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Drilling ANWR and offshore areas to satisfy our out-sized appetite for motor fuels makes about as much sense as buying larger garments to fight obesity. But full speed ahead!
Let’s drill every square inch of this fair land and its coastal margins and suck out every drop of oil and cubic foot of natural gas to fuel mindless errands in our overtuffed SUVs and to keep our ATVs, boats, snowmobiles, golf-carts and jet-skis humming.
Even better, let’s all take out additional home-equity loans so we can buy more vehicles and keep Ford Motor Company in the business of producing more gas-guzzlers. While we’re at it, let’s also encourage every little retired couple to indulge its fantasy of owning, occupying, heating, air-conditioning and lighting a 4600-square-foot home. Life just isn’t worth living without dedicated wine-tasting, home-theater and exercise rooms, is it?
But when we’ve finally used up that last drop of oil from ANWR and that last whiff of gas from western Colorado, then what? The conventional wisdom seems to be that “they” will miraculously discover and develop new sources of energy or new technologies to help us maintain our profligate lifestyle. But who are “they,” and why haven’t “they” been able to foresee and forestall the mess we find ourselves in today? Is it because they won’t, or because they can’t?
It is unlikely that I will ever see the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with my own eyes, but I have seen the area north of Rangely, and I much prefer my imaginings of the first to the stark realities of the second. I hope there’s still time for us to re-order our priorities and consider leaner diets.
HANK SCHOCH
Fruita
19 Responses to “What happens have the oil and gas are gone?”
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 12:15 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Funny that the letter writer should bring up Ford Motor Company and its ‘gas guzzlers’.
I drive a couple of those ‘gas guzzlers’ for a reason.
They are big and heavy.
As an example, recently there was a young woman killed by a person, for whatever reason, drive down the interstate the wrong way.
Had the young lady from Fruita been driving a 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive pickup, would she still be alive?
Chances are, yes she would.
It may cost me a little more for fuel, but my family is worth the few extra pennies per mile.
And that doesn’t even take into consideration the comfort of long trips in a big car as opposed to bouncing along in a toy.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
And, funny that Ford announced that it will cut production of trucks and SUVs for the remainder of 2008. Yes, indeed, “they are big and heavy, and ‘gas guzzlers’ for a reason” - that reason being ridiculously cheap liquid fuels in the USA and grossly ignorant consumers. Guess what? Those happy motoring days with cheap energy are over.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Go ahead and run around in the tiny little toys.
The smaller the better.
As long as my vehicle is large enough to withstand the impact of whatever vehicle the retarded moron is driving that hits me, life will be good.
And for me, and my family, life will probably continue.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 1:08 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Sure thing - be sure to wave (or flip the bird) as I wizz by your rusted Ford hulk, on empty on the side of the motorway. I’ll be the guy in the carbon-fiber-body electric vehicle. Only light years faster and safer than your Yank Tank.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 1:15 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
“rusted”?, “on empty”? “motorway”?, “yank tank”?
Did you make those up all by yourself, or did you have help?
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 1:19 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
ya know…i think i’ve had an epiphany….everybody thinking that petroleum based fuels is evil seems to forget that everything they wear/own/drive/eat must be transported somehow….show me a rail system that goes to each and every little town….better yet, show me an electric vehicle capable of pulling 40 tons of goods over the mountains….like it or not, we must use oil and oil-based fuels until we come up with a better alternative….
p.s.
wlj, those terms are british, if i’m not mistaken….
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
actually, the first two words seem to acurately describe Poster #5’s mental acumen.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 1:37 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
hitekredneck,
There you go again. Dwelling on reality. That common sense approach is so antiquated. That’s why it is not taught in any of our universities. You must be aware that if you continue to espouse this nonsensical approach to reason, it will be whispered in the non-smoke filled rooms that you and Willis are cohabitants of the same village.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
hitekreneck,
This is another example of bad logic and an “one or the other, never both” mentality.
Show me that the majority of vehicles going over the mountains are pulling 40 tons of goods.
Show me someone who is hauling 40 tons of goods who doesn’t want to breathe clean air and drink clean water.
Priorities are important. Unfortunately, it seems to be missing from the brand of “common sense” that a_p is hawking.
