Reply #9: B.S.

[MacDuff]

The ethanol/MTBE switchover (which in the long-run is a VERY good idea - MTBE is seriously nasty cancer-causing stuff) is only slightly to blame for the rise in gasoline prices - and at that, mostly on the East Coast and Texas - more effecting shortages than price

The basic problem is quite simple - global supply of oil is for all meaningful discussions - FLAT - meaning no increases at all - but DEMAND is up all over the world (China & India in particular are increasing demand at an astonishing rate)

With oil prices at an all-time high, of course gasoline will be selling at an all-time high...

all of the finger pointing at Oil Companies, at taxes on gas, at additive switchover and yes, even at Middle East tensions (which are helping to drive oil prices higher) ignore the basic problem - we have reached the era of Peak Oil (where demand exceeds supply) - and now the sky is the limit as we face 30-40 years of rising demand and flat or declining supply

get used to these prices - you may see very small drops in price (if for example Nigeria's rebels decide to allow full production again - or if Venezuela hires some competant oil workers and managers - Chavez purged the oil workers some years ago) but the basic equation will not likely change - the world wants more oil then the world can produce, so prices will increase