Comments on: Oil Use Down in US, Way Up Globally

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:34 +0000

If the U.S. had decided to be a moral people, and leaving Iraqi oil alone, decided to develop the South Western deserts, with the technology of the times, solar/thermal installations, for the same amount of money as that war cost, today, we would be tapping into the largest, renewable, sustainable, energy source the world has ever known. It would have paid every energy bill in the U.S.A. for maintenance fees only – FOREVER! It is an oil well that can NEVER run dry! After the millions of murders, and billions of dollars, borrowed from our children’s futures and spent, with thousands of our own and others maimed and disfigured for life, millions of families utterly destroyed, ours and theirs, we are no closer to Iraqi oil production than the Iraqis are!
The next time you hear a blithering idiot spoiled brat, drunken, drug addicted, sociopathic, rich daddie’s boy, stand at a microphone and threaten YOUR safety with someone else’s weapons, remember what you lost America, remember, and weep!

By: MXD

MXD — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:26:38 +0000

While conservation is good and should be pursued as much as possible (smaller cars, hybrids, etc), at this point we in the US need to do two things – loosen the ban on nuclear reactors and the storage of it’s eventual radioactive waste (btw – Yucca Mountain can NOT be the only safe place – this is a BIG country!) and, second, loosen the ban on domestic oil drilling. I love nature as much as anyone, but we’ve reached the point where we have no choice – we in the US have GOT to become energy independent ASAP. And while scaling up the nuclear and domestic oil machines will take 5 years (at least), we have very little choice. In the meantime, it appears that any and all conversation done domestically by environmentally and, more importantly, price concious Americans will be MORE than offsett by the increasing use of oil abroad (China and India, especially). So oil prices will continue to rise. So, buy an feul efficient car, turn down the AC, (though, for me, fans are fine), become more practical about how much of Northern Alaska (the part NO ONE ever sees…) will remain pristine, and write your congressman about spending MORE government funds on alternative energy research, especially solar. (I doubt wind energy is scalable enough to be significant, but who knows…). Let’s face it – In the short term (the next 10 years), we in the US will see a continuing decline in our standard of living. Basically, due to globalization, the rest of the world is catching up, at our expense. The “two ocean buffer” that has allowed this country to prosper in isolation is no longer enough.

In the meantime, we also need to start not only balancing the US Federal budget, but PAYING OFF OUR 9 TRILLION IN NATIONAL DEBT. We pay over 300 Billion a year alone in servicing that debt, but, I’m afraid, most politicians don’t have the GUTS to speak about it. And WHO do you think is holding much of our US 30 year bonds? How about the same countries who are getting rich from our foreign oil dependence??

By: John Jangle

John Jangle — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:26:30 +0000

The problem with hybrids is that they take 3 times the amount of oil to manufacture compared with a non-hybrid similar in size. If every car was built a hybrid than we would run out of oil in 15 years, not 45. Not to mention that we will eventually peak oil and then it will become too expensive to burn.

I hope that the ignorance of the people in this country, will stop listening to the news, and actually think logically about the truth.

Fuel Cells are an absolute joke. Any Chemist or Scientist knows that Hydrogen does not come naturally by itself. You must rip it off of a Carbon or Oxygen. It takes energy to rip that off, more energy than you get from the Hydrogen itself. Therefore, you invest more energy than your return. Where do you get this energy to rip off the Hydrogen? We don't have enough wind mills, hyrdro-electric dams, or solar panels to equal the amount of Hydrogen to fuel this nation.

By: Stan

Stan — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:56:27 +0000

Yes! Thank you for your thoughts.

By: Curious Mind

Curious Mind — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:14:04 +0000

Wow! I came here for a little research on hybrid cars, but have now lost all interest. Many of you who comment on this site are just as bad as those you poke fun of. Making fun of people who don’t think just like you and believing that you are somehow superior is hypocritical, to say the least. It’s a big turn-off for those who were once interested in moving into a smaller hybrid vehicle. SUVs, minivans, and trucks are talked trash about, despite that this very site offers information about hybrid SUVs, minivans, and trucks, hmm… Some of you have the nerve to stereotype those who don’t drive a hybrid vehicle by saying that they are selfish for wanting a larger, safer, more luxurious vehicle. Well, I’m sure if we looked beyond automobiles you would find at least one thing that we could do without. Everyone is their own worst hypocrite. If you really want to help the planet and want everyone to consider more fuel-efficient vehicles then start by changing your attitude. Otherwise people are going to associate hybrid cars with the jerks on this site. How can you expect people to change by calling them all idiots?! How did you expect them to react? It’s like pushing some in the hallway and expecting them to apologize for being in your way…doesn’t happen. Grow up people.

By: Simon Leo

Simon Leo — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:00:35 +0000

Oil is not only consume as petrol in vehicles but the plastic products you held in your hands.

An alternative source can come from palm oil which essentially can be make into buckets, cups and other plastic products.

The growing use of plastics in China and india also help drive up prices of oil. Unless alternative source such as palm oil is taken seriously oil will always be more than $100 for the long term.

America's big three needs to make small sub compact cars with good fuel efficiency without having to be hybrid. Cheap sub compact cars can help consumers switched from SUV more easily without feeling more pain in their pockets.

US government must stat to explore alternative source of energy e.g build more nuclear plant, solar thermal plant and wind power station. The dependence on foreign oil is what makes USA weak. A strong USA makes a better world than one in heavy debt, busy fighting in IRAQ and slowing economy. Less expenditure on foreign OIL can channel more needed money to help managed the US economy and improve the life of americans.

Simon, Singapore

By: michael a.

michael a. — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:33:44 +0000

The question is simple:

Fossil Fuel Taxes today or Soylent Green for your kids and grandkids. You choose.

By: felix camacho

felix camacho — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:11:47 +0000

its common sense when you think about it. the price for fuel will not go down. the higher the prices rise, the people will purchase hybrid and electric cars. the more purchases of these types of vehicles the less money or sales the oil companies will make. when this happens the price of oil / fuel will keep rising, and so on, and so on. in the long run we will use less oil based fuels, but… 80% of green house gases is water. so the more vehicles that are developed that will emit clean waters vapor well contribute to higher humidity levels world wide. example: the movie “blade runner”, in that movie, taken place in the future, it rained everyday from all the vehicle putting out water vapor from the exhausts of their vehicles. i’m not complaining at all, hell africa and other continents could use more water. but… this will also cause a difference in climate temperature. remember back in the 70′s they claimed that we will be in an ice age by now. hey any improvement we can do to help our world is the right way to go. felix

By: VaPrius

VaPrius — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:59:57 +0000

3.3L Engine tiny! Holy cr@p batman! What on God's green earth would you consider large and would it fit in the state of Wisconsin?? You are correct, a minivan is not an SUV. But they are not in anyway efficient modes of transportation unless all seats are full. If you read a log of car mags, then that explains your opinion. There are no car mags that wax poetically about the efficiency of a vehicle. Instead they only drone on about how fast it goes or how many horse power. Four bangers frequently get well above 22 MPG.

Your perceptions illustrate how jaded we American are. We think we NEED big cars/trucks and that there is something wrong with small cars. Even at the expense of our children.

By: blackx

blackx — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:10:53 +0000

Wow, how come the pro high gas price people that respond here are so hateful? I thought liberals loved everyone. Guess I was wrong.

We had a mini van with a tiny 3.3 Liter engine. On a good day, it got 17 mpg. It was certainly not an suv and the mileage sucked. I read a lot of car mags. Many cars with little engines DO NOT get good mileage. I am sorry, a 4 banger should be able to get better than 20 -22 all around with real world driving.