In terms of "dependency on import oil," i.e. import oil as percentage of total oil consumption in this country, it's getting far worse since 1973: import oil accounted for about 25-30% of total consumption in this country in the 1970's, now it's 60+%. That should tell you the value of Department of Energy, which was founded precisely to make this country "energy-independent." As the old saying goes, if you want something to fail, let the government do it.

The whole idea of national "energy-independence" however is a rather silly one. We import oil not because we do not have oil in the US, but because overseas production is cheaper. It's the same reason why we import electronics and t-shirts. It's not because Japan has an electronics mine and China has a t-shirt mine, while we have exhausted our own. We import every thing of tangible value is simply the other side of the trade of us exporting money and military power projection.

In the long run, solar energy does have some appeal for people who want to get off the grid. So long as the normal network of division of labor and market exchange still take place and bring forth the prosperity that we all desire, a far more likely alternative to digging for oil is synthetic oil production powered by nuclear as energy source. In that case, the liquid fuel won't be the source of energy but an efficient chemical battery: because then the vehicle doesn't have to carry oxygen and CO2, unlike the conventional electric batteries that have to carry all their reactants and waste products. CO2 can be recycled at the power plant that synthetically produce gasoline by recycling dissolved CO2 in sea water.

Don't write off the big vehicles yet. While asceticism and self-flagellation often find the masochistic side of human nature/programming, it is the good life that most human beings strive for and the reason why people get out of bed every morning. Finding ways to let almost everyone enjoy a life that not even kings and queens could dream of only a century prior is the key to human progress, and sustainable peace.

posted by 76.118.39...

• High gas prices, friend or foe?, No Snaab, Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:43:22
  • make adjustments to your lifestyle, Railhead , Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:53:55
    • cost of change/return on investment, Les_H, Sun, 1 May 2011 07:45:40
      • gas not yet expensive enough for people to change, Les_H, Sun, 1 May 2011 07:52:34
        • You nailed it, Les., Noel, Mon, 2 May 2011 06:18:50
  • Re: Acceptable milage, American vs European, BobS, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:43:37
    • Europeans have a different infrastructure, Noel, Sun, 1 May 2011 06:39:47
  • Put a frog in boiling water..., Ken , Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:11:07
    • Re: Put a frog in boiling water..., Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:25:53
    • Jeremiah was a bullfrog, No Snaab, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:16:21
      • Re: Jeremiah was a bullfrog, Mike B, Sun, 1 May 2011 09:07:00
        • Not to mention, No Snaab, Sun, 1 May 2011 13:52:03
          • And they'd pump it for you and, No Snaab, Sun, 1 May 2011 13:53:40
  • Long term or short term?, Noel, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 06:36:04
  • Losing an arm or leg, friend or foe?, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 01:30:39
    • Re: Losing an arm or leg, friend or foe?, TML , Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:06:04
      • Some basic facts, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:50:35
        • Re: Some basic facts, TML , Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:34:41
          • Re: Some basic facts, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:06:29
            • chemistry and series convergence, James, Mon, 2 May 2011 08:52:36
              • Real Science vs. Pseudoscientific Pretense of Knowledge, Reality, Mon, 2 May 2011 13:36:20
          • Tim (aka Reality) specializes in vague bits of nothing, Noel, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:29:14
            • Instead of personal attacks, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:07:41
        • but,, kurt, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:37:13
          • Re: but,, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:17:17
  • Re: High gas prices, friend or foe?, Mark from Toronto, Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:56:09
    • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, AlS, Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:29:58
      • Everything not to like, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:16:38
      • I agree 100%, Mike Johnson, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:29:24
      • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, EGD , Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:28:11
        • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, George K, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:26:26
          • How about...., Noel, Sun, 1 May 2011 06:58:44
            • Why stop at 4-cyl, Reality, Sun, 1 May 2011 18:39:22
          • I agree, No Snaab, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:29:02
          • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, Kkelley, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:19:17
            • Some great points, Ryan H, Sun, 1 May 2011 03:06:44
            • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, Reality, Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:44:18 <-- Viewing This Message
              • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, George K, Sun, 1 May 2011 07:13:50
                • Re: High gas prices, friend ...?, Reality, Sun, 1 May 2011 18:34:50
                • Bigger is better won't go away!, Noel, Sun, 1 May 2011 15:02:54
                  • Re: Bigger is better won't go away!, kkelley, Sun, 1 May 2011 18:01:21

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