Jun 6th, 2008

Should You Boycott Gas Stations?

By David Weliver

As the price of gas continues to climb, there is the inevitable chatter in the office, among friends, and via chain e-mails, that perhaps it’s time we organize boycotts of certain gas station brands – or stop buying petroleum at all – at least for a day. Unfortunately, such a boycott would be useless.

So much for the “great American gas boycott”.

Buy why would a gas boycott be a futile effort?

There are two reasons. While gasoline producers like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Shell are enjoying record profits, they are not the reason we’re facing record prices at the pumps. The forces driving our gas prices range from increased consumption in developing countries like China and India, to the prices set by OPEC, to commodity traders speculating on the price of oil futures. Even if every American stopped filling up for a day – or a week, we could do little to impact all these factors.

Secondly, even if millions of Americans boycotted gas (which is highly unlikely), we would only be postponing our purchase of gasoline, not eliminating it altogether. We still need that gas to get to work, and we’re going to buy it eventually, whether it’s today or tomorrow. A boycott works when it targets a particular company and when there are alternatives available. If enough people cease buying brand X and buy brand Y instead, the producer of brand X will feel the pinch. Unfortunately, we can’t all switch over to solar cars overnight!

The good news is that as the price of gas goes up, we make changes in our driving habits and use less oil (whether we like it or not). As that trend continues, the drop in demand for gasoline should ease escalating prices, at least for a while.

However you slice it, the age of cheap oil is over, and it’s high time we start seeking alternatives to burning gasoline as we motor around the country — both personally, and as a nation.

Related Posts

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2. Should You Ever Buy a Brand New Car?
3. What the Housing Market Means For Under 30 Homeowners and First Time Buyers
4. Do You Fix Your Dings?
5. 10 Costly Driving Habits

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2 Responses to “Should You Boycott Gas Stations?”

1. Michelle says:

   June 10, 2008 at 10:54 pm

   All valid points, but what about taking public transportation if it’s available for you to do? I take one bus and one train to work each day (in Los Angeles of all places) but I still have my car. I think in the last year, I’ve filled my tank up about a once a month. Public transportation displaces the thousands of cars on the street, so I think it’s worth a thought.
2. Money Under 30 says:

   June 13, 2008 at 10:57 am

   You’re absolutely right, Michelle, if public transit is available it’s the best option. Though I disliked living in NYC for many reasons, the one thing I loved was being able to get anywhere in the city without a car. U