don't ya know it's gonna be alright?
Posted by at May 3, 2008 08:42 PMParadox:
The problem is that the availability of ever growing amounts of cheap oil has been transmuted into an explosion in the world population since 1850. World oil demand has now out-stripped supply. New sources coming on line are barely keeping up with the depletion of existing fields. Yet demand growth from China and India is still in it's infancy.
Chief International Energy Agency (IEA) Economist Fatih Birol has sounded the alarm about how bleak the prospects are that rising world demand from emerging economies will be satisfied in the future. full interview
The United States' infrastructure, banking system and food distribution system are dependent upon cheap and plentiful energy. It is no coincidence that these systems are starting to show the strain from ever rising energy costs.
Oil is used in so many ways to produce and to use so many products, that elimination of the stuff will be expensive, if possible at all. We need a new economic paradigm and a whole lot less mouths to feed.
Posted by brisa at May 3, 2008 09:45 PMHigher CAFE standards are needed. But basing any plan on that requires the solution of another very large problem - this one being economic. Long gone are the days when an average worker could afford to go out and buy a new car whenever he or she wanted one. The people who need lower fuel costs most are the ones who can afford the new fuel-efficient car least. So people are going to be driving less fuel-efficient cars for a long time. Any plan to reduce or eliminate petro consumption will have to account for that.
Posted by jwrjr at May 3, 2008 11:15 PMAs the vehicle we are traveling in goes over the cliff, we all turn to each other and ask "now what's the plan?"
Too little, too late. Any "plan" would involve sacrifice from the increasingly squeezed exurban Repubs who are now starting to swallow the putrid toxic water that they're up to their necks in. Sacrifice means that anything is dead on arrival. Again, Bush frittered away our last resources and precious time in which to accomplish anything and save ourselves.
Plus, we've exported our manufacturing base out of America, so we can't "build" our way out of anything anymore. Nor do we have the engineers and skilled labor available anymore.
We are a nation of pinheads who think they are entitled to a high standard of living and endless oceans of cheap energy. Big disappointments, they are a-comin', BushAmericans. People will be in a fury of rage, apoplectic with spluttering anger, the "leaders" will be powerless to "lead" in such circumstances and the foundations of the democracy will shatter.
But I was at least amused to hear McSame braying that he would have an energy "plan" that didn't require "our boys" to go fight wars in the Middle East "over oil dependence". Um, isn't that an admission that we invaded Iraq (and are going to spend 100 years there) for its oil? Press? Hello, Press? Any Press here? (crickets)
Posted by euzoius at May 4, 2008 08:13 AMIf only the Rethugs hadn't pulled off their October Surprise we'd all have solar panels on our houses and cars.
My grand theory of America Sinking Into Suckitude started with the Oil Party's coup in Dallas in 1963. But we're reaching the endgame.
Posted by Bob In Pacifica at May 4, 2008 05:11 PM"There’s a plan right on the shelf to do that with solar and nuclear"
I'd be a little careful with the nukes. It takes a lot of energy to enrich to the fuel level and the spent rods are a storage nightmare. There is no 100% guarantee against accidents and leaks are not uncommon. Needless to say a nuclear accident is the ultimate environmental catastrophe. Resource depletion is also a significant problem with nukes just as with oil.
Eliminating burning fossil fuels won't be an easy task and nukes could be a regretable course.
Posted by cal1942 at May 4, 2008 10:08 PM"Energy Independence by 1985" was a program Jimmy Carter tried to launch in 1978.
Yes, 1978.
It was killed by a Democratic congress (yes, Democratic) under influence of lobbying dollars from the US auto industry and US autoworkers unions.
Then oil prices went down in the 1980s, big cars came back into vogue, the national speed limit was removed, and the impetuous was lost.
Posted by Anonny at May 5, 2008 10:12 AMAnonny gets right to the point: we have wasted THIRTY years
Posted by Gay Veteran at May 5, 2008 12:23 PM