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See the original image at news.bbc.co.uk —

Protesters blockade oil refinery

news.bbc.co.uk — Protesters blockaded an oil refinery in Cheshire in a bid to put pressure on the government over rising oil prices.

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  • MaryLynn321, on 06/07/2008, -14/+3excellent article noupsell
  • JimmySpaza, on 06/07/2008, -25/+160Yeah, that's smart. Make it HARDER to get the oil to the gas pump. That will surely drive costs down. Some protesters don't really have a clue, do they?

    ...morons.
    • overtoke, on 06/07/2008, -32/+7jimmy, you a consistently retarded
      • beatpre, on 06/07/2008, -2/+11"you're" It doesn't highlight your intelligence, nor help your case, when you cannot properly put together an English sentence when Digger-bashing.
        • overtoke, on 06/07/2008, -8/+3it's called a wireless keyboard, and you chose the least likely word i was going for, dumbass

          you are
        • beatpre, on 06/07/2008, -3/+6No offense was to be taken, just a bit of advice. Wireless keyboard or not, that's why there's a FIVE MINUTE edit window. You should really try supporting your claim of Jimmy's "retardation," perhaps with a website containing hard evidence that may be informative for fellow Diggers, while pointing out his retardation.

          On a topic-related note, I do not think Jimmy's comment was retarded at all. Your "dumbass" comment, however, was retarded.
      • vault, on 06/08/2008, -1/+5Smooth.
      • EIderofzion, on 06/08/2008, -2/+3congradulations overtoke you have made my block list soully on the fact that you don't give a rats ass about facts and objectivity is about as foreign to you as basic economics,, so sad I won't see if you reply or not.
        • overtoke, on 06/08/2008, -2/+2you miss the entire point of the protest, moron

          it's like the french revolution. they happened because people were dying in the streets. so the protest and kill even more people to fix the problem.

          the situation is the same.
        • overtoke, on 06/08/2008, -3/+2ps: it's congraTulations
    • brad3378, on 06/07/2008, -0/+35This is great news............. for this company's competition.
    • brentinkc, on 06/07/2008, -12/+22I believe the inflated price of gasoline in England is due mainly to taxes. The people are protesting to draw the government's attention to their plight.

      Not that anyone expects you to actually pay attention to what's happening, Jimmy.

      • diggrnumber1, on 06/07/2008, -3/+13that still doesn't make this a reasonable protest. it will only serve to inflate oil prices. they should be blockading Parliament.
        • dsmx, on 06/07/2008, -3/+2That wouldn't work you can take the underground to the British parliament and walk the 100 yards or so to the houses of parliament.
      • Mier, on 06/07/2008, -3/+12Gotta pay for that socialism somehow don't ya?

        I don't give a ***** how many assholes in the US squeal "we don't pay as much as Europe" I'm not going to give into higher taxes on gas or that carbon tax *****.
        • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -5/+4You really think the UK is socialist? It's true. In the US, Stupid has become the new Normal.

          And you, my confused little friend, will do whatever you're told to do.
      • CiXeL, on 06/07/2008, -2/+6they sue you if your exhaust smells like fry oil there because using biodiesel is illegal since youre not paying taxes on it.
        thats foolishly stupid.
        • waydee, on 06/07/2008, -0/+4Yeah you really don't know.

          2500litres a year tax free.
    • scabbers, on 06/07/2008, -15/+8This kind of attitude is why you Americans have lost your country to fascism.
    • jkleinfeld, on 06/07/2008, -12/+8another obligatory moronic comment by jimmyspaza
    • rock774, on 06/07/2008, -10/+7liberalism always produces the exact opposite of its original intent !
      • nycmac247, on 06/07/2008, -8/+7Yes, like allowing ***** and bitches the vote and telling children they should be in school instead of at the factory!!!
        Libtards!!!!
      • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -3/+4Last time I looked, Liberal countries were doing pretty well, and America looked pretty *****.

        So tell me, how has 8 years of the most right-wing government anyone can remember worked out for you?
    • gordonrp, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1yeah, and no doubt they drove out there!
    • rob3, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1dude, it worked in the past.
    • kdesu, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1Makes as much sense as the bikers who protested the same thing by riding around and slowing down traffic: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manches ...
    • ultragush, on 06/10/2008, -0/+1corrupt world bank and IMF setting the oil price high and making an sickening amount of money...

      well take your ***** money you petty *****, take it all and take all the power you think itll bring you
  • Vash3001, on 06/07/2008, -24/+5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _________
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  • coffee200am, on 06/07/2008, -14/+54LOL!
    Yeah....that'll show em! On the one hand they worry themselves to death about Global Warming and the use of fossil fuels then get pissed when they can't have it cheap....
    • aceshigh821, on 06/07/2008, -6/+1oh, i see what u did there.
    • TVarmy, on 06/07/2008, -4/+6I suspect they aren't the same people. It's a pain having high gas costs, but I think it's a good thing overall. Assuming prices don't go down sharply soon, or that OPEC somehow cuts a deal so we don't consider leaving fossil fuels, this will lead to more interest in ways to get higher milage in both current and future vehicles, and hold a match under those researching and funding alternative fuels.

