Have you heard that most of your electricity comes from fossil fuels?
Wow.. you have a real knack for the obvious!!
But how much electricity generation is dependent upon IMPORTED fossil fuels? (scroll down the page at this link):
electricityforum.com
Have you heard of solar panels that can power your home instead?
At what cost? It costs money (and takes energy) to produce the specialized materials required for solar power panels.
Take a look at the following link (Jame P. Hogan, the author, has done some interesting research and writing on the subject of solar power):
jamesphogan.com
He provides and interesting projection of what it would cost to produce a 1,000 Megawatt Solar Generation plant.
The cost in price and materials is FAR MORE EXPENSIVE than the cost of a nuclear or coal-fired plant.
Now.. granted Solar Cells have become less expensive over the past decade, but they still are not as inexpensive as commercial power:
Of course, there are plenty of skeptics. Solar power has been one of the longest-running jokes in the energy industry - perpetually "just 10 years away" from becoming a significant source to a power-hungry America since the 1970s. Solar power supplies less than 1 percent of the US power needs.
A recent "road map" report by the US Photovoltaics Industry envisions solar as providing a "significant share" of the US energy market by 2020, and by 2030 meeting 10 percent of US peak energy demand, equivalent to about 180 million barrels of oil in that year. To reach that vision, millions of homeowners and businesses would have to go solar - which means solar power will have to become more affordable.
Though still expensive compared to commercial power, solar costs have fallen about 90 percent since the '70s. When today's $4.50-per-watt cost for solar reaches the "magic number" of $2 per watt, it will be cheaper than commercial power, Mr. Perez predicts. At that point, demand could skyrocket, he says.
Have you heard of hybrids idiot?
I'm not opposed to hybrids IDIOT. I've actually considered purchasing one.
But the cost of these vehicles IS MORE than the cost of comparable vehicles to purchase. Furthermore, those tax credits only apply to the first 60,000 vehicles that are sold from a particular dealer:
edmunds.com
Furthermore, what are we going to do with all of those batteries once the life of the vehicle has ended? That's a major enviromental concern that has bothered me and factored into my decision whether to purchase one.
Additionally, these vehicle are primarily small, and I need something with some towing and hauling capacity. Thus, I have been looking at a Toyota Highlander though I'm not particular keen on its styling:
hybridcars.com
But I was taken by the experiences of this Highlander Hybrid owner:
hybridcars.com
Mileage Issues
The biggest complaint I have about the vehicle is the EPA fuel rating. I first thought that the 32 city mileage on the sticker was written by a dyslexic tester, as I have yet to average over 23 in all around driving. I can only assume that the tests were performed downhill with a strong tail wind. My friend with a HyHi is just now averaging 25 in combination driving. Sure, 23 is fantastic efficiency for a vehicle that can seat seven or haul a lot of stuff, but a far cry from the promised mileage. Maybe this will improve as the vehicle breaks in. (As of 6,000 miles, though, it hasn’t.) If not, shame on the EPA!
So get a freaking clue you traitor and start conserving instead of funding your best enemy-friends in Al-Qaida and Iran you pinhead.
As for conserving.. I drive as little as possible. Hell, I've only put less than 2,000 miles on the vehicle I purchased in January when I returned from overseas. I have access to the subway, and I take a cab when I go out to have a night on the town (don't need a DWI anyway)..
So I think I'm doing my part Sly.. But my part is going to mean VERY LITTLE when it comes to the ever increasing energy requirements of countries like China and India.
And it means very little when those countries are not nearly as capable, or sufficiently wealthy, to wean themselves from fossil fuels.
And your buddies, Hugo Chavez, and Ahmadinejad, KNOW THIS. And they know they can twist the knife into China's economic back because they are more dependent upon oil for their economic growth than we are.
And Al Qai'da's leadership knows this. Which is why they are putting up such a struggle over Iraq, and apparently now contemplating doing the same in Sudan (with their growing oil production).
And btw, I'm not the one who was flowering praise upon Hugo Chavez, YOU WERE!! And one only has to look at the kinds of alliances he's forming to see what his agenda is.
And it has been liberal dipsh*ts like you who have been preventing THIS COUNTRY from pursuing energy self-sufficiency by preventing the building of new refineries and encouraging oil exploration domestically.
Hawk |
