10 Reasons To Like $4 Gas

While energy analysts may be confused over why oil prices continue to soar, TIME sets out to give you a little comfort with 10 things you can like about $4-a-gallon gas:

1. Globalized Jobs Return Home

The world suddenly seems big again. A family of four can't fly cross-country for much less than $2,000. The cost of shipping a standard 40-ft. (12 m) container of couches from Shanghai to New Jersey has tripled since 2000. Trucking carrots from Mexico to Georgia makes less and less economic sense...

...By last year, the cost of making and importing one of his favorite pieces, the Caballero chair, was ballooning. He was shipping Italian leather to Vietnam and then shipping the large chair back to the States. There were other problems too, like inflation in Vietnam. So last January, Willem Smith "repatriated" the Caballero to Hickory, N.C. That shift helps contain shipping costs and has other perks. "People are happy to buy American," Smith says. "And it felt kind of nice to bring this one home."

2. Sprawl Stalls

Across the country, real estate agents are reporting that many home buyers are looking to move closer to cities. Gas prices are shaping their decisions. A May study that examined housing values in five cities found prices had fared worse in more-distant neighborhoods. "The collapse of America's housing bubble -- and its reverberations in financial markets -- has obscured a tectonic shift in housing demand," wrote economist Joe Cortright in the study, sponsored by CEOs for Cities, a nonprofit group that promotes cities. "Housing in cities and neighborhoods that require lengthy commutes and provide few transportation alternatives to the private vehicle are falling in value more precipitously than in more central, compact and accessible places."

Read the rest of the list here.

Comments

[Mogamboguru]

In Germany, fuel costs MORE THAN TWICE of what you in the USA pay for it, actually - 9,20 Dollars per Gallon for Premium Gas, actually.

That's exactly, why our cars use only HALF of it, than yours do - or, why they do twice the mileage per gallon of fuel, in your terms. Energy-efficiency CAN BE LEARNED.

Yes: High energy prices are a boon for the world - and sooner or later, they will be a boon for YOU, too.

[Weathermaker]

Can you please spare us with your "Deutschland uber alles" attitude and get your facts straight? First of all, EU cars are not more efficient than US cars. You just drive smaller cars because Germany has 7.5 times more people per km^2 than US:

2008 VW Jetta: 5 cyl, 2.5L engine, 170 HP, 22city/30hwy
2008 Chevy Malibu: 4 cyl, 2.4L engine, 169 HP, 22city/30hwy
2008 Hyundai Sonata: 4 cyl, 2.4L engine, 175 HP, 21city/32hwy

2008 C300 Mercedes Sport Sedan: 3L engine, 228HP, 18/26 mpg
2008 Hyundai Sonata V6: 3.3L engine, 249HP, 19/29 mpg

So where exactly is your German double efficiency? Even Hyundai is capable to extract more power from less fuel than Mercedes does. Find me a 169HP German car that gives 44city/60hwy and I'll buy it for you.

[swift_goat_pet_for_truth]

I thought I would need Hannity or Rush to tell me why I should like $4 gas.

Time Ragazine is close, though.

[SmellyOne]

High gas prices are the impetus to a new level of freedom that we can experience if we embrace the idea of Alternative Energy as more than an antidote to supposed Global Warming.

www.regularenergyfreedom.com

[tkondaks]

SmellyOne:
That is refreshing to hear...especially your use of the term "supposed Global Warming". There are more than enough reasons to turn to alternative energy sources than out of fear of a completely unsubstantiated theory.

[EinChicago]

Why is forcing people back into the cities a good thing? Crime soars, life in general gets crappier. The city, on the whole, is a soulless, terrible place for kids and any parent raising kids there is being selfish and finding ways to lie to themselves and convince themselves otherwise.

But $4.00 gas is not here to stay. That's reality. It may not go away soon, but anyone thinking it is a permanent reality is an idiot. It's a balanced equation, the more high energy pushes us into alternates, the more demand for gas drops and ultimately drops to the point that prices are lower than alternate energy can compete and businesses switch back over. It's a destructive cycle true, but inevitable.

[NTO08]

Why is forcing people back into the cities a good thing? Crime soars, life in general gets crappier. The city, on the whole, is a soulless, terrible place for kids and any parent raising kids there is being selfish and finding ways to lie to themselves and convince themselves otherwise.

That is your opinion. You are basing urban life on an antiquated model that has long since disappeared. The opportunities for enrichment that cities offer children can be many times higher than living elsewhere...why do young people move AWAY from small towns? They don't stay because the opportunities aren't there for them, the chances to meet people their own age, the chances to get involved in cultural activities or sports are nowhere more available than in larger cities...we may love small towns for the coziness and nature that surround us, but they are not better places for children to grow up...a myth...an ancient myth.

