Oct 08, 2008 12:51AM GMT
Question
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Politics - United States
Renewable Energy vs Drilling: Which will lower gas prices first?
Few disagree that we should pursue renewable energy. Some argue that we should also pursue drilling (on/off shore) to reduce the dependency on foreign oil (much of which comes from hostile countries) and reduce the price of gas at the pump until we have reliable, affordable clean energy.
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raves +1 posted Oct 11, 2008 06:19PM GMT
Answered None of the above
If we turn to a renewable source of energy we'll only be seeking another country abundant in commodities required to produce certain renewable sources elsewhere at a cheaper cost. Regardless of what that energy source will be we'll always be looking for some form of cheap production (i.e. "some other country"). Independence seems like a great idea, but realistically it would never work. Corporations are only concerned with a profitable business; making there shareholders content with there quarterly earnings.
It's the least say that we should collaborate with our allies if it is absolutely necessary to import these renewable sources. -
raves +2 Oct 12, 2008 11:09PM GMTWe live in a country abundant in commodities required to produce renewable sources. You are on the money when you said corporations are only concerned with a profitable business; this is why we need to take energy into our own hands and decentralize. We can produce our energy locally in abundance.
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raves Oct 25, 2008 11:27PM GMT (edited)you are correct. the usa has 20 of the world's known coal reserves & 40 of all shale oil reserves. the usa also has one of the highest geothermal power production potentials on the globe. natural gas is still cheap,plentyfull,clean & righrt under our feet.
most states west of the mississippi is also have some of the most sunniest days on the planet making them great candidates for solar &,wind power. our two coasts have tidal power potential as well.
when it comes to energy,the usa is truely a blessed nation. we just need the will to make it happen. -
raves +1 Oct 26, 2008 12:48PM GMTAs we are in possession of the largest holdings of coal and the Chinese are short of it as we speak! Maybe a better question is why are the ships that unload from there not return filled with coal? I see ships leave LA/LB Harbor (The biggest in the Pacific) everyday starting the return journey riding high in the water! Seems very wasteful to me!
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raves +1 posted Oct 11, 2008 03:21PM GMT
Answered Don't drill: We must wait for clean energy even if it takes long
Of course drilling will be the quickest, but we really don't need it rightnow. The economy has the gas prices coming down, here in Connecticut its already dropped sixty cents. There are new, more efficient ways to get clean energy. People who have the money are already investing in things such as outside wood furnaces and windmills that can be placed on a garage roof. Each of these are about $10,000, but they pay for themselves in the long run. -
raves +1 Oct 25, 2008 11:31PM GMT (edited)your right. colorado,wyoming,the dakotas & montana have been,are booming & will continue to boom. oil,coal,natural gas,uranium & oil shale,the west is king.
also the west is candidate for some of the best solar, wind & geothermal power sites in all the land.
the new centenial gold rush will be energy in all forms. -
raves +2 posted Oct 10, 2008 07:06PM GMT
Answered Renewable Energy will reduce transportation costs first
Those who think drilling domestically will reduce fuel prices are grossly misinformed. The truth of the matter is that domestic production peaked in 1970 at just over 10m barrels despite the fact that drilling has increased (especially between 1999-2008) and production continues to decline. The oil that is still in the ground is harder to get to and not as good of quality meaning it will take more energy (translate money) to get to it and refine it. We would have to increase production from current levels by more than 70% to keep pace with demand; we cannot drill our way to these numbers. If offshore drilling were to start today it would be more than 10 years before any of that oil made it to a refinery. There is renewable energy available right now, today, and it is truly affordable. If we were to spend the money on renewable energy that will be spent on exploratory drilling over the next 10 years, we could shift our economy to renewables and completely free ourselves from dependence on foreign fossil fuel supplies. Unfortunately this doesn't make the bottom line for the likes of Exxon-Mobil look good and with large corporations such as this so intertwined in our governmental system, messages such as this don't make it to the mainstream.
I would encourage everyone to stud...Those who think drilling domestically will reduce fuel prices are grossly misinformed. The truth of the matter is that domestic production peaked in 1970 at just over 10m barrels despite the fact that drilling has increased (especially between 1999-2008) and production continues to decline. The oil that is still in the ground is harder to get to and not as good of quality meaning it will take more energy (translate money) to get to it and refine it. We would have to increase production from current levels by more than 70% to keep pace with demand; we cannot drill our way to these numbers. If offshore drilling were to start today it would be more than 10 years before any of that oil made it to a refinery. There is renewable energy available right now, today, and it is truly affordable. If we were to spend the money on renewable energy that will be spent on exploratory drilling over the next 10 years, we could shift our economy to renewables and completely free ourselves from dependence on foreign fossil fuel supplies. Unfortunately this doesn't make the bottom line for the likes of Exxon-Mobil look good and with large corporations such as this so intertwined in our governmental system, messages such as this don't make it to the mainstream.
