If you think oil prices are high at $40 a barrel then wait till they are four times that much.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3777413.stm

IMO oil prices should be much higher than they are today. Maybe people would stop wasting it !

nor would they be able to afford food and packaging or even medical procedures.
I have said that no resource will last forever, its not practible or even logical. I have been an advocate for hydro and nuclear power for electrical consumption and electric cars and other new energey sources. Such as GM's hydrogen car.

Originally posted by Beirut_Veteran
nor would they be able to afford food and packaging or even medical procedures.
I have said that no resource will last forever, its not practible or even logical. I have been an advocate for hydro and nuclear power for electrical consumption and electric cars and other new energey sources. Such as GM's hydrogen car. as far as politics go, that electric car stuff will go to the highest bidder. who's ever in control of letting those car hit the market full blast, is being paid off by companies like gm ford dodge and gas suppliers. thats why i think that this shit has nothing to do with caring about people. they could pass that right now, but someone would lose a lot of money, so they cut their losses and pay a polititian to not pass the law..........the illegal term is payola, so they created a legal term for it........lobbying !

Legislation will do little to force the development of alternative energies. The markets will do that just fine.

Transportation accounts for 90% of the worlds oil consumption. There will always be sufficient Oil available for the carbon chain chemical industry (plastics, drugs etc)

As supply weakens and demand increases (as it will as the world economy grows) - then oil prices will climb. This will improve the economics of less cheap oil supplies. Canada has more oil than the whole of the middle east - its just not cheap oil. It's oil mixed with sand that costs more to extract. There is an abundant supply of oil in the world - as the article states - its the cheap oil that is running out (perhaps - afterall it has always been running out - reserves have stood at 40 years for the past 80 years)

But, even assuming the cheap oil is running out soon - higher prices will reduce consumption.

Any scaremonger that says the world is header for oil induced disaster as the pumps run dry is simply that - a scaremonger. There is no economic basis behind such fantasy.

Hydrogen cars are a pipe dream. There are several ways to make hydrogen - none are cheap. Traditionally H2 is made by reforming methane (natural gas). Then add on top the cost to liquefy. There is a much chance of H2 cars as there is cold Fusion reactor cars.

It's my understanding that people are already driving less in response to the high gas prices.

Most trips people make (outside of commuting) are distances of only 2 miles. Something that can EASILY be attained on a bicycle. 10-15 minutes depending on hills and your endurance.

I think the solution is only going to come from abandoning the car as a main mode of transit.

Car shares are becoming more common, as well as car-pools and better forms of public tranist. They just finished building another Light rail train here in Portland with 2 more projects on the horizon.

The only way we are going to get people to drive less is to vastly improve our public transit system. In some cities their public transit system is great, Atlanta's MARTA is one which I was very impressed with. However, and particularily in the Northeast, public transportation is awefull, and sometimes worse than driving. I could take a train to work...but the first I could get there is 0930...maybe if they could get me there at 0830 I would take it.

Originally posted by The Republican
The only way we are going to get people to drive less is to vastly improve our public transit system.

Actually, the only way to get people to drive less is to make driving a huge pain in the ass or to make it too expensive. There aren't a lot of people that are going to give up the freedom that comes with driving until they're forced to, no matter how nice the alternatives.

Originally posted by DrewM
Hydrogen cars are a pipe dream. There are several ways to make hydrogen - none are cheap. Traditionally H2 is made by reforming methane (natural gas). Then add on top the cost to liquefy. There is a much chance of H2 cars as there is cold Fusion reactor cars.
Not necessarily. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the potential of hydrogen. First of all, hydrogen cars exist already, there's just no easy way to mass produce the hydrogen. Secondly, it may indeed cost more energy to get hydrogen right now than you get out of it, but we may discover a new way to refine it. Thirdly, even if we don't, we could use solar energy to refine it then that hydrogen to put in cars. There's possibilities for hydrogen, the question is is it worth it?

Originally posted by BorgHunter
Not necessarily. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the potential of hydrogen. First of all, hydrogen cars exist already, there's just no easy way to mass produce the hydrogen. Secondly, it may indeed cost more energy to get hydrogen right now than you get out of it, but we may discover a new way to refine it. Thirdly, even if we don't, we could use solar energy to refine it then that hydrogen to put in cars. There's possibilities for hydrogen, the question is is it worth it?

What you have written is an excellent example to describe what 'pipe dream' means :)

Pepper by any chance do you build bicycles? I walk a lot around town but I do need a car to get the 200 miles to my VA appointments and I doubt you could bring in 50k pounds of goods on a bike.
I agree to a point that we need to curb our usage but not remove it.