May 19th

Is "Stick It To Them" day, according to the email that my girlfriend sent me. Have any of you gotten that email yet?


IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A
DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD
CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES. AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH
A NET LOSS OF OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL
COMPANIES. THEREFORE MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT TO THEM" DAY
AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THAT DAY.

While it's a nice thought, it ain't gonna happen. And while the writer shows that they have an understanding of some economics:

REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY
IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO
RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH
EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING
MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!

..they simplify the whole economic process. It's just not as easy as they make it out to be.

If you were to simply stop buying gasoline for one day, you would put a big hurt on the bottom of the chain - the gas stations. Problem is, the gas stations aren't owned by the big oil companies. Most of them are owned by private citizens as franchises who are under contract to use petroleum products from a specific company, with a few stations owned by larger corporations. They've already bought the gas from the bigger oil companies, and it would be THEM that you put a hurt on. But even if every one of the gas stations were owned by the big oil companies, the chain of supply would ensure that the hit to their pocketbooks would be slight. The oil doesn't go from the wells to the companies to the gas stations. It goes from the wells, to the shipping companies, to the refineries, to other shipping and storage companies, to the trucks, to the gas stations, all under the watchful eye of the oil companies, and by the time you make a huge dent in the last link of the chain it barely registers at the top. If you really want to hurt the bigger oil companies, you need to reduce the overall demand by a large margin.

Which is why I have come up with a way to do that. Yep, little ole me has a plan, and it's a good one. All those eco-freaks out there screaming about oil consumption, you can do your part! Sierra Club and all the rest can make sure that oil consumption goes down! And best of all, it takes little or no change to our current technology! That's right, we can reduce our oil consumption by a huge percentage without waiting for new tech! "But Raging Dave, how can that be?" you ask. My friends, I shall tell you.

Ride Motorcycles instead of Driving Cars.

Yep. That's it in a nutshell. Motorcycles get anywhere from 40-60 mpg on average, depending on size and engine makeup. Compare that to most cars and trucks, which get anywhere from 25-35 if you're lucky. Point, motorcycles. Motorcycles use only two tires instead of four, thereby using up less rubber and other resources used to make tires. Point, motorcycles. Motorcycles also weigh less, which means less damage to the roadway and less resources used to fix the roads. Point, motorcycles. Due to their smaller engine sizes, motorcycles use up less petroleum products such as oil, transmission fluid, and other harmful chemicals like anti-freeze. Point, motorcycles. And since motorcycles use up less material in their manufacture than four wheeled transports, they are obviously more ecologically friendly than cars, trucks and SUVs! Point, motorcycles!

It's a clean sweep! Motorcycles are the ultimate environmentally friendly vehicle, no matter which way you look at it! So from now on, when I see, hear, or read any snot-nosed eco-freak screaming about how we need to save the environment, I will disregard them unless they've proven their dedication by riding a motorcycle.

Seriously folks, if you want to avoid buying gas on May 19th, go right ahead. But take a look at the entire picture for a little bit. There are ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. A one day boycott won't help much.