What the HELL is wrong with this country

[Mudneck]

We can build & blow up daily in Iraq & Afghanaston but we cant get the ball rolling on mass alternative fuel sources.Write you congressman!

Q. Why is the U.S. not working feverishly at getting this and also hydrogen fuel technology on the front burner ?
 
A. I don't know, ask your congressman!


 http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html

 http://www.valcent.net/s/Ecotech.asp?ReportID=182039

[raca65]

Cause its all about the money...

[trx#9]

Special interest and taco bell, thats the problem.

[backwoods boy]

afhganistan and iraq are a waste of time if we had the same president as pearl harbor we would have just bombed them blown em off the map citizens and all that may have conveyed a better message not to mention saved time money and U.S. LIVES

[digginfool]

afhganistan and iraq are a waste of time if we had the same president as pearl harbor we would have just bombed them blown em off the map citizens and all that may have conveyed a better message not to mention saved time money and U.S. LIVES

You should check your history; WWII claimed ~420,000 American lives and well over 1,000,000 wounded in 4 years before anybody dropped The Bomb.  The economic and human costs to the US was astounding which is why the nuclear response was considered appropriate at the time.  Of course, few thought so after the fact.  You have probably noticed that nobody has rushed to pull the nuclear trigger since then.  Only the most fanatical lunatics have even considered the idea since 1945.

[VForcedave]

Its no secret that we have more oil in the ground in several places including the process of Shale Oil refining than ALL OF THE MID EAST COUNTRIES COMBINED.

Several years ago when the US production was up, and we were building land based rigs as well as off shore rigs, whenever we would start the government beauracracy to start drilling a new promising area, the Saudis would lower prices, then the demand would go down and we would drop the project.

Start letting your Congressman know that we need to drill, no matter what.

The weak dollar is a major contributer to the oil prices, thats a little deeper than most people can comprehend.       

[kfx400rob]

alternative fuels are a total waist of time and money, we have all the oil we could ever need right here in America.

[Chevy1500z71]

everyone seems to overlook that even if we do get crappy hydrogen cars we still need oil for the military, truckers, farmers, ect. we need oil, not alternative fuels. and we have all the oil we will ever need right here in america.

[94Hardbody4x4]

Hydrogen is no cheaper than gas by time it hits the pumps. Even Kerry said it wouldn't be worth producing until gas hits $4.50 gal. Hopefully prices will go down once we get a new moron in the white house.

[MadMudder]

Exaticly, we are wasting so much money right now on technology that we dont have. Hydrogen is a good idea but you have to consider that not only do you have to make the car you have to make it something people want to drive, make it visually apealing, make it perform with the traditional gas cars, AND make fueling stations all across the state so people can acutally drive the damn things. Its money and technology we dont have and even if developed would still cost allot per gallon. Like the above said the future is drilling here. Not nuking the middle east or continuing to buy all our oil from them. We have allot of oil in Alaska and even in the lower 48 that we cant touch because we have sissy tree huggers running the show in congress who block us from drilling anywhere. Somehow saving a fish or not pissing off a moose is more of a concern to our rep's in congress then our future. I mean they make enough of our money to keep gas in their cars why should they care?


We need to be putting our money in drilling technology and better ways to power our homes. We burn allot of oil in powering our homes. A good solution is investing in more nuclear powerplants. Nuclear power is responsible for about 15% of the worlds power. Burn less oil in home electricity = more to put in our cars. Simple. Its also something we have been doing since 1934 and have allot of technology already so the likley hood of making it even better is allot higher then figuring out how to power our cars with water.

[FishaHallic]

everyone seems to overlook that even if we do get crappy hydrogen cars we still need oil for the military, truckers, farmers, ect. we need oil, not alternative fuels. and we have all the oil we will ever need right here in america.

I would much rather pay $4.50 for fuel produced here in this country than for oil pumped in the Middle East.  As far as oil for the military goes, the military is supposed to start getting all there fuel from the United States by taking coal and somehow turning it into a liqued fuel like diesel.  We are supposed to be self sufficient in our fuel for military vehicles but I am not sure when this is supposed to take place.

Alternative fuels is a whole different story.  2 reasons for alternative fuels are to get us off foreign oil and to create a cleaner burning fuel than fossil fuels are.  These are not short term fixes though, it will take years to come up with a viable fuel and even longer to come up with a distribution network.  If we don't start on alternative fuel sources now we are just going to prolong the agony in the future.

[Chevy1500z71]

everyone seems to overlook that even if we do get crappy hydrogen cars we still need oil for the military, truckers, farmers, ect. we need oil, not alternative fuels. and we have all the oil we will ever need right here in america.

I would much rather pay $4.50 for fuel produced here in this country than for oil pumped in the Middle East.  As far as oil for the military goes, the military is supposed to start getting all there fuel from the United States by taking coal and somehow turning it into a liqued fuel like diesel.  We are supposed to be self sufficient in our fuel for military vehicles but I am not sure when this is supposed to take place.

