Up, Up, And Away

I've been trying to stay away from blogging about anything to do with the rising cost of oil, but my track record shows that I just can't help myself from time to time. Once again, the Oil Execs are being called front and center before a Congressional committee. How many different ways does Congress need to hear the same story before they stop wasting everyone's time trying to vilify the oil companies?

Could Big Oil be doing things differently, like reinvesting those mind-numbing profits on R&D instead of simply fattening the accounts of its shareholders? Of course, but this is capitalism. What is right and what is easy are usually two very different things.

Nothing that the oil execs can say will change the reality of the World economic situation -- especially the weakening US dollar and the emerging industrial (read - fuel) needs of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) nations.

I'm sure I've said it before, but at least we're not paying European prices for gas -- which are two to three times more than we're spending now. Of course, if we were, we'd hopefully be driving European standard cars that get, on the average, 50% better mileage than the tanks we drive over here.

So if you're upset over the cost of filling up, do something about it. Conserve. And I don't just mean behind the wheel. Crude oil is refined into a lot of different fuels and products other than gasoline. Turn back your heat (or air conditioning, depending on the location and time of year), turn off lights in rooms you're not in, carpool, avoid the commute and work from home as often as possible (if you're with a company that offers it), walk, take the stairs.... The list is potentially endless.

I've heard it said that this problem is beyond the ability of any one person to do anything. But We can solve it together if we try. So let's do something about this and quit pointing the finger of doom while complaining that no one is doing something about this.

So, kwityerbitchin. In the big picture, we've made our own beds by allowing this to happen, so we might as well lay down and get comfortable until we figure out how to change the sheets.