Adjusting to the HIGH cost of energy

DannyD · Aug 23, 2005

From Rush, he stated that he was in France I think and they drive "eggshells" there and still pay 4.00 a gallon. It is not what we drive, but the fact that we do drive. NO drive weekend coming up for me, this weekend.......truck will not move after being parked on Friday............take that!

I showed um didn't I.

Bayoucritter · Aug 23, 2005

I have mixed feelings about using our now. I know we have it in south LA. A number of wells near our land were capped in the early 80's because it was too deep to produce at the then barrel price. I'd rather use oil from other countries while it's available. Chavez has already threatened to cut us off, then there's to turbulance in the mid east. You never know when China will beat of out of a couple major suppliers. We will need our oil at that time.

How am I adjusting? I opted for a take home car from work and pay the IRS $3 per day. I figure at today's gas price I come out ahead vs. driving my Z71 on 25 mile round trip. At home I cut the thermostat up a few degrees and cut down the amount of time the pool pumps work. My electric bill went up $150 last month to $550 /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Alan L. · Aug 24, 2005

OkeeDon, I agree with you 100% about the 70s crisis and how it was manufactured to get the prices up. I started off thinking this was the case with the current increases. However this is different. While they have managed to keep the pumps pumping I think the writing is on the wall. I think if the oil companies thought there was an unlimited supply of oil they would not have stop building more refineries years ago. Right now the bottleneck is refinery capacity, but the reason it has become a bottleneck is because the oil companies didn't feel it was worth the investment given the production they predicted in the future.

I think this is very real. I think the result will be an alternative energy source for passenger vehicles.

I worry about the trains and tractors that do most of the shipping of goods across the country. A failure here would be a serious blow to our economy. I think passenger autos will be using some alternative source, or will be electric if they ever get the batteries improved enough. I frankly am surprised this has not already happened.

I think electric makes sense, as we can generate all the electricity we need using clean, efficient nuclear power.

Once all of this happens we will no longer have this dependence on foreign oil. Foreign labor, yes, but not foreign oil.

JimR · Aug 24, 2005

( 
back then, The squares bought smaller cars and the hippies showered with a friend /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif .
)

I did both and she didn't mind either.

As for the oil problem in America. I see a demise of America as we know it coming. There will be people that can no longer afford to live in the north. They won't be able to heat their homes. Taxes are going to skyrocket due to the increased costs in the school systems with transportation an heating. People will migrate to the south and the prices for homes down there will skyrocket. This very well could be the beginning of a new america. Crime will rise as people rob to get money to pay for their oil bills and gas for their cars. All for the love of oil.

OkeeDon · Aug 24, 2005

I've been thinking the writing is on the wall since the two shortages in the 70's. But, I'm not encouraged that things will begin to change until there is an absolute need and no other recourse, which of course means that it will be too little, too late and too expensive.

What it will take is leadership that has the vision and the willpower to collect and allocate resources and make investments in solutions. I do not see a trend in this direction.

As for nuclear power, I live close enough to two nuclear plants that there is a tower with a warning alarm less than a block from my house (see attached). Except for the weekly tests, when the alarm sounds and a guy comes over the loudspeaker literally saying, "This is a test, this is nothing but a test", we really aren't aware of the nuclear plants. But, not all people feel the same way, and the nuclear option is pretty well shut down, for now.

Fuel cell technology seemed to be making good progress up till about 5 or 6 years ago, then it seemed to slow down for some reason; you don't hear much about it, today.

The best part about it is that I already live in the South; I won't get cold, and my costs won't increase much other than transportation. Heck, I can even get used to showering in cold water -- we did it for several weeks last year, after the hurricanes. But, I might have to trade some living space to a couple of my gun-totin friends in return for protection... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif