When I was in Germany six years ago, I saw wind farms. Also, my German friend told me that the German houses are built with thick walls and are very well insulated so that they are using less energy to maintain the inside temperature. Then a couple of years after I visited there, Germany had some sort of government mandate (I think) to change the heating system of each house to a more energy-efficient system.
Maybe the high fuel prices will make people here realize that now is the time to work on positive changes.
I think, from what I've seen, Americans just don't care enough yet. It is widely known (I think) that if you slow down, you can increase your fuel efficiency. Yet everyone around where I live is still driving 10 mph over the speed limit. And, they are driving mostly SUV's it seems. I don't have an SUV, but they make up a pretty high percentage on our roads.
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[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME][/QUOTE]
Having problems with the buttons, Pieter?
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]PieterMC wrote: [/QUOTENAME][/QUOTE]
Having problems with the buttons, Pieter?
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Donna13 wrote: [/QUOTENAME] It is widely known (I think) that if you slow down, you can increase your fuel efficiency. Yet everyone around where I live is still driving 10 mph over the speed limit. And, they are driving mostly SUV's it seems. I don't have an SUV, but they make up a pretty high percentage on our roads.[/QUOTE]
Oh, that's definitely true. There are a lot of ways to save gas. Another is to time the lights, never be at a complete stop. Sure, there are plenty of ways.
And the US DOES require a certain MPG on newer cars. But the idea of biking or walking? Sure, in some cases, but overall? Some people live several miles from where they work. Some people need to carry things with them to work, things that wont fit in that nifty basket up front.
And if Rotterdam is flowing over, why aren't they refining the stuff? Ah, so THEY can make more money off the demand.
We keep saying the "US" and the "UK", but really those two countries are a drop in the ocean in production. So BUSH isn't controlling the price of oil. From what I'm reading, most of you are against this and must be FOR foreign oil dependence. It's pretty simple... we don't drill, we keep buying at their price. In fact, as long as we're bitching about the weak-ass dollar (yes, it is very weak), what better way to start offsetting that. Increase the domestic product, strengthen the dollar.
Oh, that's definitely true. There are a lot of ways to save gas. Another is to time the lights, never be at a complete stop. Sure, there are plenty of ways.
And the US DOES require a certain MPG on newer cars. But the idea of biking or walking? Sure, in some cases, but overall? Some people live several miles from where they work. Some people need to carry things with them to work, things that wont fit in that nifty basket up front.
And if Rotterdam is flowing over, why aren't they refining the stuff? Ah, so THEY can make more money off the demand.
We keep saying the "US" and the "UK", but really those two countries are a drop in the ocean in production. So BUSH isn't controlling the price of oil. From what I'm reading, most of you are against this and must be FOR foreign oil dependence. It's pretty simple... we don't drill, we keep buying at their price. In fact, as long as we're bitching about the weak-ass dollar (yes, it is very weak), what better way to start offsetting that. Increase the domestic product, strengthen the dollar.
Doesn't bother me much, I like a weak US dollar. I've been buying heaps of cool shit I usually can't afford.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Bob The Shrek wrote: [/QUOTENAME]'Americans invented the car, mostly out of the "necessity being the mother of invention" thing.'
Karl Benz will be turning in his grave right now.
Henry Ford started mass production.[/QUOTE]
Ah...thank you Bob. I hadn't had any coffee yet when I wrote that. Indeed you are right; we invented mass production, not the automobile. However, we were the country to adopted it like no other and it became a symbol of the American way of life.
Karl Benz will be turning in his grave right now.
Henry Ford started mass production.[/QUOTE]
Ah...thank you Bob. I hadn't had any coffee yet when I wrote that. Indeed you are right; we invented mass production, not the automobile. However, we were the country to adopted it like no other and it became a symbol of the American way of life.
deduct the federal and state taxes on the gas and we would be at about $2-2.50 a gallon...
so there are ways to get it lower...
the last jump GA waived the state tax (of course it was election time and everyone was kissing arse) and the price dropped 22 cents in an hour...
big problem also is the ban of new refinerys... i dont know if that was mentioned before...
i love getting my dad riled up with this... and oil man.....
so there are ways to get it lower...
the last jump GA waived the state tax (of course it was election time and everyone was kissing arse) and the price dropped 22 cents in an hour...
big problem also is the ban of new refinerys... i dont know if that was mentioned before...
i love getting my dad riled up with this... and oil man.....
You know what I find frustrating? That Congress is debating wireless service cancellation fees and trying to determine fair policies and pricing for wireless carriers to pass on to the public, but they're ignoring the oil companies who are making record profits.
Please tell me I'm missing something here and it's not as unbalanced as it seems.
Please tell me I'm missing something here and it's not as unbalanced as it seems.
I like the weak dollar too ... The company that I work for has doubled their exports in the past few years. Looks like 2008 is going to be another excellent year for our company.
Bad ecomomy? What bad economy? What is the liberal US media smoking? Other than the outrageous cost of raw materials, it is a great time to be manufacturing goods in the "rust belt" of the USA (if you are not in the automotive or housing industry) due to the very low value of the US dollar.
Bad ecomomy? What bad economy? What is the liberal US media smoking? Other than the outrageous cost of raw materials, it is a great time to be manufacturing goods in the "rust belt" of the USA (if you are not in the automotive or housing industry) due to the very low value of the US dollar.
The weak dollar should also attract extra tourism.
I totally agree with the other people who've expressed the necessity of developing alternatives for the use of cars. The dependency on foreign oil is not the problem of the U.S. The gas price (which is megalow compared to us) is not the problem. The dependency on oil is the problem (as it is elsewhere). Infrastructure designed for most part solely for car's in mind is a problem.
