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The price of oil is approaching $100 a barrel. How will your town cope if it hits $150 or more? How will farms operate? How will folks stay warm in winter? What kind of future so you see?
I think the $100 oil illustrates that we as a society need to make a push for alternative energy sources. The more expensive oil trickles down to higher costs for everybody. Most people in South Dakota use natural gas or propane for heating. The $150 oil will force people to be more conservative with energy use out of necessity. People still need to go places and do what they need to do, it will limit the discretionary income and will not be helpful for the overall economy, but it will force us to change our ways some.
When there is a challenge such as high oil prices, there is opportunity. If we look at it from this aspect and find ways to combat high oil prices through innovation and ingenuity, we can find solutions and strenthen ourselves, our communities, and our nation as a whole as a result. Americans a resiliant people and have overcome challenges many times in our history. One good thing, it will push us as a society to demand cars with better mileage (hybrids and better utilization of technology by Detroit, Asian, and Euro car companies and alternetive energy such as ethanol (cellosoic), fuel cell, etc. Although, making ethanol more efficient to produce and use is key along with improved fuel economy in cars and little but very helpful conservation measures can combat the higher oil prices in years to come.
As for me, I will consildate my trips and go 5-10 mph slower on the interstates and 5 mph slower on the 2 laners. Also go easier on the brake and accelator when slowing down/stopping and speeding up respectively. Use the cruise control as much as I can within reason. Keep the heat at a lower temp. The little things that everyone can do can add up and make a difference. I will vote Democrat next year (just kidding).
I agree with Chris, especially about the voting, Americans have overcome many obstacles by finding ways to eliminate the problem rather than finding ways to go around it. I was talking to a man who works for Encana, an energy company out of Denver, and he said that he had just got back from the North Sea trying to find oil. They drilled three holes to search for oil, used highly qualified geologists, paid hundreds of workers, and FOUND NOTHING.
He said drilling cost roughly $1,000,000 per hour. They drilled for weeks.
This is probably why we have to dip into the college fund just to drive across town.
Wow, that's a good question along with some good answers. That's a hard act to follow.
Many areas of our state are already on the move with the turbines for wind energy. My guess is that it would accelerate and we could possibly find better ways to transport it to our own towns. I guess people will be scrambling to find more conservative methods for a lot of things. I understand that sugar cane is actually much more productive then our own ethanol so hopefully that would be another option that would be explored.
Personally~I guess I'd probably walk to work since I only live two miles away and I walk double that just for a "walk." DH would probably use our car since we get close to 35 mpg and the pickup does poorly. We would probably not use more "house space" then necessary by closing off a room in the winter. We have a built-in electric heater in part of the house that works quite well when the weather isn't really cold. At one time, electric heat was much higher then natural gas, but it doesn't appear to be true anymore. Guess we'd just use that for as much of the colder season as we possibly could. We'd also probably skip any trips until the prices went down.
I don't normally post much, so first I will say Hi all. I am looking at land in the Hot Springs area for retirement, so I lurk this board quite a bit.
I am not a big fan of high oil prices, but I find it absolutely amazing how the price of oil and gas gets to everyone. We don't think twice about spending 1.30 for a small bottle of water, the most common substance on the planet, or 4 dollars for that triple grande latte which is only flavored water. Yet we scream bloody murder about 2.75 a gallon gas.
Nothing is going to get the suburban mom out of the 14 mpg Hummer that has never seen gravel roads yet alone mud trails except for 5 dollar gas. I understand some people need certain types of vehicles for their work or family situation. Unfortunately, we believe that its a birthright of being an American to have cheap gas. Those days are over.
I hope that we as a society can come up with the answers and soon, before its too late.
I don't normally post much, so first I will say Hi all. I am looking at land in the Hot Springs area for retirement, so I lurk this board quite a bit.
I am not a big fan of high oil prices, but I find it absolutely amazing how the price of oil and gas gets to everyone. We don't think twice about spending 1.30 for a small bottle of water, the most common substance on the planet, or 4 dollars for that triple grande latte which is only flavored water. Yet we scream bloody murder about 2.75 a gallon gas.
Nothing is going to get the suburban mom out of the 14 mpg Hummer that has never seen gravel roads yet alone mud trails except for 5 dollar gas. I understand some people need certain types of vehicles for their work or family situation. Unfortunately, we believe that its a birthright of being an American to have cheap gas. Those days are over.
I hope that we as a society can come up with the answers and soon, before its too late.
Kudos to you MG120!
Last year I went to the South of France and you would not believe what the gas prices were there. 3euros/liter, or roughly $7 per gallon. That was a year and a half ago too. Trust me, we don't have it bad at all!
Along with transportation and heating, expensive oil will change the way we farm. Besides fuel for machinery, oil and natural gas are used in fertilizer and pesticides. I think the future will see more people working the land. Will it be big gardens and more family farms -- or will it be sharecropping and prison farms?
Doesn't affect me very much. I drive so little now. Worse case is I just stay home and work out of the house. I have a home business anyway.
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, Americans have overcome many obstacles by finding ways to eliminate the problem rather than finding ways to go around it. I was talking to a man who works for Encana, an energy company out of Denver, and he said that he had just got back from the North Sea trying to find oil. They drilled three holes to search for oil, used highly qualified geologists, paid hundreds of workers, and FOUND NOTHING.
expensive oil
