Posted on 05/22/2008 12:13:35 PM PDT by saganite
No, as I understand human history the species existed and thrived long before the advent of SUV's.
However, if gas for your SUV is a requirement for your existence, you may want to beg the Federal Government for a SUV Fuel Subsidy Allowance.
To me, requiring or even asking for people to conserve a resource (particularly a resource that there is no proven shortage) is almost like communal living.
I would never advocate that the government make people conserve unless we were in a state of Total War. However, if you wish to pay ever increasing fuel bills go right ahead. As for me, I work in the industry and try to conserve fuel and my money.
All the liquid fuel alternatives are a little iffy [some more so than others -— corn ethanol is a economic looser and a in terms of energy about a break even.] Canadian oil sands work, but the capital costs are high, the flow per the dollar invested is low, and the run costs are fairly high and dependent on natural gas which is a dandy fuel that we should probably be making more direct use of.
Synthetic gas? Works if the feedstock is priced right. We're going to need whatever is available to get through the lean period.
Synthetic oil is made from trash, coal and other things that are not food products. I have always opposed ethanol, because it only gets about half or a little more of the mileage as gas, and prevents farmers from producing corn for food and steals precious land used for wheat; and our reserve is about half.
As for hydrogen, solar and wind they are viable alternatives for the future...some now in smaller ways..but one must get started if we are ever to produce enough to make a significant difference. I want to see a solar car that has battery storage for cloudy days, just call me crazy but I have always knows we are capable of getting rid of oil dependency.
The electric trolleys should have been kept in cities that had them, instead of smelly buses..see Dayton, OHIO trolley website. The only city wise enough to stick it out and they have a viable mass transit that is clean and efficient.
The point is that in order to protect our personal financial situations, we need to cut our consumption of oil.
As for me riding my bike to work, I buy a little less gas, but spent a pile of money on my bike, its maintenance and silly bike clothes and shoes.
The hybrid is my wife’s deal.
Unless you’ve invested in oil early on.
I am invested in and work in the oil industry and still am concerned about conserving energy.
So am I.
I paid $773 for LP gas last time.
I don’t drive my truck unless I absolutely need to.
I’m concerned about the hypocrites in DC and elsewhere telling me to do things that they themselves do not.
That Sir, will never end.
If it doesn’t we’re to blame as much as they are.
So large families can just buy multiple fuel efficient cars or bikes for every family member? Or is part of conservation not to have children?
Yes. something is wrong with the numbers. When Obama said we had 57 states, I took his word for it. Silly me.
If we did an Apollo Project-type thing, perhaps ten years. Realistically, 30 years. We are in for a very bad long haul. In the meantime, biofuels from waste animal and vegetable fat looks like the best bet (American restaurants produce over 500,000,000 gallons of used cooking oil each year). We have enough of that that, if converted and used, would run the country for an indefinite time.
It took nine years from the start of the Alaskan pipeline until oil was being pumped south in quantity.
If Clinton hadn't vetoed it in 1996, we would have the oil now.
Although I doubt the 500 million gallons number, even if true, it would make a small dent in the 317 billion gallons of petroleum we use a year.
Petroleum Product Supplied
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_psup_dc_nus_mbbl_a.htm
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
I’m in Bartlett’s district, and he impresses me as being quite conservative. On energy issues, however, IMO, he comes off sort of like a moonbat, unfortunately.
ANWR isn’t that far from the Alaskan pipeline. IIRC it would only require about thirty miles or so to connect drilling sites in ANWR to the Alaskan pipeline so new pipelines are not really a show stopper.
Owning an SUV is a Choice a choice that should not be impeded.
However, with the choice of owning an SUV comes the responsibility of filling said SUV’s gas tank with $4.00 a gallon gas.
It doesn't cost me $75 to fill up my tank, as I already have a fuel efficient car.
But Al is still flying in his private jet, and the Kennedy's are still sailing their yachts.
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