09-23-2005, 03:15 AM
the prices wouldn't have spiked if people didn't panic.... the US could lose over 20% of it's refining capacity and still not fall short.
The problem is that people panicked, the demand went up, and oil companies took advantage of it. It's like a petroleum induced self-fulfilling prophecy.
Gas stations running out is not due to lack of refineries, it's due to the excessive and abnormal increase in demand that sucks the pumps dry. If a station schedules a truck to come in once a week because that's the usual amount of business they do, and people suddenly panic and that week's worth of business is done in a day, that refill truck isn't going to magically appear.
It's a problem that will just feed itself until someone with enough power puts a clamp on it.
The problem is that people panicked, the demand went up, and oil companies took advantage of it. It's like a petroleum induced self-fulfilling prophecy.
Gas stations running out is not due to lack of refineries, it's due to the excessive and abnormal increase in demand that sucks the pumps dry. If a station schedules a truck to come in once a week because that's the usual amount of business they do, and people suddenly panic and that week's worth of business is done in a day, that refill truck isn't going to magically appear.
It's a problem that will just feed itself until someone with enough power puts a clamp on it.
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