“Skyrocketing oil prices stump the experts” reads a headline in today’s Washington Post. The oil company executives attempted to explain to Congress why gas costs $4 a gallon. They explained: It’s China, of course, and other forces beyond the control of Big Oil.
But that’s really the wrong question anyway. Gas costs that much because it can. We’re going to pay whatever it costs as they have done in Europe since forever because we have built our lives around gas-powered vehicles and we want to get to work and visit our friends. What Congress really means to ask is how can the gas companies can get away with raising the prices so far so fast? I don’t see a lot of mystery in that.
I think it has a lot to do with our guilt. We’re guilty about ruining the planet with air pollution, and we know that driving our cars is one of the primary ways we dig our own grave. We feel we should pay high prices for gasoline as part of our penance. We’re clearly conflicted, and unfortunately the pennance is not evenly distributed. The high price of gas spreads the burden disproportionately varying with household income, the amount of unavoidable driving household members must do, and the balance between foolishness and prudence that dictated the choice of vehicles in the family fleet.
We are gravely vexed by our contradictory desires for a livable planet and cheap gas. What to do, what to do? While we wring our hands in dismay, we at least want to assuage some of our anxiety with a cash offering. It’s a shame that it goes to Big Oil, but at least we get some comfort from our discomfort. As I say, clearly we are conflicted over this.
I remember the lines at the filling stations in 1973. The problem then was there wasn’t enough gas at any price because the Arab states declared an embargo and raised the price of a barrel of oil to a whopping $3.65 and a gallon at the pump went for about half a buck. In those days the only guilt we felt about gas consumption was smog. Smog could be “cured” with a day of rainfall, unlike global warming. It was like the days when sexually-transmitted diseases could be cured with an injection. Nowadays we are playing for keeps in many arenas, and pollution is one of them.
Somehow we have to sort out our feelings of guilt while Big Oil takes full advantage of the principles of supply and demand. They supply it, and we demand it–even at $4 plus a gallon. I hope our guilt takes another turn and transmutes into more car pooling, walking, bicycling, and partying closer to home.
Guilt is not a good solution to any problem. It surely won’t help with the gas price crunch. I hope we take a deeper look at lifestyle issues to see how we can reduce our use of gas without compromising quality of life.
I welcome your comments.
