The reason gas is so expensive in Europe is taxes. A lot of European countries also tax engine displacement. Generally, diesel in Europe is taxed a lot less heavily than gas - which keeps the costs of commercial trucking and public transportation down.

The reason gas prices here are so high (compared to what it WAS, not compared to the rest of the civilized world) is NOT due to the following:

1. Oil company greed
2. Bush
3. High taxes

It IS due to the following:

1. OPEC
2. World demand
3. World economy - and the continuing fall of the dollar
4. High costs of refining and transportation
5. Our dependence on foreign oil, and now foreign refined gasoline
6. American desire for big SUV's and trucks, keeping domestic demand too high to fulfill domestically

Folks, if you want to drive a big gas guzzler, that is your privilege, but you must be prepared to pay for that privilege. We pay less for gasoline here than in almost every other civilized country on the planet.

 

To add insult to injury, some countries (like China) have their fuel prices locked in at rediculously low prices (like $1.50/gallon) so now they are going thru the SUV craze that the US had a decade ago. So when the price needs to go up a little, the have to make up the difference somewhere else.

 

The Chinese are driving big SUVs AND they're only paying $1.50?
What is wrong with those people?

That is the most spoiled and selfish thing I've ever heard.

 

OOOOOH! Touche!!!!!!!!

 

stuffing 15 of them into a van isnt considered "driving a big SUV"

 

Wrong country...look South from where you are across the border.

 

When a large segment of the gas buying public doesn't have to pay for any increases due to production restraints or tensions in the middle east it makes the price more volitile for those that do.

IMO they should pay to play, just like the rest of us.

 

Won't happen in a Communist or hard core Socialist country.

 

Can't have mass transit when the country is so spread out.

 

I bet it would if OPEC would quit shipping oil until they fair market value for it.

 

 

Sorry, but you deserve a spanking...

I spoke with several English citizens while I was vacationing in Florida. They generally agree that 75% of their fuel costs go towards gas. I found this quote using google.
Doing just fine? Taxes are high, and the Euro healthcare system is a joke. Also, they are very close to a recession. Google it...


No, taxes and using food as fuel will kill us..

...because you little rugrats were all headed to the same place. The majority of European countries are a heck of a lot smaller than Texas. Do ya think mass transit would help ya in Fort Worth?


2:1 Yet every Brit I spoke to was less than enthused about their government healthcare. Teeth? Don't get me started. Drive thru Fast Food tellers make more than Dentist.

You are young and an Idealist. Wait till you enter the real world before you make post about the ongoings in the world we live in..until then, stick to the detailing forum

 

with 2 billion people, I'm sure China does it too.

 

your ruthless shines! I like it.

 

No, a couple years ago corn was less than a $1.50 per bushel, roughly the same cost it was decades before. Now that farming has become profitable again urbanites think we need to get farming communities back on the brink of poverty again just so they can have cheap food. Which at todays prices only takes 14 cents of corn to make a gallon of milk, the rest of the increases is in processing and shipping (due to the price of oil)

Not to mention the other ways they are finding to make ethonal with different grasses, cornstalks (which are usually ejected out the back of combines to blow around the countryside anyway) and animal by-products.

A couple years ago we had more corn than we knew what to do with, the local coop had a huge pile every fall that sat outside until April when it was rotten (and reeking) and it was finally hauled off to god knows where. Not anymore, they get that stuff on the train ASAP.