Is it immoral to drive a gas guzzler when prices for gasoline are so high?

Question

Should Americans be more conservative with consuming gasoline since it costs so much?

Answer 1

If by immoral you mean stupid...yeah

Answer 2

well unless u NEED an suv because certain situations, why pay alot in gas just to drive an suv?

Answer 3

Not at all.  The prosperity we, as Americans, enjoy is directly related to our freedom and free-market economy.  If there really was a need for alternative fuels, the market would adjust.

Oh, and gas prices as a percentage of income are not high, even compared to the 70s shortage.  We were just used to ridiculously CHEAP gas a few years ago.

Answer 4

It may not be immoral, but it is fuleish  :-)

Far better to ride a bike, walk or take public transportation.

Answer 5

yes we should conserve more gas and lots of it

Answer 6

I don't think so, but it might be immoral to drive a gas guzzler if the supply of oil is running low.

Answer 7

It's not immoral just wasteful, but if they can afford it good for them.

Answer 8

I don't think it is about price, it is about waste.

I think it is immoral(and stupid) to buy a huge and excessive vehicle that uses 4x more fuel when a smaller more efficient car would suit your needs. Especially when most scientists predict that fossil fuels will only last another 30-50 years.

But that is the U.S. in a nutshell, really. I mean, we are 4.5% of the world population but we are responsible for about 24% of the carbon emissions.

Tasty, eh?

I'm going to get a tango, myself.

Answer 9

Why? If you can pay for it, and you want too go ahead.  This is what a free society is all about.  You don't need anyone elses approval or permission and those who say you do are not worth worrying about.

Answer 10

ah, morality.

slippery topic there.

one person's immorality is another's requirement.

is it immoral to have tax cuts while running a deficit?

keep in mind, a deficit is stealing from the next generation.

i've not much use for SUVs.

but, should you drive a minivan with 1 person, if you use it 1/2 the time for several people?

1/4 of the time?

1/10 of the time?

etc.

my take is that society does not charge enough for that privilege.

gas should be $6 a gallon.

luxury tax should be calculated as

weight of car/1000 -2 as a percentage.

so if you have a 4000 pound car, you pay 200% luxury tax.

instead of $40,000 it's $120,000.

if your car is under 2000 pounds, the tax is 0.

and, that should be reduced to 1500 #s fairly shortly.

Answer 11

In my opinion it really depends on what the vehicle is being used for.  If you have a large family and need to cart everyone around a larger vehicle is needed.  If you own your own business and you require a large truck for hauling, that is also a necessity.  If you're one person with an office job driving around in a gas guzzling Hummer, that's pretty irresponsible.

The real issue is a matter of irresponsibility not necessarily immorality.  We are all responsible of our own choices, and the world would be much better off if everyone chose wisely.

Peace,

Kim at: http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com

Answer 12

Well a "gas guzzler" isn't only wasting money and gas, it is also adding additional pollution to the environment.  Maybe we all should be more conservative.

Answer 13

Not just because it costs a lot (though not nearly as much as it costs here in Europe) but also because having a gas guzzling car also produces unnecessary amounts of CO2 (a gas producing climate change).

Answer 14

No. High gas prices ARE immoral.

Answer 15

Not at all.  The climate change thing is bogus, and geologists say there are oil deposits - including many untapped ones - that would last 400 years, given current usage rates.

That won't be necessary, though.  Good alternative fuel is on the way, and watch the environmentalists go nuts when their sacred CO2 cow is taken away.  They want control, and limiting the population's access to technology is the key.

Answer 16

I think we're all contributing to the planetary problems to some degree or another. But immoral?  I think immorality is definitely in another category; more in the area of how we treat one another on a day to day basis.

Answer 17

Well the morality of bonsuming gasoline doesn't have much to do with its price, except that generally as supplies decrease price will increase.

There are reasons that consuming excessive amounts of gas could be deemed immoral.  For example, the fact that the more gas you burn, the more greenhouse gases you're emitting.  Also the fact that we're dependent on fossil fuels and our reserves are limited, so we need to make them last as long as possible.

Money itself isn't a moral issue though.  If people want to waste their money, that's their problem.

Answer 18

I would have to say that morality and price are not directly linked. As long as we get our petrol from unstable regions of the world, where we have to send soldiers to maintain some semblance of stability, and where oil revenues support oppressive fundamental regimes...then wasting gas is immoral.

Wasting gas when the prices are high is illogical, not immoral.

Answer 19

I don't know if you could call it immoral.  But in view of our dependance on foreign oil, its definately unpatriotic.

And you have to wonder about the intelligence of anyone who's willing to pay that kind of money just to drivearound in an oversized station wagon.

Answer 20

Gold and diamond prices are higher, is it immoral to wear jewelry and watches?  Mining also produces greenhouse gas.  

We Americans are actually helping the problem by guzzling gas, the sooner we run out of oil, the sooner we'll start to use alternative fuels and not be dependent on the middle east.  What are we going to use it for if we conserve it?  As long as gas is cheap, why not use it?   Just like whale oil, when we started running out of whales, we started looking for alternatives.