Why we should care about global warming

[Sharon Brown]

Some of us here are concerned about the environment. Others are concerned about the rising gas prices and continued unrest in the Middle East where much of our oil in the US comes from.

I was looking for information about the rising cost of gas after having seen a report on the news stating prices could top $4.00 per gallon in the next few months. It's already happening in California. As one who travels extensively, I'm dreading such a hike.

However, during my search, I ran across an interesting article that helps put the environmental concerns into perspective. Costs associated with global warming will be much greater than taking the necessary steps to fix the problem in the first place.

Check out the article on MSN.

[ved22]

Good points Jay and Brandon.

Sharon, the real reasons are as follows:
1. Gas prices are the most volatile of all commodity prices and there are very few countries that export oil and every country consumes oil. Demand far exceeds supply.
2. The energy demand is growing in every country - whether it is developed or emerging economy or developing country.
3. The speculation on oil prices does not necessarily jack up prices to a very great extent.
4. The exporting countries are making hay while the sunshines and can continue to make money and there is no incentive for them to drop oil prices drastically.
5. There are new oil finds in Latin America and Indonesia but these new finds of reserves are far less than the demand.

Adopting alternatives is the need of the hour and it can;t be wished away anymore. Adopting a green lifestyle is very critical.

Hope this helps.

[Brandon]

Jay makes some good points, but I disagree with comments about the refineries. A shortage of refineries is a problem, but a shortage of refineries wouldn't drive up the cost of crude that it couldn't process... Growing global demand, realizations of a limited supply, and speculation are the three factors moving the cost of gas and crude right now. I am definitely on the alternative bandwagon; maybe $400 gas will get the government some incentive to fund alternative energy sources (hopefully non nuclear - a disaster waiting to happen). Nice work on the price prediction for $4 gas. I am predicting $5.00 by September 1st, but hopefully I am wrong.

[Jay]

the price of gasoline is based on supply and demand. The reason the price is high in the states is we have build no new refineries. We havent built new refineries because oil companies have a fear of building new refineries that is the cost to build and the liability involved in not being able to comply with enviromental regulations. If new refineries are going to be built they must comply with existing regulations mostly to do with clean air. We shouldn't argue about clean air we all have to breath the air. But there in lies the problem we have a cross roads I belive we are at that juncture and we as a nation have to unite and finally decide are we going to back alternative energy in a big way and try and give new industries a part of our energy budget. I call it a budget because realistically we have to devide our resources in a manner that works towards an end. To the extream we could choke our planet and all life by continuing to burn fossil fuels and there is a finite supply call it out wood pile. carbon based fuels coal,and oil and natural gas
it's pretty diverse energy sources we have at home other countries have fewer sources than us. We consume most of the world energy
it's true. We have to be more conservitive when it comes to our wood pile we need it to last untill we can trnsition over to a clean alternaive. There are only a few clean alternatives that have the resource potential to power our country. Nuclear is one while it may not be considered clean nor safe it is currently in the mix I'm not real sure on numbers but I belive it's 15% to 20% we currently get just 1% from wind. I belive wind has a strong potential to supply at least
twenty percent of our needs. England and the EU have set 20% as their goal. Solar has great possibilities for sunny regions like California and the southwest. To try and fit large arrays of solar into the enviroment is a staggering problem. One sound solution is to look at where we have space being taken up anyway. Rooftop of houses. window glass. Parking lot structures and design these to provide the power these urban structures use. highrises that generate their own power. Nuclear is still controversal and to find where nuclear might work lets look at what technology has for us in nuclear. The industry has developed a modules the size of a school bus it runs self contained for years generating power fed into the grid and consumed. in thirty years it's used up the Goverment comes in replaces the unit with a new one probably more effecient safer cleaner,safer. Anyway old one goes to recycling or what ever there going to do with it as long as it's properly disposed of. Theory is this this unitized nuclear power generator is able to locate anywhere on the grid power is needed without having to wait that long that is if they get to use them at all. My point is that solar takes up alot of room and has to be in direct sunlight to work effectively. Wind has alot of potential and biomass has good potential as does alot of alt. energy tech but finding a single solution isn't going to happen we will have a mix of energy sources and we will move toward cleaner alternative no one wants a dirty world to live in really. Look at how
waste energy this area probably has the greatest potential for savings and for profits too. For profits to those companies who inovate in the business who stream line and stop wastefull practices
I don't think people mind paying three dollars a gallon for gas I just think for that kind of money we should have ultra smooth roads
syncrinated stop light that stay green most of the time because there working. We should drive less but until there is a work at home program that really pays we all gotta get to work and back,we enjoy going places but we spend so much time stuck in traffic and waiting in long lines. Our problem is effeciency we are not good consumers we need better choice to make the car companies realize this but can they re-invent the car over night NO so were stuck in transistion
we are the nation how will have to change maybe the answer lies in some simple solution. Change to a flat tax at least then we all
would be paying the same price for gas.