 | $130 Oil |
$130.25 a barrel. Gas prices are up 9 percent in the last month alone where I live, and there’s no sign of them going down.
I don’t hear any people making jokes about hybrid cars any more.
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
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Except for Thomas Buffenbarger. You must be an elitist, you see, if you don’t want to pay four dollars per gallon.
Comment by The Green Man — 5/21/2008 @ 10:55 am
Peak oil has arrived and it will not be pretty. Green lawns will need to get planted into gardens… every square inch. The global depression we are about to enter is going to be far worse than anything we’ve seen before. I think james howard kunstler’s books: the long emergency and world made by hand are both worth reading… bill mollison’s permaculture design manual is also worth having. there are plenty of others but those are the three i often suggest. oh, and john jeavons’ how to grow more vegetables is also excellent.
Comment by denny — 5/21/2008 @ 4:07 pm
Maybe if we drilled for our own in America it would be cheaper?
Comment by Joe — 5/21/2008 @ 4:55 pm
hey joe, the short answer is no. there’s not enough to make a significant difference. it is a drop in the bucket to what is needed. my suggestion, check out http://theoildrum.com and http://peakoil.com spend a couple weeks reading through those sites. the simple fact is we’ve peaked and production will begin to decline before too long. add that to rising demand from china and india and the picture becomes very clear.
Comment by denny — 5/21/2008 @ 7:04 pm
Denny, I think you’re right. People really need to prepare themselves for some very big changes, stock up, and start thinking about cutting WAY back on energy usage. What we’re seeing right now is just the beginning.
Comment by J. Clifford — 5/21/2008 @ 8:02 pm
Since America isn’t aloud to drill or build production sites the reason production is going to decline isn’t lack of oil it’s lack of manufacturing. No drilling in the Gulf, Alaska or anywhere on the western coast. I agree that when China and India come on line there is going to be a big problem. So why not start finding our own. Alternative sources will certainly be needed and should be researched but why not start drilling for what we know works. Coal to oil is also a great idea being hampered by the Eviro-nazi’s
http://www.ultracleanfuels.com/
Comment by Joe — 5/21/2008 @ 9:11 pm
Oh Joe, you’re so far off base. There’s no hope of us “convincing” you by facts or words, you’ll have to see it for yourself. Just stay tuned as it gets real ugly and come back and explain it all to us again how oil saves the day around August.
Comment by Tom — 5/22/2008 @ 8:18 am
Joe, what you fail to understand is that even if all areas of the country were suddenly opened up to unlimited drilling and production, it would hardly make a dent in the amount of oil we are importing. Face the facts, Joe, domestic production will NEVER meet our CURRENT demand for oil. The only way domestic production could meet domestic demand is if domestic demand for oil decreased markedly.
Comment by Mark — 5/22/2008 @ 12:51 pm
Coal to Oil, you have no facts just words.
Comment by Joe — 5/22/2008 @ 1:45 pm
So you’re basically saying, “Fuck the environment”. Coal has so many environmental problems I’d rather see us drill offshore and in ANWR. Do you know about Mountain top Removal, mining deaths, mine drainage pollution, mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants? I won’t even mention CO2 production.
Comment by Mark — 5/22/2008 @ 3:32 pm
Back in the seventies, Jimmy Carter warned that we would be out of oil by the year 2000 unless we took drastic measures to conserve. (He was only six or seven years out).
We ignored or ridiculed Mr. Carter and completed the Alaska pipeline. Then went on to drill in every corner which might produce oil (our present incumbent spent 4 years trying to find those illusive deposits).
The fact is: we are running out of fosil fuels faster than we can develop energy sources. What do we care? George is here for another seven months! What else can happen?
As for the environment, let’s all move to Darein where they are creating a new one.
Comment by Darebrit — 5/22/2008 @ 6:37 pm
Mark, Fuck the Environment or fuck humanity. Its not really a choice. Well, maybe for you, not so much for me. Love the mining deaths part, seriously? Is it the 1930’s I am pretty sure mining deaths and child labor aren’t as bad as they used to be. How bout nuclear power then if coals out? Let me guess people die working at nuclear plants. I know lets stop all industry and power usage in America and wait for the magical answer. Somebody ask China if they will wait with us…
Comment by Joe — 5/22/2008 @ 7:07 pm
Mining deaths aren’t so bad? Do a search for coal mining accidents over the last couple of years, Joe.
Comment by The Green Man — 5/22/2008 @ 7:10 pm
I actually would be in favor of more nuclear power. I think the problem of safe disposal of radioactive waste is political in nature and not technical or scientific. We have abundant non-fossil fuel resources available to us to meet our energy needs if we would only increase our investment in the technology and infrastructure necessary to exploit them. Only by combining an increase in the development of alternative energy sources with a reduction in consumption will we get ourselves out of this mess. No matter what scenario you are working under, fossil fuel production is in decline. By the end of this century (if not sooner) the world must either be weaned off of fossil fuels or deal with massive calamities.
Comment by Mark — 5/23/2008 @ 8:07 am
Oh, one more thing. The ‘either … or’ strawman argument you put up is typical of the George Bush mentality of debate. “You’re either with us, or you’re against us.” That type of argument does nothing to address the problem. We as a people can produce the energy our civilization needs while protecting the environment (which our civilization also greatly needs) at the same time.
Comment by Mark — 5/23/2008 @ 8:10 am