How You Should Respond to the May 15th Boycott Email
May 10th, 2007 | by Brian Carr |I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, I’m really not. But for some reason this topic has got me pretty fired up - and considering the response I received from my previous post regarding this issue, I’m not the only one who feels this way.
I’m sure by now you’ve received the “boycott gas stations on May 15th” email that I’m talking about - you know, the one that states:
“Do not buy gas on May 15, 2007. In April 1997, there was a “gas out” conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight… There are 73,000,000-plus Americans currently on the internet network, and the average car takes about $30 to $50 to fill up. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000 out of the rich oil company’s pockets for just one day. So please do not go to the gas station on May 15, and let’s try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.”
As I stated previously, I don’t think this boycott will do a bit of good because we’re not reducing the demand for gasoline; we’re simply shifting the day that we purchase it. You mean to tell me that all of the people that don’t buy gas on the 15th won’t have filled up on the 14th or the 16th?!?
I recommend that instead of forwarding the May 15 boycott email to everyone in your contact list, that you forward the following note instead:
The only way that we will be able to reduce the price of gas is to reduce our demand for gasoline. Thankfully, this isn’t hard to do! By following these simple tips, you’ll likely decrease your gas consumption by at least 10%.
- Don’t drive if you don’t have to. If your car’s not running, it’s not using gas!
- Start a car pool at work or for driving the kids to practice. The less cars that are on the road, the less gas we use.
- Check your tire pressure. Under inflated tires can reduce gas mileage by up to 3%.
- Replace your car’s dirty air filter. A clogged air filter can reduce your car’s fuel economy by up to 10%.
- Clean out your car. For every extra 100 pounds you carry in your car, you can reduce its gas mileage by up to 2%, so stop carry around those golf clubs everywhere you go!
- Take it easy on the accelerator. Gunning it when the light turns green and/or driving well above the speed limit not only increases your chances for a costly ticket, but it will also greatly decrease your gas mileage.
- Avoid sitting in idle for long periods of time; your gas mileage drops to 0 once you stop moving. If this means you have to leave for work 15 minutes earlier, do it.
While it doesn’t seem like much, if every car on the road were to get at least 10% better gas mileage, we would save billions of gallons of gasoline each year, which would be more than enough to drive down gasoline prices.
While this requires a little more work than simply avoiding the gas station for a single day, the effects of doing this will last for years to come.
Like I said, I feel pretty strongly about this, and if you agree with me, I ask that you simply copy and paste the above paragraphs into an email, and forward it to everyone to sends you the boycott email. At the very least, I hope that it gets people thinking and talking about actually reducing the demand for gasoline and not some gimmick that’s bound to fail.
Anyway, I’ll go ahead and get off of my soapbox now!
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17 Responses to “How You Should Respond to the May 15th Boycott Email”
By smitty on May 11, 2007 | Reply
The solution in 97 was to go to just one gas station. Everybody, to the same station. From what I have read, the only gas station that does not rely on middle east oil reserves and uses solely American oil is ARCO/BP. Can someone confirm that for me? It is the only gas i pump into my vehicle.
By snakeRO on May 11, 2007 | Reply
yeap, for now using less gas seems to be the best thing we can do. I have to commute 60 miles every day, with 40 miles of highway. Since i started driving at max 65 mph (usually 60-62 cruise cont), instead of 75-80 before, I saw an increase in my mileage from 23 mpg to 27 mpg. And I only have to leave home 5 min earlier. So obeying the speed limit really works.
By Nickelking on May 11, 2007 | Reply
I for one plan on going out of my way to buy gas on the 15th our of general principle.
By s on May 11, 2007 | Reply
Why do people always forget to add getting a tune up, or at least changing your plugs and wires to the high efficiency types. By increasing burn efficiency, you increase power output, cleaner exhaust, and use less fuel as a result… much less.
By mahchu07 on May 12, 2007 | Reply
This “Don’t get gas for one day” thing also does not take into consideration that on average there are seven days between the times when someone fills up their tank. Think about how many days 73,000,000-plus Americans do not fill up. DUH!!!
By B Chai NF 44 on May 12, 2007 | Reply
Go any buy a diesel if you are worried about fuel consumption. Over 50% of cars (and >70% of premium vehicles) in the more technologically advanced markets are now diesel. Diesel offers attractive driving characteristics - plenty of low speed torque, and consistent fuel economy, regardless of how hard you drive your vehicle - and lower emissions. Of course, in countries like the United States, where engine technology and vehicle refinement (particularly from domestic suppliers) is dismal, diesel demand has been hit by the ridiculously low fuel prices - less than half the current price for fuel than many other countries.
