Debunking gas boycott days (weekly and/or sporadic one-day events)

[BlueEyedSon]

There are people who still think that single-day boycotts are effective at one or more of the following:

lowering prices
decreasing consumption
penalizing oil companies

Let's face it, in the long run lowering per-capita (and hopefully national total) consumption is all that matters. As far as personal transportation, there are some well known strategies:

get a more efficient car (a hybrid, small-displacement TDI)
bike and/or walk
rideshare/carpool
use mass transit
don't use your car 1 day per week
combine/plan trips (shopping, commuting, picking up the kids)

I think gas boycotts are actually COUNTERPRODUCTIVE because well-meaning people will participate in them BELIEVING that they are doing something effective, when in fact they are not. So people are wasting their time, feel good, and will not seek further to the REAL solutions. Gas boycotts are a personal political placebo.

Snopes has a very good explanation of why gas boycotts do not and cannot work.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.asp

[WhollyHeretic]

1. Nice post. I've gotten one of those emails

many many times and it always struck me a ridiculous.

[Massacure]

2. You cannot boycott a necessity. Simple as that.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. DOH! (smacks head).... but can we make it LESS necessary?

[Massacure]

4. A boycott means not buying any. Not less.

Conservation is always a good thing.

[BlueEyedSon]

5. I guess thats my point. No boycotts, less consumption