Gas Boycott
Categories: Decay of Modern Society, Politics, Controversial TopicsToday I got an email forwarded to me by a coworker. It asked me to NOT purchase any gas on May 15, touting how this boycott had been going on annually for 10 years now and had made gas prices drop by 30 cents overnight. Being the good doobie that I am, I immediately checked Snopes.com and found out some things that I’ve included below this quotation from the email.
—–Original Message—–
>I only pass this on as asked & will abide Let’s do this
>
>NO GAS…On May 15th 2007 Don’t pump gas on MAY 15th In April 1997,
>there was a ‘gas out’ conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices.
>Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May 15th 2007,
>all internet users are asked to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices.
>Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places. There are 73,000,000+
>American members currently on the internet network, and the average car
>takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up. If all users did not go to the
>pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that’s almost 3
>BILLION) out of the oil companies pockets for just one day, so please
>do not go to the gas station on May 15th and let’s try to put a dent in
>the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day. If you agree
>(which I can’t see why you wouldn’t) resend this to all your contact
>list. With it saying, ”Don’t pump gas on May 15th’
Here’s what I learned from Snopes:
- The first email-based boycott of gasoline for a day was in April 1999, not 1997.
- It didn’t make any difference.
- People just bought gas the day before or after instead, so there was no change in the overall market.
- A boycott is a long-term campaign where people totally and continually DO WITHOUT something to get their point across.
- The very premise of this idea is flawed because the amount of gas being used doesn’t change at all.
- Avoiding driving (or at least severely reducing it) would have more impact that not pumping gas on one day.
Their conclusion:
Not buying gas on a designated day may make people feel a bit better about things by providing them a chance to vent their anger at higher gasoline prices, but the action won’t have any real impact on retail prices. An effective protest would involve something like organizing people to forswear the use of their cars on specified days–an act that could effectively demonstrate the reality of the threat that if gasoline prices stayed high, American consumers were prepared to move to carpooling and public transportation for the long term. Simply changing the day one buys gas, however, imparts no such threat, because nothing is being done without.
Gasoline is a fungible, global commodity, its price subject to the ordinary forces of supply and demand. No amount of consumer gimmickry and showmanship will lower its price in the long run; only a significant, ongoing reduction in demand will accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, for many people achieving that goal would mean cutting down on their driving or opting for less desirable economy cars over less fuel-efficient models, solutions they find unappealing.
An event like a “gas out” can sometimes do some good by calling attention to a cause and sending a message. In this case, though, the only message being sent is: “We consumers are so desperate for gasoline that we can’t even do without it for a few days to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with its cost.” What supplier is going to respond to a message like that by lowering its price? Those who really want to send a “message” to oil suppliers should try not buying any gasoline for several months in a row.
And there was a nice list of “Sources” at the end of their article.
I replied to the email I received with the following:
For what it’s worth:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.aspTruth be told, it’s never had an effect on the gas market or prices. The email campaign to boycott gas stations began in 1999, not 1997, and the prices did not drop 30 cents a gallon overnight. Prices HAVE changed that much in one day, but not because of a boycott (or one-day abstention).
Just thought you should know.
Scott
Their response? “Thanks for the clarifications. I’ll be participating. Ethics are what its worth to me.”
From my point of view, no disrespect intended, ethics would require either doing an actual boycott or not pretending that my one-day thing was efficacious.
What it REALLY comes down to is self-delusion, convincing yourself that what you’re doing matters, even if all the evidence says there is no effect. Again, no disrespect intended, but if it really was a matter of ethics, then they should work at taking steps that CAN reduce the price instead of just trying to feel good.
Current music: 
On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim)
Na
May 4th, 2007 at 4:56
Not to be too harsh on this, but ethically, it is wrong to give false hope to others that their actions will have an impact upon the oil industry and OPEC.
If you want to make a statement, stop buying large vehicles and recreation vehicles (boats, ATVs), and driving them all over. Not saying that the person sending the link owns an SUV or rvs, but want to point out that I still see a huge number of SUVs and rvs out there, including those purchased within the last few years while gas prices have been high. Those people are making the statement, “I don’t care about gas prices or sending a message…I want what I want.”
