We need to fully explore our own energy resources rather than relying on
foreign sources. Short term, this means exploiting existing fossil fuels
such as coal, oil, and natural gas, and expanding our domestic exploration
for these fuels. Long term, we need to put our scientists and engineers to
the task of exploiting truly renewable energy sources- wind, hydro, and
solar for electricity generation, and electric vehicles. Hybrids and "fuel
cells" are a crock as permanent solutions. Hybrids merely use less of what
will eventually run out (though they are a ngood bridging technology) and
"fuel cell vehicles" tend to rely on fossil fuel processes (such as natural
gas) to produce energy.
The market will indeed drive these things. How many people do you know that
have begun to think about hybrid, electric, and ultra-high mileage cars
lately? I know lots- I'm currently researching how to build a retrofitted
small electric car (converted VW or similar) for around town driving myself.
I'll keep the Suburban for now- need it to tow the boat or camper. But we
don't drive it to work anymore- the older spare car has replaced it as a
commuter vehicle. We also don't boat as much as we used to... I'm sure that
boat fuel economy will be a main factor in our next boat purchase, as well.
Government needs to stay out of it, IMHO- the wallet of the consumer is a
much more powerful tool for change than any bureaucrat's whim. The
government mandates airbags, but how many of you would buy a car without one
for your family to drive? So, the airbag laws aren't neccessarily needed. I
dare Detroit or Osaka to put out a car without an airbag- it's not gonna
fly. I dare them to keep churning out massive numbers of giant gas guzzlers-
they're going to go bankrupt if they do. If Detroit has any decent
businesspeople at the reins nowadays, they will come up with a 50-60 mpg
(or more) commuter vehicle. I'd buy one, and so would several million of my
neighbors. They should invest in research for an economical mass-produced
electric short-range (50-75 mi) commuter vehicle for picking up the kids
from school, grocery shopping, running to Wal-Mart, etc. They'd make a
killing in just a few years.
wrote in message
ups.com...
Harry Krause wrote:
Regular grade gasoline was $3.05 a gallon yesterday at several docks in
Annapolis. Diesel was $2.61 to $2.65.
Thanks, Dubya.
It's a real stretch to try to blame George Bush for five decades of
over consumption, five decades of refusal to seriously pursue
alternative energy sources, five decades of ass-kissing BIG OIL and THE
BIG THREE automakers. He can be held accountable for the things like
the gutting of CAFE standards during his administration. He can be
criticized for developing a national "energy policy" that concentrates
primarily on squeezing the last few drops of oil out of the ground and
excusing his family's (and other) oil companies from taxes in the
process. He can be resented, a bit, because he and his family are
getting filthy rich(er) every time the price of a bbl of oil goes up a
buck. He clearly has no personal incentive to wish for lower oil
prices, but it isn't fair to lay the blame for the current pricing on
Bush.
The SUV aspect of this whole thing is amusing. Not that SUV's are
primarily responsible for the high prices of oil- but if you remember
the last few years every time some environmentalist suggested that it
might not be in the national interest to offer vehicles that got less
than 10 mpg the right wing radio shows all began to squeal, (on cue),
"we need to let the free market decide what people will buy and drive".
I hope those same apologists have the same "free market" attitude
toward the price of oil. You're seeing $3 at the marina- on the west
coast we're seeing $3 at a lot of regular gas stations (for high
octane).
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