[Graeme]

Report Ranks States Most Vulnerable to Rising Gas Prices

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A') report released today (June 19, 2007) by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) ranks, for the first time, states based on their vulnerability to high gas prices and on policies that protect consumers and the environment and reduce vulnerability to oil price increases.

The report, Addicted to Oil: Ranking States’ Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change (pdf) ranks all 50 states based on the hit drivers take to their wallets, showing that while oil dependence affects all states, some are hit harder economically than others. Generally, the most vulnerable states are in the South and the least vulnerable are in the Northeast.

Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming are the states doing the least to reduce their oil dependence.

In contrast,California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington are doing the most to promote energy-saving policies to wean themselves from oil.

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', 'I')n contrast,California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington are doing the most to promote energy-saving policies to wean themselves from oil.

[TommyJefferson]

Notice how it never occurs to the NRDC that it is the individual's, not the State's responsibility to protect against petroleum dependence.

Instead, the "rank" they States in "am I hot or not" / People Magazine top 100 celebrities style criteria of how much coercion and wealth reallocation they have been able to pull off.

All hail the State, your Mother, Father, protector, lover, provider, disciplinarian, God.

[emersonbiggins]

I was unaware that the 873 boutique blends of gasoline were actually helping make California less vulnerable to rising gas prices?!...

Well, you learn something new everyday.

[Zardoz]

Basically, that report just says that the poorer you are, the more "vulnerable" you are to rising gasoline prices, as if we didn't know that already.

[pup55]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '1') Mississippi 6.34% ($1675.61)
2 South Carolina 5.60% ($1645.25)
3 Georgia 5.47% ($1744.53)
4 Kentucky 5.31% ($1555.27)
5 New Mexico 5.26% ($1547.05)
6 Oklahoma 5.07% ($1620.96)
7 Arizona 4.88% ($1527.62)
8 Louisiana 4.88% ($1509.73)
9 Arkansas 4.87% ($1358.25)
10 West Virginia 4.72% ($1287.94)

[joewp]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pup55', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '1') Mississippi 6.34% ($1675.61)
2 South Carolina 5.60% ($1645.25)
3 Georgia 5.47% ($1744.53)
4 Kentucky 5.31% ($1555.27)
5 New Mexico 5.26% ($1547.05)
6 Oklahoma 5.07% ($1620.96)
7 Arizona 4.88% ($1527.62)
8 Louisiana 4.88% ($1509.73)
9 Arkansas 4.87% ($1358.25)
10 West Virginia 4.72% ($1287.94)

[NTBKtrader]

This study is mistitled. Economically texas/Oklahoma/Parts of Louisiana are doing pretty good. The reason being is a large part of the Texas economy and Texan family's fortunes are strongly connected (directly and indirectly) to the oil/energy industry. When oil prices rise so do the wallets of many a Texan/Okie etc. The study should be titled "Report Ranks States Progress in Lowering Energy Consumption".

I would suggest that the most "vulnerable states to rising energy prices" are the northeast due to heating oil costs, vegas/arizona/California.

[Eli]

Yeah I am in Oklahoma and we are doing just fine.

We are a net oil producer and the local oil economy is going crazy. We also have a small population, good agricultural resources. Unlike other states we never boomed, housing is affordable and prices are actually undervalued according to most reports.

Yeah California is going to be real resistant to rising gas prices

LA will be a lovely place when gas hits 6 bucks a gallon there.

Anyway who is worried about high prices when it is shortages people should be thinking about.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'I') was unaware that the 873 boutique blends of gasoline were actually helping make California less vulnerable to rising gas prices?!...

Well, you learn something new everyday.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'I') was unaware that the 873 boutique blends of gasoline were actually helping make California less vulnerable to rising gas prices?!...

Well, you learn something new everyday.

[Pops]

Yea it is kind of funny, my area in SW MO was long been near the bottom of the gas price totem pole, until a fire in that inconsequential little tank farm over in OK sent us to near the top of the list.

Like the saying back in my day:
Dope and no money is better than money and no dope.

[highlander]

Living in a state with "policies" to help wean us off foreign oil dependence is meaningless. Especially when we have other policies in place that work counter to the "energy independence" ones. So we in WA have a mandate to use 2% biodiesel. We also have emissions standards that severely hamper the purchase of new diesel vehicles. We also have been blessed with having the highest fuel prices outside CA and HI. Maybe our policies have caught someones attention?

[ChadP]

A lot of it has to do at the individual level - i.e. how screwed you are if you can't get gasoline at all. There's too much suburbia where you drive half a mile - or more - just to get to the main street. Then another mile+ to even get to the grocery store... if we have a shortage those people are hurting!

[bshirt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Eli', 'Y')eah California is going to be real resistant to rising gas prices

LA will be a lovely place when gas hits 6 bucks a gallon there.