Prius Problem: Could Using Less Oil Make Oil More Expensive?

The big difference was that there was a flat out oil shortage, not a dramatic price increase. The very long lines and rationing at the gas stations affected every American, so it was an "in your face" issue for everyone that required actions that could not be solved by spending money.

The big similarity was that a lot of Americans were driving BIG cars with the big V8's. The Chevrolet Caprice was as big as the biggest Cadillac for example.

The words were different, but the talk and reactions are very similar to today....blame the President, buy a smaller vehicle and be less wasteful....till the crisis passes.

However, during this shortage, Japan shows up with small, efficient cars. Maybe Tesla showing up with a small expensive electric car will have the same result today.

 

You do realize, of course, just what other things are derived or made from oil, or the by-products of refining oil?

Clothing Ink
Heart Valves
Crayons
Parachutes
Telephones
Enamel
Transparent tape
Antiseptics
Vacuum bottles
Deodorant
Pantyhose
Rubbing Alcohol
Carpets (for your floors)
Epoxy paint
Oil filters
Upholstery (for your couch)
Hearing Aids
Car sound insulation
CD/DVD discs
Motorcycle helmets
Pillows
Shower doors
Shoes
Refrigerator linings
Electrical tape
Safety glass
Awnings
Salad bowl
Rubber cement
Nylon rope
Ice buckets
Fertilizers (how you going to feed all those hungry people without fertilizers?)
Hair coloring
Toilet seats
Denture adhesive
Loudspeakers
Movie film
Fishing boots
Candles
Water pipes
Car enamel
Shower curtains
Credit cards
Aspirin
Golf balls
Detergents
Sunglasses
Glue
Fishing rods
Linoleum
Plastic wood
Soft contact lenses
Trash bags
Hand lotion
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Footballs
Paint brushes
Balloons
Fan belts
Umbrellas
Paint Rollers
Luggage
Antifreeze

Model cars
Floor wax
Sports car bodies
Tires
Dishwashing liquids
Unbreakable dishes
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Combs
Tents
Hair curlers
Lipstick
Ice cube trays
Electric blankets
Tennis rackets
Drinking cups
House paint
Rollerskates wheels
Guitar strings
Ammonia
Eyeglasses
Ice chests
Life jackets
TV cabinets
Car battery cases
Insect repellent
Refrigerants
Typewriter ribbons
Cold cream
Glycerin
Plywood adhesive
Cameras
Anesthetics
Artificial turf
Artificial Limbs
Bandages
Dentures
Mops
Beach Umbrellas
Ballpoint pens
Boats
Nail polish
Golf bags
Caulking
Tape recorders
Curtains
Vitamin capsules
Dashboards
Putty
Percolators
Skis
Insecticides
Fishing lures
Perfumes
Shoe polish
Petroleum jelly
Faucet washers
Food preservatives
Antihistamines
Cortisone
Dyes
LP records
Solvents
Roofing

Not my list, and while many of these things don't contain that much oil, they will ALL be affected by the availability and price of oil. Basically, anything made from plastic, nylon, etc. is made from oil, or by-products of refining oil. What do you propose to use as a substitute for plastic? Wood? Something else in short supply? Look around your house or your workplace. How many things are made from plastic? And if we use less oil, don't you think the price of plastic, and thus anything made from plastic goes up?

It never ceases to amaze me of the shortsighted thinking people use to exclaim "do away with oil", "let's get it more expensive so we use less", etc., and pay no attention to the side affects of what those statements mean.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for using less and conservation. But thoughtless and quick changes will have drastic consequences on any national and global economy. Let's do it - but with a carefully reasoned approach, and with at least some thought to all the fallout created by changing something so drastically.

 

Wasn't there some development in bio-plastics, made from soy beans or something? Granted that still requires fertilizer since we can't wait around for crops to grow by natural means :roll:

 

Coal, Oil Shale, and oil sands. In other words, the hydrocarbons left when liquid oil is gone. However, the economics of doing this will pare the list above significantly. (Balloons probably are not going to be a big loss.) A closer look at chemistry shows that there is no shortage of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. The rub is the loss of the cheap energy and concentrated feedstock that made these so common. (Your point is clear and correct, so this is an answer to a chemistry question, not the important question infered.)

And how does one go about doing this? Significant changes are needed in virtually everyones lifestyle, not in the politician/party of the day. So far only the hard economics of diminishing oil seems to be capable of effecting this change.

 

That is, as they say, the $64,000 question. So many propose just one thing as if it were the end-all answer to the problem. However, it's multi-faceted, and no one answer.

Nano-technology to build items at an atomic/molecular level? Right now, I think the energy costs to do this far outstrip the results, making it infeasible at this point.

Reduction of use, is, of course, a beginning. It WILL lead to higher costs, as the law of supply-and-demand will lead companies to "adjust" the supply to meet demand, keeping prices high, or raising them somewhat.

And while there are many articles talking about all the "break-throughs" (better efficiency from solar, better battery power, etc., etc.), one should remember that most of these items are YEARS away. They aren't "just around the corner". After all, those LiOn batteries being talked about are still volatile, and caused several laptops to melt and/or catch fire just a year or two ago. Originating from a REPUTABLE company (Sony).

I ordered my Prius when it became obvious that any other vehicle being talked about was at least 4 years away from actually seeing the light of day. And that isn't significant production. Simply no reason to wait for something more efficient for quite some time. (I also have high hopes that since the number of Prii on the road will be a large number - compared to other hybrids, that "upgrades" for batteries, etc., may be available in 3-4 years).

The road will be long, is going to be somewhat expensive. But let's not cut off our nose to spite our face.

 

True, but most of these are economic driven changes which are inevitable anyway. What I am looking for is something that starts and sustains a cultural/society/value change. It would be in the same class as eliminating discrimination, allowing everyone to vote, etc. I know what the end result is (living sustainable is more important than making money), and what the fuel for change is (education and knowledge). What I do not know is what can create the tipping point needed.