We need to reduce the burning of hydrocarbons or even carbons (coal) for energy. That produces greenhouse gas and other pollutants like oxides of nitrogen etc. Even clean energy sources like wind, solar, wave, etc. pollute in odd ways, are unreliable, or require huge expenditures of resources to produce the equipment.

 

I think oil is being produced from other things ( like carbondioxide is converted to air). We use BILLIONS of gallons a day of oil. I dont think it all been one limited supply, i know its being made at the same rate or faster then we even use it.

As for pollution, we will most liley find a way to store, clear, or otherwise get rid of pollution in the air.

 

Its been well established that plants die, they get compressed, turn to a coal like product, and in certain cases, heat is also found, and it turns to oil.

Dinosaurs didn't turn to oil, the plants and bacteria that have been far more numerous than we or any other animal has ever been did.

Is there an unlimited supply, absolutley not. There is no unlimited supply of anything. Even the sun will burn out someday, so why not have an option on the table that doesn't belch out greenhouse gases right and left? As for prices right now, sure, start the tap, get it flowing, and lets get some cost now. But lets not stop actively seeking an alternative fuel that doesn't require oil, so just in case its going to run out, we aren't left looking like a kid whose jawbreaker went away.

 

Right on Snake!

 

That's been the accepted theory, but the latest findings seem to indicate otherwise. As was mentioned by someone else earlier, we use ALOT of oil and for us not to have run out by now indicates that maybe oil isn't in such a finite quantity. Remember that in the 70's Greenpeace said that the rainforests were being cut down at some ridiculous rate that would have had the forests depleted in a matter of months. A few years ago, the founder of Greenpeace made a visit to these "threatened" rainforests and saw that they were actually healthier than they had been when he made his predictions and estimates back in the 70's. It would have been terrible business sense for the logging companies to cut down the forests without replanting or some other means of conservation. Likewise, it would be in the best interests of the oil companies not to rape the oil supplies without knowing for certain that they were not going to run out. All of us (myself included) have to do our homework on issues and not just accept what is said on the news. Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox.
Other than that, I like the idea of a cheap, cleaner fuel. Cleaner air, easier and cheaper clean up of spills, the positives are nearly endless.

 

I don't know who told you that, but you have been decieved.
The people who are cutting down the greater part of the rainforests are not logging companies, and they have NO business sense. The primary reason they are cutting is to clear land for raising cattle. And it makes no sense at all because the soil is thin and only lasts from two to five years. So they have to continually cut more rainforest. Most of the trees are simply burned in place, creating such firestorms that they are a prominent feature on the earth as viewed from outer space. It is constant!

It is a shame that they are not using the wood from these trees, many of which we consider to be exotic woods that are extremely valuable. But the worst of it is, the rainforest will not grow back. The Brazilian rainforest has gone from being the lungs of the atmosphere to being the anus, spewing such massive amounts of smoke on a constant basis. This is beyond emergency.

But on the subject of oil, I don't claim to know, but oil was created somehow, and who's to say it's not still being created in the earth. My problem with the oil situation, is all the U.S. money that is being transferred to OPEC nations. And those barstards want us dead. Screw them. I'd much rather that money be paid to our farmers here at home and keep that money within our borders. Starve those that declare themselves to be our enemies.

 

I actually read the article about the rainforests in Scientific American. As for OPEC oil, what happened to the good old fashioned invasion for the resources you need? Actually, I'm kidding about a war for oil. But we do need to quit pretending these clowns are on our side and stop letting them bully us. It's frustrating that we have the resources available here at home, but a too scared to use them. It's like not buying groceries for your family because you don't want to take money out of your savings account. If you have the resources available for "emergencies" and you won't actually use them, then how bad do things have to be before it qualifies as an emergency. Use our oil, build refineries and undercut these jokers on price and let the world shop with us for it's oil. Or, make our own and let everybody else be held hostage by the OPEC nations.

 

I'm not claiming to know exactly how oil is made, but most of the worlds scientists seem to still follow the older belief that it isn't constantly being made somewhere in the deep earth.

