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This is what we need to hear more of....its a shame its only cause theres an election in 382 days 4 hours 62 minutes and 15,14,13..........
SAN FRANCISCO - Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards says a wave of mergers in the oil industry should be investigated by the Justice Department to see what impact they have had on soaring gasoline prices.
During a campaign stop in Silicon Valley Thursday, Edwards planned to berate the oil industry for "anticompetitive actions" and outline an energy plan he says would reduce oil imports "and get us on a path to be virtually petroleum-free within a generation."
"Vertically integrated companies like Exxon Mobil own every step of the production process — from extraction to refining to sale at the pump, enabling them to foreclose competition," says an outline of Edward's energy plan.
Edwards' call for a major shift away from oil use would include, according to the document:
• An increase of federal auto fuel economy requirements to 40 miles per gallon from the current 27.5 mpg by 2016.
• Expansion of the use of biofuels such as ethanol, including a requirement for oil companies to make available E-85 fuel (which has 85 percent ethanol) at a quarter of their stations. Edwards wants all new cars to be able to use E-85 by 2010.
• Mandatory restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide with an aim to cut CO2 and other greenhouse gases by 80 percent by mid-century.
• Creation of a $13 billion energy fund from the sale of greenhouse gas permits and ending some tax breaks for the oil industry. The money would be used to support biofuels and conservation technologies.
Many of Edwards' proposals — from cutting greenhouse gas emissions to investigating oil industry consolidation — have been the subject of numerous hearings in Congress this years, as has calls by Democrats to make automobiles more fuel efficient.
Rival Democratic presidential candidates, including Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record), also have called for expanded use of ethanol and other measures to reduce the country's reliance on oil.
But Edwards' message may resonate especially in California, the nation's most delegate-rich state, which has perennially high gasoline prices.
On Wednesday, the average regular-grade gasoline in California was $3.41 per gallon, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The national average was $3.20 per gallon, compared to $2.85 a year ago.
But Tupper Hull, spokesman for the Sacramento-based Western States Petroleum Association, said the prices reflected market rates, and an antitrust investigation would be a waste of time. He said the industry has been the subject of more than 20 state and federal investigations over the past two decades.
-------------------- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
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Have you noticed since they have been making a stink about the gas prices, the price has come down slowly. $2.94 here It's all BS from both parties.
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quote:Originally posted by rimasco: Well they better comoe up with somthing quick cause its already starting to translate into every friggen retail item.
3.80 for a gallon of milk? I go to the store now and pick up a couple of things.....nothing is under 2 bucks anymore
that is due to the use of corn for ethanol production...
we need sugar cane...
watch cotton futures...all the cotton growers switched more than half their fields to corn this year..
we are in drought conditions too, and that is hurting the corn
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise.
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Only we can pull our lips from the oil tit! Take a look around your neighborhood. If it’s like mine everybody has a car. I’m not talking every family I’m talking everyone in the family. Not only are the driveways full so are the streets. The only thing worse than this countries need for cars is their need for cell phones. Someone besides me has to see the irony in this. How can you blame the oil companies for making a profit when your sitting there, slapping your vein waiting for the next fix?
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I hear what your saying Glassman, some choices would be good. I lean more toward coal to oil and nuclear. Doesn’t seem to me that we can grow enough corn to make much of a dent in the gas usage. Although I have seen some corn burning stoves, those would give some of the rural folks the chance to grow and re-grow their own energy. Seems to me the options are out there were just not interested, it’s just too easy to sit back and complain about big oil.
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really?...big oil controls everything.many little peeps dont have the money to switch to sumthin else. that means me. if there was nothing else to put in my tank, or drive, then a change would be made. you think its the mass consumer who dictates what we consume? I dont. if you have a choice between a big mac or a tofu burger, most would choose the mac. but take away that choice and a change will happen.a few Ed Begleys aint gonna change a thing,brother
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Ethanol is, at best, only a stop gap alternative.
It may have freed Brazil from dependence on petroleumn, but it still puts out huge ampunts of CO and CO2 and it requires huge investmenbts in land and land usage that are NOT GOOD for the entire world's environment.
