Can Maine survive $250 OIL (Belfast, China: mortgage, houses, to buy)

[Maineah]

As much as I despise what the envrionmentalists have done to our economy in the short term some day we may thank them for opening our eyes to our own destruction.
Oil was always a finite resource and whether through laziness or manipulation we have sat on our butts for the last 40 years and sucked the wells dry. We could have been looking at alternative sources for energy for a long time but we did not do it. Why?? because it was easier and cheaper to do nothing. If you don't think we could have solved the energy problems we face now a long time ago, then you're too young to remember how we were able in 1969 to put a man on the moon. We went from nothing to putting two men on the moon in NINE years!
Don't you think that with the right incentive we could have solved ANY kind of energy challenge we faced in FORTY YEARS? Of course we could have. We just got FAT and LAZY! Now we're OBESE and PATHETIC! Maine and New England will be the first people to face this crisis as we are the ones with the double whammy of gasoline PLUS heating oil to pay for. There are smart people out there ...some with a true altruistic nature who really want to solve this current crisis ...not for fortune and fame but because it is the right thing to do to help his fellow man. These people will be the ones to show us a new way. It will happen silently without media fanfare and it will happen here...where the impact of the crisis manifests itself the deepest.

[dmyankee]

What's an energy star home?

[Shuffler]

Doom and gloom is the reality of things if this country can't get it together.

Reserves like Bakken are just hype until it's proven that the oil can be extracted and refined profitably...at this time, that is all up for debate and while it sounds promising, has yet to show its true viability. And even if it were, do you think this country has the discipline and foresight to manage it properly and plan for the future? I don't.

I agree with Maineah that our era of cheap-n-easy energy has bred a LOT of complacency and laziness, and getting ourselves out of this mess will be about as easy as pushing a wet noodle up a hill.

I hope the tide is turning, but until then I have to wonder how 'high up the priority list' places like Maine are when it comes to allocating dwindling energy supplies in lieu of the 'next big thing'. People are already suffering...it's a scary thought if things keep heading toward $140/bbl and up.

Had we better fuel economy standards in place, smarter growth across the nation vs. building out vast expanses of suburbia, and perhaps a collective mindset of living more simply and practicing conservation, I doubt we'd be remotely close to where we are with energy today....but hindsight is 20/20....

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by Shuffler

I hope the tide is turning, but until then I have to wonder how 'high up the priority list' places like Maine are when it comes to allocating dwindling energy supplies in lieu of the 'next big thing'. People are already suffering...it's a scary thought if things keep heading toward $140/bbl and up.

Shuffler, I'm of the opinion that there will be a steady contraction of "modern" services and amenities into the urban areas, while places like Maine are left on the outside. We're already seeing the leading edge of it in things like air travel -- airlines are cutting back, shutting down routes, leaving smaller airports without regular scheduled service. First-tier medical service in Maine is now limited to the three major urban areas -- Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn, and Portland -- as community hospitals shrink. IMO that trend will continue and shift more toward Boston. I think we'll see it in other areas, as well.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Shuffler

Doom and gloom is the reality of things if this country can't get it together.

Reserves like Bakken are just hype until it's proven that the oil can be extracted and refined profitably...at this time, that is all up for debate and while it sounds promising, has yet to show its true viability. And even if it were, do you think this country has the discipline and foresight to manage it properly and plan for the future? I don't.

I agree with Maineah that our era of cheap-n-easy energy has bred a LOT of complacency and laziness, and getting ourselves out of this mess will be about as easy as pushing a wet noodle up a hill.

I hope the tide is turning, but until then I have to wonder how 'high up the priority list' places like Maine are when it comes to allocating dwindling energy supplies in lieu of the 'next big thing'. People are already suffering...it's a scary thought if things keep heading toward $140/bbl and up.

