Sorry I'm a couple of days late. I was busy building a shed and bringing my lovely wife on her first ever round of golf on Friday, and I just didn't get to it yesterday. If you've never been golfing, Susan loved it. She didn't hit the ball every time she swung the club, but she did get a few good hits in as well! It's a fun little hobby.
I've hinted before that I feel inadequate to solve the world's problems. I'm not "in the know" enough to know if my opinion is the same as spewing out a bunch of phlegm at a King's feast. But that doesn't (and shouldn't) stop us from forming opinions, but I like to ere on the side of caution when I have the stage.
Now, I would like to ask two questions to my faithful readers, and any new one's who you would like to bring in to this conversation.
1. - Did you approve of the bail out? What would you have done differently?
2. - What is your concept for energy independence.
For the record, I did not approve of the bail out. I don't believe the American people, nor it's government, can work smart enough to avoid the crisis, that is simply just delayed by the bail out. I hope to be wrong. I hope that someone with the right idea can pull the economy out, but I think it would have been best to let America fall, and then force the good ol' American pride to bring the country out of the depths.
As far as energy independence. I'll post my thoughts as responses to your comments. I will be more interactive with each comment this time and will continue to do so as long as my popularity amongst my readers can be controlled :)
Thanks for supporting this experiment.
I can't figure out how to respond to each comment individually, so I'll respond to them here. I really enjoy having this dialogue with friends. It makes me happy.
To Susan:
I agree that it's time to drill again in the United States, but I don't think it will solve all of our problems. Knowing you better than anyone else, I know you already know that. However, I don't know if you realize the congressional ban on drilling oil has lapsed (just recently) and won't be re-addressed until after the election. It is highly possible we will see new drilling soon.
To Leah Marie:
The term "appropriate" is very appropriate when you say "appropriate government oversight." My job deals with "appropriate" government oversight every day and I can't tell you how many regulations and procedures can be optimized, but all that happens is costs keep driving up. I'm frustrated with that in my job. I am very skeptical that "appropriate" can be achieved and I am betting you will see something along the lines of a $0.50 return to the dollar on this investment. I believe the American people hold the power.
I don't know where you're getting your figures of 10 to 15 years of oil resources is all we have within our borders. Obviously, Alaska is completely untapped. And despite the "save the Caribou" cries, most of the primary oil fields would be where it is primarily barren in the area and the impact to the environment is not nearly as bad as we are lead to believe. Also, when it comes to oil shale (here in my lovely back yard), it is estimated there is more resources there if it can ever be harnessed effecively, than there is in the current reserves in the Middle East and Venezuela combined. Now, after that long shpeal, I 100% agree that oil is not the wave of the future, but it will have to be the bridge. I am in awe of all the ideas that are coming out and am looking forward to see which one comes out on top.
To mytee sooperox:
It's good to hear from you and before I respond to your comment, I'd like to say you have a very long memory. I found your insight very interesting. While I've always considered "change of life style" a necessary component to this whole mess, but I've never considered it as the "only" consideration. While I am intrigued, and we have already seen the effects of what small changes can do by a large population (falling price of gas), my first reaction is that if used as the only path moving forward, it only delays the inevitable. I think now is as good as time as any to invest in more efficient AND renewable sources of energy. Without a change of lifestyle and new sources of energy, you simply push the problem to generations beyond our own. I'm all for doing what I can for the world in this generation.
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4 comments:
1. The so called "bailout" is a big, expensive mistake. It won't work. How can getting more people into more debt help fix the debt crisis? It can't. I understand the gov. is trying to save the worth of the American dollar, but it's too late for that. I agree, we should have just let everything go (it will happen anyway) and start over.
2. I really prefer the idea of using our own resources and not being so dependent on foreign oil. I truly believe that using our own resources could save our economy. The amount of oil we have inside our borders (but *#&^ congress won't let us use) is enough to stop our dependence on the middle east and create a LOT of new jobs. And think about it; it's not called "black gold" for nothing.
1. I agree, conditionally, that the bailout will do no good. It is a short term fix, and the if its not accompanied by appropriate government oversight, the economy will fail again. If accompanied by the appropriate oversight if can be more of a long term solution.
2. Although I'm opposed to off shore drilling (save the ocean!) I do support investing more in homeland oil resources. However, we only have enough oil in our nation to last us 10, maybe 15, more years. I think we should use that oil, but invest even more money in alternate sources... so that when that oil runs out, we can be completely independent of it. Wouldn't that be so nice?
1. I think the bailout was a cop-out. Washington doesn't seem to have the guts to let things be, they always have to be meddling. It's natural for economies to have highs and lows--it's healthy! Besides, haven't they listened to Alfred? "Why do we fall down, sir? So we can learn to get back up again."
2. I think we've kind of shot ourselves in the foot as far as energy independence. I don't believe the solution is in off-shore drilling, in organic fuel, or electric cars. It's our lifestyles that need to change.
In the eastern US public transportation is more readily available and convenient, and things are closer together. You can see with the gas prices going up, more people using mass transit, biking, walking etc. HURRAY! Out west, however, there is this commuter mentality. The the towns are structured such that it is nigh on impossible to walk to the store (eg, it takes 5 min just to drive out of my in-laws subdivision), houses are miles away from where the jobs are, and the list goes on. This isn't even going into the fact that we overschedule ourselves so much that we don't have time to walk to places that are relatively close and thus saving a bundle in gas.
I really think that lifestyle changes are what are really needed to make energy independence possible. Problem is, HOW do we do it?
Yeah, I realize life style changes won't make the energy problem go away within the next 5, 10 or even 50 years. And I realize it's only part of the solution (sorry if I made it seem otherwise--I get a little too passionate for my own good). I do believe that it's a key part of the permanent solution, and one that we can implement ourselves without waiting for the government to decide for us.
Little lifestyle changes like walking your child to school once or twice a week instead of driving , biking or using public transportation, planning and going shopping once a month instead of multiple times a week, making sure your tires are properly inflated, rolling down your windows instead of using the A/C (the list goes on ) are small and simple ways we as individuals can help towards energy independence (by small and simple things are great things brought to pass). It's also teaching kids to be energy conscious and not gluttonous.
I'll be the first to admit I can't live without my car. When I had to spend two hours a day walking my son to and from school in 105 deg weather, pushing my other two kids in the stroller, while my car was in the shop, I dreamed of driving him. (And I did. Everyday for 2 weeks. And I think I spent the same amount of time as walking!) And there's no way I can walk the 150 miles to the temple once a month. But I can be more responsible with how I use my energy.
What are ways y'all are trying to make your lives a little more energy efficient?
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