[Alan Becker]

A neighbor upon learning I planned to buy a Prius accused me of being anti-patriotic and anti-American. She said that I should be purchasing a Hummer, or at the very least an SUV(she has 3 of these) to show my support for the President. When she learned that I have no support for the President she silently retreated to her domicile and has not spoken to me since. What a blessing! :lol:

 

[john1701a]

Fear & Misconceptions will make people say things that are anti-beneficial.

Just wait until there are so many hybrid SUVs on the road that the technology can no longer be ignored. Attitudes will change.

As for our President, his actions are not balanced. He has been focusing solely on the bandaid approach, just drill for more oil. Had he also provided some support for hybrids as well (rather than just ignoring them, read my logs), then I'd show some support for him. But he didn't. So I won't.

 

[jimb]

Do you really believe that first post? 2nd, where are your facts that "just drill for more oil" is true?

jim

Fear & Misconceptions will make people say things that are anti-beneficial.

Just wait until there are so many hybrid SUVs on the road that the technology can no longer be ignored. Attitudes will change.

As for our President, his actions are not balanced. He has been focusing solely on the bandaid approach, just drill for more oil. Had he also provided some support for hybrids as well (rather than just ignoring them, read my logs), then I'd show some support for him. But he didn't. So I won't.

 

[john1701a]

> Do you really believe that first post?

Sure do. I've encountered the same many times myself.


> where are your facts that "just drill for more oil" is true?

In my logs and mentioned countless times in the media over the past few years...

And guess what, they did. Now we have a new problem. The refineries can't convert the oil to gas fast enough to meet the ever-increasing demand. Increasing production isn't possible, since they are already at 100 percent capacity.

 

[BIF]

...As for our President, his actions are not balanced. He has been focusing solely on the bandaid approach, just drill for more oil....

I believe it's really the tourniquet approach, and I believe that eventually, we will have to drill everywhere possible for more oil. And I'll bet the past four Presidents were aware of this, starting at least as far back as Carter, but maybe even with Ford before him.

I did read someplace that we only use about 3% of our oil for transporation needs. The rest is split between manufacturing, agriculture, and bringing goods and services to market.

Think about it: We don't grow, make, or sell ANYTHING without oil. The forestry business runs on oil. We couldn't even make toilet paper without oil! Did you know that the Amish are forced to use plastics to package and sell their cheeses? (okay, maybe they sell the cheese to a distributer, and the distributer wraps it in plastic, but it's pretty much the same thing!)

Given all this, one might say that it's oil that keeps us alive and healthy and reasonably disease-free. It's why we can support such huge populations on Earth!

And it's why I think that eventually, we will drill everywhere, because there'll be no other way. And I think the President knows this. Congress knows this too. But no elected official wants to make people think he's not "environmental." Nor do they want to be accused of a poor economy "under his watch." So we get no real long-term plan.

But eventually, we will drill in ANWR. Eventually, we will drill in the Gulf of Mexico. Eventually, we'll drill everywhere we can to find oil, because we will have to. And it won't matter who is President, or what political party he's from.

 

[john1701a]

Alternate power sources, like wind & fusion (not fission), are improving significantly. While at the same time, efficiency of electrical devices is improving.

Taking advantage of those options help to keep the emissions & consumption under control. It also helps provide a future for our children and their children. Leaving them with a toxic planet and no energy source is not a good plan.

 

[BIF]

Yes, John...we are in agreement.

 

[richard schumacher]

I did read someplace that we only use about 3% of our oil for transporation needs. The rest is split between manufacturing, agriculture, and bringing goods and services to market.

Think about it: We don't grow, make, or sell ANYTHING without oil. The forestry business runs on oil. We couldn't even make toilet paper without oil! Did you know that the Amish are forced to use plastics to package and sell their cheeses? (okay, maybe they sell the cheese to a distributer, and the distributer wraps it in plastic, but it's pretty much the same thing!)

Given all this, one might say that it's oil that keeps us alive and healthy and reasonably disease-free. It's why we can support such huge populations on Earth!

