[AirlinePilot]

All Im driving at here is be cautious about this kind of data. I doubt frankly that it is accurate. According to Dantes,who I trust more than some credit card agency, we are still growing the demand year over year for gasoline consumption. While growth may have slowed, it is still growth. I believe its in the neighborhood of 1-1.4% this year.

I really dont think that this piece of data can apply to the big picture.

[Concerned]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ClubOfRomeII', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')EW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gasoline demand has fallen for the first time in years as drivers appear to recoil from near-record prices, throwing doubt on America's seemingly insatiable thirst for fuel.

[gn0s1s]

Besides, I think we, and this article, are forgetting that these figures may be USA only, or, those of major countries and not from places like India and China.

In other words, it may be possible that gas sales have declined in the USA, but certainly that is not the case elsewhere.

[jbeckton]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'A')ll Im driving at here is be cautious about this kind of data. I doubt frankly that it is accurate. According to Dantes,who I trust more than some credit card agency, we are still growing the demand year over year for gasoline consumption. While growth may have slowed, it is still growth. I believe its in the neighborhood of 1-1.4% this year.

I really don’t think that this piece of data can apply to the big picture.

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TonyPrep', '[')url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mttupus1m.htm]The data for all crude oil and petroleum products[/url], at the EIA, shows a decline over 2006 for all months from June to September. The previous months of the year, apart from March, showed an increase over the figures for the same months in 2006. Some of the 2004 months show greater consumption than 2007, so there is probably some noise in there, but it sure looks like consumption is down. That must reflect in economic growth, if it hasn't already.

[Pixie]

US Consumption of petroproducts per person, 1990-2006.

year__Thousand Barrels__population__________per capita
  1990 6,200,800________249,622,814________24.840
  1991 6,100,550________252,980,941________24.114
  1992 6,234,024________256,514,224________24.302
  1993 6,291,407________259,918,588________24.205
  1994 6,467,129________263,125,821________24.578
  1995 6,469,476________266,278,393________24.295
  1996 6,701,059________269,394,284________24.874
  1997 6,796,410________272,646,925________24.927
  1998 6,904,756________2758,54,104________25.030
  1999 7,124,557________279,040,168________25.532
  2000 7,210,593________282,216,952________25.549
  2001 7,171,778________285,226,284________25.144
  2002 7,212,876________288,125,973________25.033
  2003 7,312,230________290,796,023________25.145
  2004 7,587,601________293,638,158________25.839
  2005 7,592,789________296,507,061________25.607
  2006 7,550,907________299,398,484________25.220


Sources: EIA data for petroleum product usage; US Census Bureau for resident population figures, July 1 of each year.

Talk about inelastic demand! It's almost flat.

[UncoveringTruths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pixie', 'U')S Consumption of petroproducts per person, 1990-2006.

year__Thousand Barrels__population__________per capita
  1990 6,200,800________249,622,814________24.840
  1991 6,100,550________252,980,941________24.114
  1992 6,234,024________256,514,224________24.302
  1993 6,291,407________259,918,588________24.205
  1994 6,467,129________263,125,821________24.578
  1995 6,469,476________266,278,393________24.295
  1996 6,701,059________269,394,284________24.874
  1997 6,796,410________272,646,925________24.927
  1998 6,904,756________2758,54,104________25.030
  1999 7,124,557________279,040,168________25.532
  2000 7,210,593________282,216,952________25.549
  2001 7,171,778________285,226,284________25.144
  2002 7,212,876________288,125,973________25.033
  2003 7,312,230________290,796,023________25.145
  2004 7,587,601________293,638,158________25.839
  2005 7,592,789________296,507,061________25.607
  2006 7,550,907________299,398,484________25.220


Sources: EIA data for petroleum product usage; US Census Bureau for resident population figures, July 1 of each year.

Talk about inelastic demand! It's almost flat.

[Pixie]

[quote="UncoveringTruthsTalk about inelastic demand! It's almost flat.[/quote]

[/quote]

My point exactly. Most all the demand growth of petroproducts is due to population growth, not an increase in the amount people use. Cars get about the same mileage as in 1990, people drive about the same amount per year, and it takes about the same amount to heat a cubic foot of home. That having been said, there has been a slight increase in the per capita use between the 1990's and 2000's, which has begun to reverse since 2005.

[aahala]

Actually, the trend of total energy used per capita in the US over
the last 10 years or so is "flat". It has changed every year by small
amounts, but little discernable trend up or down.

[AirlinePilot]

Figures lie and liars figure.

I think the overall message here is that the only numbers which matter are how much do we produce as a planet each year, and how much do we consume?

I do believe by most official numbers the amount consumed is going up each year and is projected to do so. I believe its going to happen even with higher prices. We have proven that factoid over the last 5-6 years already.

Citing one country's numbers really doesn't matter if world consumption continues to climb. I do believe price is having an impact, right now its not a big enough one.

[TonyPrep]

Actually, any use of a finite resource spells problems down the line. Even if the total consumption remained flat for the next decade (if that was possible), we'd still run into scarcity. Even if total consumption trended down, we'd hit problems.

When talking about a finite resource, the only truly sustainable level of consumption is zero.

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'F')igures lie and liars figure.

I think the overall message here is that the only numbers which matter are how much do we produce as a planet each year, and how much do we consume?

I do believe by most official numbers the amount consumed is going up each year and is projected to do so...

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('aahala', 'A')ctually, the trend of total energy used per capita in the US over
the last 10 years or so is "flat". It has changed every year by small
amounts, but little discernable trend up or down.

[Armageddon]

500,000 people are born worldwide per day, I don't see demand for oil dropping too much anytime soon, unless an economic collapse occurs.

[marko]

Effective demand has to equal effective supply. If supply is limited, then the price will rise until effective demand falls to the amount that can be supplied. There is a difference between effective demand (at a given price point) and the demand curve (reflecting demand in general, price-independent terms). Saying that "gasoline demand has fallen" suggests that people want less gasoline. That isn't true. The truth is that, because the supply is not growing, and because consumers in Asia are able to bid up the price, US consumers can no longer afford as much as they might want.

[Pixie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('marko', 'E')ffective demand has to equal effective supply. If supply is limited, then the price will rise until effective demand falls to the amount that can be supplied. There is a difference between effective demand (at a given price point) and the demand curve (reflecting demand in general, price-independent terms). Saying that "gasoline demand has fallen" suggests that people want less gasoline. That isn't true. The truth is that, because the supply is not growing, and because consumers in Asia are able to bid up the price, US consumers can no longer afford as much as they might want.

[AirlinePilot]

Gasoline demand has not fallen.

Gasoline consumption

Finished motor gasoline is the number you need to use. I do believe thats the generally accepted demand measure.

Its not a huge increase over last year, but an increase is an increase.

[aahala]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pixie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('aahala', 'A')ctually, the trend of total energy used per capita in the US over
the last 10 years or so is "flat". It has changed every year by small
amounts, but little discernable trend up or down.

[AirlinePilot]

Demand rises as pump price falls......1 CENT!

Im posting this to show how these knuckleheads are grasping at straws to explain what we all know. Demand is driven by price of course, but the reality is that as time goes on, with no real changes, even small amounts of growth result in demand continuing to grow, even at these prices.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', '[')url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20602099&sid=adyXx4XHqL1I&refer=energy]Demand rises as pump price falls......1 CENT![/url]

Im posting this to show how these knuckleheads are grasping at straws to explain what we all know. Demand is driven by price of course, but the reality is that as time goes on, with no real changes, even small amounts of growth result in demand continuing to grow, even at these prices.