We deserve $3.00/gallon when we do nothing to stop it.

[johncoby2]

Until we rise in opposition, in some hard hitting fashion, this fucked up administration is not going to do a damn thing.

Now, what the hell do we do?

Damn folks, give me a torch and a light and I will march!

[madeline_con]

1. stop the consumption.

If we all tightened our belts, we could drive fuel prices down a feww cents, and put the fear of the lord into the Washington cronies and OPEC.

[physioex]

2. This sux...

The price of EVERYTHING is going up...But some good can come out of this since people will learn to conserve. It's just too bad that Americans are thick headed and want to learn this hard way.

[rman]

15. Price of everything ges up because everything depends on oil,

which is running out.
There isn't much we can do about that.
All we can do is demand to start the transition to alternative enenrgy sources. We should have done that 20 years ago, but better late then never.

[lostinacause]

17. Do you realize how poor technology was at that time?

Alternative energy sources are just starting to be economically viable.

[physioex]

18. Rather than spend billions on war....

It would have been smarter to put that money towards alternate fuels. But this would be just making too much sense.....

[lostinacause]

19. Throwing money at technology is often just as bad of a solution;

excluding the death of course. Excessive defensive spending can go to far more valuable things such as welfare or education. Tax breaks and other similar types of incentives are the best way to go to encourage technological change. (Sometimes the regulation also needs to be changed as well.)

[rman]

35. you're not going to improve technology by not throwing money at it

especially if the solution is in improved technology.

[MadHound]

22. Do you realize that twenty six years ago,

If we had started converting to renewable resources, mainly wind and solar, that by now half of our energy would be being produced using renewables? This was a report from the DOE in 1979, and it did not factor in the tremendous technological breakthroughs that renewables have had since, it simply was factoring in the technology we had at the time.

Another report from the DOE on wind resources in this country stated that there is enough harvestable wind energy in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas to fill the electric needs of this country through 2030.

The technology is here, it is economically viable, it is simply that the current energy interests are lobbying hard to maitain the status quo, since they are continuing to make money.

[lostinacause]

26. In the past high land costs and large lead times have caused

renewable resources to be a poor investment. With oil prices being the way they lately and manufacturing process improving the market for renewable resources is finally getting the boost it need. I don't believe it was as feasible as you state that it was.

[MadHound]

27. Umm, land costs are much higher now

And I'm not certain what you are referring to with "large lead times" Granted, the cost per kw/hr would have been initially greater than it is now, but as with any other technological product, the more you produce, the cheaper the price gets. The price for kw/hr would have been a lot cheaper now if we had begun the process then.

It is/was an entirely feasible plan to follow. Back in 1979 I was in debate class and energy policy was the topic for the year. I became quite familiar with the subject, and have kept up with it ever since. We had the perfect opportunity at the time to really make a push for renewables, we had the economic incentive, we had the President backing it, and the public was interested. But big business, especially big oil quashed it, and then the Reagan administration came in and buried it.

Now, factors are coming together again to make renewable energy an attractive path to follow. Hopefully we don't make the same mistakes as last time, for we may not get another chance.

[lostinacause]

36. lead times is the time it takes to start generating energy.

What I meant to say is that it takes a large amount of time to pay off the initial investment (the lead times are not the major consideration). The land cost makes it so solar is not a viable option for large scale generation. Better manufacturing process have finally made wind power a viable option. The towers are tall and still allow use of a majority of the land. Since much of the technology relies on manufacturing ability the process would not be much better (if we started earlier) and the prices faced today would be fairly similar.

You can rest assured that there are already discussions for wind farms going on. I have a contact at an (Albertan) company who is negotiating a contract to develop a wind farm. I'm sure there are many similar projects expected to be started soon.

[rman]

34. because at the time to little was invested

in research on alternative energy sources.

that's what i mean by "we should have started 20 years ago": to take the issue seriously and invest heavily in researching alternatives.

[dcfirefighter]

7. We do a practice run for when it's $10 / gal

For the week of April 17th through 23d, the friday of which is Earth Day, pretend gas is $10/gal. Turn every light in your house off. Keep the TV off. Don't use the stove or the dryer. Turn you're hot water heater down. Turn your refrigerator up, and clean the fins on the back. Turn your heat or A/C off, and take a minute to clean the filter. Go buy some Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs. Think about reinsulating your attic. Check your weatherstripping. Walk or ride a bike everywhere you can. Avoid like the plague those short trips for a quart of milk. Figure out the bus schedule, and ride it for a week. If you must drive a car, carpool, and consolodate trips. Check the air in your tires, and the cleanliness of your air filter. Accelerate slowly, and drive the speed limit. Plant a garden, or buy organic: a huge amount of oil is used in commercial agriculture. Reduce meat consumption. Stop buying things. Save your money. In Euros.

