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¿Porqué la gasolina está tan cara?
Es oficial. Los precios de la gasolina, son los más altos en la historia del país, aún ajustados a la inflación. Los economistas predicen que los precios podrían alcanzar los 4 dólares por galón durante este verano en algunos lugares del país. El mes pasado, más de las dos terceras partes de los estadounidenses, reportaron que sus gastos en combustible provocaron desajustes en su presupuesto. Un tercio dijo que los altos precios causaron “serio” impacto en su familia.
¿Qué está sucediendo? La respuesta no es simple. Una gran parte de este asunto tienen que ver simplemente con la oferta y la demanda. Existe un incremento en la necesidad de petróleo en todo el mundo. Las economías de países como la India y la China están creciendo más allá de cualquier expectativa. Ellos necesitan petróleo para vehículos y para la industria, y esto genera presión sobre el suministro. Añada a esto el hecho de que tenemos que desviar millones de barriles de nuestros propios productos derivados del petróleo, como la gasolina y el diesel, para luchar en una guerra al otro lado del mundo.
Adicionalmente, nuestras refinerías sufrieron un duro golpe con el daño causado por el Huracán Katrina hace dos años, y aún no han sido capaces de reponerse. Y ninguna nueva refinería ha sido construída durante casi una década.
Y la economía americana, por mucho tiempo una voraz consumidora de petróleo, no da señales de estar dejando esta dependencia. La industria automotriz gotea unos pocos vehículos híbridos y de combustible alternativo por año, pero gran parte de su producción (y ventas) viene de autos convencionales, vehículos que consumen gasolina. Nuevas fuentes de energía, como la solar y la energía eólica, aparecen esporádicamente entre un puñado de empresas, pero la enorme mayoría de la industria confía en los caros (y contaminantes) combustibles fósiles.
Y los consumidores americanos, a pesar de ser pinchados en el bolsillo en la bomba de gasolina, no dejan su adicción a los autos. Según una investigación de la agencia AAA, más americanos viajaron en auto este fin de semana de Memorial Day, que hace un año.
Sin embargo, las compañías petroleras no son víctimas inocentes en este cuadro económico. Exxon-Mobil y Chevron-Texaco, las compañías petroleras más grandes del mundo, lograron ganancias combinadas de más de 14 mil millones de dólares solamente en el primer trimestre del 2007. El principal directivo de Chevron incluso admitió que sus ganancias se debieron en parte “a la baja en los precios del petróleo crudo y el gas natural”, y en parte por “márgenes más altos en productos refinados”. Es decir, ellos no sufren de ninguna presión por la demanda de sus productos. Ellos simplemente pagan menos por la materia prima y producción y los venden por más.
En respuesta a la protesta pública, la Casa de Representantes, la semana pasada adoptó un proyecto de ley que haría que el precio excesivo de la gasolina sea un crimen federal. El voto provocó una amenaza de veto inmediato de la Casa Blanca, que llamó al proyecto como una forma de control de precios, que podría conducir a la escasez y racionamiento de combustible. Sin embargo, todo esto es una postura política, porque en la letra pequeña del proyecto de ley, se explica que es aplicable sólo en casos de emergencia nacional. Lo cual la deja sin sentido para nuestro uso diario.
Verdaderamente, no conocemos todos los motivos para que la gasolina esté tan cara. Y es poco lo que el gobierno o la industria se pudiesen motivar a hacer, porque saben que los consumidores no dejarán de consumirla de todas maneras.
La mejor solución y la más realista a este dilema, es que los consumidores cambien el factor demanda en esta ecuación. Si usamos menos gasolina, ésta se pondrá más barata. Este es un objetivo por el que todos debemos esforzarnos. Los combustibles fósiles no sólo se están convirtiendo en algo exageradamente costoso, sino que está aumentando la evidencia de que contribuyen con el calentamiento global y aumentan la contaminación del aire y el agua. Nuestro mundo sería mucho más sano si pudiéramos reducir nuestra dependencia de energía producida por el petróleo.
Hay en realidad muchas cosas que todos podemos hacer para reducir el consumo de gasolina, desde conducir más despacio, hasta substituir su camioneta por un auto pequeño. Para una lista más amplia vea la página 7.
Cualquiera de estas recomendaciones pudiesen paracer insignificantes por si solas, pero si vamos sumando pequeños ahorros aquí y allá, al cabo de un año sentiría el impacto en su presupuesto. Y si cada uno economiza un poco, todos estos ahorros juntos pudiesen transformar nuestra economía.

