Microeconomics project

[muck_a_luck]

This is such an intriguing proposal in microeconomics, I thought I would mention it.

There is a chain e-mail going around suggesting that as a group, we could all work together to lower gas prices.

I don't send chain e-mails.

The gist of it is that prices are controlled by both supply and demand.

The hypothesis proposed is that the recent increase in gas prices at the pump is not a supply problem. There's plenty of supply to bring prices back down to below $1.50. I have no idea, and can't be arsed to go find out for myself.

If that is the case, the hypothesis continues, the reason gas prices have gone up so drastically is because we, the consumers, will actually pay the outrageous prices being charged, so why not charge them. Price gouging, essentially.

The proposed solution, don't but from Exxon or Mobile. If they start to suffer losses, they will begin lowering their prices back to a reasonable level, then the other suppliers will have to follow suit.

The proposed price for beginning to buy again from Exxon or Mobile is when their price gets back down to $1.30.

The e-mail wanted to be sent to 30 people I know, in hopes of being sent to 24 million people or something like that. Well the e-mail can screw itself. But as an exercise in microeconomics, this has some appeal to me. So the 24 million people reading this journal should all go rushing out and see if they can impact the price of gasoline from the demand site of the graph!

Have fun! :)

Comments

[wyldestarr.livejournal.com]

So the 24 million people reading this journal should all go rushing out and see if they can impact the price of gasoline from the demand site of the graph!

So...I was thinking...that means there are a lot of people who read your journal if you think you can reach 24mil. Then my brain went, "Every time you read slash, God lowers gas prices." ;) And then the thoughts of hordes of slashers banding together both scared and amused me highly. Ahhhh...the power of the internet and lack of sleep is BEYOND HUMAN KEN! (Barbie too, but she's a blonde, so whatever. Then again, I'm mostly blonde...oh dear. And really...it's supposed to be "God *does bad thing*", so I suppose it should be raises gas prices, but hey, I'm all for the win-win sitch. I'll shut up now.)

Blonde

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

that means there are a lot of people who read your journal if you think you can reach 24mil

Yes. 24 million, to be exact. Moving on... :)

Every time you read slash, God lowers gas prices.

Good grief! Do you realize what has been happening this year, then? The reading of slash must have dropped of horrendously!!!!! OMG!

But why are you afraid of hordes of slashers? Aside from how violent it sounds...

And do you realize that you have made a perfectly family friendly-post into a post that probably should be locked down "slash ok?" You people are not to be trusted...

And you're blonde, hmmmmm... Who would have guessed. I'm a true brunette rapidly going grey.

Going grey... *snickers at own joke* Do not elaborate on my joke if you know what it is!!! Or I will scree your comment!!! Only I can make obscure color related jokes in my journal!!! Fie on you!

Re: Blonde

[wyldestarr.livejournal.com]

But why are you afraid of hordes of slashers? Aside from how violent it sounds...
Well you know how some 'ships are...you get too many together and you'll either have violent orgy-type situations with much fangirl drooling or just plain violence. Either way, I'm selling popcorn and water balloons and sitting on the sidelines. :D

And do you realize that you have made a perfectly family friendly-post into a post that probably should be locked down "slash ok?" You people are not to be trusted...
Well, I've apparently been falling down on my job as Corruptor, so I have to get my hits in where I can. :D *pats self on back*

And you're blonde, hmmmmm... Who would have guessed. I'm a true brunette rapidly going grey.
Well, I'm mostly blonde. Truly, not even hair stylists and colorists (is that even a word) know the color of my hair. o_O It's some mottled blonde-brown-ash-strawberry mix, not so affectionately known as 'mud' or more affectionately known as 'Irish blonde' in that I've seen several actors of predominantely Irish persuasion where one moment they look ash, another blonde, another strawberry (within the span of the same movie). *shrugs* I was born a strawberry blonde and still have some. My two sisters were born redheads and they're both brown now. And, since we're talking hair, more useless info: I have naturally curly hair (once down to my waist, now shoulder-length basically). At one point, upon showing a coworker Orlando as Paris of Troy, she spun round and exclaimed, "He has hair like yours!" I was highly amused. ^_^

Going grey... *snickers at own joke* Do not elaborate on my joke if you know what it is!!! Or I will scree your comment!!! Only I can make obscure color related jokes in my journal!!! Fie on you!

