I'm confident *WE* will solve this energy/oil crisis

nsxotic911

nsxotic911

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Leave it to the Entrepeneurs and have the government get out of the way.

Just a few thoughts/ideas:

1.) Solar Power/Nanotechnology. Ray Kurzweil in "The Singularity is Near" has predicted that due to Moore's Law effect of capacity and costs doubling/halving every two years, solar powers efficiency will create all the energy we need in 20 or so years and soon the cost will be lower than natural gas. Not much noise on the internet.. but a blurb here: http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/2008/03/is_nanotechnolo.html
2.) More drilling. More supply, 'nuff said. Some of the ultra environmentalists may get hot n sweaty but see what you tihnk when gas is $15/ gallaon in a couple of years.
3.) Biology: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,367642,00.html
 
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If there is a solution out there, it will be developed as long as oil prices stay high. Solution to high prices=high prices. Won't be long when there is this much money sitting on the table up for grabs. It won't be easy though.
 
There are soooo many possible solutions to the current so-called oil crisis that it isn't funny.

1) Natural gas: Proven reserves are some 6500 trillion cubic feet, versus annual global consumption of 160 tcf. The US Engery Info Agency estimates that there is up to 49 million tcf of additional natual gas in methane hydrates under the deep oceans and in frozen tundras. Everyone who is still using home heating oil should switch to natural gas - it is cheaper and far cleaner burning. Also mandate that all municipal transportation (including taxis) use CNG rather than diesel or gas.

2) Develop technology to expliot petrolem shale. Just as Canada has oil sands, the US has the worlds largest deposits of oil shale - equivalent to over 2 tillion barrels of oil, which is nearly 7x greater than Saudi Aribia's oil reserves, and greater that the entire world's known oil reserves. BTW, over 80% of all oil shale is on US Government owned land.

3) Bio-fuels. Just as the original post mentioned bugs that poop crude oil, termites eat wood and pee ethanol. And it doesn't have to be wood or food-quality plants, it can be corn stalks, switch grass, and residential yard waste.

There are many, many more approaches - not to mention 10x better conversation. I'm not suggesting that we need to do without, just cut all of the waste. Some 80-90% of water bottles are not recycled. Go to a restaurant like Cheesecake Factory and watch at least 1/2 of the prepared food end up on the garbage due to the gigantic portions served. How many grocery stores have those open-front refrigerator and freezes cases - do we really need to save the human effort to open and close a door when we buy frozen and refrigerated foods?

I agree that *we* will solce the energy crisis but even the tiniest bit of vision and leadership from the government would help to solve this problem much quicker.
 
Slight detail missing. Develop means of transportation/engines/infrastructure that are more fuel efficient. Not just cars but for big utility trucks and haulers, along with ships, generators, etc. Its one thing to change the source but you have to also curb the demand.

Simple example figure out how to get the MPG of a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris to something the size of a Suburban and I can pretty much guarantee you will sell a ton of those vehicles. This whole marketing BS about "now gets 10% more mpg" is crap. So if the truck got 10mpg I now get 11mpg. WOW. Let me call Al Gore before he has a heart attack. :rolleyes:
 
I would like to ask what others think of my quasi conspiracy theory: Right now there are quite a few methods floating around that take either trash, bio-waste, or sunlight and turn it into fuel. This can be done at ~ $4.15/gallon with todays available technology. No mining, no drilling, no environmental harm. In fact, these methods would solve our trash production and fuel transportation dilemma. Except it is my belief that the powers that be are stopping any use of these technological breakthroughs because it would allow society to continue to put "harmful" greenhouse gasses into the air.

I believe there is a bigger push to "save the environment" than to save our economy. What are your thoughts?

While you are thinking about this, take the time to check out these 2 different alternative fuel producers.

