Debunking Gas Myths & Conspiracy Theories

by Katrina C. Arabe | June 21st, 2005

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Heard the one about cellular phones touching off explosions at gas stations? Or received those e-mails calling for a one-day gasoline boycott in order to lower prices? All bogus. Here’s why:

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I was always dubious about those e-mails urging people to avoid filling up their gas tanks on a given day or to spurn the most famous gasoline brands in order to lower overall gasoline prices. Turns out these bogus e-mails are not the only fallacies that get widely disseminated everytime there’s a surge in gas prices. Below are some conspiracy theories and one urban legend that you’ve probably heard about:

Myth #1: By refusing to purchase gasoline from the two largest companies, we can pressure overall gas prices to come down.

The reasoning goes something like this…if the two biggest companies “are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices which in turn will force other companies to follow suit.” Not true. Prices at all the non-boycotted companies will likely go up due to temporarily strained supply and increased demand. In truth, consumers must reduce their overall gasoline buying and not just purchase it from a different outlet in order to help provoke a price drop.

Details at www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/gasout.htm

Myth #2: By staging a one-day gas boycott, we can cause a decrease in the retail price of gasoline.

A widely read e-mail purports that “if everyone in the United States did not purchase a drop of gasoline for one day and all at the same time, the oil companies would choke on their stockpiles.” Not so. For one thing, it’s not even a true boycott, which involves doing without something. Instead, people are just postponing or moving up their gas purchasing by one day. We would affect only those at the bottom of the oil-to-gas chain–service station operators–who have the least influence on gasoline prices. Again, only a significant, long-term reduction in gas demand will have the desired effect.

Details at www.snopes.com/politics/business/nogas.asp

Myth #3: By avoiding gasoline from some big oil companies, you can curtail the funding of terrorists.

The e-mail reads something like this…”every time I fill up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends. It turns out that some oil companies import a lot of Middle Eastern oil and others do not import any” and it goes on to list the oil companies that Americans should buy from. But the fact is that oil companies do not just sell gasoline through their branded service stations but through many different outlets, making it exceedingly difficult to determine point of origin. Also, according to www.snopes.com, less than a third of U.S. crude oil imports originate from Arab OPEC countries (Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia).

Details at www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/nogas.htm

Myth #4: Cellular phones have triggered explosions at gas stations.

The Discovery Channel TV program MythBusters suggests that it’s not even possible to create a fire from a cell. And the American Petroleum Institute says that “we can find no evidence of someone using a cell phone causing any kind of accident, no matter how small, at a gas station anywhere in the world.” Phew. One less thing to worry about.

Details at www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp

Myth #5: Conspiracies are a factor in the price of gasoline.

Conspiracy Theory A: Last year, George W. exploited the long-standing and close relationship between his family and the Saudi Arabian regime to get re-elected. By plying us with oil, the Saudi elite helped prop up the U.S. economy and ensured Bush’s stay in power. A recent report predicting oil will hit $105 a barrel was a payoff to Big Oil.

Conspiracy Theory B: “There’s a top-secret network of pipelines out of Iraq that is siphoning off reserves from the oil kingdom’s reconstruction efforts into the hands of greedy Western interests.” (as reported in this Orlando Business Journal op-ed piece)

The author of the opinion piece in Orlando Business Journal calls these theories “total nonsense.” Ultimately, we are the ones who determine the price of gasoline. We are the ones heading recklessly into an oil crisis. “The blame falls squarely on our own shoulders,” says the article. “We are a nation in love–almost to the point of obsession–with our motor vehicles. We are frighteningly oblivious to the fact that petroleum resources provided on this planet will some day dry up.”

Sources:

Fact Sheet: Gasoline Myths…and Facts
NACS Online (National Association of Convenience Stores)
www.nacsonline.com

Big Oil Myths and Big Worries
Orlando Business Journal, April 11, 2005
orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2005/04/11/editorial1.html

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Comments:

Everett Reitz

June 21, 2005

Remember years ago when we had our first big gas shortage. I lived and worked in flordia and every day saw the supertankers anchored off shore filled to the rim. (you could tell because they sat real low in the water) You would see the same
tanker day after day in the same spot.
While everyone else sat in lines at the gas stations I never had to buy a drop and had a full tank always. I was working for a construction co. building gas stations for the big oil co.’s.
when they built a new station the first thing they would do is set the tanks in the ground and fill them. The gas company furnished us with a hand pump and told us that we could fill up there but not to say anything to anybody. If the tank got low they would sent a tanker and refill it.
They had run out of places to store the gas that we didn’t have. It sure looked real fishy to me.
Why should we believe anything that they say now?