[Horse with no Name]

3. I was driving today

And out of 20 cars on the road--my mid size was the smallest. I was surrounded by pickups and SUV's.
We have to decrease our consumption, but me cutting back 2 trips a week doesn't make a dent when these fuel hogs are in abundance.

[physioex]

5. Let those jerks learn....

With a 30 gal tank and the coming $3/gal, there is going to be some hard lessons....

[merci_me]

9. When I park in a lot

I try to find a spot were there's NOT an SUV or van or truck on one side of me, so I'll be able to see to back out. But damn, it never fails, when I come out, my car is surrounded by them.

OT, but I think the least the stores can do is to designate one side of a row, every so often for sedans, so we don't have to close our eyes, hunch up our shoulders and just start easing out, into lord knows what. Then usually, some yahoo in an SUV will come barreling around me and scare the hell out of me, cause he can see me (and since I'm at a crawl, won't wait), but I can't see him, until suddenly he's whizzing by. Usually with a yellow magnet on the back.

[boneygrey]

4. Got to go nuclear

like the French have done so well.

[Tux]

11. Old school

Let's go fusion. It's cleaner, churns out lots of energy, and is more stable. Blow up the reactor and the fusion reaction just stops. No big boom.

[boneygrey]

13. I'm onboard n/t

[rman]

14. fusion doesn't work yet

as you might well know.

[Tux]

24. That is why

We need R&D. It's create jobs and give us a better energy source.

[rman]

33. there is r&d on fusion

has been for over 30 years. apparently is a tough problem.

[MazeRat7]

6. $3.00/Gal is not high enough

It needs to hit somewhere south of 5 before we are going to see any meaningful change. My take is this..

1) Who owns the largest vehicles with the worst gas mileage ?
2) Who has demonstrated an unwillingness to do ANYTHING at $2+/gal
3) As consumption drops (due to price increases) who takes the investment hit ?

There is one added upside I can see. Fewer people driving.

No I think things are going to have to get a lot worse before there is any meaningful effort to change and "seriously" consider alternative fuels.

MZr7

[pdurod1]

8. I hope it hits $5/gallon. WAKE the F&CK UP AMERICA!

Conservation, should become a household word again. Last count the US has 230 million vehicle? Tell me if I'm wrong.

Another item to think about: the energy it takes to produce a vehicle is more than it will consume in its lifetime.

Consumers can control this problem. And we should expect leadership in Washington to drive this thing rather than just letting the markets react and adjust for what? Another 30 years?

[demigoddess]

10. sometimes I wish we would just burn it all gone tomorrow and then we

would have some fresh air to breathe and we would get on with making the changes. I especially am tired of watching people sit in their cars(or old trucks spewing fumes) just so they can sit there and have a smoke. Or leave the car running so they can run into a store and not have to restart the engine. In the summer people leave their cars running so they can keep the air conditioning going. And I live in a mild climate not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter. I only wear a sweater in winter. So they have no excuse here.

[pacalo]

12. Here's a list of the state by state gas prices...

http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/sbsavg.asp

[Theduckno2]

16. A simple start would be...

bringing down the national speed limit to a more fuel efficient and safer speed. I've slowed down to 60-65mph when possible, the speed limit here is 70mph. I am trying harder to group all my trips and expect to do some cycling now that the weather is warmer. Sadly it may take $5/gal to get America to wake up.

[theboss]

23. I can't drive....55!!!!

Sammy Hagar rocks!

And speaks the truth!

[B Calm]

28. Go 56 then.. Everybody needs to slow down. I want to see trucks

doing road blocks like they did during Clinton's term in office when fuel got as high as a 1.20.9..

[Hugin]

29. Good idea!

<smacks self on head>

I was wondering what little thing I could do...

Driving slower is a start!

My Dad's favorite saying is... "It's what you do when
you've got more time than money."

Thanks.

:)

[NoPasaran]

31. Do what you have to do

But please do it in the right lane.

[gollygee]

20. The prices will keep going up

they might go down a little from time to time, but the general trend is up.

We're just running out. The administration is doing something - fighting a war to get us more oil. Should we be fighting a war to get more oil, or should we just get used to using less?

[indepat]

21. We deserve $3.00 gas and everything the neocons are doing to destroy

much of what has made this nation great when we do nothing to stop it: when the Congress, the Supreme Court, the MSM, corporate chieftans, and the general public (we the people) do nothing to stop it.

[radwriter0555]

25. Stop driving your car and heating your home.

That'll teach 'em!

[B Calm]

30. I heated my house with wood this winter, and I am driving far less

than I use too..

[dbt]

32. Three dollars a gallon? Europe laughs at our fat asses.