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Why is gas so expensive?
It’s official. Gas prices are the highest in U.S. history, even adjusted for inflation. Economists are predicting that prices could reach $4.00 a gallon this summer in some parts of the country. Last month, more than two-thirds of Americans reported that their gas bills were causing financial pressures, with a full third saying the record prices were having a "serious" impact on their families.
What’s going on? The answer is not simple. A large part of the issue is simply supply and demand. There is increasing demand for oil all over the world. The economies of rapidly developing countries such as India and China are growing beyond anyone's expectations. They need oil for automobiles and heavy industry, and this is putting a strain on the oil supply. Add to that the fact that we have to divert millions of barrels of our oil products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, to fight a war on the other side of the world.
In addition, the U.S. refining industry took a big hit with the damage from Hurricane Katrina two years ago, and it has not been able to recover from it. And no new refining plants have been built for close to a decade.
And the American economy, long an oil-consuming hog, shows no sign of letting up on its dependence on oil. The automotive industry trickles out a few hybrid and alternative fuel cars a year, but the greater part of its production (and sales) comes from conventional, gas-guzzling vehicles. New energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are beginning to appear sporadically among a handful of companies, but the vast majority of industry relies on the expensive (and polluting) fossil fuels.
And American consumers, despite the pinch at the pump, won’t give up their addiction to their cars. According to a survey by the travel agency AAA, more Americans traveled by car over the Memorial Day holiday weekend than a year ago.
However, the oil companies are not innocent victims in this economic picture. Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Texaco, the world’s largest oil companies, had combined profits of over $14 billion in the first quarter of 2007 alone. The Chevron CEO even admitted that their profits were due in part to “lower prices for crude oil and natural gas,” and in part to “higher margins for refined products.” In other words, they are not suffering from any strain on demand for their products. They are simply paying less but charging more because they can.
In response to public outcry, the U.S. House last week passed a bill that would make gas price-gouging a federal crime. The vote provoked an immediate veto threat from the White House, which called the bill a form of price controls that could lead to fuel shortages and rationing. However, it’s all political posturing, because the fine print in the bill explains that it’s applicable only in times of national emergencies. That makes it fairly meaningless for our everyday use.
The bottom line is we don’t know all the reasons for high gas prices. And there is little that government or industry is motivated to do about it, because consumers won’t quit consuming gas.
The best and most realistic solution to this dilemma is for consumers to change the demand side of this equation. If we use less oil, it will become less expensive. It’s a goal everyone should strive for. Fossil fuels are not only becoming prohibitively expensive, there is increasing evidence that their use contributes to global warming and increases air and water pollution. Our world would be much healthier if we could reduce our reliance on oil energy.
There are actually many things you can do, from driving slower to replacing your SUV with a smaller car, to make a difference in gas consumption. We have provided a list of suggestions on page 7.
Any one of these things may not seem like a big deal, but if you add up a little savings over a year’s time, it could make an impact on your wallet. And if everyone would try to conserve a little, those savings could transform our economy.

Why is gas so expensive?
It’s official. Gas prices are the highest in U.S. history, even adjusted for inflation. Economists are predicting that prices could reach $4.00 a gallon this summer in some parts of the country. Last month, more than two-thirds of Americans reported that their gas bills were causing financial pressures, with a full third saying the record prices were having a "serious" impact on their families.
What’s going on? The answer is not simple. A large part of the issue is simply supply and demand. There is increasing demand for oil all over the world. The economies of rapidly developing countries such as India and China are growing beyond anyone's expectations. They need oil for automobiles and heavy industry, and this is putting a strain on the oil supply. Add to that the fact that we have to divert millions of barrels of our oil products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, to fight a war on the other side of the world.
In addition, the U.S. refining industry took a big hit with the damage from Hurricane Katrina two years ago, and it has not been able to recover from it. And no new refining plants have been built for close to a decade.
And the American economy, long an oil-consuming hog, shows no sign of letting up on its dependence on oil. The automotive industry trickles out a few hybrid and alternative fuel cars a year, but the greater part of its production (and sales) comes from conventional, gas-guzzling vehicles. New energy sources, such as solar and wind power, are beginning to appear sporadically among a handful of companies, but the vast majority of industry relies on the expensive (and polluting) fossil fuels.
And American consumers, despite the pinch at the pump, won’t give up their addiction to their cars. According to a survey by the travel agency AAA, more Americans traveled by car over the Memorial Day holiday weekend than a year ago.
However, the oil companies are not innocent victims in this economic picture. Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Texaco, the world’s largest oil companies, had combined profits of over $14 billion in the first quarter of 2007 alone. The Chevron CEO even admitted that their profits were due in part to “lower prices for crude oil and natural gas,” and in part to “higher margins for refined products.” In other words, they are not suffering from any strain on demand for their products. They are simply paying less but charging more because they can.
In response to public outcry, the U.S. House last week passed a bill that would make gas price-gouging a federal crime. The vote provoked an immediate veto threat from the White House, which called the bill a form of price controls that could lead to fuel shortages and rationing. However, it’s all political posturing, because the fine print in the bill explains that it’s applicable only in times of national emergencies. That makes it fairly meaningless for our everyday use.
The bottom line is we don’t know all the reasons for high gas prices. And there is little that government or industry is motivated to do about it, because consumers won’t quit consuming gas.
The best and most realistic solution to this dilemma is for consumers to change the demand side of this equation. If we use less oil, it will become less expensive. It’s a goal everyone should strive for. Fossil fuels are not only becoming prohibitively expensive, there is increasing evidence that their use contributes to global warming and increases air and water pollution. Our world would be much healthier if we could reduce our reliance on oil energy.
There are actually many things you can do, from driving slower to replacing your SUV with a smaller car, to make a difference in gas consumption. We have provided a list of suggestions on page 7.
Any one of these things may not seem like a big deal, but if you add up a little savings over a year’s time, it could make an impact on your wallet. And if everyone would try to conserve a little, those savings could transform our economy.


	Edición No. 476 - 30 de mayo al 5 de junio del 2007