[Shibby]

Also, just to see how suburbs have been built over the last 10 years and the design being built around cars... You will notice it's hard to find a side walk that stretches more than 5 blocks.

[Bouncer]

the brutal truth is that money drives change. not people sitting there and saying, "i need to change." "the people" really don't need to do a damn thing. the very fact that we cant afford gas anymore will drive the change. there is a whole new type of industry being built on the very foundation of high gas prices. "the green movement" is not because people care, its not because we have good hearts, it is because we simply cant sustain the way we were living.

[hitmansb]

Do you realize what it would take to rebuild the country to make things in walking or biking distance? How about starting a mass transit system that reaches beyond any major city? Because Europe has always had high gas prices they didn't necessarily adapt, they built their cities in conjunction to keep them running. It's either get public transportation set up to support smaller areas than they are normally set up or tear down the existing structure and rebuild to support homes.

I agree wholeheartedly Shibby. I think some here aren't grasping the scope of a project that would see every major US city build mass-transit to link it to the suburbs, while also re-zoning and rebuilding cities to encourage a reversal of urban sprawl/urban blight that occured over time.

It can be done, but it sure as hell can't be done within a year or two years. You think landowners are going to jump on board and sell their homes to make way for a new rail line? There'd be land acquisition fights that would be tied up in court for years, before you could even break ground on the mass transit system.

Think 5 years at a minimum to get solid commuter rail systems linking cities to their suburbs.

[Shibby]

You aren't thinking in depth enough about it. The reason Europe is that way is because they have always had high gas prices so they adapted - we now have high gas prices so we must adapt.

I am thinking just fine. Do you realize what it would take to rebuild the country to make things in walking or biking distance? How about starting a mass transit system that reaches beyond any major city? Because Europe has always had high gas prices they didn't necessarily adapt, they built their cities in conjunction to keep them running. It's either get public transportation set up to support smaller areas than they are normally set up or tear down the existing structure and rebuild to support homes.

[Bouncer]

gas prices will continue to rise. what will change is average gas mileage for cars. car companies are racing to build engines that are as powerful as we are use to and yet 3-4 times as efficient. think about it, if your car got 150 miles per gallon, you wouldn't give a shit if gas cost 10$ a gallon.

[FitnessBrat]

You aren't thinking in depth enough about it. The reason Europe is that way is because they have always had high gas prices so they adapted - we now have high gas prices so we must adapt.

Yes, but MY argument is that it's VERY hard to "adapt" when it is "all of a sudden" - we didn't get to gradually feel this pain.

[toolwtf]

I get tired of hearing everyone compare us to Europe. This kind of goes back to what Bouncer said originally. Anyone that has been to both Europe and the US know the set of of housing, cities and jobs are very different. It's easy to say you can take a bus or train, but most suburbs are not set up with adequate public transportation and people live to far out (to make it affordable and pleasant) from their jobs to walk or ride a bike.

You aren't thinking in depth enough about it. The reason Europe is that way is because they have always had high gas prices so they adapted - we now have high gas prices so we must adapt.

[bigscott]

But they also don't attack other countries for their oil. America is dependant on foreign oil and something needs to be done about it. We all need to wake up. I'm not happy about the $4 prices, but at least it is causing the casual american to wake up and educate themselves a bit on what is going on and what needs to be done. We have all be spoiled forever with cheap gas prices and it isn't reality.

We need to face the problem now and come up with a solution instead of just going around complaining about it.

i dont buy the oil shit bro !! if that were the case iraq would be and should be a fucking parking lot right now with a huge pump in it and i would be paying 50 cents a gallon for fuel -

get something for the billions of dollars and lives the republicans are so willing to waste

[Shibby]

I get tired of hearing everyone compare us to Europe. This kind of goes back to what Bouncer said originally. Anyone that has been to both Europe and the US know the set of of housing, cities and jobs are very different. It's easy to say you can take a bus or train, but most suburbs are not set up with adequate public transportation and people live to far out (to make it affordable and pleasant) from their jobs to walk or ride a bike.

[NYCmitch25]

fuck Europe, the last thing we want to do is copy u faggots :)

[Scrumhalf]

#1. Check. Voted for Obama in the Oregon primary.

#2. Check. When I do drive, it is a Honda Civic. Not a hybrid but pretty reasonable gas mileage.

#3. Check. Like I said above, I don't drive much. I take the train to work and ride my bicycle for most local errands. I walk to the grocery store with a folding cart (40 bucks at Bed, Bath and Beyond).

#4. Check. My letters to my senators and various others (including the presidential candidates) is for focusing on national issues first - energy independence, getting out of foreign wars, funding science and technology and fixing immigration so that highly skilled individuals are welcomed and the agricultural/construction sector has a way to legally bring in low skilled labor that is in short supply here.

[toolwtf]

As far as "focusing on the problem instead of just complaining about it" - I'm not being a smartass , but what should I do?

Well, I would tell you to start thinking of something on your own to do and not let me come up with ideas for you... but since you asked:

1. I would say for you to do your part on getting the republicans out of the white house. They had their chance. 8 years and look where we are now. The economy sucks, we are basically in a recession, we are in a needless war, and spend billions of our own money on this needless war and now gas and oil prices are at historic levels. When the general election comes around, the least you could do is vote for whomever the democratic nominee is and give them a chance to make a change.

2. You could consider getting rid of your "Hemi" and maybe getting something that gets more reasonable gas mileage and if you really wanted to do your part in helping out the environment, you could consider getting a hybrid vehicle. You'd save money in gas yearly, you'd get a break on your income taxes each year, you'd contribute to cleaner air, a better environment, and possibly help out with global warming.

3. You could start carpooling to work if possible or take the bus or train if you have one in your city. You could even start to plan your trips better. If you had to go to the gym or grocery store one day, you could do both on the way home from work instead of driving all the way home, then going back to the gym or to the store - just try to drive less miles in a daily situation based on your needs for that day. Plan your mileage and routes. Also go the speed limit and don't "floor" it at red lights, every little bit helps.

4. You could join an environmental group, write letters to local politicians, donate to groups who are trying to develop "alternative" energy solutions. Or you could even go as far as doing some research and coming up with your own ideas on how the general public could cut back on their consumption or even come up with an alternative energy solution if you wanted to invent something. The sky is the limit.

..... or we could just be typical "ugly americans" bitch and complain and continute to drive our gas guzzlers/hummers/suvs. Make needless trips around town, take vacations that we can't afford to go on, go above the speed limits - burning unnecessay fuel and then blame everyone else and do absolutely nothing about it.