Posted on 05/17/2008 8:29:12 PM PDT by Cannonphoder
Production of Natural Gas, or the refining of crude oil to make gasoline?
It would be very nice if you would communicate in complete sentences instead of fragments. I have no idea what you are trying to say here.
If you are speaking about Alaska North Slope oil, yes, I have heard of that. In fact, I built a couple of dozen cell sites in Alaska that served oil infrastructure which is connected to the Alaska Pipeline. I've seen it with my own eyes. How about you?
Mexican oil production is in decline and has been for some time. We do get a significant amount of oil from Mexico, but it's a little short sighted to put too many eggs in that corrupt basket.
If you are talking about oil shale finds in Alberta, yes, I'm aware of that, too. It will be quite a while before that oil starts flowing in significant amounts (and it's not domestic oil).
If you are speaking of the Bakken formation which stretches from North Dakota and Montana into Saskatchewan, yes, I've also heard of that, too. Not one single drilling permit has been issued for that find as of today, however. BTW, Bakken was "found" and first described in 1953.
You are simply wrong. There was action but it was inadequate. Many of the programs touted today were developed in the late 70’s but oil production increased rapidly to the point they were no longer viable.
Horsesqueeze. There was a lot of lip service. Point to specific action, however inadequate, please.
Domestic production went down 40% from 1985 to 2004. In large part this was because of legislation that was passed by Congress. Meanwhile, domestic consumption during the same time frame went up a little over 30%. We went from a net exporter of gasoline in that time frame to importing about 14% of our gasoline now. Are you going to sit there and tell me with a straight face that, as tightly as the oil markets are controlled, that NOBODY saw this growth in consumption or decline in production coming?
This can easily be tied to Congressional actions (however "inadequate"). It's not just oil we import anymore, in case you were not aware. Tell me again about how the 'Pubbies did so much to improve the situation?
That is especially true of solar and wind. The wind projects today are the direct result of 70’s research.
Neither solar or wind could survive without huge gubmint subsidies. Is this what you are talking about?
What gubmint has done is screw up the energy markets with subsidies. Here's the DOE's 2007 numbers:
Solar energy is subsidized at $24.34 per megawatt hour.
Wind energy is subsidized at $23.37 per megawatt hour.
"Clean coal" is subsidised at $29.81 per megawatt hour.
"Normal" coal is subsidised 44 cents per megawatt hour.
Natural gas is subsidised 25 cents per megawatt hour.
Hydroelectric is subsidised about 67 cents per megawatt hour.
Nuclear is subsidised at about $1.59 per megawatt hour.
These amounts are your tax dollars that are being spent, in addition to what you pay on your monthly electric bill or at the gas pump. GAO numbers show that at least 30% of this is lost to gubmint waste and corruption. Not exactly efficient, huh? The spending body in the United States Government is the House of Representatives, which was Republican controlled, with strong majority, for the better part of 12 years. Explain again how this meddling and subsidizing energy markets is helping the "free" market?
We also had strong nuclear development but the Rats caved and killed it. Nuclear development is now well underway again.
Really? Where? The last nuke plant commissioned was TVA Watts Bar, which, btw, is 26 miles east of me. I had heard that Unit 2 at Browns Ferry in Alabama might get license approval, but it will be 8-10 years before it comes on line. The plant is essentially completed and could be fueled now if it were not for the shoddy (union) construction that is going to have to be overhauled before the plant can be made operational.
Lastly, it was well demonstrated that the Republicans never controlled the Senate. They had a majority but not the magic 60 required for passage of cloture bills.
The Republicans never "controlled" the Senate because they lack the ability to LEAD. Republicans had majorities in the House and Senate and thereby had the bully pulpit and did nothing. Don't give me this crap about "Magic 60". They had the spotlight to bring public opinion to their side, along with overwhelming evidence that their position was on the right side, and they did nothing but spout the same crap they've been spouting since the mid 70's. They have the Presidency now and for the past 7 years. The Presidency is the ultimate bully pulpit, and they've done nothing. They had a strong majority in the House for 12 years and did nothing but pay lip service to the coming energy needs of this country. Did they really think that the economy was going to grow at 2-4% for a couple of decades and energy consumption was going to remain flat?
Denial is not a river in Egypt. The Republicans are just as complicit at the Democrats in the energy situation we find ourselves in now. You can continue to believe the Republican lip service, or you can open your eyes and see the truth. The Republicans, just like the DemocRats, have a vested interest in keeping oil prices high. You can thank a lobbyist with a pocketful of $100 bills for that.....
Why, so we can be more like our Socialist European brethren?
We live in a Capitalist society. We deserve to pay market price for our fuel without all the gubmint intervention that has driven up the price by restricting domestic supply. This restriction was accomplished by putting large areas off limits to oil exploration and by restricting refinery permitting. Supply has also been restricted by State and local gubmints when they create specific formulations for specific areas. Last time I checked, gasoline manufacturers were producing something on the order of 97 varieties of gasoline, otherwise known as "boutique blends". This, combined with refineries running at near 100% capacity, has further reduced supplies and has resulted in spot shortages which drives up the price. Have you noticed diesel prices lately? There is a direct correlation between current diesel prices and the gubmint's adaptation of ULS diesel.
Would you be in favor of gubmint adding taxes to the price of fuel so that the magic $10/gallon figure can be reached? If so, why would you give our gubmint, a gubmint that has for decades shown with utter, undeniable clarity, that they cannot responsibly handle the money they take from the citizenry, that much additional revenue to waste on bridges to nowhere and other pet projects?
Oil finds, worldwide, i.e., Brazil, Montana, the Gulf of Mexico, and others, just in the past year, far exceed known reserves of OPEC. Some estimates put domestic known reserves at over a trillion barrels. Oil is not running out. You, at 23, won't live long enough to see the end of oil use. Why then should we be paying a price higher than what the market will support?
Crystal clear. The question is why? If oil is such a dirty business and we can't drill here for fear of creating a mess, does that mean it's okay to make a mess in Liberia or Saudi. Out of sight, out of mind? Or, is it because the congresscritters are taking huge bribes from producers of off-shore oil?
Because they are all transnationalists, for reasons of their own.
The Democrats know that socialism will only prevail if the US is part of a larger entity, or is flooded with a ready-made proletariat made up of illiterate peasants, or both.
Any Republican who is rich enough to make it to Congress knows there's big money in offshore factories and high-level involvement with foreign despots. The patriotic few believe that a world government would inevitably be run by America, and that their own power and glory would multiply as a result. Some of them actually view globalization as a way to save and/or Christianize their little brown brothers.
The American sovereignty caucus in the Congress is tiny and unimportant.
We have been dismally unsuccessful in placing this issue in front of the American people.
If the American People weren't stupid enough to elect Senators who's in the Environmental Lobby, then all the resources will be opened up and the prices will tumble overnight.
BTTT
The topic is crude oil and gas therefrom.
Then stock levels are very much higher than claimed.
Interesting commentary! It's clear that the "one world nation" crowd has been at work for some time. What puzzles me is this movement will take decades, generations, really, to implement their desires. What do you think it is that binds these folks to this goal that many, if not most of those participating now will never live long enough to see?
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