[swift_goat_pet_for_truth]

In Europe, in many places, the center of the ciy is the place to be.

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Of course $4 gas isnt here to stay. It's going to become $6-$8 and higher.
Higher gas prices push us into alternative fuels unfortunately the reason they are alternatives is because they don't provide the bang to the buck that petroleum. As long as that stays that way (and it wil for the forseeable future) oil will be the first choice for everyone and the price will stay up.

Poor Ein he believes housing prices should rise forever even though we built too many but believes gas prices will go down when we have less. Talk about walking against the wind....

[BushSunkOurShip]

We Americans have become what we call the democrats. Spineless Americans that run off at the mouth , but will not take action to stop this criminal destruction our our constitution , freedom , jobs , social programs , infrastructure , selling of our public land / resources to private and "foreign countries" and the destruction of our miiitary replacing it with the own private mercenary army which only answered to corporation and the elite.

Laws will be for the little people , and life as we have know it will no longer exist.

How in the h... can we go from an administration of Clinton's with a balance budget ,social programs secured and our national debt would have been paid off in a couple of more years to these disaster destruction of our country "for the little people" and the wealthy , oil companies , war contractors and corporations steal our constitution , freedom , rights , jobs , social programs and our militrary.

There isn't a citizen in the world much less our citizens , republicans and "democrats" which do not know that Bush and his administration's criminal crimes have destroy our country and give it to the elite.

Our forefathers would be ashame of the citizens of this country if they could see how they let everything the fought and died for to be handed over with only a whimp....

[KillTheMessenger]

Your forefathers would be ashamed of you. Indeed. But not for the reasons you mention. They would be ashamed that you have become a nation of whiners and shoppers. Everything else follows from there.

[BushSunkOurShip]

They control your life from craddle to death.

They force you into buying new cars , different home (which realitors get a big chunk of when you buy or sell).

The global jobs will be a very large reduced wages , because they have now cut American's salaries by over 50% as the very lease.

Democrats now have a reason to cave in again to give oil companies what every they wish because they have let the oil companies form a global oil center for all oil so they can control and raise the price.

Next thing you know they will be drilling under anyone house which they believe they can make a dime.

[KillTheMessenger]

I remember that very reasonable people were telling you ten years ago that buying your gas guzzler was not a great idea. You didn't listen. You did not listen 30 years ago, either, when Jimmy Carter told you that conserving oil was the right thing to do.

Why are you complaining now?

The price of oil is rising for the sixth year now. If you bought a new car since 2004 and it was not a hybrid, you can thank yourself for your financial pain.

Whining does not cut it. You did this to yourself. Now suck it up and correct your mistakes.

[muffler]

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200807/NAT20080703a.html

Now these nuts want to pray to the Saudis. It just doesn't get any odder.

[joebaggadonuts]

Note that the Iraqi fields and the other places that oil has been kept off market will soon be allowed to release their oil. I think they are planning on September or October for this to happen. Gotta get coastal drilling and drilling in ANWAR passed so the high price will be with us through the summer.

I guess everyone is entitled to a prediction or two. If I were them, that's what I would do. Take all your money and then lower the price to keep you hooked.

[KillTheMessenger]

Neither Iraq nor ANWR will even put a dent into this one. Nothing to worry about.

[justmeinAz]

it is nice to finally read something about the gas crisis that isn't just another b*tch and moan. I don't know how people can complain so much and not notice that it doesn't help. "woe is me" is historically a very un-american attitude to maintain for so long. It's here, time to deal with it, figure out our solutions, and keep the bright side of things in mind. Nice article.

[leduck]

how 'bout $5.00, $6.00, $7.00 or $8.00 gas?
is there anything to like about that?


i am looking forward to losing a few pounds

[KillTheMessenger]

$12 gas will be fine with me and with $25 gas I can live.

[tompoe]

No mention that we finally lose the oil company's favorite line over the years, "Spring maintenance always causes a spike in prices. We've told the public that for years." 2008 marks the first year we didn't see this lamest of excuses used. Wonder why?

[noneIn2008]

To reduce CO2 requires drastically reduced consumption and drastically increased costs. Get you mind around $8 gasoline. However, even with $8 gas, China will continue to grow. China already bought full fields in Africa at $60/barrel. Net, less jobs in the USA and EU but good growth for China.

[KillTheMessenger]

If you want China to produce less, shop less.

[KillTheMessenger]

Finally. Interesting thoughts. A positive attitude. No whining.

We need more articles like this. Thank you Mrs. Rippley. Thank you Mrs. Curry.