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Gilbert Dionne

June 21, 2005

Regarding the so called myth about cell phones touching off explosions at gas stations. This myth has even the oil companies convinced as I have seen signs beside the gas pumps that indicate not to use your phone while filling up.

Here are several websites on related stories regarding this

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/14/tech/main617547.shtml
http://www.cnn.com/US/9906/24/exxon.cellphones/

Who are you to believe Discovery Channel, API or the oil companies?

Gilbert Dionne

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Greg

June 21, 2005

In my opinion, there’s only one reason that gas prices go up. It’s simply called GREED.
AS FAR AS THE CELL PHONES ARE CONCERNED, IT’S NOT THE CELL PHONES THAT CAUSE THE FIRE. PEOPLE LEAVE THERE PHONE IN THE CAR. THE PHONE RINGS, THEY REACH OR SIT IN THE CAR TO ANSWER THE PHONE, COLLECT STATIC FROM THE SEAT OF THE CAR AND DON’T GROUND THEMSELVES BEFORE THEY REACH FOR THE GAS NOZZLE. BAM

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Mike

June 21, 2005

This was circulated by our safety office. I particlarly feel for example #3!

The following information was provided to the Safety Office by one of our
employees. This information will help you whether driving a government
vehicle or a privately owned vehicle.

The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in
which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations.

In the first case, the phone was placed on the car’s trunk lid during
fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline
pump.

In the second, an individual suffered severe burns to her face when fumes
ignited as she answered a call while refueling her car.

And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as
fumes ignited when the phone, which was in his pocket, rang while he was
fueling his car.

You should know that:

Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes. Mobile phones that light up when
switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for
ignition. Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when
fueling lawn mowers, boats, etc.

Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other
materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust i.e. solvents,
chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc.

Now that you know that it’s unsafe to smoke or use your cell phone while
pumping gas, here’s another safety warning you should know about concerning
static electricity. Below is an email from Pat Cabling who works at Chevron
Texaco’s Richmond Refinery.

To sum it up, here are the: Four Rules for Safe Refueling:

1) Turn off engine
2) Don’t smoke
3) Don’t use your cell phone-leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off
4) Don’t re-enter your vehicle during fueling

Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try
and make people aware of fires as a result of “static electricity” at gas
pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires. His results
were very surprising:

1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.

2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in her vehicle while
the nozzle was still pumping gas, when finished and she went back to pull
the nozzle out the fire started, as a result of static.
3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.
4) Most men don’t get back in their vehicle until completely finished.
This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.
5) Don’t ever use cell phones when pumping gas
6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when
connected with static charges.
7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was reentered and the nozzle was
touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulting
in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer.
8) Seventeen fires that occurred before, during or immediately after the gas
cap was removed and before fueling began.

Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it
with gas. If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is
pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before
you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be
discharged before you ever remove the nozzle. As I mentioned earlier, The
Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are
really trying to make the public aware of this danger.

I ask you to please send this information to ALL your family and friends,
especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If
this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children.

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R. De Witt

June 21, 2005

No conspiracy with the Bush family – how bloody rectal-cranial inverted are the people who think their is no connection between the Bush [by their title - American Royalty] & the Arabs.
They facilitated the family responsible for an invasion into our country by flying them home so they where safe rather than available for questioning. The Bush holdings include refining & transportation – the higher the price the better for their profits.
Never has an ex president received security briefings post his time in office …as senior Bush – the primary focus – Arabs where the Bush family visits frequently – Oh I see no conspiracy here….
One other small point – the response to Arabs flying planes into the Trade Towers – 1st you declare it an invsion – second you restrain any associated parties until the CIA has interviewed every last one of them … Third you declare a war time emergency – We Americans will reduce petroleum use by 15% in the first year by a wartime effort to replace gasoline with Hydrogen & lead the world in developing this technology.
No – we invade a country that is no threat – accept they have the largest oil reserves anywhere in the world – do we pay for it from their oil – No – they take it from the American tax payer…
You want to be free – pay the Bill from our Soldiers…giving their lives for your freedom…

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Grant

June 21, 2005

About Mike’s post:
Cell Phones DO NOT ignite gas fumes. The article lists the Myth Busters (a show on the discovery channel) episode that debunks the myth. I saw that episode. In it they do everything in their power to try to get a ringing cell phone to ignite fumes and they are not able to. They even expose the phone to concentrated fumes in an enclosed space. The fumes DO NOT ignite. Do you really think then that fumes dissipating into the air at an OUTDOOR fuel pump could be ignited? Also, read the article at http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp. It really debunks the myth, and even makes reference to the specific cases stated in Mike’s post. CELL PHONES DO NOT CAUSE FIRES!
Static electricity, on the other hand, does. Getting in your car while refueling is a dangerous thing to do. If you grab the pump without grounding your self, you can cause a fire. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEN FACT AND MYTH SO THAT THEY CAN BE SAFE. Please stop propagating false information.

