Fuel prices/crisis

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by jyl

Why do you think that the choice is binary - either "all oil" or "no oil", with no in-between? Obviously there is a whole range of possible choices.

Old rhetorical trick, to pretend the only alternative to the desired choice is a doomsday scenario. Not many people fall for it.

I've been watching, waiting for an alternative that is anywhere near as good, anywhere near as efficient even as a supplement or alternative that at least kinda sorta makes real sense. When it gets here I'll be all over it.

In my early 20's I went to work at a solar plant, thinking that was the future. Didn't take long to figure how much of a gubmint money grabbing scam that was.

So, what alternative energy source do we have that can reasonably compete with fossil fuels? I'm all ears.
Something that doesn't need the gubmint to prop it up, something that people would be willing to use without being forced or coerced or bribed into it. Something that doesn't need gubmint support and $$$$ to exist. Something that can compete without the gubmint artificially driving up the price of its competition.
Something that doesn't require an illogical fantasy to rationalize and justify.

A source of energy that can sustain even 1/4 of the energy needs of this country or world without costing so much it results in total financial collapse.
Ya can't even make a fricking hybrid car without lots and lots of petroleum products.
See how long you can go without touching or using ANYTHING that's made of plastic. What can compete with that?

Not only will I gladly jump on that bandwagon, I'll invest in it and go to work in that industry.

Maybe I just have to use my imagination. One of these days the solution will magically appear and everything will be wonderful rainbows and puppy dogs and unicorns. All it takes is some faith.

[gacook]

You seem to heavily emphasize government NOT "propping up" any new alternative energy sources. So, do you also have a problem with the billions that the government subsidizes the oil companies with? (not trying to get PARFy...)

[RWebb]

solar plants are the future, but sometimes the future takes a while to arrive

the ex-CEO of ex-on said it best - given the enormous infrastructure in petro-product fueled cars, it will take a long time to supplant them

now, if we had a liquid fuel that was clean, cheap, could use the same pipelines and transport trucks, and could be burned in our regular motors, it would be a lot easier to do

[kach22i]

UPDATE 04/18/13

Click the link below to read the full article - it's short.


Subcompact car sales in a funk despite high gas prices
Subcompact car sales in a funk despite high gas prices

When gas prices rise, knee-jerk consumerism means that sales of small cars increase in lockstep, right? Well, sometimes – but that's not always the case. Ward's Auto reports that sales of subcompact car sales in America are off despite fuel prices pushing and holding at $3.50 to $4.00 a gallon across the country. According to the report, the "Lower Small" segment has seen a 2.6-percent sales decline since October, while fuel prices have been on the rise. Despite their comparatively thirsty appetite for fuel, the industry publication notes that sales of large crossovers are up a whopping 61 percent over the same time period.

[cairns]

So, do you also have a problem with the billions that the government subsidizes the oil companies with? (not trying to get PARFy...)

Please identify these. They should be part of the Federal budget and easy to pick out, right? We are talking "billions". Which agency pays them? DOE? You could start with their budget. I couldn't find it there but maybe you can. Or maybe the Department of Agriculture or some other agency gives it to them. And while you're at it, please identify the corporations that pay the most to the Federal government in taxes both in raw amounts and as percentages of profit. Thank you.

[RWebb]

they have been identified MANY times, cairns

try using the search button

there is a thread active in PARF just yesterday

let us know if you need some search terms or any other help