js081285

How is going to happen now? We do have an alternative, its called nuclear energy. It is very efficient, but the same tree-huggers that are whining now are the same ones that won't allow us to build nuclear power plants.
We can't even tap into our own natural resources in Alaska, b/c a caribou will have to walk around it. It seems everybody forgot why we bought Alaska in the first place. It wasn't for the scenery.

ghilis101

we dont need to. and if we did, are the oil companies going to pass the savings on to you? think like they do... they have no incentive to deliver cheaper oil to you while theyre currently turning a huge profit

jayray2

Yeah, there is even a rumor going around that you can get some states to pay for a type rating. You just have to see the positive in it all. Things aren't so bad.

aerospacepilot

NO.....NO.......NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.NO.NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT IS NOT TRUE!!

That attitude is a reason the price of oil continues to go up and up and up. We as individuals are not doing anything about it.

If everyone in the United States cut their oil consumption, the price would go down. Everyone can take small steps (drive less, carpool more often, take public transportation, ride your bike). Everyone can take bigger steps too. With the price of gas now, and it is only going higher, why not trade in your older, bigger, inefficient car for a hybrid/plug in hybrid/all electric cars). We as individuals can all have an effect on the price of oil.

Yes, as an individual, you can make a difference. But results will really start to show when the US government starts to do something about it.
My vote in the 2008 presidential election is going to be based solely upon whoever has the best stance at getting the US off of oil.
The government can do a lot of things to help lower the price of oil. Here are just a few examples I could think of off the top of my head:

• Invest billions of dollars in alternative energy research
• Tax credits for companies who research alternative energy ideas
• Tax incentives to make purchase costs of hybrid/plug in hybrid/all electric cars cheaper than comparable gas powered cars. Why shouldn't almsot every car purchased be a hybrid/plug in hybrid/all electric car?
• Massive tax credits for people who install enough solar panels to power their home
• Legislate that a certain percentage of a state/nations electricity come from renewable energy (California is legislated above 30%, and it works)

The help these measures alone would do so much to help the economy that the surge in economic activity would more than make up for whatever tax revenue was spend to make it happen. It would be the government making an investment in our future. And it would be a damn good one!!!


What people fail to realize is that the rising price of oil effects us is so many ways that we forget about. Every piece of food we eat and every store item that we buy has to be shipped in from somewhere. And as transportation costs skyrocket, so does the price of almost EVERYTHING we buy. That leads to inflation, which leads to a weaker dollar, which leads to higher oil prices, and continues in that cycle until our economy stops right in its tracks.

We know high oil prices affect us is so many ways. We know it is terrible for our economy. We know it is going to hurt a lot of people. It will particularly hurt people who do not change their oil consuming habits more than others. And it is time to do something about it!!

ovrtake92

You can save more gas on one 2 hour flight in a Brasilia just by cautious management of fuel than a months worth of hybrid car driving can save. I used to fly the Bro and have done the math. Imagine what the rest of you big plane drivers could do?

Andy

Aerospacepilot, there are two things currently driving up the price of oil:
1) Weaker dollar
2) Speculation

Worldwide oil demand is rapidly declining. OPEC is looking at cutting back on quotas to prevent a price collapse.

The MAJOR problem is #2, speculation. Same speculation that happened in the tech stocks in the late 90s. Same speculation that happened in housing over the last 7 years.
Oil prices are a bubble. And all bubbles pop.
Here's some timeless reading. Man is SO predictible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania

zondaracer

I don't know how many delayed flights that i've been on where the pilot made up the time... is that doing the opposite for fuel conservation?

AA gear puller

We may be in a short term bubble but long term I think the planet is rapidly approaching what is known as Peak Oil. Supply has essentially peaked at current levels or soon will while demand continues to increase, principally by India and China. We may see a short term pull back in crude prices as we enter a recession but long term they will rise. In 5 years it could easily be 200 a barrel or more. The airlines will either have to figure out way to pass this on to the consumer or fail. Period. Either that or someone needs to figure out a way to run a 747 on Chinese food grease. Check out the July 2006 issue of Airways magazine for some interesting reading. Buckle up people it's going to get interesting.

Jaxs170

If people want to make a difference, start convincing others to not purchase 10mpg vechiles that were originally designed to be combat vehicles. There is no need for anyone to cart themselves around suburbia in a Hummer, none, period. I can't wait till those damn things are off the road.

Next, tell your buddies who cannot possibly drive anything other than a ten ton pickup to ask themselves why they are driving it in the first place. Over 90% of those gas guzzlers are not needed by those who drive them. By the way, while you are driving them around at 75mph and giving me dirty looks because I am at 63mph (getting around 35mpg), don't you dare whine about how much gas is costing you. This message applies to SUVs and other such large vehicles.

Efficient driving techniques plus a much more efficient fleet can greatly reduce the amount of oil we use in less than a decade. I've seen studies that show 4-6 million barrels per day can be saved just from these types of relatively minor improvements. If the EU, with over 400 million people, can get by on 14 million barrels per day I believe that the USA can certainly make do on 14 million if we so choose to.

zondaracer

In Europe the average car is small, and also more than 50% of the cars run on low sulfur diesel. The problem with out country is that unless you live in new york city, (or some other walkable city), you have few choices in transport to work/store/school which limit you to your bicycle or car in many cases. We live in a one man/one horse society. Brazil is independent of oil import, they run their cars on E85 (ethanol) and they produce enough oil for all of their needs. Unfortunately, the US does not have the right climate for sugarcane and we produce corn which has a significantly lower yield of ethanol. It is up to 2nd and 3rd generation biofuels and alternative energy. Also we have to start rethinking of how american cities should be designed so that people are not dependent on the automobile. Driving smaller cars and changing the driving habits is a step in the right direction but won't get us down enough in my opinion.