Oil Exec Offers Some Advice For Americans Struggling With Rising Gas Prices: 'Drive Less'
f.t.Photographer | ShutterstockChevron executive Andy Walz shared some interesting advice for anyone who is having a hard time paying for gas right now. And while he's not wrong, it's simply not feasible for most people.
The average price for a regular gallon of gas hit a high point a week ago at $4.15 amid the war with Iran and conflict over the Strait of Hormuz. Americans who were already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis that affected almost every other aspect of their lives are now unsure of how they’ll keep their gas tanks full. Walz suggested that there’s really no reason to even try.
Andy Walz thinks that everyone should ‘drive less’ in an effort to ‘conserve energy.’
Walz is the president of downstream, midstream, and chemicals at Chevron, and in an interview with CBS News, he addressed Americans’ concerns about rising gas prices in a way that many felt missed the mark.
“People should try to drive less,” Walz said. “They should try to conserve energy. We should be doing that all the time. Energy’s essential for people’s lives, but we should conserve it.”
There’s certainly wisdom in doing what you can to conserve energy and reduce your environmental impact, but this probably wasn’t the best time to bring that up. In a Reddit thread dedicated to Walz’s comments, users shared their frustration.
“Hey Andy, explain to me how I can drive less to work and back five days a week,” one person said. Another sarcastically referenced how Walz probably gets around himself, saying, “Just get your personal driver to drive your company car for you! It’s that simple!”
Although telling people to drive less isn’t really a feasible solution to the problem created by high gas prices, some people are resorting to that.
The Guardian spoke to people across the country who are facing serious financial hardship because of rising gas prices. For them, “drive less” isn’t a piece of advice as much as an unfortunate reality they’ve resigned themselves to.
Alabama resident Michael Adcox doesn’t know how long his family can keep going under these conditions. “I am a disabled retired firefighter, and we are on an extremely tight fixed income,” he explained. “My wife continues to work, but the sudden increase in gas and the general inflation are collapsing our financial security. We are actually on the verge of homelessness.”
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An anonymous IT worker from Washington said they are recognizing the privilege city dwellers have for the first time. “I now seriously question whether any given trip is necessary at all,” they said. “Unlike residents of dense urban areas with robust public transit systems, many of us have no realistic option but to drive.”
A disabled Oregonian named Lisa is also feeling the strain of living in a rural area. She shared, “My caregiver and I have had to cut back on our trips to pick up my prescriptions, even though they are necessary.”
Walz explained that gas prices are hitting record highs now because of an increase in oil prices.
About 20% of all oil and gas used around the world travels through the Strait of Hormuz, but the war with Iran is slowing ships down, if not stopping them altogether.
As bad as things are in the U.S., conditions are apparently even worse elsewhere. “America is more reliant on local production, but there’s countries in Asia and other parts of the world that rely heavily on Middle East crude,” he added. “We’re worried about price here. There’s other countries that don’t have the products.”
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According to the International Energy Agency, the price of oil is going to start decreasing, but only because of a phenomenon called “demand destruction.” This means that people in other countries are not spending money on oil because of how expensive it is, which will probably affect the global economy.
Only time will tell how much the war with Iran will impact not only oil and gas prices but the economy as a whole. In the meantime, it’s really not helpful to tell people who are already hurting to simply “drive less,” which will disrupt their lives even further.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