Changing World Technologies
Solazyme
 
I sure oil companys and car manufacturers have a hand in the crisis. How much depends on how much (and who) you believe.
 
we will get out of the "crisis" as its called, i think "crisis" is a little bit extreme of a term, but prices will drop eventualy

we need to do some oil exploration and drilling to help us out until all these "green" things are the way of the world, ie: solar enegry, cleaner way of manufactoring ethanol, and the bug poop and temite pee stuff:tongue:


so what to do now do you ask? well in a few months its going to be time to buy myself a 07+ escalade while the prices are LOW on suvs:biggrin:
 
ChitownNSX said:
You are not kidding....

There is a lot up the steet that has 4 2008 escalades that he cant move for more than 25k each! Atleast that is what they are moving for at the GM factory sale! :eek:
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bull shit! thats ridiculous!


when i looked at escalades 3 or 4 months ago, 07+'s were 50/low 50's for a 30k+mile 07, now you can find 15k mile 07's for 40k, some as low as 35ish with like 30k+ miles
 
2) Develop technology to expliot petrolem shale. Just as Canada has oil sands, the US has the worlds largest deposits of oil shale - equivalent to over 2 tillion barrels of oil, which is nearly 7x greater than Saudi Aribia's oil reserves, and greater that the entire world's
I had to copy this from TC above.....

known oil reserves. BTW, over 80% of all oil shale is on US Government owned land.

But, AND I may be wrong but what I was told was that america is sitting on enough oil to make the problem dissapear. Problem is that when americans first started drilling, the natural gasses in the Oil pockets were released due to ignorance in the entire process of tapping and drilling of Oil reserves. Apparently the natural gas created the pressure that made it possible for the oil to rise to the surface. Once that was all Phucked up we were left with millions or billions? of gallons of oil that we cannot touch due to the mistake. Like one Prime mmembers quote says
"Education will never be as expensive as Ignorance"

Ps My theroy on current matters may seem far out of whack. Maybe the Govt raised the prices, forcing a Newer way of fuel to be born and in the mean time crippiling the wealth of the arab controlled monopoly of oil. IE hurting THEIR ECONOMY or PROFIT rather. Yes Ive been to the middle east and seen bathrooms with solid gold toliet seats. I $hit on one as a matter of fact.
 
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There is no crisis. There is proof of high prices and that is it. Just because prices are high does not mean we have to find an alternative. All we need to do it lower the price. There is plenty of oil and even more greed.
 
I'm not very concerned.

- As far as America not giving our money to OPEC, we're moving in the right direction with the new technologies. We do need the government to ignore the hippies and special interest groups and allow us to drill for oil. We're the only country in the world who doesn't drill off its coast.

Oh, and hybrid cars are NOT the answer. The rest of America will figure this out in 5 years when their batteries only hold 1/2 the charge they used to and they see the cost to have them recycled and buy new ones.
Then they'll discover it again when they realize that the power grids can't even hold the load during the summer time AC usage, much less with everyones cars charging off it.


- As far as prices, I don't buy into the supply/demand causation here. Demand has not DOUBLED in the last year. This is not why the price is up.


- As far as global warming, I don't buy into humans causing it, and I don't buy into it being a big deal. Not to mention, without China, India, etc, etc doing what we're doing, it's pointless. America is a small slice of the world.
 
Crisis, what crisis?
Just a 5 hour drive north of where I live is one of the largest oil deposits in the World.
They can't get it out of the ground fast enough.

The real crisis is the number of people on the planet. No matter how small your carbon foot print is, there are billions and billions of people with a carbon foot print issue. We have over grown the planet.
 
i saw on that show "Crude" on discovery or something that the world's oil is 50% gone at this point. with the increasing use of it, they said it won't be all that long before it's gone.

not saying i believe every last bit of things on TV, but it kind of makes sense.... why we're drilling miles and miles out into the ocean and stuff.

either way, if you STILL think we don't need to change our ways, you're an idiot :tongue:
 
jond said:
- As far as global warming, I don't buy into humans causing it, and I don't buy into it being a big deal. Not to mention, without China, India, etc, etc doing what we're doing, it's pointless. America is a small slice of the world.
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i don't think humans are 100% causing it, but we sure aren't helping!
 
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