Like most people, when I drive by a gas station I often take notice of what the current gas prices are. Unfortunately like most, I am completely dependent on gasoline and will pay whatever it takes to fill up my car’s gas tank. I cringe when I see the prices skyrocket to the three dollar range; however, I know I will end up paying it. For this reason, like most, I am all for finding alternative fuel sources. However, seems like every day new methods are found that sound more like the plot of a bad science fiction movie instead of a reality. For this reason, I believe it will be many years until we are no longer consuming millions of gallons of gasoline daily. The next viable option for lowering gasoline prices is obtaining more oil. Basic supply and demand teaches us the higher the supply, the lower the price. However obtaining more oil would mean becoming even more dependent on the Middle East, which is already a messy situation, or drilling on our coasts. THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!!
Drilling new oil wells on the United States coastlines is not a viable solution to sky-high gas prices despite what many people believe because it would take several years to even begin producing oil and the environmental dangers are much too great. In order to fill our oil consumption, we would need to produce 20 million barrels of oil daily. At the peak of US drilling, before the moratorium was put into effect after the 1969 oil spill, we were only producing 10 million barrels. The U.S. Department of Energy found that building new offshore drilling facilities would not have a significant impact on fuel prices until 2030. By then, our society will have developed even further, and our oil consumption will only have increased.
This is a great blog that deals with an issue very relevant to the public. As a consumer, I also notice the different prices when I go to a gas station. Seeing as how the government has information about offshore drilling and how it won't really affect fuel prices, I think there should be more efforts to find alternatives.
ReplyDeleteWhile that would be an optimal solution, oil companies should also be careful as well. For example, resorting to alternative fuels would result in a loss of jobs and income for people that work for these oil companies. Oil companies seeing an eventual loss in demand should try to focus on finding alternatives within their own means. This might even result in creation of more jobs.
Anyways I'm very interested to further read your blog. Great job!!
I agree with B. McBlogger’s comment, this is a very pertinent issue that should receive much more attention then it garners in national news. I do not believe that our dependence on petroleum remains in the public conscience, and because of this, little is known about the possible alternatives.
ReplyDeleteThis is where I want to challenge your (and B. McBlogger’s) accretion that there is not a feasible alternative source, regarding automobiles, to currently tap into. I recommend that you check out this documentary if you have yet to see it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F. It explains how corporate interests back in the 1990’s shot down the idea of the electric car. The documentary spawned a revived movement in producing electric cars, though. Now the technology is readily available and can easily be implemented into the American economy.
There is one stipulation that B. McBlogger brought up in his comment that hurts this process, though. Cutting dependence on the gas industry would put millions out of work. Perhaps this devastating loss could be curved by investing in electric car charging stations (as California has begun to do) and mass transportation? These economic factors are unforeseeable. However, continued damage to the environment is easy to spot and unacceptable for the treatment of Mother Earth or the continuity of the human race.
As a student who drives back and forth frequently from Chapel Hill and Wilmington I understand the difficulties of passing a gas station and debating which one would save you more money. My blog is on unemployment, that is people DON'T HAVE JOBS. How are we to pay for gas when the prices continuously skyrocket?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous posts in that we should find alternatives to oil through hybrid and fully electric means if possible. However, commenting on B. McBlogger, we MUST watch the ways in which we look for alternatives when other crisis' in the US run parallel to this topic.