Who to blame for the price of gas

© 2008 by Michael Swickard, Ph.D.

“Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.” Walt Kelly, 1952

In 1970 Walt Kelly condensed the quote to, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” I was thinking of that quote while filling up this week. Fuel prices are up dramatically. Americans are staring at the pump prices with alarm and wondering, “Gas should not cost that much. Who can we blame?”

Blame all of us. It was not easy to get oil to $120 per barrel, but with incredible determination and stupidity, we Americans have done our part. What bothers me even more than the gas price is that my fellow Americans have the darn gall to look surprised.

We have spent 50 years doing exactly the wrong things when it comes to energy policy. In fact, an enemy could not have done worse. “We have met the enemy and he is us” is the motto of our country.

We have been fuelish in more ways than I can count. But our individual sins are nothing compared to the policy disasters from our legislators. While we individually have wasted gas with unnecessary trips and fuelish driving habits, Congress flushed our energy independency down the toilet. Then we stand around and look surprised.

This reminds me of someone who has smoked for 50 years and then in declining health asks, “Who can I blame?” He can sue the tobacco companies but the dirty little secret is that he has known all along that his actions would lead to a decline in health.

My father died a painful, smoking-related death 15 years ago. We spent many decades yakking at him about the “coffin nails” he smoked. At least he did not look surprised. I loved him immensely and if I could have done so, I would have convinced him decades earlier to stop. Alas, I could not. Nor could I stop Congress from its orgy of disaster in energy legislation.

An experiment in conservation

I tried an experiment this last week while out on the road. I consult with New Mexico schools and train teachers to help fragile students learn to read more effectively. Monday morning at 7 a.m. I went out on the road. In four days of consulting and training in places in New Mexico as far away as Eunice, I drove 900 miles. I drive a 1998 Mercury Gran Marquis, a big car. Normally I get 25 miles per gallon.

This trip I decided to try to increase my mileage with two strategies: driving slower and rolling down the window rather than using the air conditioning. So I went about 55 mph and left the A/C off. Surprise – I got 31 miles per gallon and used six gallons less this week.

Over a year that is more than a thousand dollars of saving. You do not have to conserve, but if you want to lower your energy costs, there are things you can do. And, 300 fewer gallons of gas each year will have an economic effect, but especially if millions of drivers do the same.

Expanding production

However, America cannot conserve its way to plenty. One component of the price of gas is building refineries. America has exceeded its refining capacity and now buys already refined fuel. We need more refineries, but why would an energy company attempt to build a refinery in today’s political climate? It costs millions of dollars just to apply for a permit and that permit is not certain. Why would these companies risk that money when they can just import already refined fuel from other countries even if it is at a higher price? They pass the price along.

Remember, we call those companies every mean thing in the dictionary. We treat them as dirt under our feet and vilify them at every chance. Why would they go out on a limb to lower our prices? Why would they try to increase domestic supplies of gas when they make a fine profit themselves just passing through the refining from another country?

We Americans do not want a refinery in our community; rather, we just want the product inexpensively. And if you want to do even worse, take the profit away from the energy companies and see what effect that has on supplies. Please, do not look surprised.

Politicians have not dealt with our energy needs because they look at the minefield they have set up and say, “It will not be a problem in my lifetime.”

For the politicians of the 70s and 80s, that is correct. But the clock just struck midnight and the ghost of our past has caught up with us.

We have spent 50 years getting here, and the blame game will not help us. Are we ready to take a new look at our own actions? Are we ready to do the hard political things? Are we finally ready to admit that we have met the enemy and he is us?

Swickard is a weekly columnist for this site. You can reach him at michael@swickard.com.