Foreign oil and the Prius

Getting off foreign oil isn't really the issue. The real issue is getting off Big Oil. Big Oil runs the country, and spends a lot of money to keep the status quo.

 

Totally true but imported oil carries added costs of $500B trade deficit and $500B in military spending per year to protect big oils overseas assets.

US can cut oil use by 50% and eliminate 100% of oil imports is best of all worlds and something US could do over next 10 years.

 

This is false. You keep repeating the same false statements over and over again.

15% imports from Canada and Mexico is not significant. It`s the way business and politics combine. In this case we buy gas via pipelines from our two neighbors where it suits us best. These relationships predate our recent massive discoveries.

You`re simply not up to date on what`s happening in the world.

This too is false. NG will replace liquid petro-fuels but we have more than enough to do this replacement entirely from domestically source NG.

You don`t have to believe it nor accept it but you opinion doesn`t matter much. It`s going to happen anyway. It`s only a matter of time and political will.

 

It's 15% of US supply, $12B a year tax on US economy 250,000 jobs a year. Consider some were complaining over financing alternative energy production at $259M yet think it "insignificant" to spend 50 times that amount on a natural gas tax on US economy all due to US being 50% less energy efficient that Europe, Japan et al.

As for strategic concerns, consider that the oil embargoes that brought US economy to its knees in '72 and '79 US only imported 5% of its oil from Middle East.

A cut off of 15% of our natural gas would have even more crippling effect.

And then there is the environmental cost.

Protecting Americans From Natural Gas Air Pollution

Every fracking well a mini-BP Gulf disaster polluting huge amounts of air and water.

But we digress, the issue and topic is the massive US oil imports, 50% of supply, $500B oil trade deficit tax per year, $500B military tax per year, massive pollution, global warming, oil based terrorism. You know...all the reasons we all drive Prius.

 

Who do you think will cut it off?

Outlook for Canadian Natural Gas, 2011: The Pipeline Companies - Seeking Alpha

The Canadian companies are worried the US won't import as much natural gas because of large gas deposits in the United states. There is no Canadian OPEC that is going to blackmail the US from natural gas. Canada wants to continue to sell the united states natural gas. They are not an enemy. Get serious.

Imports were cut in half between 2007 and 2011. The glut of natural gas is depressing the price.

 

China outbidding US for supplies would be the scenario unless Michele Bachman gets elected president and decides to invade Canada to end socialized medicine as she imagines it.

Wouldn't put it past the foreign owned oil companies to ship US gas to China vs. Cleveland if China's paying more.

But back to foreign oil (50% of US supply, $500B trade deficit tax, $500 military tax, massive water and air pollution 'tax', global warming 'tax'') and how US could eliminate those costs by becoming as energy efficient as Europe.

Everyone driving a Prius would be big step in that direction.

Its why I drive one.

 

lol. Nice conspiracy theory.

Now your not scared of canada cutting the US off, but some Foreign owned corporation shipping it out under our noses.

The big destructive force were the natural gas price controls plus congress in 1978 making it illegal to build base load natural gas power plants all these were finally completely removed by 1992. Nothing a foreign corporation could do was as damaging as this.

Without the price controls it means said corporation let's call it snidely whiplash corp would need to have these evil Chinese outbid Americans by more than the extra cost to liquify the natural gas and ship it, then distribute it in china. But this would simply raise the price in the US, so higher cost, no shortage. Without price controls there is no incentive for snidely whiplash to create an American shortage.

Now to give you a better conspiracy theory, their is a texas company that now can build facilities to export natural gas. This may raise prices but will not create a shortage.
Cheniere Wins U.S. Approval for Natural-Gas Export Terminal - Businessweek

 

Oil companies selling to highest bidder is more day in the life vs. a conspiracy theory. It is what the oil market is all about. It is what oil companies do for a living.

The controversial XL Pipeline to New Orleans is all about shipping Canadian oil that currently goes to US market to China.

The year is 2012. Carter ended the GOP price controls in 1979. The issue today is US being 50% less energy efficient than Europe and Japan. The consequences of this are imports of oil and natural gas costing the US economy $500B per year in oil/gas trade deficit tax, $500B in military spending tax in a vain attempt to secure oil/gas supplies by force, billion$ more in environmental costs (recent destruction of Gulf of Mexico by BP for example), climate change.

With US automobile average of 24 mpg gallon and Prius average of 50 mpg, everyone driving "Prius" fixes the problem.

 

I hate to say it guys, the Prius is a pretty sweet car, and I love mine to death, but it is not the magic cure all for the world's ills that you make it out to be. If there were 20 million Prii sold in the US each year, one would have to consider the environmental consequence of 20 million NiMh batteries being released into the environment eventually. Also there is only a finite supply of some of the rare earth elements, and most of these are mined in China. So while you may have alleviated some of our demand for oil, you have created a thirst for other natural resources that we still don't possess.

 

so exactly how would you force companies to sell to US and not sell to highest bidder?
US is bastion of capitalism, everyone would do that and whats wrong with it?

hey USA, Canada will sell you oil at half the price just because we like you. We dont care about our own citizens or shareholders at all! We will sell it half the price so you can continue driving V8 pickups that get 15mpg, we know that you have been planning that new patio and who knows when you will finally get around doing it, better have that pickup ready!

 

batteries are recycled 100%... rare earth is used less and less and more and more outside china.

There has to be comprehensive policy about getting off foreign energy sources, and a lot of money has to be pumped into it.

 

That reminds me, I have been planning some yardwork for a while. Hmmm how much does a new Tundra go for?

 

But 50 mpg cars are a fix for arguably the No. 1 national security, economic and environmental issue of the US.

To meet global warming goals of 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, switching US cars from current 24 mpg avg. to 50 mpg avg over next 10 years gets the US well along the way that goal.

 

ZipCar pickup truck is $63. Great for lawn work.

 

And you have just isolated the problem. Here is a billion dollars to get you started Sen. Brown: Bill targets tax scofflaws in Congress

 

Excellent start in cutting down on exported petrodollars, but keep in mind that transport is only about 25% of US GHG, so doubling passenger car will be less than a 12.5% reduction of the 80% targeted, because commercial transport is excluded.

I am not arguing against 50 mpg (real, not CAFE) cars at all, only saying an 80% reduction in US GHG will require intense conservation in the home, and much wider use of electrified rail for transport using a green grid.

 

You can't forget about shipping. Diesel powered ships emit more GHG than all diesel commercial trucks and jet transport aircraft combined. Holy shit we agreed on something?!

 

[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]US Dept of Energy: [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] In the United States, in contrast to other regions of the world, about 2/3 of all oil use is for[/FONT] transportation[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]. [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Gasoline is the perfect example of a consumer product: available everywhere, purchased often and in easy transactions. Its consumption accounts for almost 45 percent of all oil use[/FONT] .

 

True enough, but I am talking about GHG, not oil. Same as the 80% reduction target.

 

US Dept of Energy: Transportation responsible for 31% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Oil is the focus as it is the No. 1 problem for US national security, economy and environment.

With 75% US oil use in transportation, 45% of all US oil use in gasoline, converting to "Prius" is a HUGE and VERY EFFECTIVE solution to those problems.

Thread is "Foreign Oil" and cutting US oil to eliminate oil imports is key. That it is also a BIG part of cutting green house gas emissions is bonus points.