Oil, gas prices both jump to new records

MSNBC.com

$2.37 is the high? It went up to $2.50/gal here today! Question, question! (hand raised in the air) Why is it that suddenly we are being told about all of the refinery problems? Is all of the refinery equipment going bad at the same time? I know they're old and in need of repair but there had to be breakdowns at the refineries before gas prices became so high. Does it mean that oil supplies are just this tight right now? Why all of a sudden are we seeing all of this in the headlines? Are they going to build the new refineries yet? We've only been waiting....(tapping foot). Is it true, then, that it's not worth it to build new refineries because we aren't going to have the oil anyway? That it'll just be too expensive and not worth it? If that's the case, then why aren't we kicking *ss right now trying to switch over to renewables? D*mn market.

This really makes me feel like it is too late. Why do we always wait until the last minute!? This is clearly not a time for waiting until the last minute! People seem to be waking up with the rise in gas prices but they don't understand the scope of it all! You other peaknikers and I know that switching to ethanol/biodiesel/fuel-cells/hybrids/etc. are not going to solve the problem ultimately. It's wishful thinking (which I'm guilty of) and it may prolong the course of things but we know it will definitely make the landing alot harder. I think it'll be impossible to make the landing softer.

I also wonder why, sometimes, I'm making an effort to conserve? I have to stop myself sometimes and remember why. I forget where I read it but if only half the world conserves, it still won't do any good because the other half will just keep using the non-renewable energy up anyway. What do you think of this concept? It makes sense. In conclusion, the ONLY purpose I'm attempting to conserve and to learn to live more simply is because eventually we will have to. And I'd rather learn now, with room for mistakes, than when the crunch hits. Other people that don't know about peak oil theory and the die-off concepts will not be trying to conserve for these purposes. That's sad. It could be so much easier if everyone grasped the concepts.

peak oil