Photo by iboy_daniel. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

All of those reduced-fuel-use school buses (examples here and here) can't help some school systems continue on as normal in the current economy. Thanks to high fuel prices - among other reasons - the four-day "work" week that is gaining currency at businesses nationwide is spreading to at least 15 more school districts across the U.S., according to a new article by the AP. Last year, the AP says, around 100 districts dropped a day. For one school system highlighted in the article, cutting a day out of the school week (while making each class the rest of the week ten minutes longer) will save $65,000 in fuel costs (I'm guessing per year, but the AP doesn't say. With only 700 students, I can't imagine they're paying that much per week or month).

The article mentions other cost-saving methods that schools and parents are turning to this year. On transportation issues, the article mentions that field trips are being slashed while weekend athletic trips might be done through private car pools instead of school buses at some schools. At a school in Alabama, the daily buses to and from school will no longer stop at each house but at neighborhood stops instead (this makes a lot of sense) and at a school in California, high school students won't get to use the bus at all (not so sure about this one, from an environmental viewpoint).

[Source: AP]

Let's see. You're a gas station owner who wants to get out of the petrol business and into something a little more eco-friendly. Electric cars, say. How do you mark the transition? For Milton Grin, owner of a Valero in Kansas City, Missouri, the answer was to attract attention to his new venture by selling his current product at discount prices - like $1.99 for a gallon of gas (diesel prices remained high). To take advantage of the media and customer attention his sale generated, Grin had three EVs on display at the pumps. To me, this is a pretty good way to highlight the difference between fueling at a pump and charging from a plug. You need gas? You gotta drive somewhere and wait in line. You need electricity, just plug it in. The gimmick worked, and the response was so huge that Grin had to stop the sale in the early evening because of the traffic swarm.

See news stories of the cheap gas sale here, here and here. Tipster Andrew (whose last name is also Grin, according to his Flickr profile) has also posted a collection of photos of the event over on Flickr. Thanks, Andrew.

[Source: KCTV5]

Photo by Maveric2003. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

It wasn't too long ago that the Good Lord came out against sinful gas guzzlers. But, if people like Rocky Twyman are to be believed, then perhaps God is rethinking His policies. Twyman is a choir director who leads the "Pray at the Pump" movement, which goes to gas stations and prays for lower fuel prices. Twyman has been touring the country trying to get God's attention these past few months. Back in April, he was in San Francisco, in June he was in Seattle, and this past Wednesday, he and a group of supporters were in D.C. for a "victory celebration" over the recent dip in gas prices, according to the AP. He said that if the whole country prayed, we could bring gas down to under $2 a gallon. The logical question I have to Twyman, then, is does God favor all the people in those countries where gas prices are like 12 cents a gallon over Americans?

Our green car buddy Jay Leno called Twyman's movement George Bush's energy plan, which promoted Twyman to pray for Leno. Leno isn't the only one poking fun.

Also, there's a short news video about Twyman after the jump.

[Source: AP]

I'm not familiar with Richard Viguerie, but he's a proud conservative and more than willing to engage in some "attack the liberals" maneuvers to complain about high gas prices. Since I get a bit of flack from our readers about airing my leftwing views, I thought I'd highlight Viguerie's argument - don't worry, I'll get back to my standard Republican bashing in a post later today :)

In any case, Viguerie's point is that some on the left see high gas prices as a good thing, and so therefore we're totally responsible for the high prices. He does hate on corn ethanol for a bit, and polishes Reagan's memory. He goes through the standard talking points about driling in ANWR and letting the market run rampant decide what the price of energy should be, then says this: "Liberals raised taxes on gasoline so high that the government makes roughly four times as much on each gallon as the oil companies do."

Look, I'm willing to let conservatives have their say, but this just seems slippery as all get out to me. If I remember correctly, the federal gas tax is around 18 cents a gallon, right? In 2007, Exxon earned $1,300 per second. I know that not all of Exxon's profits come from gasoline sales, but come on. I'm sure that in some technical way Viguerie could be right, but saying that our cash-starved governments are somehow riding high compared to the Exxons of the world is amazing. Simply amazing.

[Source: ConservativeHQ.com]

Photo by ClevelandSGS. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Angela Eversole thought she had it all figured out: she needed gas, and was alledgedly willing to give up a little sex to get it. Unfortunately for her, the deal she was setting up for "a $100 gasoline card and other gifts" was being watched by the police there in Fort Wright, Kentucky. She was arrested and charged with prostitution and, get this, for "doing business without an occupational license," according to the AP. She's pleaded not guilty. USAToday has more.

We knew that a green car could make a man a bit more popular with the ladies, but this is something else entirely. Who knew hybrids could promote moral behavior?

