energy independence

[low_delta]

This year we are importing 1.7 million barrels of Saudi oil a day (a barrel is 42 gallons). That’s 9 percent of our total oil consumption. But we buy more from Canada (1.8 million barrels a day), and a lot from Venezuela (1.6 million) and Mexico (1.3 million).

Keeping every car tuned and its tires properly inflated would save 1 million barrels of oil a day almost half our Saudi imports.

[Okay, as a statistic that one sucks, but it undescores the importance of fuel conservation.]

If everyone who buys a car in the next year bought the most fuel-efficient model in a given class (compacts, sedans, SUVs), the country would save 31 million barrels of gasoline a year.

[That's .85 million barrels a day.]

Comments

[sherahi.livejournal.com]

Geez, don't forget encouraging people to stop buying the SUV crap, or encourage companies to make SUVs and other cars with batteries, like the few (two) models that are available now. Make these models affordable (which they sorta are,) and encourage people to buy them. And like you said, keeping tires properly inflated and so on. Carpool just once a week. Or take public transportation. WE'd easily save quite a bit of oil.

Of course the oil companies would be losing profit hand over fist. Nevermind the fact that the limited supply of oil would last longer, but golly, god forbid the big oil barons lose any profits! I'm sure they would easily find a way to foil the system. Look at what's happening now because of Bush! *sigh*

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

just wondering where these figures are from?....i'm not disputing them.......just wondering......

keeping a vehicle in tune also keeps noxious emissions to a minimum.....as does using a block heater for cars parked outside whenever temperatures are below 20°F......power can be conserved to the block heater by using a 115-120v timer set to turn on a couple hours before it's time to make that morning cold start.....

of course, there are modifications that one can perform to the engine to achieve higher milage with lower emissions, but this sort of work is not legal in many areas......it's like the automakers are the only people who can engineer the controls, etc. on an engine to meet the federal standards....and of course, we know that the automakers are spending all their profits to shave emissions and raise milage figures......aren't they?.........or is the goal to spend just enough to meet the standards so they can keep the stock price up?.....

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

yeah, it's all G. Dubya's fault!

this is one of my favorite illustrations.....

http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2001/04/09/tomo/index.html

Re:

[sherahi.livejournal.com]

I think its pretty clear that if Gore were in control, the environmental policies would be a 'bit different' to say the least. :)

Re:

[vlinker.livejournal.com]

a bit different....i'm sure....

and who can say what would be......with any certainty?......

but even the beard will not put Al back in as a party favorite.......

but the one thing that's really scary about this last election, is that rules and regulations regarding a voter's intention have been promulgated.....just who gets to play big brother and decide on how you intended to vote?.....perhaps you won't even have to go to the polls in the future?

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[sherahi.livejournal.com]

I hear ya and I definitely can't say I entirely disagree at all. :)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

The article I read was on MSNBC. Who knows where they got their figures.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

You'd think those oil execs would realize that they (and us) would be better off staying in the business longer, rather than making as much money as they possibly could right now and running out of product in 30 years.

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[vlinker.livejournal.com]

thanks, kevin.....

just trying to colaborate some figures regarding the alaskan oil patch

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[sherahi.livejournal.com]

Gosh, there was an article recently, I can't remember where, where Exxon and one other company (Shell?) was starting to make significant investments in the battery development that runs the battery cars as well as solar development...

They remind me a lot of the smoking industry. Where 'who cares about tomorrow, make the bucks today, no matter what the ethical consequences.'

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Were those companies investing in alternative energy companies in order to get control, and shut them down?

Re:

[sherahi.livejournal.com]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

My impression was that they wanted to dominate the 'new' fields and run them as the oil industry dwindled....but, er...gosh, I hope its not to run them into the ground...:(

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Those were just rumors, I guess. People tend to think the worst.