Diesel adoption in the United States over the next ten years will rocket for sure, damaged only by the lack of any quality designers of diesel engines in the United States. Just try recruiting someone to design a modern diesel engine in the United States - an impossible task. Fuel prices are going up, with the developing Asian economies increasing demand. There may be a few peaks and troughs on the way, but that is the general trend, and you can’t change it.
If you live in the United States, I suggest that you buy a car designed for European or Japanese markets. Apart from better fuel economy, you will get vastly superior chassis dynamics (yes, a vehicle that can actually go round corners without horrific body roll), and usually a properly assembled interior. I have driven just about every make of domestically made US vehicle, including many ’sports cars’, and I am frequently shocked at how crude and basic these vehicles are.
By pr0xy k1ll3r on May 12, 2007 | Reply
If you reduce gasoline/ petrol consumption, the oil companies will increase the oil prices even more as to make up for the loss and es. the billions they have invested in oil drilling and exploration platforms. Our best bet to get them off our backs is to find an alternative source of energy which I am sure they will spend a lot of money to subdue.
Get back to me at d at liveandbeyond dot com
By david c r. on May 12, 2007 | Reply
staying at home one day out of most weeks will do the trick, reduce gas consumption, and send that message to the fuel industry.
which day is that optional day? sunday, of course.
don’t go to church sunday - say, 25 sundays out of a year’s. that should do it. after all:
one can still pray at home, so no function is lost by staying home,
and it can save you a few bucks that would normally go to the collection plate, and besides -
the church does not pay taxes and thus does not contribute to the monetary demands of social services, moreover,
churches overheads are so minute compared to other business institutions, that less income would not cripple that industry.
for those who say that it may impact on other industries, like restaurants where people congregate after church, i say take another day of the week where one has to go out anyway, like to buy groceries, to eat that burger on that day. and the few bucks that did not go to the collection plate at church? - give it to your favorite waitress to make up for sunday’s tip.
etc, etc, etc - i’m sure you can think of of other reasons why sunday should really be that day of rest - rest from using gas.
By 666dorado on May 12, 2007 | Reply
let’s get to the real point of your anger. you hate stupid chain letter emails, and so do i.
but i think your logic is flawed
boycotting gas for a day is equivalent to reducing consumption or reducing demand, but in the confines of a day rather than stretched out over time.
if someone quits smoking or drinking for a day, would they really go out and smoke/drink double in the future to make up for that lost day?
and the point of a boycott is to send a message loud and clear. everyone knows that you can’t really hurt any of these oil companies, not with this current administration manipulating things.
By Brian Carr on May 12, 2007 | Reply
You’re comparing apples to oranges. If you quit smoking for a day you’re not using the product. However, with the gas boycott, you’re still driving, meaning you’re using the product. Because you’re not driving less the demand for the product hasn’t decreased.
By DougS on May 12, 2007 | Reply
Whenever I get a “boycot gas” emails, I reply-to-all with a blunt and probably impolite answer … “If the 50% of you who do not drive responsible vehicles did so, there’d probably be nothing for you to boycott. This situation is fault.” I’ve never gotten an irate response … maybe they know they’re addicted and don’t care?
By fuel additive on May 15, 2007 | Reply
I consider it sort of like losing weight. If you really want to lose weight its not enough to just go on a quick diet, you have to make a lifestyle change to really make a difference. Same thing with gas consumption. One day of people not buying gas won’t do much. But if more people made lifestyle changes the effect would be a lot bigger over time.
By Melissa on May 15, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for saying the same thing I keep saying! Most of my driving is not extra driving, it’s to work and back. I try to do my shopping errands on the way home so that I am not going back out, past the same things I just drove by. Not buying gas on one day just means you plan to do it another day. Not driving at all today, that would make a bigger impact.
By recovering oil addict on May 15, 2007 | Reply
For gas protest day I donated my vehicle to the boys and girls club of Denver. Now I can not buy gas all year, I love it.
By Paul on May 17, 2007 | Reply
I think people should do a weekend boycott and don’t travel for the weekend. Yes, I think a boycott would be more effective if it included not using some of the gas you would usually use.
By DON BURLEY on May 22, 2007 | Reply
HI ALL,
I AM INSTERED IN DOING SOMETHING ABOUT GAS PRICES,SOMETHING I’VE NEVER HERD NO ONE PROPOSE IS ,DO NOT KEEP YOUR GAS TANK FILLED,THEIRS A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT KEEPS A RESERVE IN THEIR TANKS FOR THE OIL COMPANYS, LET IT RUN LOW UNTIL THE INDICATING LIGHT COMES,YOU HAVE APPROX ,ENOUGHT GAS FOR SEVERAL MILES,CARRIE A GALON OF GAS WITH YOU AND TEST IT YOU WILL BE SUPPRISED AT HOW FAR YOU CAN GO.iI DRVE 60 MILES ON MY PICK UP,IF WE CAN GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THIS IT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON PRICE —YElRUB