Who Would Really Be Hurt by a BP Boycott?

As the gusher in the gulf approaches Day 70, a BP boycott is gaining momentum. But, is it the right way to show consumer frustrations?

More consumers are going online to say they won't pull up to a BP gas station ever again. But, who is it really hurting?

"That hurts the owner of the gas station as much, if not more than it hurts BP," says University of Florida Survey Director Chris McCarty. "In addition to that, there are those of us who have retirement accounts, and people who have investments and mutual funds. Those things also have BP in them."

McCarty added that a nationwide boycott of BP may not be viable long term. He says people who live along the Gulf Coast would be more likely to participate in a boycott, while people who live further inland may not because they're not as impacted by the oil spill.

In addition to that, McCarty says a BP boycott would be tricky, because BP oil doesn't just go into your car. "The plastic bags that you get when you go to the grocery store have some amount of bi-product from oil in them, as does fertilizer and lots and lots of other things."

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Who Would Really Be Hurt by a BP Boycott? - WOKV.com Jacksonville - June 23, 2010