      For the record, my money's on electricity powered by wind, nuclear, and solar. Coal powered electric cars would also be cheaper and more sustainable than petroleum powered vehicles.
    • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -1/+4Just because truck drivers protest that tax on gas prices is 2.5 times what it is in the US... doesn't mean that climate change isn't a threat.

      ***** you people are dense. No wonder you wind up electing presidents that destroy your country.
      • JimmySpaza, on 06/08/2008, -2/+1Dude, we're simply voting for the lesser of two evils. Give us a break, will ya?
  • Divals, on 06/07/2008, -8/+50Obamaphage, kindly take thy racist ***** elsewhere.
  • davidhallstrom, on 06/07/2008, -6/+7Interesting but I wonder what the protesters really hope to accomplish. Don't they have anything better to do.
    • WolverineBlue, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1Interesting but I wonder what davidhallstrom really hopes to accomplish. Doesn't he have anything better to do?
  • FairDinkumMate, on 06/07/2008, -0/+24I think people need to differentiate between what these guys are complaining about & what is going on in the US.

    Gas taxes in the UK are huge. This hasn't necessarily been a bad thing as it has helped the UK to develop a much more efficient vehicle fleet than say the US. Now however, as gas prices go up globally, in the UK the increases are doubled due to the taxes. The percentage increase in retail prices may be the same as in the US, but the dollar figure is much higher. The logic(& justification) behind the taxes in the first place was to make gas more expensive so that people would use less - not to raise revenue. With this in mind, the logic behind these high gas taxes being applied on further increases is crumbling. The government was happy with prices at US$8 or so a gallon. By their logic, they could reduce taxes slightly as the oil price goes up to keep the price around this rate without any detrimental effect on the 'detterent' factor.

    The US on the other hand has had not only low taxes on gas but has actually subsidised gas for a long time(subsidies paid directly to oil companies) & as such has an oversized & inefficient vehicle fleet. Price rises in the US are a direct result(& value) of market prices changing & the government not being able to(or want to) increase the oil company subsidies to offset this.
    • ouzome, on 06/07/2008, -1/+8Then the UK should be protesting the government and not the refinery.
      • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -1/+2Well why don't you go and tell them that Einstein?

        What you don't understand, is that the people organising these protests are more experienced and... (this one will be difficult for you to grasp, but pretty obvious to everyone else) a lot smarter than you are.

        See if you can imagine a reason why they protested at a refinery rather than outside parliament. Don't strain yourself though.
    • TVarmy, on 06/07/2008, -0/+4Very good point. I didn't consider Britain's higher gas taxes. Thanks for the insight, you made digg a little smarter.
    • dullnation, on 06/07/2008, -0/+4Just to put this into context for our US counterparts, we pay around $8.8 per US gallon...
    • mmmmmbiscuits, on 06/07/2008, -0/+2Great post. I just want to add that all subsidies are not created equal. What happens in a place like Iran or Venezuela is a little different from what we get in the US, which is basically tax breaks for huge corporations who don't need it. To keep the natives from getting too restless in their crap economy, Iran has to keep gas at something like USD 40 cents per gallon. And since they only have enough internal refinery capacity to handle 50% of demand, the other 50% has to be imported and paid for at open market prices. As a result, I think gas subsidies account for something like 10% of Iran's yearly budget.
    • jferrari, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1Also, what people don't realise is the UK produces about as much oil and gas as it consumes.
    • blackhappy, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1So in the UK that's $8.56 a gallon now minus $5.20 per gallon in taxes and that's $3.76 a gallon (or roughly £1.38 a gallon)

      Right now in Seattle we're paying an average of $4.25 a gallon, so minus the 35 cent tax and that's $3.90 a gallon.

      Also since the Pound is almost 2-1 with the dollar and that means the UK can buy twice as much oil as the US can for the same price (since all oil is monitored in US dollars) which means your gas should be even cheaper, yet it's not. If I were you I would contact my local MP on that one.

      So Dollar for Dollar (with out taxes) the US pays more per gallon.




