When Boone T. Pickens says "It's time to move on" you know we've missed the train. And nuclear power isn't the answer.
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US Presidential Elections thread - the fate of the world to be decided (3 Viewers)
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The train left the station years ago and is now sinking off the coast of China.
This whole Pickens plan will not work, alternative energy sources are not as efficient as the stuff we have been using already, and with the current economic crisis, not too many people are going to rush out and buy that $40,000 electric car available in 2009. Fuel mixes of existing generating capacity for electricity is 68% coal, 20% nuclear, 0% wind, 27% nat gas, and 6% oil. That isn't much oil compared to uses for other things. All this talk of wind power, solar, et cetera, will not be able to be harnessed for decades, plus oil doesn't really have much of an impact on the electricity grid. So all this clean energy rhetoric is a lot of Dixie whistling.
Oil goes into far too many products to just forget about it all together. Until our economy is able to no longer need life support, thus allowing people to buy those efficient cars, driving oil demand down, oil will be the major commodity we use. With experts saying we might have 10 to 15 years of slowed economic activity, forget about alternative energy. It's impossible to implement such changes to how this country runs overnight.
This whole Pickens plan will not work, alternative energy sources are not as efficient as the stuff we have been using already, and with the current economic crisis, not too many people are going to rush out and buy that $40,000 electric car available in 2009. Fuel mixes of existing generating capacity for electricity is 68% coal, 20% nuclear, 0% wind, 27% nat gas, and 6% oil. That isn't much oil compared to uses for other things. All this talk of wind power, solar, et cetera, will not be able to be harnessed for decades, plus oil doesn't really have much of an impact on the electricity grid. So all this clean energy rhetoric is a lot of Dixie whistling.
Oil goes into far too many products to just forget about it all together. Until our economy is able to no longer need life support, thus allowing people to buy those efficient cars, driving oil demand down, oil will be the major commodity we use. With experts saying we might have 10 to 15 years of slowed economic activity, forget about alternative energy. It's impossible to implement such changes to how this country runs overnight.
My numbers of the US "Energy Pie" (Dept of Energy) show petrols with 40%, Natural gas 23%, Coal 23%, Nuclear 8%, and Renewables a combined 6%. But numbers vary with source.
The point of the matter is that we must start now. A lot of people said what you are saying in the 1970s and people tossed renewables to the wayside instead of developing them for cost. With our economy in the shambles new jobs in the renewables industries should be welcome. Especially with investors needing a new commodity to get behind. Investments in "Green" companies from the ground up could be a big help to the economy in the very near future. In addition, when you consider the cost of building new refineries, coal powered plants, or nuclear plants to meet our growing energy needs the cost isn't that different from the investment needed to make renewables a viable energy source. Sure we won't see results for 10 years or so, but I think it's quite obvious, especially right now, that such a short sided view of energy policy is hardly sustainable. No one is saying to drop oil or coal immediately because such a thing would no doubt cause a global economic collapse. What we need to to is begin investing in these technologies so we can integrate our power sources which will lower our reliance on foreign oil. The best scenario is a future when resources such as coal and petroleum are only needed for lubrication and to make plastics. It's quite obvious that our current energy path leaves future generations without the ability to make either.
The point of the matter is that we must start now. A lot of people said what you are saying in the 1970s and people tossed renewables to the wayside instead of developing them for cost. With our economy in the shambles new jobs in the renewables industries should be welcome. Especially with investors needing a new commodity to get behind. Investments in "Green" companies from the ground up could be a big help to the economy in the very near future. In addition, when you consider the cost of building new refineries, coal powered plants, or nuclear plants to meet our growing energy needs the cost isn't that different from the investment needed to make renewables a viable energy source. Sure we won't see results for 10 years or so, but I think it's quite obvious, especially right now, that such a short sided view of energy policy is hardly sustainable. No one is saying to drop oil or coal immediately because such a thing would no doubt cause a global economic collapse. What we need to to is begin investing in these technologies so we can integrate our power sources which will lower our reliance on foreign oil. The best scenario is a future when resources such as coal and petroleum are only needed for lubrication and to make plastics. It's quite obvious that our current energy path leaves future generations without the ability to make either.
I agree, we should start investing in alternatives now, but people are under the impression changes are going to be made over night. It's going to take a long time. And with a stagnant economy, changes will only take longer to implement. For the foreseeable future, oil is not going to run out and with the world economies the way they are, demand for oil is going down. The only reason why people started to become outraged is because the demand before the Olympics sent prices to record levels, but now it's back down to "regular" levels and 75/barrel is probably where it should stay for a while. Maybe the government and people alike needed a kick like that to open their eyes to their ways. But now, we have a whole other mess on our hands, which is allowing our economy to recover. And I don't have to remind people which commodity is crucial to that job.
We certainly need to start now, but we have to admit the reality that oil will still play a big part in our future. Perhaps if people didn't buy their F350's and SUV's thinking crude prices would stay rather static, prices may be more reasonable today. Start building nuclear plants and more fuel efficient cars now, but don't expect a real impact until at least a decade or until our economy recovers, whatever happens first. People may have to live with the bad situation we've put ourselves in. So let the learning commence.
We certainly need to start now, but we have to admit the reality that oil will still play a big part in our future. Perhaps if people didn't buy their F350's and SUV's thinking crude prices would stay rather static, prices may be more reasonable today. Start building nuclear plants and more fuel efficient cars now, but don't expect a real impact until at least a decade or until our economy recovers, whatever happens first. People may have to live with the bad situation we've put ourselves in. So let the learning commence.
Nice one.
, but I have seen it's Russian and Georgian analogousShe is giving Alaska such a bad name. When I was in junior high there was a tv show set in Alaska I used to watch. One of those really slow "here's what happened today" shows where nothing happened. And yet it had a certain elusive charm to it.
Btw Andy, I'm amused at the number of people who keep saying "hey I don't have a horse in this race, but here's 10 reasons you can't trust Obama".
Btw Andy, I'm amused at the number of people who keep saying "hey I don't have a horse in this race, but here's 10 reasons you can't trust Obama".
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