I saw a show on CNBC not too long ago that had experts predicting that the Saudi oil reserves or fields (the largest in the world), had already reached their peak and would begin declining. Of course, the Saudi's poo-poo'ed the reports. But anyway, I think we are many many years away from this happening. But with demand this high, basically from the growing Asian markets, the higher cost of gasoline is basically here to stay. How high is anyone's guess. And Bush, or Clinton or Truman can't stop that. That was the original purpose of this thread.....Bush is at fault here.
Nonsense. There is plenty of oil left, all right, but it is the oil that is hard and expensive to get to and it is very finite. The cheap oil has long since been pumped. The bigger problem is that oil consumption has increased at an exponential rate and will continue to rise while the production will continue to fall and become increasingly expensive on a similar exponential rate in the opposite direction. The result is a major crisis within 50 years. You better start understanding those charts that you fear. We will not only begin to see this in our lifetimes but your grandchildren will live in a drammatically different world that we would not find appealing.
First, I do not characterize any company as evil. It's business and business is good. Special interests having priority over the common good is bad. One thing: MPG standards. We're getting worse fuel economy now than we were twenty years ago. That's assinine. Of course we have to rely on the private sector to develop advances. I prefer the government to not get involved with anything. However, if they do insist on being involved (e.g., passing an energy policy), then I also think they should do what's in the best interests of the country. Which, IMO, is fast-tracking alternative fuels.
http://www.mises.org/fullstory.aspx?Id=1717 i am no expert but i dont believe peak oil. sually doom and gloom stuff is BS. people like to be concerned and scared over nothing. "We will not only begin to see this in our lifetimes but your grandchildren will live in a drammatically different world that we would not find appealing." -red55 i think that is probably the must childish thing red has ever said here. impossibly stupid comment.
You apparently didn't bother to read the rest of my post where I pointed out that the price of gas is tied to everything in our economy. That MAKES it part of his job. You know, it's pretty easy for you to sit back and talk tough, Martin. Not all of us have the luxury of being able to take the subway where we need to go.
its not just a crisis for you car drivers remember: again, i would like to know when it became the president's responsibility to manage the global oil market.
First of all raising MPG standards does nothing to lower gasoline usage. It only costs the consumer more money by car manfacturers passing the redesign ciosts to us. It's another do nothing, feel good thing mandated by Congress to make them look like they're doing something. Fast-tracking alternative fuels.......like what, Hydrogen batteries or fuel cells, or ethanol....corn oil? There isn't enough corn in the world to use to mix with fuel to help us or meet world demand. And ethanol is a lousy fuel........a horrible fuel. I agree, let somebody invent something to help us all but it ain't gonna come from MPG standards or closing the refrigerator door.
I must be missing something. Cars with better fuel economy still use the same amount of gasoline as cars with higher fuel economy? Is my commute going to somehow get longer? Holy crap, I hope not. Ironic that you mention corn. That's the ONE alternative fuel that's provided with mandatory usage increases. I happen to agree with you on this, yet the Energy Bill does not.