This is really an argument that, if we had any sense, we'd stop burning oil; it has too many other uses. Besides, burning things is for cavemen.

 

[Sparky]

Yesterday I guy working at Home Depot told me that he used to work at Lucent, but because of current economic climate he was fired....when asked he said that he voted for the current regime and that he planned to vote for Bush again.

I wonder if he drives a Hummer?

 

[BIF]

Hi, Sparky:

One can't blame Lucent's bad management (and subsequent layoffs) on a US President. That would be just plain irresponsible.



Hello, Richard:

"This is really an argument that, if we had any sense, we'd stop burning oil; it has too many other uses. Besides, burning things is for cavemen."

Yup, you're right. Amen, brother!

 

[jimb]

"the media", that's funny. The media has no bias, correct?

> where are your facts that "just drill for more oil" is true?

mentioned countless times in the media over the past few years...

 

[Pebble Beach]

SUVs and Hummers are major culprits for the insatiable demand for oil that this country has. So few care about anything outside their own little word I guess. Very few seem to care what the cost is for all of us resulting from these ridiculously inefficient vehicles.

 

[micemommy]

I just don't get "buy Hummer, use more oil ---> support president ---> be patriotic" logic (if there is any).
Speaking of media, you just need to do a little bit of research to compare and find who's less biased and who's trying to get all the sides represented...not that different from shopping for Prius and listen to different dealers. Some are crooks and some are decent. :wink:

 

[Pebble Beach]

micemommy, there is no logic. It still sounds like something you would find in the Onion. Right out of DR Strangelove too.

 

[BIF]

Oh yeah, "The Onion" is hilarious. I can see this headline:



"They'll just want more"
Peoria Woman Says Saving Oil For Future Generations Unpatriotic

Peoria, IL; Today, a resident of South Undershirt Street claimed that conservation of world oil supplies is un-American, and should be made illegal. "We have a right to burn all of the earth's oil by this Saturday," said 28 year old Cathy Davis-Smith-Wiggenwumpinwagonbachin. "If we don't, then we're just setting a bad example, coddling the next generation, making them expect to have natural resources and clean air left for them." When asked what she thought about the latest scientific revelation that there's too much water in the oceans, she opined, <more on page 2>

 

[Daniel]

When she learned that I have no support for the President she silently retreated to her domicile and has not spoken to me since.

You don't support the president??? Just because he's a lying, corrupt moron who stole the election doesn't mean Americans have a right to not support him. What's this country coming to?

Alternate power sources, like wind & fusion (not fission), are improving significantly.

Hey John, read up a bit. Fusion is as much of a boondoggle as fission. Even assuming they overcome the technical problems of plasma containment, it requires heavy hydrogen, which is not at all plentiful, and the fusion process produces high-energy neutrons which in turn produce a million kinds of nasty radioactive isotopes.

I think you are too young to remember the early years of nuclear power, when they promised us that electricity would be too cheap to meter. That turned out to be a lie. The promise that fusion will be clean is a lie also.

Wind, solar, biomass, and probably many other renewable energy sources are viable NOW. Wind energy would be economical NOW if it were not for the enormous subsidies given to coal and nuclear. But fusion is a total boondoggle, and they are still very far away from making it work in anything but a hydrogen bomb.

 

[jimb]

You don't support the president??? Just because he's a lying, corrupt moron


Clinton is out of office. You left out rapist though.

 

[BIF]

jimb: Funny! LOL

 

[Daniel]

Clinton was not a moron. Lying and corrupt, sure. They're all lying and corrupt, all over the world. But when the president is a total moron it gives America a bad image.

 

[BIF]

Hmmmm, but it is my opinion that this President is indeed NOT a moron. You should say that you disagree with him. When you say he's a moron, I believe you are giving yourself false comfort. Plus, you are underestimating him and his political acumen. Sort of like a lot of people underestimated the one before him...

...but once again, this is just my own hot air.

(edit: corrected a misspelled word...yeah, I'm AR like that)