Why every American should be happy for high oil prices

[BlueMage]

Just as an aside, biofuels are entirely not viable. Brazil is a working example of a biofuel based economy. On a large and possibly even worldwide scale though biofuels would require such large areas of land to be taken up by the appropriate costs that there would be food shortages worldwide. Not just in developing countries but even in places like the USA or Australia or any other developed country you can think of.

Also, we have already passed peak oil, you only need to look at the escalating price over the last two years to see that. The OPEC countries have been lying about their reserves for over 20 years too.

Finally, hybrid cars are not our saviour either. If every car in the USA became hybrid overnight then it would only stave off what is happening now by 8 years.

Other then that I don't want to get too deep into this, exam tomorrow and all that (happens to be on economic and resource geology coincidentally).

Thank you. Having actually studied alternative energy sources, I can say without question that biofuels and hybrids are NOT the answer - merely a stepping stone.

A real solution, however, may be found in the electric vehicle. Simply put, they don't need to have great range - using a magnetically-coupled link to provide power while stationary (and it happens pretty damn often in city traffic) allows for extended travel. But where does the electricity come from I hear you all say. Well folks, we have a giant fucking nuclear fusion furnace in the sky - it really is about time we made use of it.

And not necessarily PV cells (though the nanosolar ones certainly look promising) but rather CSP - concentrated solar plants. Based on the simple idea of a heat engine. Good times will be had.

 

[zari]

Simply put, they don't need to have great range - using a magnetically-coupled link to provide power while stationary (and it happens pretty damn often in city traffic) allows for extended travel.

I'm still curious as to how the need for long range transport is supposed to be solved.

 

[mwhite67]

I am not going to "be happy" about higher oil prices. Higher oil prices result in the prices of everything that is shipped being more expensive, like food and imported goods. It causes air travel to be more expensive. It causes businesses to be less profitable which results in a loss of jobs which results in a even more slumping economy than it already is. I don't belive that jobs in this new energy field will be able to make up for jobs lost in the others either.

Maybe you're right and 20 years in the future when we've made this transition to alternative energy everything will be great, but that won't matter if world war 3 happens before then and everyone in third world countries dies of starvation.

 

[Spacewolf]

Christ my grammar used to be bad.