Good US News article on US Energy Policy
Everyone likes to drive and the green alternatives don't work yet. What can we do to have a real energy policy in the US? Is it natural gas vehicles?
This is the first discussion in the new "Politics" Category. Use it to discuss your convictions in terms of policy. Keep it clean. We can be democrat and republican and abide by the rules of the forum.
Dear RT
"What can we do to have a real energy policy in the US?"
Long before you were a twinkle in your father's eye, the first Oil Embargo showed the country how vulnerable the United States was to our OPEC dependence.
We have not had a cohesive energy policy yet -- and it has been about 38 years ago since the first embargo.
In a capitalistic society, capitalism will solve the problem. We were running out of natural gas. Now we have plenty of reserves -- all because of the ingenuity and motivation of aggressive capitalists. When government does not know what to do, it ends up trying to do everything. Unfortunately, the Great Recession has created a new wave of clamor of Keynesian economics, especially with the government that has evolved post Reagan era.
However, we are not a capitalist society as we were when we were great. Almost 50% of Americans paid no taxes last year. And guess what? The tipping point is 50%. That is when the country goes to a "help me please" society of do nothings wanting to be cared for cradle to grave by people who innovate and create.
Some think that capitalism is like a renegade tiger that must be shot immediately.
Some think that capitalism is like a cow that must be milked continuously.
But capitalism is really a horse, pulling a very heavy wagon of prosperity. The horse needs to be nurtured, nor neutered.
This is my only political discussion. I promise.
Well Said Buddy....as usual!! The only thing I'd like to add, some of the sheeples don't think at all.
I won't make the same promise as to political discussions. I've discovered that people have remained silent far too long.
Martin Wampler
I think eventually it will be natural gas, but not CNG because it’s too difficult to carry as much compressed gas as you’d like. I think our economy will be running on GTL ( gas to liquid ) fuel made from natural gas, in the long term. I do think there will be a need for gasoline long term, although you can get a diesel chainsaw, they are somewhat heavier than their gas counterparts, last time I checked. In the extreme longterm, if a technological society still exists on earth in 1,000 years; I think solar power collected in space, where it is 1,000 times more powerful than what reaches the earths surface, converted to microwave, beamed to earth, collected in receiving stations in desolate regions and converted to electricity, may work. As usual, I think we’ll cross each brige as we come to them.
I heard a quote attributed to Edward Abbey of monkey wrench fame. He said to basically use it till its gone, or in the particular case being discussed it was shoot them all. He was talking about buffalo. It seems that it was buffalo hide leather that made all of the belts that were powering the early industrial revolution. When the great herds ran out there was a danger that this vital resource would be no more. Along about that time somebody discovered how to vulcanize rubber and new belts of canvas and rubber were invented. Necessity is the mother of invention. As a college student when the oil shocks of the mid 70s hit I was really surprised when oil went to $ 10 /bbl ( and below) for so much of the 80s and 90s. Back about 07 I was talking to a recently graduated geologist who was working his first career job, in the oil patch. When he told me “this boom will never be over” I just kinda smiled and said something about the entire history of oil from titusville to present was one of boom or bust. 50 years from now we will be using technology that today we dont even anticipate. but we will still be drilling cause the more we play with it, the more things we discover we can do with that ook that comes out of the ground. As for when will our government get it together for a coherent energy policy, that has a history that also goes back about as far as titusville just like the press likes to blame “big oil” for squeezing unfair profits out of the people. this horse pulling the cart might have some flaws, but look at PEMEX or PDVSA yikes , what a mess those are
Before we start playing too loose with the actual oil prices, and start confusing people with misinformation, please check out the chart reference below, both in inflation adjusted and nominal prices for our benchmark crude, WTI,. You will notice that it never went below $10 per bbl for much of the 80's and 90's. It did drop to $12 per bbl in 1999.
http://inflationdata.com/inflation/images/charts/Oil/Inflation_Adj_...
Dear Buddy,
When oil was at $12.00 what was gas selling for at the pump?
Wes
Wes, I found an article online that said gasoline was $1.17 in Des Moins Iowa in 1998. I think it probably would have been cheaper in Tx and higher in Ca.
Robert,
You are probably right about it being cheaper here. I do remember 31.9 cent gas and about 4 times a year there would be a gas war among the oil companies. When they did that it would usually go down to17.9. : ) Talk about the good old days!
As I recall, it was about $1.20 a gallon. And NO exploration. But I did get glasses for a fill up. Or a tiger tail to hang out my gas tank door.
Buddy,
Also included in a fillup were the cleaning of your windshield, free maps, checked your tire pressure, still no charge, and check your oil and antifreeze as well as your windshield washer pump for fluid. Oh! Transmission fluid as well. Every once in a while I see a station advertising full service. I don't really think they know the definition. All the above were done free for the less than $5.00 fillup. They even had clean, stocked restrooms you were welcome to use, even if it was 10' outside and the restroom was behind the station. lol Yes, the good, the bad and the ugly of it. Of course, I'm talking about the mid fifties and sixties.
Yours,
Wes Luke
Buddy Cotten said:
As I recall, it was about $1.20 a gallon. And NO exploration. But I did get glasses for a fill up. Or a tiger tail to hang out my gas tank door.
Buddy Cotten
Heck, Luke,
I remember saying, I don't care if gas goes to 50 cents a gallon, I am still driving my Vette. It got 4 mpg in town. But I dogged it between stop lights.
I also think I remember when cigarettes went from 25 cents to 35 cents a pack and I also said I don't care if they go to a dollar a pack, I still am going to smoke them. What a genius I was when I knew everything.
Buddy,
My being a tad older than you, I remember different things. Such as putting 2 dimes in the cigarette machine and getting 4 cents (pennies) on the side of the pack as change. IOW, .16 cents a pack. I'm the guy who said "When they get to fifty cents a pack I'm quitting. That was $6.00 ago. I guess I'll quit when I REALLY want to.
Yours,
Wes
Buddy Cotten said:
Heck, Luke,
I remember saying, I don't care if gas goes to 50 cents a gallon, I am still driving my Vette. It got 4 mpg in town. But I dogged it between stop lights.
I also think I remember when cigarettes went from 25 cents to 35 cents a pack and I also said I don't care if they go to a dollar a pack, I still am going to smoke them. What a genius I was when I knew everything.
Buddy Cotten
Hi Reagan,
It seems to me we are on the right path now. Time is on our side. We have been developing use of alcohol, hydrogen, gasolene boosting mpg, electric cars. By that I mean, right now a car buyer can go to a dealership and buy a car rhat runs on any of the above. Finding these fuels at the pump is a problem that people seem willing to take on. I see some of all of them on the road, so, they must have access to the various fuels someplace.
Yours,
Wes
Mr. Cotten,
In my humble opinion anything over 10% of freeloaders brings this country down. There are ways to put people back to work in the form of laws combating it. If we enforced the laws that take welfare away from anyone not willing to work, on drugs so bad they can't work, bought with our tax dollars, train people in a useable occupation so they can find work. There are many more things that are already there, just waiting to be enforced. The oil business is in short supply of qualified employees. Well, you get my drift.
Yours,
Wes Luke