Comments on: Is oil our heroin?

By: Who Cares

Who Cares — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:32:05 +0000

I don't know if this is the solution, or part of it, but a car that run 125 miles on compressed air is certainly intriguing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4
http://www.theaircar.com/acf/air-cars/air-cars.html

Of course, TANSTAAFL: energy is required to compress the air, and in some locales that will mean burning coal among other things, or splitting atoms, but over time these can be replaced with green alternatives. Another advantage over schemes such as fuel cells or natural gas (T. B. Pickens) to power cars, the network to distribute the energy already exists in the form of the electric grid, and there's no need to produce or dispose of the highly toxic components in batteries.

By: David

David — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:46:18 +0000

Also, Mexico became more of a haven for U.S. companies to use Mexican lands for agribusiness where the food is produced for export(Cargill, Birdseye, Conagra, Tyson, Hunt, Campbell's Soup, etc.). The rural Mexican farmers can barely survive, and that's another reason why Mexico depends on us for corn. So, biofuels is hardly to blame for starvation. You can put most of the blame on oil prices in general and the dealings between the U.S. government and Mexican government. And the Mexican government has dealings with many other governments, too.

By: David

David — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:37:45 +0000

Ken C: Then let's stop oil subsidies.

People: Oil companies do not want to drill. If they did, our government would be told to allow it. If they were to drill a bunch, production an supply would increase and oil profits would drop. So, oil companies don't want that.

High oil prices cause the demand for ethanol, so high oil is what SUPPOSEDLY causes starvation in a double whammy(by just the oil prices and the corn prices increasing). However, ethanol doesn't necessarily cause starvation. Take Mexico for example. When the Mexican people were plenty capable of growing their own corn even more cheaply than we could, the Mexican government sold out their people and made them slow down domestic production and buy from the U.S. because they wanted to pocket the payoffs and tax money from business with us. As a result, they became totally dependent upon our corn, much like our government sold us out on oil as we're totally dependent upon the rest of the world. So, in essence, blame governments and high oil prices for starvation, not biofuels.

By: otilio orabona jr

otilio orabona jr — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:50:57 +0000

Well lets get real folks this oil problem is not going away by it self
therefore I propose a solution that will resolve this once and for all if people
will only listen.....
In the spirit of of honored past president Roosevelt of the new deal era
I suggest a manhatten scope project to create new jobs , promote
the well being of our economy and send the 3rd finger salute to our so called arab allies.......Here it is .invest in new hydrogen fuel cars ,electric cars andthe infrastructure needed
to support them. Invest in nuclear power to generate electricity to power them and the jobs created in this hugh effort will revive our ailing economy....get rid of the cronies in the white house that
would veto the legislation that would be needed to make it happen....america wake up take charge of you country.....Once Benjimin franklyn was asked if they had finished drafting the constitution his responce was" yes
you have a democracy now lets see if you can keep it......."

By: Franko

Franko — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:07:21 +0000

Oiletta, the Heroine, sacrafices, combusts, to promote efficiency.
Increasing CO2, plant growth, human activity, not infinite, exhausted,
Now, her price is too high, even more wars cannot supply.

She will sleep and rest a while, inside Pandora's box.
Out come the alternate fuels, happy for US!

By: JB

JB — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:09:19 +0000

What is the solution to our oil addiction?

Answer: Make oil less attractive to consumers and businessess and make competing energy sources more attractive. The increase in the price of oil is helping to curb consumption. More alternatives need to be developed. Think about it....a critical component of our mobility (i.e. aircraft) are entirely fossil fuel based. Someone please correct me if you know of a helicopter/plane that is powered by one or more renewable energy sources.

However, the real question isn't about oil addiction; it's about energy consumption. We waste a lot of energy. Meaning the way we generate and use energy is very inefficient. To resolve our energy problems we need to do one or more of the following:

1. Use less overall energy.
2. Use energy more efficiently.
3. Engineer new, more efficient ways to create energy (e.g. fusion)

Sadly, people are slow to change. Change can be accelerated via incentives (either positive or negative). Law makers should seek to develop programs and laws that offer positive incentives to help bring
about change.

By: Eugene Kudrow

Eugene Kudrow — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:38:55 +0000

"T Boone Pickens plan is to make money. He just corrupting his plan on making money by investing instead in wind power other than oil. Why doesn’t he invest in the this magnetic power."

Nothing wrong with making money. However, the broader principle that I mentioned in relation to his plan was that we need to get energy indepedent as soon as we can – using any and all means – magnetic, conventional, solar, wind, tidal, biofuels from algae, methane from landfills, what ever.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:17:25 +0000

Is oil our heroin? No, money is!

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:00:32 +0000

Regarding T Boone Pickens plan as read: "I agree with the general ideas behind T Boone Pickens plan, do what we can today to make ourselves energy independent, and work towards fossil fuel independence over the next 10-50 years."

T Boone Pickens plan is to make money. He just corrupting his plan on making money by investing instead in wind power other than oil. Why doesn't he invest in the this magnetic power.

By: Austin

Austin — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:00:20 +0000

I wouldn't say we are addicted to oil. We are addicted to our modern lifestyles that are powered by energy. In the near future, for our vechicles that energy is going to be oil. Those that want us to drill for oil aren't saying that this is our long term solution. It is what is needed to power us for today however. Eventually this can likely be replaced by Hydrogen and/or Solar power cars. Solar power gets twice as efficient each decade. We are about 2 decades away from it being a real alternative to gas. Pouring more money into it could speed it up a little, but it won't necessarily do so.

Oil and coal doesn't make us sick no matter what our Senate Majority leader says. It fuels our modern life which is alot more productive and cleaner than it was before these fuels were used.