Alternative fuels is a whole different story.  2 reasons for alternative fuels are to get us off foreign oil and to create a cleaner burning fuel than fossil fuels are.  These are not short term fixes though, it will take years to come up with a viable fuel and even longer to come up with a distribution network.  If we don't start on alternative fuel sources now we are just going to prolong the agony in the future.

ok well then  what do the truckers and farmers do when the military is the only ones who can get fossil fuels? do you really think it is a achievable goal to try and reinvent the wheel and get away from fossil fuels? its a stupid thing to even consider when we have so much oil here anyway.

[cheropride]

Here's a weird thing... My husband works in the Port down here.  He works real closely w/alot fuel companies.  Right now, most of our gas that we import is coming from Mexico, at this time, yea, where the heck do ya think Mexico is getting their oil form, freakin the Gulf.  Actually in the US right now, our comsumption is down.  We are paying for China, and Japans increase.  We need to get our own dang fuel and that's that.  The fuel that we do get out of Alaska goes right over to Japan to pay for our debt.  It's crazy.  The freakin green-peace, tree hugin, "global warming" fear monger's need to be put aside, and we need to supply our own.  In Saudi they only pay like 70 cents a gallon, while we are paying out the nose.  Alot of ppl want to blame Bush for oil crisis, give me a break, of all Pres he would be the one that want's to drill here.  It is trully the Al Gores, and the Tree Huggin, Global Warming ppl putting a crunch on drilling, and that's the plane truth.  Obama said it would take 5 years to see any relief if we started drilling for our own oil, that may be true, but we alot further than 5 years for alternative fuels to run this country.  Heck down here they are going to raise our light bill by 18% in the next couple of months, why fuel.  We are paying more at the Grocery stores, why fuel.  the fact that they are using ethnol, is raising the prices on corn, wheat, and that also raise the prices on meat.  Well atleast for once, the farmers are reaping some benefit, but at what cost.....

Do  you know most oil companies right now are using 10% ethnol in all their fuels, and that is a savings to them, grant it ain't much, but we aint seeing that.  We must increase supply - Supply in demand.  And right now, it is the demand all from other Countries that is driving up the fuel cost!  Also stop and think how much tax money goes into oil, in Broward County, it's like 54 cents a gallon.  When McCain came up with the idea to ease the tax on Gas, everyone came against him, when Bush said the same, all the politcians ran the other way.  Heck you know I will take whatever you will give me right now....

Dang I miss $3 a gallon, who would of thought....

[FishaHallic]

everyone seems to overlook that even if we do get crappy hydrogen cars we still need oil for the military, truckers, farmers, ect. we need oil, not alternative fuels. and we have all the oil we will ever need right here in america.

I would much rather pay $4.50 for fuel produced here in this country than for oil pumped in the Middle East.  As far as oil for the military goes, the military is supposed to start getting all there fuel from the United States by taking coal and somehow turning it into a liqued fuel like diesel.  We are supposed to be self sufficient in our fuel for military vehicles but I am not sure when this is supposed to take place.

Alternative fuels is a whole different story.  2 reasons for alternative fuels are to get us off foreign oil and to create a cleaner burning fuel than fossil fuels are.  These are not short term fixes though, it will take years to come up with a viable fuel and even longer to come up with a distribution network.  If we don't start on alternative fuel sources now we are just going to prolong the agony in the future.

ok well then  what do the truckers and farmers do when the military is the only ones who can get fossil fuels? do you really think it is a achievable goal to try and reinvent the wheel and get away from fossil fuels? its a stupid thing to even consider when we have so much oil here anyway.

Your right, it's a tough goal, why should we even try 

[Chevy1500z71]

everyone seems to overlook that even if we do get crappy hydrogen cars we still need oil for the military, truckers, farmers, ect. we need oil, not alternative fuels. and we have all the oil we will ever need right here in america.

I would much rather pay $4.50 for fuel produced here in this country than for oil pumped in the Middle East.  As far as oil for the military goes, the military is supposed to start getting all there fuel from the United States by taking coal and somehow turning it into a liqued fuel like diesel.  We are supposed to be self sufficient in our fuel for military vehicles but I am not sure when this is supposed to take place.

Alternative fuels is a whole different story.  2 reasons for alternative fuels are to get us off foreign oil and to create a cleaner burning fuel than fossil fuels are.  These are not short term fixes though, it will take years to come up with a viable fuel and even longer to come up with a distribution network.  If we don't start on alternative fuel sources now we are just going to prolong the agony in the future.

ok well then  what do the truckers and farmers do when the military is the only ones who can get fossil fuels? do you really think it is a achievable goal to try and reinvent the wheel and get away from fossil fuels? its a stupid thing to even consider when we have so much oil here anyway.

Your right, it's a tough goal, why should we even try 

i know you mean that sarcastically but when we have so much oil right here, it would be pretty damn stupid to try... infact, there would be absolutely no advantage to it.

[Mudneck]

If you listen to the video & read the article they want to use Algae to process oils to use in our existing vehicles. The ticket here is to find a relatively in-expensive renewable fuel source to use in what we already have. New tech ie: hydrogen,solar etc vehicles would be awsome down the road but the algae is what we can use over & over to produce what we need now.


