Why America Is Running Out of Gas

[DrPepper]

From a link on the Drudge Report called "MAG: U.S. Running Out of Energy?". I guess the powers have decided to start getting the word out about peak oil/gas.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030721-464406,00.html

"So it is that the U.S. is likely to be faced with recurring oil and natural-gas crises for some years to come. Their duration and severity remain to be seen. But volatile prices—as with gasoline during the Iraqi war, natural gas last winter and electricity in 2000—are all but guaranteed."

[Old and In the Way]

1. And whose fault is this?

I recall that this started 24 years ago. Carter understood, but Bush Sr. had other plans. He cut a deal with SA to counter OPEC and gave us "Morning in America". Keep gas cheap and don't address the underlining issues...too much money to be made by the Bush/Roilist Party.

They want us to be concerned now? If Reagan/Bush had helped in the 80's to create an alternative/renewable energy industry, perhaps we wouldn't be sending Americans to die for our share of a dwindling resource.

[JitterbugPerfume]

2. we are running out of natural resources

because of greed and waste. GREED and WASTE

[Brian Sweat]

3. The only real obstacles to hydrogen are distribution and safety

Photovoltiac cells could easily be used to generate all of the hydrogen needed to power our cars and trucks. Granted, at the current cost of PV cells and other cost associated with ramping up production, the cost of transportation would increase dramatically and would probably cause significant inflation. There are no technical hurtles prevent the use of solar energy in the production of hydrogen. The only challanges are economic.

There may be safety issues. I am not up to date on the state of distribution and storage technology for hydrogen.

[Dudley_DUright]

4. There are safety issues

but they are no more insurmountable than the safety issues associated with internal combustion engines and exploding gas tanks.

<snip>

Safety issues are a major concern for a fuel that's often perceived as more dangerous than others. While hydrogen itself played no part in either catastrophe, it was the fuel in both the Hindenburg and the Challenger.

Wagner says consumers should not fear a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

"Of course there is some risk, but it is comparable to the risk we have with conventional automotive fuels," he said.

BMW conducted numerous crash tests to see what would happen if the hydrogen tank was punctured or damaged. Their engineers report the liquid hydrogen dissipated harmlessly into the air.

http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/03/16/hydrogen.cars/

[fshrink]

5. The only real obstacle to

developing alternative sources of energy is the oil industry. Period. And since it holds this country by the balls...