No Petrol Wednesday

[Greg]

wouldn't the point of the governement tax be to discourage consumers to use petrol, because using it has a negative externality affect (ie harmful to environment)

[GTRgeoff]

For government to be effective, industry must prosper and workers get paid. Fuel in cheap and plentiful supply is important to the national welfare, not the environment. It's only the balance of power held by tree huggers (and therefore their green voting constituencies) that are making the government address these green issues. Government use tax to provide infrastructure and services and healthy jobs for themselves and the public sector/military.

Don't get me wrong, I did my bit for the environment by standing at the back of the 42 ton Leopard tank I was commanding, throwing grass seed into the soil torn by track turns while chewing 2 litres of diesel every kilometer........

[CroatianR33]

Had about a 500 word essay ready to submit then said stuff it.

[MLCrisis]

Hi. I forwarded this message to my colleagues with the following note:

"If you are into making futile gestures, this might be for you. As I was not going to buy petrol tomorrow, I will now have to make a point of not buying any, so that someone will notice(!). Methinks that this is based on a common lack of understanding of the international oil market, the ability of the Australian Government to do anything about it and the general view that the oil companies are nasty, capitalist enterprises. Quite how the economics of this protest is supposed to work seems a bit ropey to me, but then it sounds good, doesn't it!

I shall also register my protest by putting my fingers in my ears and humming whenever I hear someone on the radio trying to explain the oil prices to me.

That'll show 'em!"

It's all a load of bolleaux, IMHO. Also, just to be more pedantic than usual (!!), the petrochemical industry indeed make plastics, etc, but they don't refine oil. The Petroleum Refining Industry does that. Many of them come under the same holding company, but they are very separate businesses. Petrochemicals is but one small bit of industry that is downstream of the oil industry - and it is way, way downstream.

If you want to make a difference, lobby the government and your MP to urge the US to change its policy on Israel and the Palestinians. Oh, but don't expect it to change the price of fuel at the pump too soon.

Meanwhile, the underlying trend of fuel prices is inevitably up. The known oil reserves are dwindling and the cost of development of any new fields versus their size is going up. So enjoy your gas guzzling monsters while you can.

Cheers.

[raz0r$harP.UK]

Cost me $60 to fuel my car this morning! doh..

I got the fuel email a few weeks ago..then I got sent this a few hours later by someone else..

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/nogas.asp