Brazil deserves every kind of praise for what it has done, because of its examle to show the world that petroleum isn't required to have a modern productive economy, but it shouldn't be citred as having developed a "solution".
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yes bdgge, ethanol does put CO2 back intot he atmosphere,
BUT!
by growing crops? we are also sequestering it back...
oil is like just opening a vein and letting CO2 pour out... ethanol is a process that re-uses it...
switching to ethanol is going to be painful, the economy is going to change (alot) but it is a very necessary stop-gap until we get some more alternatives..
i'm building an electric furnace (as opposed to propane) i can install solar cells to HELP run it.. but the state (MS) hasn't passed a net metering law yet, so i can't tie onto the grid, and i can't make a furnace run on batteries... hence, i can't use solar to run my shop..
ARK> Louisianan and Texas all have net metering
solar is not a complete answer either, but think of all the illegals we could employ installing solar panels on all the southern facing roof in the US
who is blocking this? the power co's are... they don't want the competition...
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise.
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"solar is not a complete answer either, but think of all the illegals we could employ installing solar panels on all the southern facing roof in the US"
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Yep, and what about dozens of 'em climbing about the 180 foot wingspans of those huge wind turbines, cleaning off grit and grime and polishing to improve the airflow across the airfoil.......
Now here's a thought. Those huge blades are lay-ups made of fiberglass or carbon fiber composites, so why not, in the process, mold the surface to be an array of solar cells? Kill two birds with the same stone.....
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quote:Now here's a thought. Those huge blades are lay-ups made of fiberglass or carbon fiber composites, so why not, in the process, mold the surface to be an array of solar cells? Kill two birds with the same stone.....
I must admit Bdgee, you have some pretty good ideas when it comes to alternative energy.
-------------------- One is never completely useless. One can always serve as a bad example.
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Got another one too, dealing with illegal aliens.
Layup of composites doesn't take a high class education or a first class mind, so how about putting the "illegals" we do have here to work laying up plastic turbine blades with solar cell surfaces instead of having the blades made in Korea and Malaysia and then shipped by Chinese boat to Houston to be trucked to wherever they are to end up.
If they are going to be built by low paid foreigners, at least let it be OUR foreigners so most of the investment (and the benifits of the laborers purchasing power) will be into our economy.
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quote:Originally posted by bdgee: Got another one too, dealing with illegal aliens.
If they are going to be built by low paid foreigners, at least let it be OUR foreigners so most of the investment (and the benifits of the laborers purchasing power) will be into our economy.
GREAT IDEA BDGEE!! HOW EXACTLY DO WE TURN THE MEXICANS INTO FUEL?
-------------------- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
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I read a good article on under-water turbines or wind mills that generate power from the surf and tide.
Also seen a special once that we could put a solar panel grid in the mojave desert that could power the entire US. Only problem is........it would have to be 100x100......miles that is
but hey, we got enough Mexicans
Could be done in a month
-------------------- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
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I like it better than eel, but maybe a young jackrabbit made up as cabrito is better.....(jackrabbit's tougher'n nails if ya don't cook it slooooooowwwww
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Hey, a couple of fresh pulled burmudas and a ripe tomato pulled as we passed through the garden after pulling corn since daybreak and some summer sausage and crackers is one of the meals I rank as among the best I ever had, so don't go talkin down "raw stuff outta the garden". 'Twas gooder'n snuff on a summer evenin on the veranda.
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quote:Originally posted by bdgee: Ever eaten any fried or broiled rattle snake?
fried... it was OK...
fried alligator too.. it was not so oK
tried balut once... ptoohey...
when i lived in the Great Dismal Swamp i hung out with alot of USN Seals... one of 'em (a guy of Swedish descent)would regularly drop by and eat whatever i happened to have (of the apropriate age) in the incubator... ducks, turkey, fighting cox, pheasant, he even tried a goose egg from a nest once, but it was too old.... i didn't even try to incubate the goose eggs, they still do a better job of parenting than i could.. the geese always hated him after that too..
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise.
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