      • FairDinkumMate, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1Only you can't buy the gas without paying the taxes so your point is moot.
    • dima1109, on 06/08/2008, -0/+0The United States is 3rd largest and 3rd most populous country in the world. Don't you think it would be significantly more difficult for us to actively replace our automotive fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles? Sheer magnitude makes it a matter of tens of years before progress can be seen. You need to consider all factors that come into play.
      • FairDinkumMate, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1So because it's hard it shouldn't be attempted?

        Unfortunately, you rarely hear anyone in the US refer to DEMAND, just supply. Such as:
        * OPEC should produce more
        * We should be able to drill in ANWR
        * Oil companies are charging too much
        etc

        Yet the reality is that the US can have a much greater influence on DEMAND than they can on supply. Like this:
        * The average age of the US car fleet is 9 years
        * The US car fleet averages HALF of the MPG of the European car fleet
        * If US consumers purchased more fuel efficient vehicles from today, at least half of the US car fleet would be twice as efficient within 9 years. That's already a 25% reduction in DEMAND for gas in the US without taking into consideration that during these 9 years cars will become even more efficient.

        WIN, WIN, WIN
        Forget the 'gas tax holiday' & the like. Encourage the US Government to take the money this would cost & use it to encourage the purchase of fuel efficient cars. The people that buy them would WIN by using less gas, WIN if the government offers an incentive & WIN in the longer term as gas prices stabilise from the reduced demand(which would also help those that actually NEED large vehicles like farmers & truckers)!
  • mattc908, on 06/07/2008, -11/+23Is it just me or are they the stupidest people around.
    Lets see we want lower oil prices............ SO...... I know,
    We will blockade the refinery that makes oil, so when it has to shut down for a bit of time and delay oil, the prices will obviously NOT go UP???!?!?!
    • aceshigh821, on 06/07/2008, -3/+3congrats on pointing this out although the second comment already did.
    • outz, on 06/07/2008, -0/+4per the other comment, they're doing it to get the governments attention in hopes they will lower the taxes on their gasoline. they pay over $5 USD in taxes per gallon.
    • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -0/+4Because it's about taxes and it worked last time.

      So no, they're not the stupidest people around... that would be people like you.
    • rob3, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1It's worked in the past, so it's likely to work now (although they government has slightly changed the laws)
  • JoeB4ever, on 06/07/2008, -0/+4They should have put a paper bag full of dog crap on their front door, lit it on fire, then rang the door bell...then run of course
    • dj25817, on 06/07/2008, -0/+3I think it would have been far more effective then what they did do.
    • TVarmy, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1But what if it hit a natural gas stream and then all of Great Britain exploded?
  • sollycardy, on 06/07/2008, -9/+27OIL IS NOT RUNNING OUT!!

    this is artificial price manipulation!!

    http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article= ...
    http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6§ion=0&article= ...
    http://www.powerpolitics.org/archives/000004.html
    http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/ind ...

    • TVarmy, on 06/07/2008, -0/+8My oil is running out. That's why I keep going to the gas station.

      But seriously, you need to consider that it's not about oil running out. It's more about two other issues: Can we continue to afford oil as it gets more expensive due to the need to use more exotic methods to extract it? and Can we afford to continue putting the pollutant by-products of oil consumption in the air (And/Or can we afford the political unrest oil causes)?

      The fact remains that we need to come up with alternative fuel sources. What if a terrorist bombed our oil reserves, or key refineries? What if we suffered an economic depression and couldn't afford a fuel at its current prices?

      Also, global warming is most likely real. We need to do something about it. Also, the other pollutants in gasoline and diesel, several of them known carcinogens, aren't doing us any favors.
    • beatpre, on 06/07/2008, -2/+3If you want supporting evidence to my following claim, read below. To summarize:

      Oil has peaked. And it will run out. Price manipulation is a joke, simple economics. The world is already cutting back on the amount they drive, which is going to hit the oil industry. It's not in the best interest of Oil Companies to create a monopoly (OPEC) to spike oil prices. People will (and already have) drastically cut back on oil consumption, switch to alternate fuels, public transportation, etc.

      Now for your articles:
      Your first two articles I'm going to discount because of the source: Arab News. They're the Fox News of the Kingdom, which means they're definitely not coming out saying "Yes, we're running out of oil." The country runs on oil, so to come out to the world and say that they're maxed-out is not in the interest of the royalty. I also think the news organization is state-run, but I'm not positive.

      The third site is down.