Like I said, I honestly don't care if its being made quicker than we can use it and the world will be a black blob before long. I just want a cheap, clean, renewable fuel that we can make. Like I said, if we make it, then we can sell it, and that turns the tables on OPEC now doesn't it.

I haven't been to the rainforests, but seems like theres enough room on the planet that people could just leave that stuff alone. Not in my country though, so I'll let the world decide on that one.

 

Hey, I'm with you. Clean and cheap. Even if it is a renewable resource, oil is still just dirty stuff. If a tanker ship full of corn oil sinks, who cares (besides the people on it)? Crude oil, on the other hand...

If we used crops for fuel production like E85, there really wouldn't be a reason to subsidize farming anymore, would there? I mean, if the fuel companies need the raw material at the rate they need crude then the farmers would have a constant cash flow.

 

you do realize we cant just stop using oil..... i favor oil cuase without it, were screwed.

I would much rather see a way to clean air of pollution, then go through that HUGE project of the whole usa converting it fuel source. It would be crazy.

Now altough oil is a the best fuel for cars as of now, and we are finding way to stray away form that. gas isnt the only thing made from oil though, which makes forgeting about oil nearly impossible.

Almost all plastics are from, you guessed it, oil. Any snythetic type of clothing is made from, yep, oil. Bottles, wiring insulation,paints,pvc pipes, ETC,ETC,ETC are all from oil.

look around you. Even gas alone would be enough to deplete a limted source of oil. And thats not counting any used for thre things listed above. Face it its being made as we speak, its the government that wants use to beleave its limted, so we can account for rising prices.

We should forget about "other" fuels for now, and work on ways to clean the existing air. getting less pollution is like duct taping somthing, its only postponing the in evitable. Even with new fuels, they still make pollution, even if we used hydrogen, cuase it make pollution to create it.

I bet if we only worried about cleaning the air from the begining we just might of had the sollution in our hands today....

 

[QUOTE=fordxfour87]you do realize we cant just stop using oil..... i favor oil cuase without it, were screwed.

There will always be a need for oil. But the U.S. produces 40% of our current consumption, which would be plenty for plastics and lubricants etc.

I would much rather see a way to clean air of pollution, then go through that HUGE project of the whole usa converting it fuel source. It would be crazy.

It is crazy not to. As it stands, we are enrichening those who want us dead!

 

[QUOTE=magee]

If we used crops for fuel production like E85, there really wouldn't be a reason to subsidize farming anymore, would there?

I'm with you Magee, our gdamned govt needs to get the hell out of the farming business entirely. The free market should determine what is grown and what it is sold for.

 

87 you're right on. Unfortunately though, most people don't realize how much oil is used in this country for things other than the evil SUV's. I just wish that people would turn off their televisions and actually READ about things from many sources instead of letting the biased, sound-bite "news" influence their thinking.

 

IMO, we should not "buy" oil from the mid-east.....we should kill, takeover, a take OUR oil. No, oil doesnt come close to replaceing the lives lost, but its the only worthful they have, and we should take that from them, just like they took lives from our country.



Yes,yes.....were would be kill inocent people in this process.... what about 9-11, not a single person even involved in the war was killed at the world trade center. were only supporting them, by buying there oil. We should kill them all, while there still weak.

 

Damn,

Do ya'll really believe I don't know where plastics come from? Synthetic materials of all kinds are made or based on oil. I know that, but what percentage of our oil consumption is used on cars, 70% or so? Even if it was 40% how long would that prolong the production of those synthetic materials.

I never said oil is going to run out anytime soon. I said earlier that I think it will run out sooner or later, or it may not run out at all, I don't know.

Does the production of plastic fill the air with the horrible gases that come out of your exhaust pipe? I don't think so.

I know that if we switch to an alternative fuel, that their will still be cars that run on regular gas, and they will still need oil for lubrication, things like that. But again, what percentage is used for gasoline. If we could drop that, it would make things a lot cheaper, and the amount of oil not being used would go way up.