$7 gallon gasoline, 10 million fewer cars by 2010

[MODU]

The one thing I can't believe NO ONE seems to talk about (and this is the easiest solution and a sure-fire one) is improving our national public transit systems.

It does get mentioned, but doesn't receive much media coverage.  People missed the bailout Amtrak received recently (even though I think it needs to be broken up and allow the private sector to manage passenger traffic), which does a decent job of covering the New England states and parts South.  In fact, their usage is near record highs right now.  But I think in the long run, it would be cheaper for the government to invest in short and long-term energy solutions than trying to build a new set of passenger rail systems.

[Flying Dog]

ha..ha... Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. As long as our elected officials are beholden to the oil interests, we will never get anything done in terms of this.

[MODU]

ha..ha... Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. As long as our elected officials are beholden to the oil and alternative energy interests, we will never get anything done in terms of this.

You forgot to include the other half of the trouble-makers.

[2952-0-0]

Oh sure they do... it's just that by the time it's all finished settling out the US is a power confined mostly to north america, most cars are in scrap heaps and passenger rail is a major growth industry. Also, all the suburbs are slums.

The new American Industry would be providing conversion kits for existing vehicles to make them economical.  Why Detroit hasn't had a start-up in this industry yet, I have no idea.

Uh huh. You expect Detroit to not continue it's pattern of suicide?

Call it my "audacity of hope."  hahaha

Detroit is just brimming with energetic and well-funded VCs eager to put money into the next...General Motors.

The one thing I can't believe NO ONE seems to talk about (and this is the easiest solution and a sure-fire one) is improving our national public transit systems.

It does get mentioned, but doesn't receive much media coverage.  People missed the bailout Amtrak received recently (even though I think it needs to be broken up and allow the private sector to manage passenger traffic), which does a decent job of covering the New England states and parts South.  In fact, their usage is near record highs right now.  But I think in the long run, it would be cheaper for the government to invest in short and long-term energy solutions than trying to build a new set of passenger rail systems.

The airline industry is about to disintegrate. In 10 years we could be like Russia or China: the rich get to fly, and everyone else takes cross-country train trips.

[??????????]

ha..ha... Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. As long as our elected officials are beholden to the oil interests, we will never get anything done in terms of this.

That's what I say. Grab your popcorn, relax, and enjoy the hilarity, which is this country, swirling down the toilet like one large turd.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Too bad that the Republicans have done nothing for alternative energy research and public transportation. Thanks for screwing us all over, scumbags.

If only that were true!  Republicans were big in screwing us over with the Ethanol subsidies right?  If past results are an indicator of future results, the govt should avoid trying to "help".

The government subsidizing corn and alternative energy research are two different things.

[dead0man]

Well sure, but they both show how the govt "helping" may not bring us the best technology.  Who gets to pick where that money goes?  Is he/she/they infallible?  I've already mentioned Ethanol subsidies, not only was that a waste of govt funds, it raised prices on nearly everything we eat and it does nothing to help in the long run.  The only thing it did was bring more money into states like mine and that's no more fair than funds going to build a $30 million bridge for 45 rich guys in Alaska.  Hydrogen is the other obvious waste of govt funds in the realm of energy.  Hydrogen powered cars will never make up a large percentage of our transportation infrastructure.  Everything you can say good about a hydrogen powered car you can say good about an all electric car and that technology is a lot more mature and has tons more long run potential.  Hydrogen is a dead end and it always was.  Acquiring large amounts of hydrogen wastes humongous amounts electricity.

Bottom line, if we allow the market to continue working in the reality that gas is always going to be at least $4/gal and could very conceivably just keep going up, we're going to get a fix.  Some way or another.  My guess is the electric car or hybrids of the "series" variety like the Chevy Volt (versus "parallel" like the Prius).  Regardless, Americans will have to change.  But allowing, nay, forcing our govt to "chose" which possible future technologies or not we are not only wasting valuable funds, we may be pushing ourselves away from the best possible technologies.

[Storebought]

And just to add to the wonderful post before mine, feul cell research is also a gigantic boondoggle as long as it concentrates on hydrogen as the fuel. Hydrogen is a reaction intermediate, the result of the partial oxidation of a fuel.

But all of this is a moot point. This whole current episode, of oil price skyrocketing  (Just consider some of the Bloom County absurdity in any report concerning commodities: "Oil prices rose today on the fear that oil prices will fall ..."), and Americans being unable to live in suburbs and use their own infrastructure, strikes me as the desired consequences of a policy working exactly to plan.

[ottermax]

We should all put the debate into perspective. Only a few years ago people started to worry about gas going up above $2.00 and we bicker and argue about the solutions but nothing happens. Last year, gas rose even higher to $3.00 and freaked out a lot of people. But we got accustomed to 3-dollar gas. However we have reached the breaking point. Now all that people worry about is the approaching $5.00 mark. We have reached a point of no return. Everything will be more expensive in the future. Does anyone realize how much oil is used in our daily lives? We need the gas to provide our energy (except in a few places), food, transportation, and most of our goods.

We have no Plan B. The train system is barely functioning and planes also depend on oil. We could drill more oil, but even if we started drilling right now, prices would never go back under 3 dollars. We don't even know if there is oil off of our coastlines! We could stop the speculation, but that would almost certainly lead to a collapse in the stock market. I don't mean to be such a debbie downer, but I think reality is starting to sink in. We have become so dependent on oil in our lives and we failed to recognize how easily this over-dependence could create chaos.

Basically, what has to happen is the people taking charge. The government is so arrogant and stubborn that we cannot expect anything to be done. Americans must take charge of their future. We must all conserve and invest in alternative energy. We need to pressure car companies to create more fuel efficient cars. We need to start carpooling and using mass transit. We need to work together to solve these problems. American citizens will have to solve this crisis by themselves; the first step is realizing the crazy situation we are in.

[dead0man]

Basically, what has to happen is the people taking charge. The government is so arrogant and stubborn that we cannot expect anything to be done. Americans must take charge of their future. We must all conserve and invest in alternative energy. We need to pressure car companies to create more fuel efficient cars. We need to start carpooling and using mass transit. We need to work together to solve these problems. American citizens will have to solve this crisis by themselves; the first step is realizing the crazy situation we are in.

Exactly, let the MARKET take care of it.  That's what I've been saying the entire time.  Govts certainly aren't going to save us.  Big business certainly isn't going to save us.  We have to fix it.  There is nobody else that cares or is competent enough to do it.  It's gonna hurt, but it has to be done.

[ottermax]

Basically, what has to happen is the people taking charge. The government is so arrogant and stubborn that we cannot expect anything to be done. Americans must take charge of their future. We must all conserve and invest in alternative energy. We need to pressure car companies to create more fuel efficient cars. We need to start carpooling and using mass transit. We need to work together to solve these problems. American citizens will have to solve this crisis by themselves; the first step is realizing the crazy situation we are in.

Exactly, let the MARKET take care of it.  That's what I've been saying the entire time.  Govts certainly aren't going to save us.  Big business certainly isn't going to save us.  We have to fix it.  There is nobody else that cares or is competent enough to do it.  It's gonna hurt, but it has to be done.

The question is whether we can afford the time for citizens to figure out the solutions.
The question is whether we have the time to solve the crisis before it becomes dangerously

[dead0man]

Well that would be up to us wouldn't it?