[Source: WLEX]

Left: "We can't drill our way out of this!"
Right: "We can't conserve our way out of this!"
Chorus: "We must innovate our way out of this!"

(Maybe, but how long will that take? What will it cost? Who will pay?)

Democrats: "Big Oil's fault! Confiscate their profits!"
Republicans: "Environmentalists' fault! Drill here, drill now, pay less!"
Chorus: "Speculators' fault! Pass a law!"

(So, investing in things -- stocks, bonds, collector cars, commodities such as oil -- that may, or may not, increase in value in the future should be illegal?)

The price of just about anything is mostly about supply and demand. This is Rule #1 of Economics 101 -- which they made me take, along with English, history and a few other useful things, in engineering school:

1. Demand goes up, supply doesn't: price goes up
2. Demand goes down, supply doesn't: price goes down
3. Supply goes up, demand doesn't: price goes down

Oil will bring whatever buyers are willing to pay and sellers are willing to take, and buyers are willing to pay very dearly these days. Nearly all economic activity runs on oil, and it is extremely difficult for any society to reduce its usage without cheap and plentiful alternatives.

Petroleum products are not just in transportation tanks; they are in almost all consumer products. Take off your jacket, check your watch, dial your phone, boot up your computer, plug in your iPod – these things and nearly everything else contain them as fundamental elements.

Most things consume oil as they are manufactured, and all things consume it as fuel in shipment to market. And so, as we have been learning all too painfully lately, as the price of oil goes up, the price of everything follows in the same direction. So, given that the price of oil depends mostly on supply and demand, what can we do to drag it back down? Reduce demand? Increase supply? Yes, and yes! Anyone who thinks we can make enough difference by working just one end of that equation is wishfully thinking.

Continue reading after the jump.

Photo by pincusvt. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Well, now we have proof that the New York Times is biased against flyover country. I mean, only a left-wing maniac would dare point out that living out in God's Country (away from those sinful cities) isn't all it's cracked up to be. And then they dare to point out that our glorious subdivisions might not be the most sustainable living arrangement. How dare they! I'm outraged.

Actually, I'm kididng. But I did want to point out this article that really puts into perspective how high gas prices are delivering a thumping to people who need to drive many miles to the store or to work. I grew up in a place like this, so I know the drill going to the grocery story is a ten minute drive, minimum. Bike or bus? Forget it. What I didn't think about was the possibility, quoted by the Times from an earlier article in in The Atlantic Monthly, that high fuel costs will make "many low-density suburbs and McMansion subdivisions, including some that are lovely and affluent today, may become what inner cities became in the 1960s and '70s - slums characterized by poverty, crime and decay" (written by Christopher Leinberger, an urban land use expert). There's more to digest in the NYT piece - but the key is there are very, very people left who couldn't use a cleaner, more efficient vehicle right 'bout now.

[Source: New York Times]

Photo by ^Riza^. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

The seemingly relentless march of gas prices in the upward direction has become, well, not quite so relentless. For now, gas prices are hovering around the $4/gallon mark, but what's in store for the rest of 2008? A national survey has found that "a sizable number" of Americans think that the end of summer (Labor Day) will bring $5/gallon gasoline. Of course, this doesn't mean prices will hit that mark, but a similar study conducted by the same group in January found that 71 percent of Americans correctly predicted gas would hit $4/gallon by summer. So there's that.

The survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) at the behest of the Civil Society Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank, and its Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN) project. Full survey details will revealed tomorrow.

[Source: Civil Society Institute, Newton, Mass.]

Photo by ^Riza^. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Man, expensive fuel has all sorts of unexpected impacts. People stealing four thousand gallons of diesel in LA. More people running out of gas on the side of the road. More four-day work weeks. And now, ta da, gas stations that don't accept credit cards.

Well, there's at least one station that doesn't: a small shop in Charleston, West Virgina, according to the AP. The problem is the way that credit companies get their money, which is a percentage of the total sale (that's why there's usually a $5 minimum purchase, so the store can make at least some money after the credit company has taken their chunk). The problem for gas stations is that higher gas prices mean that the credit companies are getting more pennies per dollar sold. Sadly, for the station owners, the station's mark up is a set amount (the AP says around 11 or 12 cents a gallon) and so doesn't grow when the price climbs. With $4 gas, the credit card companies get about 10 cents a gallon. It's easy to do the math and see that the station owner isn't exactly rolling in dough here. While the AP could only find one station that has banned plastic money, a lot of station owners are not happy with the way things are headed. Don't be surprised if this trend grows right along with gas prices.