      And the fourth site:
      "The Cera analysis targeted oilfields producing more than 10,000 barrels a day of conventional oil and concluded that overall output was declining at a rate of 4.5 per cent a year and that field decline rates were not increasing"
      - Oil has peaked, I know this from oil industry workers who have been to Saudi Arabia. As much as the world would like to believe otherwise, it has. While the actual barrels per day output has remained relatively constant, it's becoming impossible to turn the knobs and INCREASE output. It's a well known fact: the world consumes more oil per day than is produced.
      • nycmac247, on 06/07/2008, -0/+3Try this - much better.

        The Energy Non-Crisis by Lindsey Williams

        http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3340274697 ...

        There is plenty of oil; we are being fleeced.
        • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1Sounds like climbing over a mountain of evidence to find a crumb of disinformation on the other side.

          Whatever - we're not just running out of oil, we're also running out of the atmosphere's capacity to absorb the pollution it creates.
      • yoda17, on 06/08/2008, -0/+4Oil will never run out. It will, however, become no longer cost competitive with alternatives.
    • TheAuditor, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1Yes, yes yes, we all know the conspiracy theories
  • rinote, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1Man, that is one brilliant plan.
  • mellomeh, on 06/07/2008, -2/+5It's not the government's fault that petrol is so expensive right now. Yes, the taxation on petrol is high, but it's always been relatively high. In fact, taxation as a percentage of the total price has steadily been decreasing since Labour came to power. Why don't these protesters target the true cause of the recent increase in the cost of fuel, the oil companies (who are currently celebrating record profits)?
    • smartmlp, on 06/07/2008, -0/+5Actually, it has more to do with the investment companies and traders than the oil companies.
    • zadadka, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1What ?! ...decreasing?....with 46% Duty paid at the pumps? Get real !
      I've yet to see a satisfactory explanation for paying such ludicrous sums into Government coffers measured against any benefit to our economy...the reason I haven't seen one is simple, it's because there isn't one.
      The impact on our business competitiveness (European road haulage, as just one example) is phenomenal, more fishing fleets are set to"go under" as a result, and even emergency services and similarly Government-capped services will soon be unable to sustain appropriates levels of readiness.
      It may not be the government's fault OIL prices are high, but is IS the government's fault that jobs, livelihoods, and maybe even lives will be lost if Messrs Brown, Darling & Co don't seriously DROP Duty levels (they can stuff the October-review freeze "concession").
      Like many others, I won't be voting Labour next time round.

      As for hurting the oil companies.....how?....by not buying fuel?
      Blockades send a message, and the message is working....too slowly, but it's working.
    • TVarmy, on 06/07/2008, -2/+2This is British gas! They have more taxes on fuel, like most of Europe does. It creates disincentives against fuel-inefficient vehicles and excessive driving, but it also disproportionately hurts poor people who have to drive in work. Thanks to urbanization, Britain doesn't have as much of an issue with that as we do.

      However, in America, we have tons of rural and suburban areas. The rural areas are necessary, as they make our food, and the suburban areas, while inefficient, are apparently going to stay as long as people want them and can afford them. Those who live in either the suburbs or rural regions need to drive to work, and it could eat up all the profits made by a poorer person.

      Of course, it is often argued that these taxes could directly benefit poor people, possibly even going to directly subsidizing their gas (through a government gas card or stamp) so that they don't suffer as much as rich people. And it can also be argued that high gas taxes would end suburban sprawl and give those who can't help having a long commute the option of more fuel-efficient vehicles.

      I think gas taxes, overall, are a good thing, but they need to be done smartly. Obama has proposed gas taxes which would go towards programs that benefit the working poor. I support his plan, you may not. Vote for who you like.
  • syphern, on 06/07/2008, -6/+7Damn hippies!
  • TrainingName, on 06/07/2008, -6/+1Are people that stupid to believe that Oil and Gas prices are the countries biggest problems?
    • Jennefah, on 06/07/2008, -0/+1In the UK, US and the like? Definitely.

      When the price of oil increases, the price of EVERYTHING follows suit. I dare you to find a single item in your home that oil wasn't used in the either the production of, or the transportation of (in the form of petrol) before it reached your hands.
  • pencilneck, on 06/07/2008, -2/+19Why not protest a food shortage by burning the crops in the field?
  • nullcodes, on 06/07/2008, -2/+16Want lower oil prices? Drill for more oil.
    • HappyScrappy, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2Hahah. That's hilarious. Oil and gas prices have been rising even though inventories (oil and gas available) are large and rising.
    • BetterOffEd, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1Of course. Because everyone know that oil is infinite and it'll be around forever, right? I mean come on, it does fall from the *****' sky from time to time, doesn't it?
      • twomeyw23334, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1Yeah, because we're going to need it infinitely right? I mean, come on, we went from horse and buggy to cars, planes, personal computers, the Internet, cell phones, etc., in a little over a century but in the next century (which we easily have enough oil to cover) we probably won't increase the efficiency / price of solar panels or come up with any other alternatives, so we should just ban everyone from getting any new oil so we can use more of it in the future!
        I love all the "no we can't" leftists excuses for preventing corporations who want to sell something to people who want to buy it. Where would we be without the elitists to look out for us and tell us what is for our greater good.
        • BetterOffEd, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2You proved my point exactly. Despite all of the progress that you mentioned in technology, we are still essentially using the same engine that was used in the Model-T almost a century ago. Why is that? It's because there's money in oil, and there's more money when there's no alternatives...

