$20 Per Gallon

[Capt Worley PE]

Picked up a copy of this book, $20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better, http://www.amazon.com/20-Gallon-Inevitable-Gasoline-Change/dp/B005HKMWXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321364044&sr=8-1 the other day.

There were some interesting tidbits of info there, and great examples of misusing statistics and not telling the entire truth to further your agenda. But look at the chapter titles in the above link, reflecting what will happen as gas prices rise. It sounds like a leftist agenda.

A few things I took away were, how incredibly expensive the leftist agenda really is. Also, the author seems to miss the point, or completely ignore it, that as oil prices rise, it becomes financially viable to extract and refine the more difficult to obtain reserves. The oil sands in Canada were a non-starter when gas was less that two bucks a gallon. He also seems to assume natural gas prices are directly related to oil prices.

I did notice that UPS was lauded for trying alternative fuels/propulsion just in case, but Walamrt 'didn't know which way to turn' when it was looking at alternatives to SuperCenters.

Now, I say this is a leftist leaning book, but it does hit the left's talking points. I don't believe either side is really serious about energy independence. Both sides just chat up their typical talking points while allowing the big oil corps (and, make no mistake, Uncle Sugar) rake in the dough.

Interesting book, though. There are plenty of things in there to make you go hmmm....

 

[Master slacker]

If we were allowed to tap our existing reserves (shale gas, etc...) we'd be COMPLETELY independent. Hell, we're spending BILLIONS to expand hydrocarbon capacities and erect a cracker using only shale gas. Our gas price impact has taken a nosedive because of the newly tapped sources. It's a shame that lies and propoganda won't allow additional extraction to happen.

 

[NCcarguy]

I think most leftist leaning "experts" that think that would be a good thing forget the whole trickle theory. They believe this is a way for them to control whether or not wealthy people will gain more wealth, or power....and it's done in the name of environmental protection. The facts are the more the price of oil goes up, the more it drives a divide between the haves and the have nots. It's the one thing that we all need on an equal basis regardless of wealth for the most part, and it's much more expensive to the little guys than the rich. When they realize that, and start to do things to actually bring the price of power down, then you'll see the country thrive again. It's the single most important item in growth in my opinion, and the one the environmentalists use to do more harm to thier group than good.

 

[CbusPaul]

We should give poor people gas. They shouldn't have to pay just as much as the rich. The rich need to pay their fair share. They need to pay the additional social costs of using the oil.

 

[Exception Collection]

We should give poor people gas. They shouldn't have to pay just as much as the rich. The rich need to pay their fair share. They need to pay the additional social costs of using the oil.

Yeah, no. Let them take buses or ride bikes, like I did as a kid and a young adult - I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20.

 

[CbusPaul]

Sorry that I didn't turn on the sarcasm font.

 

[Jukka Brothers]

Sorry that I didn't turn on the sarcasm font.

It got a chuckle out of me.

 

[Slugger926]

I covered a lot of this stuff in Technology Forecasting class. There was some guy that graphed out a lot of this with Peak Oil back in the 50's versus food production, population, and new technologies coming on line to handle the reduced use of oil.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I know y'all will be surprised by this, but his vision of the future looks surprisingly like Europe.

 

[Ble_PE]

I know y'all will be surprised by this, but his vision of the future looks surprisingly like Europe.

So in other words it's better.

 

[MGX]

Everything in Europe is better. Just look at how well they're doing now!

 

[Flyer_PE]

Does that vision include the financial condition of Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Does that vision include the financial condition of Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain?

It does kind of gloss over the fact that electricity (which run everything, BTW) rates are about eight times higher than they are now, so no one has any money. It also glosses over who will pay for all the fancy, 'sustainable' infrastructure.' So, yes, it does include that vision if you are intelligent enough to see it. Apparently, intelligence is one thing that isn't better in Europe (but is European intelligence is about equal to that of our politicians, sadly).

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I reread this book during the great Icepocolyspe of 2014. What a load of poo.

Written in 2009, it predicted $7.00 gas by 2010. I paid $3.08 last time I tanked up.

I forgot how gleeful the author was over Walmart's coming demise (which I don't think will come the way he thinks it will).

It points a rosy (from a watermelon environmentalist point of view) efficient future while neglecting to mention the costliness of the more efficient goods, or the fact that despite the efficiency improvements, the fictional man of the future is still paying three times as much on energy.

 

[NJmike PE]

I reread this book during the great Icepocolyspe of 2014. What a load of poo.

Written in 2009, it predicted $7.00 gas by 2010. I paid $3.08 last time I tanked up.

I'm ok with paying $3.30/gal.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

It is about as expensive as milk, cheaper, really.

 

[NJmike PE]

I guess within a few pennies but it depends on where you buy. I have found that milk is cheapest at BJ's, $3.31/gal. Cheapest gas that I have found is $3.27/gal.

 

[MA_PE]

I reread this book during the great Icepocolyspe of 2014. What a load of poo.

Written in 2009, it predicted $7.00 gas by 2010. I paid $3.08 last time I tanked up.

I'm ok with paying $3.30/gal.

I'm not ok with it, but it's doable.

 

[NJmike PE]

I reread this book during the great Icepocolyspe of 2014. What a load of poo.

Written in 2009, it predicted $7.00 gas by 2010. I paid $3.08 last time I tanked up.

I'm ok with paying $3.30/gal.

I'm not ok with it, but it's doable.

well, in the context of the conversation I am ok with it, however I still prefer the $1.00/gal from when I first started driving

 

[snickerd3]

^I remember when i finally had a car at college so 2000 that gas was still hovering 99 cents +/- 9 cents a gallon