Oil prices increase again and so for other commodities as well I guess.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080428...o3QQB5i5FvaA8F

anything else that we can do?
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One of the reasons I bought my motorcycle. The price of gas is killing me. It costs me $80 US dollars a week just to drive too and from work. The bike will cost me about $40 a week.

Originally Posted by jabo

anything else that we can do?

We are occupying a country with the 2nd largest oil reserve in the world. It would be really nice if we could start pumping oil out of it, or at least start siphoning off some of the billions of dollars in oil revenue too ease the strain on our economy this war is causing. Its starting to really concern me that maybe this war wasn't about oil.

How about simply drilling for the oil in South Dakota or Alaska?? Allowing the oil companies to build more refineries?? Drill more holes in the gulf?? Texas, Oklahoma??

There is plenty of oil here, but the environmentalists have made it too expensive and difficult to actually do anything here..

why dont we just switch over to other sources of power?

Originally Posted by Feydakin

How about simply drilling for the oil in South Dakota or Alaska?? Allowing the oil companies to build more refineries?? Drill more holes in the gulf?? Texas, Oklahoma??

There is plenty of oil here, but the environmentalists have made it too expensive and difficult to actually do anything here..

I don't think it will help. Unless those additional wells could produce an overwhelming amount of oil, it wouldn't be enough to flood onto the markets and lower the price based on supply and demand since the amount of production OPEC controls would make it insignificant. Can you think of any reason why U.S. oil companies would sell oil drilled from U.S. reserves to the U.S. at a cheaper price when they can sell it on the world market at the OPEC inflated rate? I suppose the Government could get into the oil business and sell U.S. oil drilled from ANWAR to the U.S. only at a fixed and lower price.

I figure since IRAQ now truly depends on U.S. troop presence for stability, we should start an "Oil for Troops" program.

Originally Posted by shtickle

why dont we just switch over to other sources of power?

It seems we are working feverishly at this, which is one of the reasons the price of oil is high. Between the "global warming scare" and foreign dependence, the pressure to get off of oil is higher than ever, leaving those who have it wanting to milk it for every $ of profit left. Call me a cynic, but I'd be very suprised to see any huge strides in less than 10 years.

Originally Posted by shtickle

why dont we just switch over to other sources of power?

Because the price of oil is high, making investment in campaign finance bribes a lucrative trade.

Originally Posted by jabo

anything else that we can do?
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With supply and demand, and without a great deal more control over supply, our best lever is reducing demand.

Oil prices will not be what they used to. You can drill all you want in Alaska which is only a trickle and would NOT bring down prices. The problem is larger demand. China, India, Indonesia, and much of the world are raising their standard of living and use oil.

How about converting engines? Using hybrids? I don't know much just yet about their effect on the environment but I think that it can minimize oil consumption. I think other alternatives maybe cheaper, like ethanol, used oils (for converted diesels) but the resources are still very scarce. Not all gasoline stations supply this alternative fuels. Well, what I do to save in gas is use public transports....

The 2008 Volkswagen Golf TDI gets 60 miles to the gallon burning spent French Fry oil(Bio-Diesel or Diesel). Not a bad proposition if you own a McDonalds. That type of mileage outperforms most hybrids without the increased electric bill.

But we already know that there is as much oil under the Dakotas as there is in the middle east.. If we begin to tap that resource with any sort of "real" effort, I think that it will for the price of oil to us from OPEC down dramatically.. If for no other reason than for them to not lose us as a customer.. It has the side benefit of making politics over there irrelevant to what we do here.. If we don't need their oil we don't need to be over there..

And yes, as I get older I care less and less about what other nations say, think, or do and become more of an isolationist..

Personally, I'd like to trade my volvo break for something like this. An compressed air powered car.
For short runs, or city traffic, it would be just perfect...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Air_ca..._air_0104.html
http://www.gizmag.com/go/7000/
http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/4217016.html