May 5th, 2007 at 11:58
Your correct about the past. 5 things make this year different.
1) A change to the myspace bulletin has expanded the concept.
A) STATEMENT DAY - May 15th
B) Complete YEAR LONG BOYCOTT of two of the three largest USA
gasoline station operating companys - BP & CITGO
2) In less than six months retail gas prices are up 20%, last week prices in the midwest were $2.65 NOW $3.18. People are hearing talk of $5.00 gas coming. It is really upsetting not just the poor but the middle class and business owners.
3) For many reasons people in the USA are very upset. A national unrest is growing and angry people are looking for a way to send a message to somebody really important.
4) These prices are driving the retail price of goods up including food.
5) A lot of Americans feel the war is really about oil. In a backdoor way this is making a national statement to George Bush - “I’m mad as hell!!! And I’m not going to take it anymore.”
In the past too many people heard commentators in media explain why a one day boycott cannot work. Last week on coasttocoastam gas prices were being discussed. A caller suggested a one day boycott. George Noory explained why it would not work. As an after thought he said, “Now what would work is to target one or two of the largest companys in America who pump the most gas and boycott those two huge companys stations all year.” thus BP & CITGO.
I rewrote the FORWARD with better wording, an explanation of why a two step boycott and why picking two companies for a total 2007 boycott would force prices down.
Immediately I saw my reworded bulletin begin to crisscross myspace.
If a major network like FOX, and coasttocoastam radio discussed the boycotts details - LOOK OUT.
My next move will be to bulletin a few key email addys of national media to myspacers asking for profilers to CUT n PASTE it and include it in a mass email sending to targeted national press.
(a point added to 5)
TAKE THIS GAS & SHOVE IT NATIONAL BOYCOTT
May 7th, 2007 at 8:36
I always check e-mail messages like this because I get so many, and the majority of them are either flawed or false in concept. Students inundate my e-mail box with things of this sort, and most of them I just delete because of the trend they have of being incorrect or spurious. Some of the data given in the e-mail is flawed, and there is faulty thinking in supposing that a one day boycott will make a difference, without people just using less gas. Buying gas on either the 14th or th 16th will simply shift the date of purchase, and not make a specific impact in the weeks ‘profits’ for gas companies.
It is also worth pointing out that gas companies have so many government tax levies placed upon them from federal and state governments, that we should be hammering those government tax entities about the money they are collecting, while they are sticking it to the public with restrictions on updating oil refineries, not allowing more to be built, or restricting the development of our own oil resources rather than making us dependent upon foreign sources.
The interesting thing to me has always been that we criticize the oil companies for their profits, yet when they can’t update existing refineries or build more, and the ability to put money into finding or developing more local oil sources is denied, what else can they do with money collected other than list it as profit?
Our government agencies, and the media, don’t make it clear that the government (federal and state) makes as much or more in taxing the oil, than the gas companies do in refining it. I am certainly against higher gas prices, but I am far more incensed about the do nothing congress and senate that restrict the oil companies in doing anything about it, just so that the government has a fairly stable “profit” source from which to collect more money.
May 9th, 2007 at 12:05
What gave me a chuckle was last summer Bush came out like father know best telling the American people to cut down on consumption right before getting in his Suburban convoy taking him to his private jet.
May 15th, 2007 at 11:40
DeDe, so sad but all the celebrities seem to be jumping on the Eco-Wagon and not walking the walk.
In regards to the gas boycott, I think the biggest message we can send is that WE ARE THE PEOPLE of this country. The point is what BAD comes of this boycott? We need to show that WE can be dangerous and have the strength to join together and stand up against what we believe in. Why should the poor and middle class suffer so while the big wigs of the oil industries, and BUSH, get their pockets stuffed fat. As prices increase they are still paying their cashiers and what not close to minimum wage. Just wrong.
Yes there are many more actions we need to take to make a difference to decrease the gas prices but if we can’t even join together for ONE day for a simple boycott, how can you expect anything else to ever come together? If the Boycott would work, it would be all over the media and that would kickstart some change because it would give people a sense of togetherness and hope.
BTW–I drive a 1.8L 4cyl car so I do my part.