[quote]Maybe the high fuel prices will make people here realize that now is the time to work on positive changes.[/quote]
Unfortunately it'll take a lot more than high gas prices to get people off the wheel. Finland is a good example of that.
The price of gas (1.5€/2.3USD for litre (which is 0.2 gallons) is something people love to bitch about, even around here (with working public transportation and good bicycling roads for most part). I'm sure the car-dependant U.S folk would just die with our gas price or pay up, like we're doing.
I think however the price around here is obviously still too low, since people afford to drive those empty seats (somewhat 99% of vehicles on the road carry only one person in them yet have space for four at minimum) around town which is ludicrous when you really think about it. Increased prices of gas have not lead to a decrease in the amount of automobiles, people drive more than ever. And it's not just cars, it's also scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and the amount of 15 year olds that drive moped-cars (cars with moped engines limited to 40km/h) is on the rise.
Now I've never had a driver's license. As a life-time bicycler, walker and nowadays to my great shame a bus-passenger (too convenient due to bus lanes that often pass the afternoon traffic jams so merrily) I'm all for extreme measures for reducing private car ownership (which could be realistically implemented in my country, not so in the U.S). Of course the current development is going in the opposite direction. But one can dream.
[quote]Maybe the high fuel prices will make people here realize that now is the time to work on positive changes.[/quote]
Unfortunately it'll take a lot more than high gas prices to get people off the wheel. Finland is a good example of that.
The price of gas (1.5€/2.3USD for litre (which is 0.2 gallons) is something people love to bitch about, even around here (with working public transportation and good bicycling roads for most part). I'm sure the car-dependant U.S folk would just die with our gas price or pay up, like we're doing.
I think however the price around here is obviously still too low, since people afford to drive those empty seats (somewhat 99% of vehicles on the road carry only one person in them yet have space for four at minimum) around town which is ludicrous when you really think about it. Increased prices of gas have not lead to a decrease in the amount of automobiles, people drive more than ever. And it's not just cars, it's also scooters, mopeds, motorcycles and the amount of 15 year olds that drive moped-cars (cars with moped engines limited to 40km/h) is on the rise.
Now I've never had a driver's license. As a life-time bicycler, walker and nowadays to my great shame a bus-passenger (too convenient due to bus lanes that often pass the afternoon traffic jams so merrily) I'm all for extreme measures for reducing private car ownership (which could be realistically implemented in my country, not so in the U.S). Of course the current development is going in the opposite direction. But one can dream.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Bob The Shrek wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The weak dollar should also attract extra tourism.[/QUOTE]
Unless people are put off by the probability of they or their family being groped at the airport by secuirty staff or being arrested for having the same name as someone on a no-fly list.
Unless people are put off by the probability of they or their family being groped at the airport by secuirty staff or being arrested for having the same name as someone on a no-fly list.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Holly2003 wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Bob The Shrek wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The weak dollar should also attract extra tourism.[/QUOTE]
Unless people are put off by the probability of they or their family being groped at the airport by secuirty staff or being arrested for having the same name as someone on a no-fly list.[/QUOTE]
Not me - I'll be landing at JFK in October for the start of my honeymoon - come to think of it, they can grope me when I fly to San Diego too - I could leave the wife behind and save myself a fortune ;-)
Unless people are put off by the probability of they or their family being groped at the airport by secuirty staff or being arrested for having the same name as someone on a no-fly list.[/QUOTE]
Not me - I'll be landing at JFK in October for the start of my honeymoon - come to think of it, they can grope me when I fly to San Diego too - I could leave the wife behind and save myself a fortune ;-)
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Bob The Shrek wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Holly2003 wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Bob The Shrek wrote: [/QUOTENAME]The weak dollar should also attract extra tourism.[/QUOTE]
Unless people are put off by the probability of they or their family being groped at the airport by secuirty staff or being arrested for having the same name as someone on a no-fly list.[/QUOTE]
Not me - I'll be landing at JFK in October for the start of my honeymoon - come to think of it, they can grope me when I fly to San Diego too - I could leave the wife behind and save myself a fortune ;-)[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure Shrek is on the no-fly list though...
Unless people are put off by the probability of they or their family being groped at the airport by secuirty staff or being arrested for having the same name as someone on a no-fly list.[/QUOTE]
Not me - I'll be landing at JFK in October for the start of my honeymoon - come to think of it, they can grope me when I fly to San Diego too - I could leave the wife behind and save myself a fortune ;-)[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure Shrek is on the no-fly list though...
LOL!
I'd love to not have a car payment, pay for gas, be more eco friendly, etc. but it would be hard for me to tote two kids on a bike beside the fact that I've got to drop one off at the babysitter's which is not on a bus route. The other I take with me to work since I work at the school she goes to. I did down grade in a vehicle last August by buying a 4 cylinder, great on gas car. Before I did have an SUV infact I've had SUVs for a long time until gas prices went through the roof. They had more room in them for my family to ride in, put groceries in, etc. I've since reconsidered priorities though.
One thing I do know is that no matter what happens with more drilling, govt regulation, reduce tax on gas, etc....prices will never go down. Prices only go up, not down.
I'd love to not have a car payment, pay for gas, be more eco friendly, etc. but it would be hard for me to tote two kids on a bike beside the fact that I've got to drop one off at the babysitter's which is not on a bus route. The other I take with me to work since I work at the school she goes to. I did down grade in a vehicle last August by buying a 4 cylinder, great on gas car. Before I did have an SUV infact I've had SUVs for a long time until gas prices went through the roof. They had more room in them for my family to ride in, put groceries in, etc. I've since reconsidered priorities though.
One thing I do know is that no matter what happens with more drilling, govt regulation, reduce tax on gas, etc....prices will never go down. Prices only go up, not down.