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BRIAN

June 21, 2005

If it takes 4-6 weeks for crude oil prices to be reflected at the pumps why do the gas stations raise the price immediately when the price of crude goes up but it doesn’t change when the price of crude goes down? It’s called PRICE GOUGING!

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Steve

June 21, 2005

A couple of thoughts. I have observed that the most significant impact on our fuel availability and costs is not to increase supply but to decrease out consumption. I was around durring the first oil embargo when gas shot up to 50 cents. The only time the public made a serious effort to conserve was when supplies became short. Then people flocked to the dealers to buy very small cars and diesels. The car companies were willing to sacrifice some performance for milage and the public was willing to go along. If we had a shift of 20% better milage and other conservation methods such as car pooling it would have a much more significant impact on supply and cost. So how do we create a shortage?

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Mike Johnson

June 21, 2005

If we truly want to be more in control of the supply and price of oil and not at the mercy of supplies from politically troubled countries, we need to stop importing oil.

We export every drop of Alaskan oil to Japan. Let’s use the Alaskan oil ourselves so we don’t have to rely on unreliable foreign supplies.

America importing oil makes as much sense as if Saudi Arabia imported oil.

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Don

June 21, 2005

Oil is a commodity like any other. When we reduce our consumption, the oil producing companies reduce production, thereby keeping the commodity prices higher. Rather than blaming the president, we should become energy independent, that will drive prices down. I saw a great sign on an SUV the other day saying we should not explore for other oil resources (Anwar?). We want our SUV’s
while not be willing to pay the piper. Use our technological skills to build more effiency into all our power needs, from vehicles to powerplants.
We should not have to be begging OPEC to provide us with oil.

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Brian Mitchell

June 22, 2005

How does this fact get missed in analyzing gas prices? In spite of increasing demand, we have not built a single refinery in the US in almost 30 years, in fact a number of refineries have been disassembled and moved to other countries with less stringent environmental requirements. Hasn’t anyone seen the relationship between occassional major fires and explosions at US refineries? When our capacity to refine crude is temporarily reduced, supply drops and cost goes up. Want lower prices at the pump? Get on board with “King” Bush to expidite the conversion of closed military bases to refining facilities.

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Bill Richardson

June 22, 2005

I think that everyone is missing the big picture here. It’s not just a matter of more refineries, it’s smarter people. By integrating renewable fuels into the mainstream consumer based products ie. ethanol/methanol, biodiesel, vegetable based lubricants etc. the consumer can empower themselves by augmenting the world oil reserves.
If we were to demand from the current administration for an increase in the production of renweable fuels, we would conversly cause supplies of fossil fuel crude oil to go up by an incresed volume of supplies ethanol/methanol enhances gasoline supplies 10%, biodiesel enhances diesel 20%, lubricants an even greater volume can be integrated into the equation. This is simple math that speaks volumes of the conspiracy if you will, about oil companies maintaining higher oil prices.
If anyone here remembers the gasoline crisis of the ’70′s the time to market for the gasohol was within a 2 month period. Prices went down, supplies went up and rationing was removed. It seems that the government and the citzens has selective memory when it comes to the real energy issues this world is facing. In reality we would have little use for OPEC’s oil. Then what?

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Michael Mills

June 23, 2005

R. De Witt is right on target. And yes, the hoax still persists about cell phones causing fires. The Office of Risk Management at Indiana Univ. maintains a web page regarding this hoax. The web site is at: http://www.indiana.edu/~riskmgmt/static.htm

That web page is a cobbled set of statements.
I have an e-mail from Pat Cabaling who states that he is not the author, nor is there a Texaco/Chevron based study.
I have personally spoken with Bob Renkes of the Petroleum Equipment Institute in Tulsa. I have an e-mail from Renkes to Mr. Clapacs of Indiana U. wherein Renkes asks that reference to him and PEI be removed.
Indiana U. disavows responsibility for the content, but it remains posted.
My brief research shows that the hoax persists even in the high realms of education.
Ref: 5/21/05 – http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2005/06/debunking_gas_m.html?WT.mc_t=imt&WT.mc_n=519I

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tom williams

June 23, 2005

Just keep one thing in mind. If something sounds too fantastic to be true it probably is. The same thing can be said of something too good to be true. If it sounds too good to be true, …. You got it! It probably isn’t true. Anyone who is so silly as to fall for stuff like the cell phone myth, the aspartame poison in Coke, etc., deserves what they get for believing such drivel. Any time you see an e-mail saying to send it to all of your friends and your whole address book… Sound familiar????

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