We can live for years without petroleum (not that I’d really want to!). However, a lifespan is measured in days without access to water and only minutes without access to air.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
bruce,
it has nothing to do with your “examples” of anything…i never said “the majority of veicles”….i would appreciate it if you thoroughly read my post before you hit submit, because you are in error…the MAJORITY of GOODS that are consumed by all is hauled by trucks all over the country…if you wear it, use it, eat it, or drive it, it’s been on a truck at some point in time…and there isn’t a viable electric vehicle capable of hauling 40 tons (the legal weight for trucks on I-70 in case you were unaware) over vail pass…or event the smaller passes to the west of our fair community…new laws were put into effect concerning the amount of sulfer in deisel fuel that went into effect jan 2007 that will have, i hope, a positive effect on technology for large trucks as well as the environment…and, btw, show me a truck hauling less than he can and i’ll show you a soon-to-be out-of-work driver.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 2:36 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Bruce86,
Ok, pal, why don’t we just start those convoys of electric vehicles over the mountain tomorrow, heck, why not this afternoon. Could it be that those electric vehicles that can haul enough food to feed the populations don’t exist. Not all of us have the privilege of dreaming the world the way we would like it to be immediately. Why don’t you explain to the masses why the grocery store shelves will be empty? The common sense answer to that question is because, if you tried that, you wouldn’t be around to dream anymore. You have presented your case for what your ideal world would be. How about just a little understanding for what the world really is? And a little understanding for those who have to deal with what the world really is. I don’t know anybody out here on either side of this issue who doesn’t want clean air and clean water, but they also want cheap food, cheap gas, cheap housing and anything else they can get cheap. And that group makes up the vast majority of the population of the world.
Try not to be so impatient. Your ideas have been heard, but when someone asks you for a drink of water, you don’t shove a garden hose down their throat. You want all these changes, instantly, and you are going at it like you are killing snakes. That doesn’t overcome resistance that creates resistance. Meanwhile, you are not addressing the real problem. Too many people. Address that one issue, and the resource issue becomes moot. If you don’t address the population issue, no worries, it will be addressed for you.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 2:54 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
hitekredneck,
My apologies for not being more clear.
My point about the “majority of vehicles” is that not every vehicle needs to have the capability of hauling 40 tons. We’d have a lot more petroleum available for the situations where nothing else will work if we reduced our dependency on petroleum in cases where other approaches work as well. Electric vehicles (or plug-in hybrids) will work for the situations in which the need is to move a person from A to B.
Frankly, petroleum is too valuable to carelessly burn in all of our cars when we only want to move one person. Plastics, fertilizers, synthetic fibers, trucks and airplanes should all take a higher priority than individual passenger cars. (Before someone mischaracterizes my statement, I am NOT saying we all should be forced into driving electric scooters. I’m just talking about priorities and weighing pros and cons.)
If I’m still not clear, I can try again if you’ve got a question. I need to head to work soon, though.
a_p, Nice attempt at fear-mongering. Everyone wants food, gas, and housing and wants to pay as little as possible. Mick Jagger had an answer for this.
Sometimes you have to actually pay the true costs of what you want. Cheap gas for you means someone else is paying the remainder of the true costs. This is not idealism. This is realism. Understand?
BTW, you are welcome to start a discussion about population control if this is your cup of tea.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Hey Mike?
How are you going to get yer little carbon fiber auto produced?
It takes energy to produce all the teensy little arts in your teensy little car.
However, having seen a prototype electric car in operation, I do like the rate of acceleration.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 3:03 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
” My point about the “majority of vehicles” is that not every vehicle needs to have the capability of hauling 40 tons. We’d have a lot more petroleum available for the situations where nothing else will work if we reduced our dependency on petroleum in cases where other approaches work as well. Electric vehicles (or plug-in hybrids) will work for the situations in which the need is to move a person from A to B. ”
Well, maybe, as long as my vehicle is massive enough to deflect the vehicle driven by the moron intent on killing me and my family because he/she is too busy not driving to avoid my vehicle.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 3:25 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Bruce86
Fear mongering? OK, you are elected to go out and tell the mob that we are just real sorry, but there is no more food on the shelves. But, first, just for practice, we are going to send you to the first gas station that is out of gas. You can stand out on the pump island and deal with the guy whose on empty and just had a bad day on the drill rigs. That should give you some basic idea what would happen if you multiplied him by a couple thousand. You have a lot to learn about mob dynamics. Remember Reginald Denny? And he wasn’t even trying to tell them anything. Or Rodney King? That’s mob dynamics for you. He was trying to tell them something, but they just weren’t listening.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 4:21 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
‘
Yet more vein-popping attempts at fear-mongering from a_p.
Why are you going on so much about mobs and gas stations that are out of gas?
Weird. Truly weird.
Your ideology is bankrupt.
Go home.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 4:23 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
American_Patriot?
You are arguing with an intellectual black hole.
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
.
More pithy insults from WLJ.
WLJ, maybe there’s a game show or something where you can buy a fact?
Posted May 28th, 2008 at 4:34 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
You promised you were going to work.
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