Had we better fuel economy standards in place, smarter growth across the nation vs. building out vast expanses of suburbia, and perhaps a collective mindset of living more simply and practicing conservation, I doubt we'd be remotely close to where we are with energy today....but hindsight is 20/20....

I worry about the general mindset of the majority of the people in this country. I truly believe that the majority of them could not take care of themselves if there is a big economic depression due to the price of fuel. The height of these people's survival skills is finding 40% off on a pair of shoes! A lot of them can't even cook and depend on prepared microwave meals or restaurant food. Many of them have no clue where food really comes from. They couldn't grow a radish (radishes are very easy for the uninitiated and will grow anywhere) if their life depended on it! It just may depend on it at some time in the near future. They will look to the government to DO something to help them though I can't see what that will be. We may freeze up here but we'll most likely be resourseful enough to survive. The big media blitz will be focused on what the city dwellers are going to do when the restaurants start closing.

[gr8pyrz]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I worry about the general mindset of the majority of the people in this country. We may freeze up here but we'll most likely be resourseful enough to survive. The big media blitz will be focused on what the city dwellers are going to do when the restaurants start closing.

Although it doesn't look like we're going to make it out of MI anytime soon with the housing market the way it is, I still visit this forum daily.

I have to comment on this subject. Isn't this really "screwed if you do, screwed if you don't?". I mean sprawl is frowned upon....city dwelling with walking access, smaller land footprint and more amenities is suppose to be what we look for in order to conserve and basically be more 'green'. We can't have it both ways.

Are city dwellers really at fault for simply adapting to their surroundings? To what they have access to? How would an apartment dweller grow their own food to begin with? Yet if all city dwellers moved out and added to the sprawl, that is frowned upon also.

I think regardless of how we live we are screwed either way. In sprawl people will deal with using more gas but they can grow some of their own food and be a little more self-sufficient. In the city they may use little to no gas and take up very little space but they can't grow their own food and be self sustainable.

[dmyankee]

We live in a community of 1800, have everything we want or need here, and are an hour and a half to the nearest "city." I love Maine sprawl!

[Moxie]

Originally Posted by dmyankee

What's an energy star home?

"To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes."

Basically like the appliance that earn the Energy Star rating, homes can be built in a much more efficient manner. We have builders here in North Carolina (as well as other places) that are production builders and build them quite affordably. I've seen only one listing in the last year for an Energy Star home in S. Maine. I've been specifically looking to find one.
I haven't lived in cold weather since I left NE as a kid. I have been concerned about the cost even before the latest oil prices!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I get calls on a regular basis from people who want to buy a "bug out destination". They feel that where they are now will not be safe in the near future for whatever reason.

As to the "sprawl alarmists", if our town continues to grow at its present rate, by the year 2060 we'll be back up to the population we had in 1890.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by gr8pyrz

Although it doesn't look like we're going to make it out of MI anytime soon with the housing market the way it is, I still visit this forum daily.

I have to comment on this subject. Isn't this really "screwed if you do, screwed if you don't?". I mean sprawl is frowned upon....city dwelling with walking access, smaller land footprint and more amenities is suppose to be what we look for in order to conserve and basically be more 'green'. We can't have it both ways.

Are city dwellers really at fault for simply adapting to their surroundings? To what they have access to? How would an apartment dweller grow their own food to begin with? Yet if all city dwellers moved out and added to the sprawl, that is frowned upon also.

I think regardless of how we live we are screwed either way. In sprawl people will deal with using more gas but they can grow some of their own food and be a little more self-sufficient. In the city they may use little to no gas and take up very little space but they can't grow their own food and be self sustainable.

I'd agree with you if it were just city dwellers we were talking about. Unfortunately it is not. Many country folks have abandoned the vegetable garden for the the in ground pool and the expensive landscaping.They are doing well enough to join the country club set either via good income or through the use of abundant credit. These folks are going to feel the pinch real soon as the expense to run the SUV coupled with the end of the sub prime mortgages and higher fuel bills clip their wings in a hurry.