So I'm not sure I get this. Hillary said she wants to have "tougher" restrictions on miles per gallon for automobiles. In a Free Press article today, she said that we need to have a 40 mpg requirement by 2020 and 55 mpg by 2030 to help combat global warming. Great. That seems...like a little too late, don't you think?

Thirteen years from now, we need to require cars to get 40 mpgs. How about require everyone to drive motorcycles? They generally get 40-50 mpg. Or maybe make everyone get a Toyota Camry Hybrid, it gets 40 mpg and it is a big car. If you're going to do something big to save the environment, shouldn't you set the bar high? Seriously, with any goal you set, why set it super low and super achievable? To make yourself feel great when you achieve it well before your deadline?

Give me a break. Let's do something radical. Like give everyone their own airship/zeppelin. Or for you Family Guy fans, your own HindenPeter.

Remember the "gas boycott" of two days ago? How'd that work out for you? Did you really boycott gas, or just shift your purchase date like I said? Cause it seems like the purchase price of gas has not changed for the benefit of the consumer over the last two days.

Bravo, stupid America. It didn't work. Because it wasn't a boycott.

Two things happened today:

1. I received another "boycott Exxon/Mobil on May __ to force them to lower gas prices" e-mail today.

2. I read a great opinion piece about the topic over on Daily Fuel Economy Tip (article here).

Here's my additional comments on the matter.

A boycott? How do you boycott something by changing the day you purchase it? That's not a boycott, it's simply a switcheroo (not a word. Yet). If Exxon/Mobil normally earns $11-ty billion each day, but instead earns $0 billion on Monday and $22-ty billion on Tuesday, will anyone be worse for wear?

Another example: when Don Imus was in trouble but still employed consumers call the advertisers for his program, threatening to never buy their products or services again until they ceased sponsoring his show. What if consumers called and said "No one will buy necessary products from you tomorrow, but instead we'll all be desperate and spend our money with you two days from now!" Would they really feel threatened?

If you want to truly boycott, send a message that says "I will not use your products and services until you change X, Y, and Z." That means you would need to make sacrifices, not change your schedule. To boycott gas companies, STOP USING FUEL. Put your Hummer in the garage and ride your bike, or take public transportation (the buses run the same routes anyway, so you'll not be using more gas than when you don't ride the bus). Ride with your neighbor.

This really isn't that hard to figure out. I'm reiterating what a lot of other people have said. But the idea that this would work is absolutely absurd, and I felt inclined to pass along my frustrated thoughts about the matter. Seriously guys, it's common sense.