Newsgroup: italia.firenze.discussioni
Titolo: [NYT] Contrordine compagni!

New York Times
President Calls for Less Driving to Conserve Gas
By DAVID LEONHARDT, JAD MOUAWAD and DAVID E. SANGER
With fears mounting that high energy costs will crimp economic growth, 
President Bush called on Americans yesterday to conserve gasoline by 
driving less. He also issued a directive for all federal agencies to cut 
their own energy use and to encourage employees to use public 
transportation.
"We can all pitch in," Mr. Bush said. "People just need to recognize 
that the storms have caused disruption," he added, and that if Americans 
are able to avoid going "on a trip that's not essential, that would be 
helpful."
Mr. Bush promised to dip further into the government's petroleum 
reserve, if necessary, and to continue relaxing environmental and 
transportation rules in an effort to get more gasoline flowing.
On Capitol Hill, senior Republicans called for new legislation that they 
said would lower energy costs by increasing supply and expanding oil 
refining capacity over the long run.
Even though Hurricane Rita caused much less damage to the oil industry 
than feared, the two recent hurricanes have disrupted production in the 
Gulf of Mexico enough to ensure that Americans are facing a winter of 
sharply higher energy costs. The price of natural gas, which most 
families use to heat their homes, has climbed even more than the price 
of gasoline recently.
Households are on pace to spend an average of $4,500 on energy this 
year, up about $500 from last year and $900 more than in 2003, according 
to Global Insight, a research firm.
Mr. Bush's comments, while similar to remarks he made shortly after the 
disruption from Hurricane Katrina pushed gasoline prices sharply higher, 
were particularly notable because the administration has long emphasized 
new production over conservation. It has also opted not to impose higher 
mileage standards on automakers.
In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney said, "Conservation may be a sign of 
personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy." 
Also that year, Ari Fleischer, then Mr. Bush's press secretary, 
responded to a question about reducing American energy consumption by 
saying "that's a big no."
"The president believes that it's an American way of life," Mr. 
Fleischer said.
Mr. Bush, speaking yesterday after he was briefed at the Energy 
Department, did not use the dour tone or cardigan-wearing imagery that 
proved politically deadly for Jimmy Carter during the oil crisis of the 
1970's. Nor did Mr. Bush propose new policies to encourage conservation. 
But he was more explicit than in the past that Americans should cut back.
Oil companies spent much of yesterday assessing the damage from 
Hurricane Rita, which seemed to spare many oil and gas facilities. 
Still, the gulf's entire oil output and about four-fifths of its natural 
gas production remained shut yesterday, less than a month after Katrina 
left the industry stretched thin.
The Gulf of Mexico produces about 7 percent of the oil consumed in the 
United States and provides 16 percent of the nation's natural gas.
About half of the 16 refineries that were forced to shut by Hurricane 
Rita have said they plan to restart production soon. But delays in 
refining pushed the average price of gasoline up again for the first 
time since Labor Day, to $2.80 a gallon for regular gasoline, according 
to AAA.
Crude oil prices also rose yesterday on the New York Mercantile 
Exchange, closing up 2.5 percent, to $65.82 a barrel. Natural gas 
futures rose 12 cents, to $12.44 a thousand cubic feet.
"We've been in a chronic situation here where supplies have not really 
caught up with demand," said Dave Costello, an analyst at the Energy 
Information Administration.
In response to higher energy costs, households are likely to spend less 
on restaurant meals, clothing and other items. That would slow economic 
growth in coming months, but economists predicted that other forces - 
like a continuing housing boom and rising corporate investments in 
factories and equipment - would keep the economy growing.
"I don't think we're talking about a recession or a near recession," 
said Joshua Shapiro, the chief United States economist at MFR, a 
research company in New York. "I think we're talking about growth that 
is slower than people expected."
Households are now spending about $550 billion a year on energy, up by 
about $150 billion since the start of last year, according to Global 
Insight. Over the course of an entire year, the increase would be equal 
to almost 2 percent of overall consumer spending.
Energy costs are likely to be a particular burden on low- and 
middle-income households, whose income growth has barely matched 
inflation over the last few years. Wealthier households have done 
better, government data show, and have helped keep economic growth 
healthy with spending on second homes, new vehicles and the like.
Although more forecasters, including Federal Reserve officials, remain 
optimistic, some say that the spike in energy costs could lead to 
something of a tipping point for consumers. Families have already begun 
saving less money in response to higher energy costs, and they might 
eventually decide to rethink other parts of their budget.
"The best leading indicator of consumer spending is real average hourly 
earnings," which have been hurt by higher energy costs, said Joseph H. 
Ellis, a former Goldman Sachs partner and the author of a forthcoming 
book on the business cycle. "I think we're heading into a very difficult 
2006."
In Washington, two House committees are expected to consider proposals 
this week that have been blocked in the past by environmental 
objections. Beyond making it easier to build new refineries, one 
proposal would allow states to opt out of Congressional bans on coastal 
oil drilling, and another would allow drilling for oil and gas in the 
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which has been controversial for years.
"Families who are paying more than $3 for a gallon of gasoline cannot 
afford to watch Congress block more clean U.S. energy production while 
they suffer," said Representative Richard Pombo, Republican of 
California and chairman of the Resources Committee.
The oil and gas industry supported the moves. John B. Walker, chairman 
of the Independent Petroleum Association of American, said areas now off 
limits offshore and in Alaska "could supply our nation with more than 
100 years of natural gas - and save U.S. consumers upward of $500 billion."
Environmental groups said drilling advocates were trying to take 
advantage of anxiety from the storms and rising gasoline prices to push 
proposals that did not survive in the recently passed energy bill.
"It is kind of sad," said Kevin Curtis, legislative director at the 
National Environmental Trust. "There is nothing here that helps the 
consumer at the gas pump short term."
While attention has been focused on gasoline prices, the spike in 
natural gas prices has the potential to pose a bigger economic threat.
Households that use natural gas will pay an average $1,130 to heat their 
homes this winter, an increase of almost $400, according to federal 
government estimates. The price of natural gas in futures markets has 
more than doubled since 2000 and is six times what it was throughout the 
1990's.
-- 
Life's but a walking shadow
a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage
an then is heard no more
it is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury
signifying nothing.
 From the Scottish drama of Bill

 
Che si fa si ride o si piange?
-- 
Christian
- socio MSTC - responsabile controllo qualita' cazzate


Onestamente sto cominciando a pensare di cercarmi un'isoletta :-/
Ciao,
Alessandro


 Alessandro
Ma dai, vivi e lavora negli USA:
http://tinyurl.com/9sgdk
-- 
Lello Vitello
cantautore alla bona
www.lellovitello.it

 Che si fa si ride o si piange?
Sicuramente è un segno che il sistema che dovrebbe supportare uno stile di
vita che ormai la maggior parte delle persone in occidente da per scontato
è in realtà molto traballante. In questi ultimi tempi i segnali, a partire
dalla tripliczione del prezzo del petrolio, sono stati parecchi. Può darsi
che la situazione nei prossimi mesi migliori temporaneamente, specie negli
USA, ma i fattori alla base della crisi rimangono. Ci sono anche gli
annessi e connessi, con questo 	clima l'economia americana non prospererà
di certo...

 President Calls for Less Driving to Conserve Gas
Non vedo la novita', i benpensanti locali sono trent'anni che ci rompono gli 
zebedei con questa storia.

In le message del Tue, 27 Sep 2005 17:33:22 GMT, _Mela ha scripte:
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La novità è che Bush è COMUNISTA!