How many yachts do they really need, do you need to wear a different custom tailered suit every day of the year?

It is hunger for power and greed

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
As we here in the US have surpassed the $4+/gallon for gas and oil going over $127/barrel I just wondered what prices are in Europe,UK,etc.?
People are going to public transportation here(finally)and abandoning their gas gussling SUVs.
The unfortunate part oil companies are raking in billions of dollars profit and there's nothing we can do to stop the price rise.
Goverments don't seem willing to halt the gas taxes which they say are needed for road repairs. A real joke as here in Illinois our roads are full of potholes and horrible patching. Granted we had a bad winter,but when you use peanut butter to fill the holes it just goes back to a pothole in short order.
BTW many cars have to have repairs after hittinh these holes.--Tires,rims,front end components.Chicago offers some help for repairs but trying to get $$$ is a reall chore!!
Enough!!!
Frosty 4

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
As we here in the US have surpassed the $4+/gallon for gas and oil going over $127/barrel I just wondered what prices are in Europe,UK,etc.?

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Your prices seem cheap to us!

As gas is a limited resource is really does not make sense for some people to drive around in 2-3 litre engines anymore. It is often unecessary.

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
As we here in the US have surpassed the $4+/gallon for gas and oil going over $127/barrel I just wondered what prices are in Europe,UK,etc.?

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I have paid £1.12/litre this week, 3.785litres in a US gallon = $8.05. You don't know how lucky you are; the price of petrol is killing me. Trouble is public transport is even more expensive & a regular 20/25min journey by car I have to take, is 3 times that by bus, so not an option at all.

American gas prices are still too cheap, it seems...

The steep rise in oil prices has a bit been softened here by the strong euro and the weakening dollar, but energy prices in general (for heating and electricity etc) are very high at the moment.

The "buying power" erosion is a major political item here in NW Europe for the moment.

There is talk that we will have here 'account driving', which means that you will pay roadtaxes based on the amount of kms of roads you will really use/drive, and also linked to CO2 emissions. Car tax is already linked here to the power of the car ("fiscal horsepowers). 2-2,5 litres is a "big" car.

I used to look at gas prices when I was in Europe and thankful for the price of gas in North America. I still am. Even though our prices are higher than what we're used to - it is still lower than in many parts of the world.

Pam M appears to have quoted the price for petrol.

I run a diesel engine car and yesterday I paid Sterling £ 1.23p a litre.

I agree with her though.

In America you are very lucky to get fuel at the price you pay.

The price of diesel has gone up by about 50% in the last three months in the UK which affects the price we pay for food in the supermarkets and any other items we buy.

The prices for most goods you buy are rising due to the higher transport costs of getting items into the stores.

Forget using public transport instead of your car as it is highly priced and not reliable !

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Originally posted by Neil Whitmore ( Bob ):
[...]
Forget using public transport instead of your car as it is highly priced and not reliable ![...]

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Originally posted by Jekyll:
Today in Vancouver gas is about $1.34 / litre. Interestingly we are seeing a large number of European tourists (esp. German and Dutch) still renting motorhomes and driving around the country as to the Europeans, gas is seen as very reasonable considering what is paid at home.

I used to look at gas prices when I was in Europe and thankful for the price of gas in North America. I still am. Even though our prices are higher than what we're used to - it is still lower than in many parts of the world.

Am I happy about it - NO. Can I live it with - SURE.

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Combined with the strong Euro it's cheap, to rent a car of motor home and spent a view weeks in beloved Canada.

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Originally posted by WhiteStar:
I now spend $550 per month for gas.

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I lived through the gas crunch of 1974 and 79 with the long lines.

I bought my current car [Acura-Volkswagen]and previous one when gas was cheap and people asked why was I concerned with fuel economy. All those years of dollar gallon gas has paid for the cruises when mileage is the high 20's in urban driving.

Who needs a monster SUV. The 2 times a year I need to haul something big, I rent a UHaul or Ryder truck for the day.

* They condoned the creation of megalopic oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon/Mobil and others.

* The U.S. Government, along with others, is in the pocket of the Oil companies and lobbies. The two most powwerful politicians in the U.S. are oil men.

* We pay HUGE subsidies to oil companies and they pay a pittance in taxes on the money they earn.

* We pay HUGE subsidies to farmers NOT to grow wheat and sugar yet we export a huge amount to countries such as Brazil that use these to produce alternative fuels.

* We've succumbed to myths such as "E85" fuels which are no cheaper nor more efficient than regular fuels. Here in Florida, almost all gasoline is "E90", it's no cheaper or more efficient.

I'm no fan of Hugo Chavez, but he he certainly got it right when he nationalized the oil assets of Venezuela.

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
With all these megaships being built who is going to be able to afford a cruise vacation or any vacation for that matter.

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It is of course more cost effective to operate a mega (ultra) ship than two smaller ships. A ship twice the size does not use twice the fuel.

We have had higher fuel prices in Europe than America for years now, yet European cruising continues to grow. Maybe we have less disposable income than we used to, but what we do have, many of us prefer to spend on cruising.

When we buy a car, many of us now look very closely at the fuel consumption. My car has just has a 1.25 litre engine, but can still carry five people and achieve 90+ mph. It has low carbon emissions and very good fuel consumption. Smaller engines in the uK equal less road tax and lower insurance premiums.

The world have changed, we all need to adapt.

[ 05-21-2008: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

This being said, I am not at all pleased with the current administration's close connection with the oil industry, nor the fact that oil companies are raking in the highest profits ever at the expense of the average consumer.

We have seen more consolidation in the past eight years then perhaps ever before. Oil companies, cruise lines, airlines, etc. ,etc. In fact airlines are rushing to consolidate now before the current administration leaves office. Who usually suffers when industries consolidate? The consumer. Less competition, less choice, and more monopolization. Of course company executives and large scale stock holders reap the rewards, so I guess it's ok.

All countries pay the same for a barrel of oil but each country (and State) have different tax rates on the fuel made from the oil. In California greedy politicians often divert gas tax highway funds to social service programs causing deferred maintenance issues.

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
We traded in a gas guzzler Mercedes for a Prius a few months ago and our gas consumption dropped by more than 1/2 w/that choice. I cannot believe the great mileage (averages 44 mpg) that we are getting w/that car. ..............................................
1970s style Gas lines/shortages may be coming sooner than later.

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I have ridden in 2 Priii. It has plenty of room, pushbuttons, and a smooth ride. A flivver it ain't.