          That's why we need to come up with alternatives for oil. We should use the oil while it's here of course, but the scarcer it gets the more it will cost. So the time to start developing alternative sources of fuel and slowly introducing them into our lives is NOW.

          However, the big oil companies have impeded this process. Any new research or patents on alternative energy sources have been bought and shelved by the major oil companies for decades now. They want to keep a monopoly on all of the oil-alternatives so that they can bleed us dry on all of the oil until it's all gone. And why wouldn't they?---It's great for business...

          If you don't believe me, please check for yourself: The publicly traded oil companies are required to disclose any patents and intellectual property holdings on their financial statements.

          People only buy oil because there's no substitute. Introduce other options and let the free market decide for itself...
        • twomeyw23334, on 06/09/2008, -0/+0Some of your response is clearly tin foil, the rest is irrelevant. There is plenty of development going on now for alternative energy that isn't controlled by big oil. Part of your arguement seems to be with the patent system (because the magical energy solution is tied up by the evil oil companies). None of your response justifies preventing oil companies from retrieving and selling oil. You clearly have an emotional anger towards "big oil" based on a conspiracy theory which is your justification for again, not letting them sell a product they want to sell to people who want to buy it.
          You try to provide an intellectual arguement for your emotionally based opinion by weakly arguing it is for the greater good, as higher oil prices will accelerate innovation into alternative technologies.
          I'll pretend for a moment that collectivists, for the greater good / ends justifies the means arguments are actually valid.
          Who are you to say the ends, getting off oil now, is better? It will obviously cause some pain (that pain is what is supposed to accelerate innovation). But won't this eventually happen anyways when oil REALY starts to run out? And since we are supposedly so low on oil, won't this happen without forced intervention? Why do you need to artificially make this happen sooner, when if it happens later in time when we have better technology and more alternatives it will obviously be less painful?
          I know why, your emotional hatred of said companies. You basically are just trying to justify what you think will make them suffer, even if it makes other people suffer, which is really the sick part. Many predict solar panels on private land will start to be common place with the next few decades. People will be able to have a well, septic tank, solar panels, and electric car and be almost completely self-sufficient, so I don't want to hear garbage conspiracy theories.
  • jokerswild1, on 06/07/2008, -6/+0Funny how the price of peanuts went up when Carter was in office and now oil goes up when Bush is in. We need to elect presidents that don't have any business interests, like Obama.
    • MikeFallopian, on 06/07/2008, -0/+3I don't want my hope and change any more expensive than they already are.
    • jakatak, on 06/07/2008, -1/+1America is the biggest business in the world. We need someone who can run a business. So it would make sense to have a president with "Business Interests". We as Americans just need to find a way to vote on all issues.

      If we could vote for what goes on in America we could have ended the war sooner, opened up Alaska to ease the pain, and stopped domestic oil companies from selling outside of the US. Unfortunately the politicians have too much power. They make their own laws and we can't vote it down. Just like gay marriage in California. We have voted that down three times and it keeps getting over turned by a judge. Why vote?
    • nosatalian, on 06/08/2008, -1/+0Someone without business interests is someone without business experience. We don't want to elect somebody who has never held down a real job. I'm certain the presidents of our most successful corporations are much better equipped to deal with the issues confronting a nation than a snakeoil politician.

      I for one really want to see a black president. But I am not stupid enough to elect Obama. There a lot more qualified people who haven't been given the time of day. The reason the democratic party is backing Obama is because he represents the biggest increase in government power that has been seen since Roosevelt. The Democrats want to control every aspect of our lives. Ultimately they crave power and they hide it with good intentions, like "free" healthcare. Experience shows that government does a crappy job at everything they attempt- do you want your Doctor to have the same level of service that you get from the Post Office or the DMV?
  • nullcodes, on 06/07/2008, -5/+12Greenpeace prevented the building of new oil refineries, so now the oil refineries are at capacity.

    Blame greenpeace for their irrational stupidity.
    • wonderchemist, on 06/07/2008, -2/+2Even if we had a refinery on every block, it doesn't solve the problem that oil (the feedstock for gasoline) is expensive.
      • nullcodes, on 06/08/2008, -2/+2Thats why we should allow drilling for more oil.

