O's Oil plan: Get ready for gas at $7 per gallon

[mrjarrell]

I've investigated solar hot water heat for my home, the largest solar company making the kits told me it didn't make economic sense for me to do it because solar is too expensive.

I think you're cool guy melensdad but I'd like to throw this out there. Is it possible that less energy can be used? People complain that solar costs too much to sustain their current energy use so maybe the problem isn't with the cost but with the amount of energy use. Being self sustaining may be worth the sacrifice of using less energy.

Don't go the solar water heater route. I had it in Israel and, even with the more frequent sunshine, it never was what you could describe as actually hot, (like you get with a hot water heater). You'd be better served with getting an inline heater or just something more energy friendly. Solar water heating is for the birds.

 

[sepe]

Once fuel prices drive everything to the point only the elite can afford them, I'm moving to the mountains to live in peace.

 

[45calibre]

geez 1.5 years later?

 

[mrjarrell]

geez 1.5 years later?

We've had worse.

 

[XDdreams]

When I was in high school, gas was $1.08/gallon. I didn't think much of it at the time, nor did I realize how drastically the price would go up. People are going to reach a point to which they won't take anymore BS, folks can only take so much abuse before they change their mind frame of "victim" to "aggressor". But it would seem that will be the only way to get something major done will be masses gathering and uniting to fight for their cause. Should we allow inflation to ruin our lives, hell no. Will something be done in the near future about it, probably not.. But the kettle is boiling.

 

[IndyBeerman]

geez 1.5 years later?

We've had worse.

Forgive Lucas156, he's having a senior moment that involves thread necrophilia.

 

[Lucas156]

Forgive Lucas156, he's having a senior moment that involves thread necrophilia.

 

[24Carat]

I don't understand why people are so resistant to pulling the trigger on Natural Gas? We have two Bi-Fuel Ford Contours that have saved us around $9000.00 over the last ten years. Right now NG is selling for $1.30 for a gasoline equivalent gallon of NG in Evansville.

 

[WWIIIDefender]

I work in the oil fields. I drill in the Bakken. The Bakken oil field is bigger than the Saudi oil field and we have been drilling that one for decades. We have plenty of oil and oil replenishes itself a lot faster than people are lead to believe. It isn't about oil its about our rulers and the rulers around the world starving out all the middle class. Gas will always be expensive, no matter how much we drill.

 

[Lucas156]

I work in the oil fields. I drill in the Bakken. The Bakken oil field is bigger than the Saudi oil field and we have been drilling that one for decades. We have plenty of oil and oil replenishes itself a lot faster than people are lead to believe. It isn't about oil its about our rulers and the rulers around the world starving out all the middle class. Gas will always be expensive, no matter how much we drill.

So you're saying we have an unlimited supply of oil? When will it all finally be used up?

 

[sepe]

I work in the oil fields. I drill in the Bakken. The Bakken oil field is bigger than the Saudi oil field and we have been drilling that one for decades. We have plenty of oil and oil replenishes itself a lot faster than people are lead to believe. It isn't about oil its about our rulers and the rulers around the world starving out all the middle class. Gas will always be expensive, no matter how much we drill.

Gas will stay expensive for us because the gas/diesel companies know they can get more profits overseas and we export more of our refined fuel products than we import. It is all about who has the most money. We can have a "shortage" here as long as the profits are still pouring in.

 

[jedi]

The issue of higher petroleum prices will kill you in the grocery store long before it will become economically unfeasible to drive. You think high gas prices suck for you? Imagine the farmers who use petroleum based fertilizers, diesel for tractors etc and then the distributors who ship your food from wherever to your supermarket. Get some gardens started and grab a few rabbits and chickens, folks. They'll be worth more in the years to come if things keep going as they are.

Sadly this does not work for everyone. Think urban and semi-urban areas.

So you're saying we have an unlimited supply of oil? When will it all finally be used up?

Long after you, me our kids and grandkids have left this planet.