[mittelfeld.livejournal.com]

Actually, there is a supply problem. Maybe not today or for the rest of this week, but in the short term -- yes. New oil fields are becoming increasingly difficult to find; global oil production is expected to peak somewhere within the next 5 to 15 years; and production at several large reserves, like the North Sea, has already peaked and is in decline. And large countries that are entering a new phase of industrialization, like India and China, have much larger demands now than they used to, and that'll only increase over the next several years.

Yes, oil and gas companies are making huge profits. They always will -- even if the supply changes (for good or bad). And I completely agree that it's unfair. But I think our #1 priority as consumers and as a society should be reducing our consumption -- not figuring out ways to spend less to use the same amounts. :-)

Of course

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Well, natch. Preaching to the choir, dahling. And personally, increased prices are an EXCELLENT way to discourage consumers from using a product. I'm sure the new SUV is becoming a harder and harder sell... Or if it hasn't, a few more months of these gas prices and it will. Not to mention that new technology will become more appealing.

alternate fuels

[alpha-strike.livejournal.com]

Nobody is going to do anything about developing cost-effective alternate fuel vehicles until petroleum reserves are virtually depleted. I want to see viable electric or fuel cell cars. I will continue to drive my gargantuan truck until automobile manufacturers comply with my demands.

Re: alternate fuels

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

And here's the thing.

I wonder what the economic trade off is for driving your gargantuan truck v. buying a new vehicle. Because the new vehicle has to get made. That takes quite a bit of fuel comsumption of various types. They don't just wash up from the sea. Discarding one vehicle for another costs something in energy.

Me, I haven't bought a car for myself since I was 19, and that was heavily influenced by my parents' input. I have had only handmedowns. Which is why I currently drive a 6-cylinder Crown Vic. Not exactly fuel conserving. Looking forward to the day when I can go out and buy a lovely little hybrid, fuel-cell something or other. I console myself that I will not be an early adopter and the technology will be much improved by the time I start fiddling with it.

Re: alternate fuels

[alpha-strike.livejournal.com]

I confess. With fuel prices as they are, I seldom want to spend the $75 a week it takes to fill the Beleraphon and then suck the gasoline down as a heart-stopping 11 MPG. I vastly prefer the bike. It isn't exactly efficient either as it's engine displaces as much as many small cars, but the 40+ MPG (and the fun) help. Eventually there will be efficient and affordable fuel-cell vehicles. I'm holding out for one that can pull the horse trailer.

Re: alternate fuels

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Bikes worry me. I'm a worrier.

Re: alternate fuels

[wyldestarr.livejournal.com]

I would dearly love to get a nice lil hybrid...but they're expensive and right now, they're kinda ugly. :( So me and my lil Ford Explorer Sport are going to spend $30+ in gas this weekend to fill up. Sorry, but was living alone and desperately needed to have some room in the car for moving things and when my transmission on my much-loved Olds Cutlass Supreme finally gave it up, it was cheaper to get the new car. Came in very damned handy when sis moved in cause we ferried her boxes between the bigass rig and the storage unit cause the rig couldn't get to the unit. >_<

And then I put Brothers of Gondor clings in the back set windows. ^_^ Faramir on the passenger side and Boromir on the driver's side...cause I'd get distracted if it was easier to see Boromir. *snickers* I go to work in a Gondorian Sandwich. I love perversity. *grins*

Re: alternate fuels

[muck-a-luck.livejournal.com]

Where did you get those?

Re: alternate fuels

[wyldestarr.livejournal.com]

Heee...ebay. Of course, I found them by searching for "Boromir" or "Gondor"...and now, cause you made me look, I've found a TALKING BOROMIR DOLL ACTION FIGURE! I BLAME THEE!

*bounce* It says, "Tis a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt!" *squeeeeee* I must have him! :D