        The cheaper the cost of energy, the more easy and economical it is to do research into greener forms of energy like solar, geothermal, and nuclear because the investment capital costs are greatly reduced.

        Thanks to greenpeace, you are spending all your money and resources on basic energy needs how can you have time and money to spend on alternatives research.
        • suzaku, on 06/08/2008, -1/+3I'm no supporter of greenpeace, but your logic is backwards. When oil and other traditional energy prices go higher and higher, there is far more incentive for businesses to invest in alternative energy. When oil was at $15 a barrel there was no economic motivation to invest in green energy because oil was very cheap and alternative energy companies simply could not compete with that low price point. Now oil is booming and so are many so-called green companies.
        • BetterOffEd, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2That's why we need to come up with ALTERNATIVES for oil. Use oil while it's here of course, but the scarcer it gets the more it will cost. So the time to start developing alternative sources of fuel and slowly introducing them into our lives is NOW.

          However, the big oil companies have blocked this process. Any new research or patents on alternative energy sources have been bought and shelved by the major oil companies for decades now. They want to keep a monopoly on all of the oil-alternatives so that they can bleed us dry on all of the oil until it's all gone. And why wouldn't they?---It's great for business...

          If you don't believe me, please check for yourselves: The publicly traded oil companies are required to disclose any patents and intellectual property holdings on their financial statements.


        • nullcodes, on 06/08/2008, -2/+1suzaku, invest with what money? if they are spenign it all on energy mrequirements. They wont have the extra cash to invest .. would u invest in something unproven if you were nearly broke? A business needs to have risk capital before it takes risks. That is how companies think.

          Solar is still a more expensive technoilogy than oil.
  • neocr0n, on 06/07/2008, -4/+5Blockade of a oil refinery is a smart move. Currently the only people really moaning are the people who can't afford petrol at current prices. Blocking an oil refinery causes a nationwide shortage and effects everyone including industry and business. It forces the government to do something.
  • MikeFallopian, on 06/07/2008, -2/+5If they have a problem with oil prices, they should be protesting at financial institutions rather than refineries. Speculation is responsible for the current high prices, not supply and demand (which puts the current price of oil at around $70/barrel). Actually, protests aren't even needed. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I predict several big-time investors will short their oil shares and everyone else will follow.
  • leahpee, on 06/07/2008, -1/+4Wow, that weed must be getting stronger.
  • blackhappy, on 06/07/2008, -5/+4Love that Europeans are all pissed off over gas, they call Americans whiners when we complain about gas prices, but they protest and riot over it.
    • StokieBread, on 06/07/2008, -1/+6We are paying twice as much as you Americans though and you are already moaning about the price.
    • blackhappy, on 06/07/2008, -3/+3No, no your not. Is your using dollars to come up with this then your thinking is flawed. If you want to use that type of thinking then your wages are 1.5x-2x as much as ours. Also your governments heavily taxes and subsidies your fuel, ours does not. So if you still want to use your flawed thinking dollar for dollar we are paying more. Do some research before making dumb ass responses.

      • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2The UK pays about $8.5 dollars a gallon.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_usage_and_pr ...

        And you Sir, no only need to do some research yourself, but also work on your basic literacy.
        • blackhappy, on 06/08/2008, -1/+0Did you even read my statement about the taxes, subsidies and exchange rates?

          Really, you want to use wikipedia as your source, o.k. here is my wikipedia trump card: (did you even read your article) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_tax

          So that's $8.56 a gallon minus $5.20 per gallon in taxes and that's $3.76 a gallon.

          Right now in Seattle we're paying an average of $4.25 a gallon, so minus the 35 cent tax and that's $3.90 a gallon.

          Also since the Pound is almost 2-1 with the dollar and that means you can buy twice as much oil as we can (since all oil is monitored in US dollars) your gas should be even cheaper. If I were you I would contact my local MP on that one.

          But like I said before dollar for dollar we are paying more!

          You are a wanker, hows that bit of literacy for you!
        • bloobloo, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1You are the idiot. Yes, £1 exchanged into $2 and used to buy gas in the US would buy you twice as much gas as $1 from the US would.

          But what makes you think that is in any way relevant. Using wikipedia as a source, the average wage in the US $48,000 whereas the average wage in the UK is £24,700, approximately $49,400.
        • StokieBread, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1"So that's $8.56 a gallon minus $5.20 per gallon in taxes and that's $3.76 a gallon.

          Right now in Seattle we're paying an average of $4.25 a gallon, so minus the 35 cent tax and that's $3.90 a gallon."