 

[Lucas156]

Based on what information?

 

[dross]

Gas will stay expensive for us because the gas/diesel companies know they can get more profits overseas and we export more of our refined fuel products than we import. It is all about who has the most money. We can have a "shortage" here as long as the profits are still pouring in.

If the oil companies didn't sell their product where they could make the most money, our gas would be more expensive, not cheaper.

If you don't understand that, you don't have the economic foundation to be in this discussion. You have the RIGHT to be in the discussion, but what you add is not of use, if you don't understand that basic principle.

I had this argument with my Mom, who is a leftie, about the drug companies. Her argument was that drugs are expensive here (btw, they're not) because the drug companies spend all this money advertising on TV, in expensive time slots like the Super Bowl. She couldn't grasp that advertising brings down the cost of drugs, it doesn't raise it.

It's called "opportunity cost" and if you don't get it, feel assured that you're like the vast majority of people out there. Also know that you don't understand this well enough to have a useful opinion.

 

[Caleb]

Green power really doesn't exist, however it does but as other have said, the cost-to-power produced isn't anywhere near as good as oil. The liberals and hippies are full of ****...

Other than oil, nuclear is our only other power source we can depend on...

 

[Lucas156]

Green power really doesn't exist, however it does but as other have said, the cost-to-power produced isn't anywhere near as good as oil. The liberals and hippies are full of ****...

Other than oil, nuclear is our only other power source we can depend on...

If green energy really doesn't exist shouldn't we be using the oil in the most conservative manner possible? That would be logical but right now the whole worlds oil consumption is increasing exponentially. That tells me that we're going to run out a lot sooner than we think.
The problem I see is our whole food system relies on that oil. If we run out or something happens to interrupt the supply people could be without food for days or more. Its a fragile system that we have in place and we are extremely vulnerable. My solution is for everyone to have a garden, make it normal to actually have chickens and other farm animals in your backyard. Then the food will be right there in everyones backyards where it should have never left in the first place.

 

[dross]

There are many alternative sources of energy. Why aren't they being developed? Because relative to the R&D involved, and our capability right now, oil is so much cheaper. If the oil supply dwindles, these alternatives will make more sense. Then, as these alternatives develop and mature, they will get cheaper. This won't start the day the oil runs out, it's starting now, it will grow and gain momentum.

The problem is that you can't artificially speed this process. It will be driven by natural market forces that will evolve as it makes sense.

 

[Westside]

 

[Caleb]

If green energy really doesn't exist shouldn't we be using the oil in the most conservative manner possible? That would be logical but right now the whole worlds oil consumption is increasing exponentially. That tells me that we're going to run out a lot sooner than we think.
The problem I see is our whole food system relies on that oil. If we run out or something happens to interrupt the supply people could be without food for days or more. Its a fragile system that we have in place and we are extremely vulnerable. My solution is for everyone to have a garden, make it normal to actually have chickens and other farm animals in your backyard. Then the food will be right there in everyones backyards where it should have never left in the first place.

Just because we are using more oil, doesn't automatically mean we are wasting it. I strongly believe we have more oil than our government is telling us that we have. However, I do agree that we should become self reliance by gardens and our own livestock.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

You think seven dollars American for 3.78 liters of petrol is high, komrade?

I suggest you hold forming your esteemed opinion until it reaches at least 10 dollars per gallon. And it will. And you will. One day you will pray for seven-dollar-per-gallon gasoline.

There is enough oil worldwide to last decades, maybe even centuries, even with exponential growth. Especially considering that new fields are still being discovered, and the plethora of as yet untapped fields. The problem is that certain forces would like to act to skyrocket the price. And, yes, eventually shrinking supply and almost totally inelastic demand will shift the price curve, hopefully not as exponentially as the consumption, but certainly higher than you or I can even imagine at this juncture.

And when the day that oil becomes truly scarce finally arrives, you will pray for even ten-dollar-per-gallon gasoline.