Fueling Frustration?
(Stop Stoking the Fire)
Lately, every newscast features some indignant individual standing by a gas pump eager to open a fat mouth and share words of “frustration” about rising fuel prices. And news stations seem equally eager to air the footage. But to the reporter holding the microphone: how about some push back once in a while? Why not ask the unapologetic question, “Dude, honestly…how could you not see this coming?”
Anyone expressing shock, disdain, or frustration over the rising price of gas has—for decades, apparently—not been paying attention. That, or they’ve chosen to willfully ignore the evidence. Gas has always been a highly-volatile commodity, and every single person of driving age today has had a front-row ticket to the show.
Tracking the cost of crude oil—the precursor to gasoline—is an obsession of both Wall Street and the popular news media. Between 2008 and 2021 the cost of a barrel fluctuated wildly in full public view—between a low of $40 and a high of $109. Not surprisingly, U.S. monthly average gas prices crested and fell repeatedly during that same time, fluctuating between $1.75 and $4.11 a gallon. And stock in fossil fuel companies—whose profits depend on the refining and retailing of gasoline—rose and fell in similar cycles, like Exxon Mobil ($29 - $70) and Chevron ($35 - $115). For anyone paying the slightest bit of attention, the volatility of gas has been on full display for many, many years.
And the global, socio-cultural realities that conspire against cheap gas have been equally evident. Countless pages have been written about the finite supply of available petroleum, and the bell has long been rung regarding the impending end of oil. Much has also been written about the exponential growth of the global population and the rising demand for energy. And while oil is clearly a factor in Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is only one of several despots in recent memory to wield oil as a cudgel against the free world. It takes only a modicum of awareness to realize the basic tenets of supply and demand virtually guarantee pain at the pump.
So to the interviewees, I say: if you don’t pay attention to the news and can’t process basic facts, SHUT YOUR FREAKIN’ YAP. Instead, take stock of the choices you made and own them.
Despite all available evidence to the contrary, it was you who deluded yourself into believing gas would always be plentiful and cheap. It was you who bought the outrageously large Chevy Suburban for your single-rider, daily commute. It was you who paid no mind to fuel efficiency and opted for minimal miles per gallon. So now, it’s you who’s condemned to visit gas stations several times each week.
Despite available options, it was you who never considered purchasing a hybrid model or an alternative fuel vehicle. It was you who didn’t think to take advantage of available rebates and incentives to do so. It was you who only considered up-front purchase price over lifetime costs of ownership. So now, it's you who has to budget your monthly fuel costs for the life of your ride.
And chances are, you didn’t stop there. It was you who bought the thirty-foot recreational vehicle for cross-country touring. It was you who bought the motorcycle, ATV, jet ski, snow mobile, and pontoon boat for the weekends. And its you who bought in to the fossil fuel economy whole-hog and caved to the mentality that “he who has the most gasoline-powered toys wins.” So now, its you who cries foul the loudest.
The simple-minded will conveniently direct their anger at President Biden. But the current spate of rising gas prices is largely driven by fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. But if you really want to direct your anger to a responsible party, here’s a few good suggestions:
Be angry that our nation did little to reduce its reliance on foreign oil in the more than 50 years following the devastating energy crisis of the 1970s,
Be angry at idolized “leaders” who did everything in their power to impede investments in clean, domestic energy, and
Be angry at corporations that conspired against innovation–and funneled millions to high-paid Washington lobbyists–to maintain the fossil fuel status quo.
But be sure to temper your anger ever so slightly. Your many years of unapologetic fuel consumption makes you an equally responsible co-conspirator.
And as for your “frustration”, well, that is certainly justified. Frustration, after all, is having no one to blame but yourself.
Clip this handy reminder for reference whenever you “yearn to burn” more fossil fuel…
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