          So what your saying is, the people of UK pay $8.56 a gallon and the people of US pay $4.25 a gallon at the pumps.

          So the UK pay twice as much for there petrol at the pump than the US.
  • MadOgre, on 06/07/2008, -3/+1Note to Protestors: You are doing it wrong.
    • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -1/+2reply to fat ***** behind computer

      "It worked last time"
  • BannedTwice, on 06/07/2008, -1/+1Yeah, that's gonna help....
    • StokieBread, on 06/07/2008, -0/+3It helped last time, tax on fuel was frozen.
  • BillE3, on 06/07/2008, -1/+3Look up the June 3 senate hearing on oil comodity trading. Clinton secretly pushed through de-regulation of comodity trading. From 1922 to 1998 a comodity contract for oil was required by law to be tied to a barrel of oil that was out of the ground and available for sale. De-regulation allowed any and all contracts to NOT be backed by oil "out of the ground" and (to put salt in the wound) they also allowed foriegn stock exchanges to trade in oil comodities here. The FCTC laid of over 10% of all inspectors and ceased monitoring legality of trades. Dubai and UK stepped into our market and began trading. At that time oil contracts were selling at $18. In no time at all the number of trades increased by 8,000%. That is a very big factor in what is tanking the dollar to less than a ruble or peso. This has been on purpose by congress and endorsed by the Clinton administration first and now the Bush administration. If production of oil had increased by 8,000% to match the comodity market, oil would be 80 cents a barrel. Wake up people, congress pulled our collective pants down and then invited outsiders to have their way with us. This is no accidental jump in the price of a barrel of oil. Clinton fired the chair of the FCTC because he would not go along with the de-regulation. Ask your congressman and senator if they supported secret de-regulation of oil trading.
  • BlacklabelSAR, on 06/07/2008, -3/+3Anyone else notice the worldwide populace revolution starting? Seriously all it would take would be for everyone with a vehicle to park it in an intersection and the world powers have zero power.

    Anyone care for tea?
  • happyseamonster, on 06/07/2008, -1/+3It's beginning.
  • StokieBread, on 06/07/2008, -1/+5They are blocking the oil refineries so there is a panic for fuel, people rush to the pumps and cause road blocks, road blocks and no fuel brings the country to a stand still, causing the government to receive no taxes.

    The petrol stations save enough fuel to keep the emergency services going but no one else, it has been proved that the government can lower the tax on fuel by 10p per litre and still make more money than they predicted in the budget due to the price being so high.
  • logic07, on 06/07/2008, -2/+3stop regulation now.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muHg86Mys7I
    • nick111, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1Do you actually believe this nonsense?

      It's like propaganda for 8 year olds.

      Listen. You are being gulliable. Freedom has got nothing to do with "property" and "ownership" - that's just some warped ***** from people who own a lot more than you do wanting to destroy democratically mandated control (aka regulation) so they can externalise costs and own even more.

      Deregulation amounts to tax without representation - because without regulation corporations pass on costs to future generations.
  • DestroyFascism, on 06/07/2008, -3/+3Everyone around the world should take a week off work in protest! No demand. Prices drop! Prices drop = speculators bumping the price up loose out bigtime!
  • inchino, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2Stupid taxes have brought 1 litre of diesel to £1.30 / $2.5
    £5.85/$11.25 Gallon

    "/
    • mellomeh, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1Untrue, it's the current lack of supply that's driven prices up. Tax rates on fuel have been dropping since Labour came to power.
  • Barackalypse, on 06/08/2008, -1/+2They ought to blockade Parliament, according to Wikipedia the fuel tax is approximately $5.20 per gallon.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_tax
    The government is as much to blame for high fuel costs as speculators are.
  • EIderofzion, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2This just in,, Commodities specutlaters have just decided the cost a barrel of oil WILL GO UP now since there are issues at the refinery,, I mean when Hurricane Katrina slowed production it shot up a couple dollars right away!

    the protesters should be tried for gaming the stock market.
  • bbqsalad, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2Kind of off topic but, does anyone know where I can find the image gallery of that Saudi oil prince's palace/cars and stuff. You know the ones that went around in emails a while ago. Completely mirror chromed BMW's, Gold bathrooms and all that?
  • tonara, on 06/08/2008, -1/+0what was the rise in price in Cheshire? in US dollars? why dont they report that little detail...
    • cliffski, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1because we dont use dollars in the UK FFS?
  • Abomonog, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1GODDAMN IT!
    Wrong country protesting again!

