Energy's silver lining: High oil prices are painful, but they force positive changes

LA Times ^ | 13 August 2008 | Unsigned Editorial

[shrinkermd]

...High energy prices also have an unforeseen bright side, forcing the nation to reduce its carbon emissions and delivering the encouraging message that, although we might not regain the freewheeling way of life that came with cheap gasoline, we have more ability to shape our fates than the caricature of the soft, spoiled American implied.

The first sign was when SUVs went from being the belles of the freeway to oversized wallflowers. Thirteen miles per gallon isn't just expensive; it's no longer chic. As U.S. automakers gear up for a new motoring sensibility, we can look forward to a more gas-thrifty future.

Then, a handful of manufacturers with overseas operations found that the costs of global shipping outweighed the cheap labor, and moved their factories back to the United States. It's not easy to abandon an expensive plant, so the movement of factory jobs has been more a trickle than a rush, but it can be expected to grow as companies consider their options for new facilities.

...Now supermarkets are cutting down on shipping costs as well, by buying more local produce. Wal-Mart has announced that it will spend $400 million on local produce this year, with plans to expand such purchases in the future. The markets are finding a convenient match in cost reduction and consumer tastes. In addition, locally grown fruits and vegetables are less likely to go through the giant processing plants where produce from throughout this country and others is commingled, occasionally spreading food-borne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli.

[MaineConservative]

Wal-Mart has announced that it will spend $400 million on local produce this year,

Wal-Mart, you cn help in another area! Instead of IMPORTING CHINESE MADE Bads, you can sell American Made GOODS!! It would help reduce energy costs of CHINESE JUNK from Chinese factories to Wal-Mart.

[xc1427]

...which would force these individuals to start sniffing gas for their fixes.

[According2RecentPollsAirIsGood]

I heard an economist say the other day that, the best thing to reduce the cost of high oil prices is high oil prices. America's ingenuity is still the best in the world. At our bi-weekly bagel meeting, our top minds were discussing alternative energy supplies (we are not an energy company). Exciting times for entrepreneurial types.

This is quite right. Energy is the most exciting field in the world right now with everyone trying to find new and different and innovative ways to supply it. Given the freedom, the market will develop the worthy ideas into viable, profitable solutions.

And that is what liberals cannot allow. At these higher prices, alternative hydrocarbon sources like oil shale, tar sands, coal gas, etc. as well as additional drilling suddenly look palatable and may be added to the usable energy supply easily. Thus, they fight tooth and nail to hamstring these efforts and instead push currently unviable ideas like wind, solar, biofuels, etc and ridiculous solutions like electric cars.

There's a reason we use gasoline in our cars. It has a high energy content and is liquid at room temperature making it easy to handle. You can't put wind in your tank. And you can't store large amounts of electricity efficiently. CNG has to be stored at 3000 psi. Hydrogen is pipe dream that's a) not an energy source, but an inefficient transmission medium and b) difficult to handle. And the energy balances on ethanol and biodiesel as well as their feedstock supply constraints make them unviable for our massive economy, too. And thus the currently unviable options must be currently pushed, so they grow the crisis and thus their power over over us.

[stevio]

Given the freedom, the market will develop the worthy ideas into viable, profitable solutions.

There's a reason why America in 200+ years has become the greatest nation in history; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. God bless America!

[wolf78]

Escalating energy costs are a deliberate, planned effort. Drilling will be fought at all costs since increasing supply might diminish price.

Oil is fungible commodity that is traded worldwide. The US only produces a third of the oil it consumes. Offshore drilling is taking place right now in Angola, Denmark etc.. Granted, restrictions have to be lifted in the US also for the market to more quickly find an equilibrium, but it is paranoid to believe that the US congress controls the world. High prices are a result of a.) fundamentals (i.e. economic growth in Asia, Russia etc.) and to a lesser degree speculation based on political instability (Iran etc.). Also high prices are the reason additional supplies become viable. US oil shale will not be able to compete with cheap (to produce) Saudi oil (i.e. on price for the foreseeable future).

At two thirds imports, higher gas work as a tariff on oil from fascist (Venezuela) or terrorist (Saudi Arabia) states. Therefore, the argument of raising gas taxes has its merits, if the money is used to abolish other taxes (-> 100% revenue neutral), e.g. property taxes etc.

[kellynla]

The Left doesn't give a damn about high gasoline prices...
why the clowns at the DNC didn't even pay retail for gas in Denver...
they went to the Denver city lot and pumped all they needed which was tax free!

As far as the Left is concerned, the oil companies should be owned by the government and we all should be riding government owned mass transit ala AMTRAK...

"Liberalims is just Communism sold by the drink."
P.J.O'Rourke

[jonrick46]

The idea that increased energy prices will escalate oil substitutes is a price we may not be able to afford. In fact it is a risky policy that could break our economic security. We are not in the price range where rubbing two sticks together is an economically viable energy alternative

If we have the economic incentives to have energy alternative, why are they not in the market place? The big answer is that one must make sure they work first. They tried crop derived oils for biodiesel. Do they work? They work but the method drives up the cost of food. Bad idea.

Next method: ethanol from corn. Does it work? Well, not as good as gasoline. And, it drives up the cost of food. Bad idea.

My answer: Algae oil. Does it work? It will work after more research is put into its development. We'll have to wait on that one.

More drilling: good answer!

[SteamShovel]

forcing the nation to reduce its carbon emissions

PROVING the hidden truth that reducing carbon emissions is bad for the economy, and that a poor economy is the goal of RATS and enviro-mentals.

[UCANSEE2]

“...which would force these individuals to start sniffing gas for their fixes.”

You gots to get up on the lingo, brother!

Huffing gas.

[xc1427]

“Huffing gas” is antiquated. My father used that phrase in the fitties!!! :)

[UCANSEE2]

“My father used that phrase in the fitties!!! :)”

Thus proving there is nothing new under the sun.

: )