NPR Morning Edition: E-Mail Suggests Boycott to Lower Gas Prices

[katinmn]

Where can we find out more about this proposed boycott?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5361088

Morning Edition, April 25, 2006 · An e-mail chain letter floating around the Internet urges people to boycott ExxonMobil in an attempt to bring down gas prices. Renee Montagne talks to Tim Haab, associate professor of agricultural, environmental and development economics at The Ohio State University, about the idea. He says it wouldn't work.

[spag68]

1. boycotts

can absolutely work. All it takes is for enough people to join in. I never buy exxon-mobile anyway as they are almost always the most expensive in the area.

[LiberalVoice]

4. Join in?

How many? And for how long? No matter what the people will always go back to buying there gasoline.

[LiberalVoice]

2. Of course it wont work.

They know we need them. They know that no matter what we'll always come crawling back so long as we have no other options. Not buying gas for most americans means not going to work. And americans wont stop going to work.

[Orrex]

12. I agree

You and I and everyone we know could boycott Exxon and it wouldn't make a difference to their bottom line or to their CEOs' obscene retirement packages.

At best, a boycott would hurt the local franchise owner and potentially result in lost jobs for the poor shlubs currently making minimum wage.

[spag68]

16. The local franchise owner?

Exxon Mobile owns their stations and have been driving out independent owners for at least ten years. It's known as a vertical monopoly.

[Orrex]

20. Okay

Then a boycott would be meaningless, because you wouldn't even scratch any local franchise owner, and the corporate monolith would be entirely unaffected.

Regardless, this complaint about boycotts applies to other companies, if not Exxon.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

3. The only reason that a boycott on Ex/Mob wouldn't work is that...

They have a lot of reserves (read $$$$$$$) to fall back on.

I say it's worth a try and I've only been a Citgo girl for
the past year and a half.

[katinmn]

5. It will work if we make it a NOISY boycott

Drive around with a sign on your car, put stickers and signs up at the gas pumps (encourage people to go to people-friendly Citgo), what else?

[PuraVidaDreamin]

9. Last year I stopped at many a gas station to buy one gallon only

Mostly Ex/Mobs

I had created a sticker to place on the pumps that read

'Thanks Bush'

I'm up for another go-round-

Bet this doesn't shock you, Eh Kat?

[Catrina]

8. I think it can work. If everyone emails to people on their list and so on

it could work. Most people I know are furious over this, including Republicans and it's one thing we all are affected by. I will tell my friends and family now and ask them to do the same ~ it might take a while for them to feel the effect but I don't see how it can help them if people stop buying from them. Republicans are not at all happy about the raise in gas prices, so it's pretty safe to let them know of a way they can help, imo.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. The only 'boycott' that will work

is to reduce our consumption of oil. Not boycotting a single company and not abstaining from buying gas on a particular day.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

10. Ride a Bike!

has so many other wonderful benefits too!

[Boomer]

14. And get killed!

I drive 25 miles to work each morning on an Interstate highway with cars going 85mph (speed limit is 65-70, but with no enforcement).

So riding a bike is not an option.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

22. Drive a car- and get killed. There is risk in everything

However, there certainly are area's that are more dangerous than others.
And the risk multiplies exponentially in those areas.

Cycling near your home for local errands is a great way to reduce
consumption, and the health benefits are well known.

I'm a 4p-midnight shift worker who throughout the spring,
summer and fall rides my bike 10 miles to and from work.
Amazingly enough I get more respect at night with all the
reflective material and night lights I have attached to
my clothing, helmet, bike and backpack, than I do cycling
to work in the brightness of day.

One day a week I adjust my habit of cycling to work to driving
for picking up groceries before work- keeping a cooler in my trunk
for the perishables.

I have access to a shower at work, and hang my cycling clothes up
to dry. (Not a great idea to put back on damp cycling shorts- use
your imagination)

Peace

[orwell]

18. Bingo...

...We have a winner!

[Ian David]

7. See thread: ... which oil companies are best to buy from

Anyone have the stats on which oil companies are best to buy from?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1005123&mesg_id=1005123


Buy ALL your gas from ONLY Hess and Citgo
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1005123&mesg_id=1005236

i buy my gas from citgo or sunoco.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1005123&mesg_id=1005195

[spag68]

17. Sunoco is a union busting group of thugs.

They are also very bad environmentally, so go to citgo or hess, but the better idea is to go to independent stations.

[Ian David]

19. Independent stations usually get their gas from the big players

The stations themselves on make a 1-3% profit on the gasoline they sell.

You have to boycott the producers-- Shell, Exxon, Texaco, Chevron, etc.

[NYCGirl]

11. Snopes link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

[gristy]

13. wouldn't work????

Naysayer. :sarcasm:

[peacetalksforall]

15. Scan through the response - they are all over the place. The problem

is there is no unity of purpose.

There can be no economic impact because they are too strong.

There can be psychological impact.
There can be awareness impact.
There can be a statement impact.
There can ba a non-partisan impact.

Only choose from the second list.

People can hurt their image.

Stockholders need to be targeted on signs.

[DrGonzoLives]

21. Won't work

Gas is fungible, and if people stop going to a particular brand's station, then other brands' stations will buy their gas from the boycotted one.

As another poster said, the only effective method is to reduce the consumption of gasoline period.