    You know us Americans have become pussies when the Brits are beating us in the civil disobedience department.
  • MarkusGarvey, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1FACT#102...you are a sick individual...
  • ThantiK, on 06/08/2008, -2/+1And everyone from the UK calls Americans dumb................
  • Dorian822, on 06/08/2008, -2/+1Apparently the "American Spirit" of rebellion has gone across the pond. Good for the British people.
  • zaptoman, on 06/08/2008, -2/+1Idiots.
  • krahzee, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2People can protest big oil. Doesn't matter. They can protest their government. Good luck with that as well. Why?

    Without making changes to their own spending habits and oil dependency, they will never be free for this type of thing. I'm not talking so hyperactive enviro hippie ***** either. I'm talking about a little common sense. Driving cars that get decent mpg, maintaining them correctly, and going from there.

    As an American, it is easy to blame the administration, the car companies, or big oil. The fact of the matter is, we have not learned from the past.

    How many people on the road driving H2's have even driven them down a dirt driveway, let alone off road? Yet they will tell you that they need them because they have two kids. Please.

    My parents used to pile us all into the back seat of the family's sedan and off we went, and we were fine. They only went out and bought a minivan when my youngest brothers bumped the total up to 5.

    If everyone in this country started buying economically sensible cars, Detroit and the rest would be forced to follow. How do I know this? They want to make money. It makes no sense to produce cars that will not sell. Hell GM is closing SUV plants as we speak and adding a third shift to it's economy car line plant.

    Once fuel economy on an average in this country were to improve a noticable amount, price would drop as a result of diminished demand. Not a hard concept, just one I hope this country is starting to grasp.
  • trademaak, on 06/08/2008, -2/+0In Russia they would just shoot those stupid *****.
  • rob3, on 06/08/2008, -0/+3People all over this thread need to understand that oil protesters did this in the past and it caused the government a lot of problems, slowing the country down to almost a halt; if they can achieve anything close to what they did last time then it's most probable that the government will simply back down and stop taxing the nation so much on the price of petrol and diesel. In the UK the cheapest price for a litre of petrol is ~£1.20, that's about $9 per gallon (compare that to your moaning about 'gas'
  • dima1109, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1To all the Brits that are dissing Americans for complaining about gas:

    Your whole country is smaller than my home state (Arizona), and it takes 3 hours to drive from north to south. Not to mention the suburbanization in large cities makes it so a daily commute to work and back can easily be 25-30 miles.

    Americans use a lot more gasoline than you. We have more reasons to complain.
    • itsthemechanic, on 06/08/2008, -0/+2*****, driving from London to Glasgow takes 5-6 hours and you are not even at the top. Try about 12-16 hours for a full traverse of the UK from the south coast to the north coast of Scotland.
    • cliffski, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1you use more has because US cars are stupidly inefficient and heavy. Good luck with peak oil guys!
    • bloobloo, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1Move closer to work then. That was used as an example by Adam Smith in 1776!
  • Denelson83, on 06/08/2008, -1/+1It's clear that absolutely nothing will drive the price of fuel down.

    Except perhaps a mass suicide at the headquarters of a big oil company...?
  • MizuhoChan, on 06/08/2008, -1/+0Like I keep saying. We have a good renweable source of power. Solar and Wind. Build loads of these things for each city, give people a year to get rid of their petrol (gas) cars and buy electric ones. Boo hoo, I can't afford it, waah, that'll ruin us. So take the ***** bus for a while before you can afford an electric car. More people taking the bus means more buses on. Buses work on electricity, I ride one every day.
    • tomz17, on 06/08/2008, -0/+1One flaw... MizuhoChan is not the dictator of the universe. There's this nice thing called democracy in the US and UK, where all of us get a vote against your idiotic plan... So unless ~51% of us believe that your plan is best for us, nobody is issuing an edict that takes away my car and (mis)allocates my tax money.

      #1) Where does the money to "build loads of these things" come from
      #2) Do you know how many solar/wind units we would need to supplant gas? From your idiotic comment, I bet you don't. Crunch the numbers, you might be VERY surprised!
      #3) What is the environmental and economic impact of building/maintaining so many renewable power source units and electric cars. (See #2)

      #4) Even if you succeed in your own country, how do you force other (esp. industrializing) countries to accept your solution. If they don't, someone else will just burn the oil you saved in the next 100 years.

      #5) How do you store energy in your electric cars? Finite-life heavy metal batteries... nice... the environment thanks you for your douchebaggery.

  • whitecranberry, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1Nice works guys... Go blockade and shut down an oil refinery.. That'll shirley stabilize the gas prices..

    KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT....... morons
  • Rizzob23, on 06/09/2008, -0/+1What a bunch of misguided ***** idiots.
  •  

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