Do You Have a Plan To Solve America's Oil Crisis ?

Question

Here is one of mine ...........

Comprehensive Energy Plan To Lower Gasoline Prices

This is how we will do it. And this why we will do it.

This country has so much under used industrial capacity in our Auto Plants, Airplane Plants, Steel Plants and Electronics Plants to make America Energy Independent in 2 to 5 years. We can build enough windmills and solar power and wave generation energy plants to replace 90% of all of the electricity generated by COAL and NATURAL GAS.

For under $400 Billion we could build 400,000 windmills.

The Coal and Natural Gas saved by Green Replaceable Elecrrical Generation can now be used to make fuel for cars, trucks, busses, boats and airplanes, and or plastics, chemicals, fertilizers and pharmacuticals.

We need a comprehensive plan that puts America back to work in endeavors that benefit 99% of America.

Howard Scott Pearlman

Answer 1

I agree with bustersm... that the solution is not as easy as just putting up a bunch of wind generators.  The solution of oil based mobile uses is a difficult problem to address.  However…

The solution to high gas prices is... high gas prices!!

The price of gas will spur innovation that will lead to alternatives - many of which cannot be predicted now.  There will, also, be movement in existing industries to address the problem.  Nearly thirty years after the most recent order was placed for a new nuclear power plant in the United States, several utilities are now expressing interest in building a total of up to 30 new reactors.  To supply even 10% of the countries electrical power needs wind power would have to install 14 times as many wind power generators as are currently installed.

But there is hope.  There is a solid movement toward electric cars.  There is a solid movement toward higher efficiency lighting with CFL and LED lights.  Solar power is increasing in efficiency.  All spurred by... High Gas Prices.

Answer 2

That sounds really good. Its short, simple and easy. You know those idiots up on Capital Hill won't listen to anything though.

Answer 3

Not only do we solve America's crisis. We have to solve THE WORLD's CRISIS.

The government has to fund MUCH MUCH MORE research on alternative energy sources.

We have to tap RENEWABLE sourcess of energy... I totally agree with you... ;)

Also, we people have power to change things. We must also avoid too much usage of these energy sources. This way, we can lower the demand for energy. Thus, lower prices.

If we do this, then not only will it benefit 99% of America, but 99.9999% of the WORLD. Not only do we save our pockets, but also nature.

Answer 4

There should be more money for fusion research. Kaku's book estimates that it will be in use by 2050. It must be ultimately feasible. Maybe more funding can make it happen sooner.

Answer 5

You know being able to build all those windmills, solar collection grids, and wave generation (frankly never heard of that one) plants really does not help.  The problem is going to be that no one wants any of those where they can see them.  Wind and solar also have the disadvantage of being unreliable.  So here is my plan.  It isn't as green as yours to start but it gets there.

First we must allow drilling in the United States.  We have oil and natural gas deposits here. Enough to allow us to become mostly energy independent.  Second we must build modern refineries for the oil.  New refineries using the latest technology are much less polluting then our 30 year old refineries.

Next we must use nuclear power.  It is clean and safe.  I know many people look to Europe as an example of how things should be done well in this instance I agree with them.  France, for instance, gets 75% of its power from nuclear.

Now that we have these things generating the gas and power we need the private sector can be put to its best use.  Auto makers can build cars that run on hydrogen.  They already are but the price is still high. Now we have bought time for them to find ways to make this safe and affordable.  The only thing a hydrogen car gives off is water vapor.   I am sure there are other means to power a vehicle that are safe and non-polluting.  When we learn about something that seems to help we need to test it throughly to be sure it does not make the problem worse.  This is the problem we now have with ethanol.  It not only hasn't cut back on pollutants, it has increased our use of gas and it causes a huge amount of pollution to grow and harvest the corn necessary to make the ethanol.  We need to be sure this does not happen again.

We also need to find ways to harvest the wind and the sun without using huge windmill farms and solar collection grids.  If we don't people will never allow these things in their neighborhoods.  Here again private business does the innovation thing best.

Other things we can do would be to make landscaping to the local environment a rule rather than an exception.  Government centers in every community could lead the way.  Any city property could be landscaped properly.  If you live in an area that gets lots of rain you could have lush green lawns and lots of flowers.  If you live in the desert you could have various cacti and rocks and use little or no water outdoors. (You also would not have to mow)  As new homes are built the building codes would be updated to make it a requirement that they use the most energy effcient materals. New appliances could be even more energy effcient.

By the time the oil is gone we will not even miss it. We will have little or nothing using oil.  Our industries will have found ways to make plastics without oil. Fertilizers without oil. American innovation will have again saved the day.  We can do this if we unleash our brightest people to solve the problem.

Answer 6

Well, all of those solutions have adverse impacts in their own right, first of all.

Second, oil is not just used for energy, but at least you are offering an alternative source that will free up oil for its other uses.

Third, you really need to find a way of making alternative energy for mobile circumstances (trucks cars trains etc).

Fourth, you exlude the costs of conversion of all oil-based technologies to the alternative energy you propose.  Go back and recalculate the budget.