Using Less Oil

"Chevron has unveiled a revolutionary new way of finding oil. It doesn't involve satellite telemetry or seismic imaging or some other high-tech means of exploration. It involves advertising. Chevron has a new ad campaign to get its customers to use not more oil, but less. In Chevron's words, 'Energy Saved Is Energy Found.' The new ads feature people promising to carpool, to use fluorescent bulbs, even to 'take my golf clubs out of the trunk.' We've heard these energy-saving tips countless times (except perhaps the one about the golf clubs). What's new is the spectacle of a major corporation urging people to cut back on its core product, as part of "one of the most important efforts of our time - using less." The Denver water company tried that, and it was successful. Water use dropped significantly--then they raised their rates "because water use is down." It happened in reverse with the Denver Bus system. They advertised widely to get more and more people to "leave their cars at home" and ride the bus. Never mind it took them twice as long to get anywhere and cost them more. People did it, and increased bus usage significantly. So the bus company raised their rates because they had to buy more buses and put more buses on routes. They apparently couldn't figure out that more money paid in fares at the old rates could accomplish all that. And these are the people RUNNING things! Sheesh! (IBD Editorials)