"The Holy Grail in the renewable energy sector has been to create a clean, green process which uses only light, water and air to create fuel. Valcent's HDVB algae-to-biofuel technology mass produces algae, vegetable oil which is suitable for refining into a cost-effective, non-polluting biodiesel. The algae derived fuel will be an energy efficient replacement for fossil fuels and can be used in any diesel powered vehicle or machinery."

[FishaHallic]

There are multiple ways to produce alternative fuel sources, I don't know which one is better or worse but I do know if we don't start working on the problem now the future will be too late.

[FishaHallic]

This is from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves

[edit] United States
 
United States oil reserves peaked sharply in 1970 after the supergiant Prudhoe Bay field was found in Alaska.
United States oil production also peaked in 1970. By 2005 imports were twice production.United States proven oil reserves declined to a little less than 21 billion barrels (3.3×109 m3) as of 2006 according to the Energy Information Administration, a 46% decline from the 39 billion barrels (6.2×109 m3) it had in 1970 when the huge Alaska North Slope (ANS) reserves were booked. With production of around 5 million barrels per day (790×103 m3/d) as of 2006, this represents about an 11 year supply of oil reserves at current rates of production.

If the United States had to supply its entire demand of 21 million barrels per day (3.3×106 m3/d) without resorting to foreign imports, existing US reserves would last only three years at the current rate of consumption.

No oil fields of similar size to the ANS reserves have been found in the US since 1970. With over 2.3 million wells having been drilled in the US since 1949,[43] there are very few unexplored areas left where a similar size oil field is likely to be found.[citation needed] US oil reserve numbers are very accurate compared to those of most other countries.

As a result of the decline in reserves, United States crude oil production also has been declining for nearly 30 years. Production peaked in 1970 at 9.6 million barrels per day (1.53×106 m3/d), but declined 47% to 5.1 million barrels per day (810×103 m3/d) by 2006. At the same time, US imports of oil and petroleum products increased by 400% from 3.4 million barrels per day (540×103 m3/d) in 1970 to 13.6 million barrels per day (2.16×106 m3/d) in 2006. The largest suppliers of oil and products in 2006 were Canada and Mexico, which supplied 2.3 and 1.7 Mbbl/d (370×103 and 270×103 m3/d), respectively.[44]

Imports of oil and products account for nearly half of the US trade deficit. As of 2007, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) of the US Department of Energy projected that in 2007 oil consumption would rise to 20.9 million barrels per day (3.32×106 m3/d), while oil production would fall to 5.1 million barrels per day (810×103 m3/d), meaning that oil consumption would be nearly four times as high as oil production.[45]

In April 2008, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a report giving a new resource assessment of the Bakken Formation underlying portions of Montana and North Dakota. The USGS believes that with new horizontal drilling technology there is somewhere between 3.0 and 4.5 billion barrels (480×106 and 720×106 m3) of recoverable oil remaining to be discovered in this 200,000 square miles (5.2×105 km²) formation that was initially discovered in 1951. If accurate, this reassessment would make it the largest continuous oil formation ever discovered in the U.S.[46] However, it would represent only a five to seven month supply of oil for the United States at current (2007) rates of consumption.

A 1993 United States Geological Survey (USGS) study indicated at least 4.3 billion (95% probability) and possibly as much as 11.8 billion (5% probability) barrels (0.9 to 2.5 km³) of technically recoverable oil exists in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels (1.7 km³). In addition, in the entire assessment area, which covers not only land under Federal jurisdiction, but also Native lands and adjacent State waters within three miles (5 km), technically recoverable oil is estimated to be at least 5.7 billion (95%) and as much as 16.0 billion (5%) barrels (0.7 to 1.9 km³), with a mean value of 10.4 billion barrels (1.2 km³). Economically recoverable oil within the Federal lands assuming a market price of $40/barrel (constant 1996 dollars - the highest price included in the USGS study) is estimated to be between 3.4 billion (95%) and 10.4 billion (5%) barrels (0.5 to 1.7 km³), with a mean value of 6.8 billion barrels (1.1 km³). A May 2008 assessment by the EIA estimated cumulative production of the 1002 area to be a maximum of 4.3 billion barrels from 2018 to 2030. This estimate is a best case scenario of technically recoverable oil during the area's primary production years if legislation were passed in 2008 to allow drilling.[47]


[edit] Oil shale
Main article: Oil shale reserves
The United States has the largest known deposits of oil shale in the world, according to the Bureau of Land Management and holds an estimated 2,500 gigabarrels of potentially recoverable oil, enough to meet U.S. demand for oil at current rates for 110 years. However, oil shale does not actually contain oil, but a waxy oil precursor known as kerogen. For this reason and because there is not yet any significant commercial production of oil from oil shale in the United States as of 2008, its oil shale reserves do not meet the petroleum industry definition of proven oil reserves.


[edit] Mexico

[Mudneck]

http://www.pickensplan.com/index.php

[trx#9]

http://www.pickensplan.com/index.php

The right leadership, we have the right leadership with Bush and Cheney.