[Source: AP]

So you think $4.50 a gallon is tough to swallow? How about nearly $15/gallon? That's what drivers in some parts of south-west England and Wales are faced with this week. A strike by tanker drivers who deliver fuel to Shell stations has left many stations in the region running out of gas and diesel. We all know what happens when fuel supplies run low but demand doesn't; it's economics 101. This time around, station owners have started ramping up the prices to as much as £1.99 a litre or $14.76 per US gallon. Talks between the union and the trucking company are ongoing, but at this point it looks like the strike will be continuing through this weekend.

[Source: AutoCar]

Photo by Cyfer13. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Depending on where you live, this may seem like old news. As the photo above (taken by Flickr user Cyfer13 on May 24 in San Francisco) shows, gas has been over $4 a gallon in some areas for a while now. But the official word has now been declared: the U.S. national average is now above $4 a gallon (officially, the number reached $4.005 on Friday, the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service announced). This is the first time gas prices have reached that barrier. But, speaking of old news, the AP story declaring this state of affairs, contains this nugget, "Prices at the pump are expected to keep climbing, especially after last week's furious surge in oil prices." That surge and all of the money being traded in energy these days has resulted in the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission opening a probe into potential price manipulation. Any results from that investigation will take a while. For now, Cyfer13 can see the writing on the wall. His or her caption to the photo reads, "Sadly, in a couple of months...this may be cheap."

[Source: AP]

If you're getting rid of a leased car, high gas prices are not your biggest reason for doing so. They're not even in your top five. At least, that's what Swapalease.com discovered when it asked users why they wanted to, well, swap a lease. Swapalease.com is a lease marketplace and the people behind the scenes wanted to find out why users were turning in their cars. Through a system that asked for information online and through employee-user interaction, Swapalease came up with a top ten list of issues. The only item that is tied in to the vehicle not being efficient enough was gas prices, which came in at number six. People working at Swapalease say that concerns over gas prices are "quickly moving up the ranks as a motivator for lessee's wishing to transfer," but they are still solidly beat out by others. Michael Citron, a sales manager for Swapalease, said in a statement that, "I've spoke [sic] to thousands of clients over the years at Swapalease and I have definitely noticed an increase in gas price talk over the last several months, but it is still not the key rationale given." Find the rest of the Top Ten swapees' concerns after the jump.

I guess they've got to pretty much give it away: E85 fuel will be on sale for just 85 cents a gallon for two hours in Colorado next week. Domestic Fuel says that the special sale on the biofuel for flexfuel cars will take place in the town of Fowler from noon until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12. The sale is sponsored / subsidized by the Colorado Corn Growers Association, the Governor's Biofuels Coalition (GBC) and Western Convenience. Domestic Fuel calculates that there are about 85,000 flexfuel vehicles running (out of around 300,000 total vehicles) and fifty places to get E85 in Colorado. The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council notes the location of those pumps in the Alternative Fueling Station Locator. The GBC is a statewide organization that promotes ethanol and biodiesel to Colorado drivers.

[Source: Domestic Fuel]

Deals on gasoline make at least some sort of sense when automakers offer them (looking at you, crazy Chrysler), but when the latest free gas gimmick comes from buying Dockers, you know fuel prices are high. This is exactly what's going on, though, with a Father's Day sale at Sears that will give customers a $75 gas card and a $10 Sears gift card with the purchase of $100 worth of Men's Dockers stuff (but not shoes, purchases must be made between June 7 and 15). Sears is also giving away a 2008 Prius worth over $21,000. There is no purchase necessary - and you don't need to be a dad - to try and win the Prius, but the website to enter isn't active yet (guessing that'll happen on the 7th). A winner will be selected around the beginning of August.

[Source: Sears Holdings Corporation]

Photo by Laffy4k. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Feel like pushing your luck a few more miles? I think you are, as it seems like more and more drivers are hoping the half- or quarter-fill-ups at the gas station will take them a bit further than is possible. It's easy to find news reports today about an increase in stranded drivers on American roads these days, drivers who can't deal with $4 gallons of gas.

In North Carolina, the state highway patrol is dealing with more drivers stuck on the side of the road than before. No, that's not accurate. A local TV station says, "Trooper Jeff Nash said some people don't even make it to the shoulder of the road when they're out of fuel, and end up stranded in the middle of the highway."

The AP finds this is a national trend. From Philadelphia to Dallas, Oregon to Tennessee, anecdotal evidence supports the idea that people are simply unable to completely fill up the tank these days and are therefore running out before reaching their destination. There are no national statistics that track strandees, but the AP found that out-of-gas calls to the AAA in the Philadelphia area doubled between May 2007 and May 2008, from 81 to 161. AAA Mid-Atlantic saw a 15 percent increase over last year.

[Source: AP, WSOC-TV]