I would encourage everyone to study up on John D. Rockefeller and how Standard Oil changed the face of the American Economy; I think people should discover reality for themselves. By looking further into this, people may come to understand that the answer to the current energy crisis has been with us for many years.(less) -
raves Oct 10, 2008 10:46PM GMTI've heard that gas prices have gone up enough to make the return on investment of drilling these more expensive supplies worthwhile. If the prices haven't gone up that much, and Big Oil controls our dependency on oil so much, will Big Oil just raise the prices to make the drilling worth it? Yeah, that would not lower our prices, but we'd have less dependency on foreign oil.
Do you think that Big Oil has interfered with the hundreds of billions of private capital invested in researching alternatives? You answered that alternatives will lower prices first. Do you believe that we will get to renewable energy despite Big Oil's intervention?
Thanks in advance. -
raves Oct 11, 2008 04:52AM GMTIt is absolutely true that the price of oil has made the ROI worth drilling for the oil companies; if that price were to drop though, then this expensive oil wouldn't be worth it and we would have a bunch of capped wells (like we do now). Drilling isn't about lowering gasoline costs as it is touted; it is about just what you said, the price of oil is high enough to justify this difficult to extract crude.
I don't really know if the oil companies have interfered with the private capital flowing to alternative energy research, but it would not surprise me to find out that were true. I met a guy in Nashville when I was a teenager working at a Chrysler dealership; the guy brought in a 5th Avenue with a 318 in it, he had developed a carburetor that he said got nearly 100mpg on the big car. He told us how he sold the patent to the automakers who said they would start mass production; supposedly he was allowed to keep his prototype but could not produce any more. He disconnected the fuel line from the tank and stuck the line in a baby food jar half-full of gasoline; the 318 idled there for nearly two hours on a few ounces of fuel. According to the gentleman he sold his patent 4 years prior to this demonstration; he said he was taking the car to various shops and dealerships aroun...It is absolutely true that the price of oil has made the ROI worth drilling for the oil companies; if that price were to drop though, then this expensive oil wouldn't be worth it and we would have a bunch of capped wells (like we do now). Drilling isn't about lowering gasoline costs as it is touted; it is about just what you said, the price of oil is high enough to justify this difficult to extract crude.
I don't really know if the oil companies have interfered with the private capital flowing to alternative energy research, but it would not surprise me to find out that were true. I met a guy in Nashville when I was a teenager working at a Chrysler dealership; the guy brought in a 5th Avenue with a 318 in it, he had developed a carburetor that he said got nearly 100mpg on the big car. He told us how he sold the patent to the automakers who said they would start mass production; supposedly he was allowed to keep his prototype but could not produce any more. He disconnected the fuel line from the tank and stuck the line in a baby food jar half-full of gasoline; the 318 idled there for nearly two hours on a few ounces of fuel. According to the gentleman he sold his patent 4 years prior to this demonstration; he said he was taking the car to various shops and dealerships around the country to inspire others to try to create what he no longer could. I don't know if there was anything else involved, but I did see this car run for a couple of hours on an amount of fuel that car would have normally used pretty much just starting up.
My hope is that we will get there despite intervention of the oil companies; we have powerful tools such as the internet to communicate and share ideas that were not present at the time Rockefeller funded the WCTU and helped usher in the prohibition of alcohol based fuels. Imagine if Henry Ford had a blog promoting the production of alcohol-based fuels back in the 20s. I firmly believe it is up to us the public to make the changes necessary to wean us off of oil; we have to make the connection between high oil prices and drilling. As you already know, drilling doesn't equate to lower gas prices.(less) -
raves +3 posted Oct 10, 2008 04:24PM GMT
Answered Renewable Energy will reduce transportation costs first
This is the fastest way since the technology is there all we have to do is start mandating changes in the trucking, public transportation, and the auto industries.
drilling takes more time to produce the cost saving -
raves Oct 10, 2008 10:47PM GMTMandating changes often ends up costing Americans more money. Maybe it could reduce the price at the pump because of the lowered demand, but then we'd pay more for the goods at the store because transportation prices will go up if they must use currently expensive alternatives. Though, if we demand they start using them, they'll probably find a way to lowering the cost quickly!
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raves +2 posted Oct 10, 2008 03:28PM GMT
Answered Drilling will reduce transportation costs first
It is now, and will likely be for the next twenty years (or longer) technically not feasible to get our energy needs from solar or wind energy. It would be possible in ten years to get our energy from nuclear power plants. Just having Bush mention that he would start allowing drilling in areas where he had the authority caused gas prices to plummet. -
raves +2 Oct 10, 2008 07:09PM GMTThe Bush announcement had nothing to do with drilling reducing transportation costs; it was merely the result of supply and demand and perception in the speculative markets. The oil that remains within our borders is of poor quality and difficult to extract. Alternative energy is available, right now, today. Read about Standard Oil company and Rockefeller. The answer is here as it has been for generations.
Answered None of the above
I think we should explore all options at this point.