By the way - since I was around during the oil embargo of 1973 - the prices went up a factor of 4 - quadrupled in price overnight - when I was a teen we sold gasoline for 25 cents a gallon - 1973 hit and we were over a dollar - just a little history. Of course once it was over, the price never dropped because the oil companies could now make four times as much

The United States, with the world's largest economy, remains the world's largest single source of anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas emissions. Current projections indicate that U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned, will reach 5,985 million metric tons in 2005, an increase of 1,083 million metric tons from the 4,902 million metric tons emitted in 1990, and around one-fourth of total world energy-related carbon emissions.

Just the facts, as supplied by the U.S. Government.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html

Pollution stats per capita:
Sulphur Oxides
Nuclear Waste
Nitrogen Oxides
Munincipal Waste
Carbon Dioxide

Guess which country is top of two of these charts?

While it is absolutely ridiculous for one person to drive a 5000 lb 8MPG SUV as a daily driver in the suburbs, this isn't consumer demand driving up the price of gasoline, at least not the consumers you're seeing at the gas pumps. If it were then gas would have slowly risen in price the past ten years at the same pace as the prevalance of the vehicles you mentioned. It didn't do that though, it spiked suddenly because the market is being manipulated.

I doubt if high gas prices are going to deter many people who are already willing to spend $30k+ on a truck with leather seats for their daily commute.

in europe $30k isn't really a lot for a car and 70% of new cars are diesels. it's all about the numbers

It's because China provides invaluable international diplomatic protection (ie. it provides protection from rightful UN sanctions) to oil-producing countries such as Sudan (have been raping and killing their way through their own country for 20 years) and Iran (major sponsor of international terrorism and currently building a nuke with which to threaten Saudi Arabia, Israel, Europe and the US).

Hence, they get their oil from these states "on the cheap".

If people realized how much more economical diesels are there would be more of a demand for them here (in the US). Most gas stations don't offer diesel fuel though and people see it as something only for big semi trucks.

$30k is a lot for these types of vehicles here (although it's becoming more normal now). SUV's used to be something for hillbillies and farmers until they started becoming 'fashionable' for some odd reason a decade or so ago. Why the public ever adopted these things as status symbols is beyond me. They look like the bastard child of a station wagon and a minivan, two vehicles almost no one ever considered stylish. It makes as much sense as if people started wearing denim overalls to be more fashionable.

communist system subsidizes some things

i won't argue with statistics you can find, but i stand by my qualified statement.

of course the usa is a big polluter. it has the greatest industrial output of any nation on earth.

my point is: for a given amount of industrial output it is probably one of the world's lowest polluters.

btw, ive been in china, ive seen factories from urban cities to some outer provinces. ITs dirty, its all smog and you get sandstorms in the major metropolitans.

Also im going back to china for business/leisure in 2006. Maybe then ill stop talking out of my ass about something i dont know about.

51......

wish our gas was that cheap still

its 2.69 here

Norway is the 3rd largest distributor of oil in the world, yet they pay way over $6/gallon at the pumps. Taxes taxes taxes....

now at least I got one reason to move to china. I need a million more.

let's invade china, their oil wealth will pay for the reconstruction.

Out bid
 

The Chinese out bid us on ebay for Russian oil.

They also use other means of transportation.......

They are hoping for waves of US immigrants to China. :1orglaugh

start packing and invade. better with legit visa