What do you think would be the best way to reduce our dependence on oil?

Question

What do you think would be the best way to reduce our dependence on oil?

Answer 1

Switch to a hydrogen fuel. No dependence left. Plus our planet is mostly water, so we'd have plenty of fuel.

Answer 2

3/4 of the world is water. So, learn how to harness the power of H2O. And, to h**l with the econazis, whether it is an "inconvenient truth" or not.

Answer 3

buy your stuff online, don't drive

Answer 4

well there are alot of things that we could do but most at this point are not praticle for many people and since the government does not seem to willing to help i think we need to start each and everyone of us with small stuff and get our communities to do the same, start using public transportation walking and stuff like that force areas like where i live to expand public transportation to provide for more people. make it illegal to drive cars in larger cities/ force the use of public transportation, things like this as well as shutting off lights when you leave a room, putting lower watt bulbs in lights turning off all but one light in a room, ect,ect,ect...

Answer 5

scruffy, that was hilarious!

On the question, the BEST way would be to stop being paranoid and get back our nuclear program!  Since the start of the industrial era something like 100,000 miners have died in American coal mines yet we use that as our main source of fuel over Nuclear power which has directly caused a total of 0 deaths in the US.  Look up Three Mile Island, our greatest nuclear disaster... no one died!  If you want to talk cancer, coal plants spew tons more radioactive material into the atmosphere than nuclear plants which emit almost none.  If you want sources, I'll look em up, just paraphrasing a research piece I wrote a couple years ago.  

Oil was what you asked about though... so how about we convert to hydrogen fuel cells in cars which are charged by nuclear power plants (you need energy to break the bond between hydrogen and oxygen in water)?  Give me one good reason why we should not be going nuclear like much of the rest of the developed world, a reason which does not involve uneducated and unfounded fear.

Answer 6

Solar power, wind turbine generators, and oceanic power plants that can actually be run by the movement of the oceans waters would be a good start. it won't happen, though, because too many nillionaires and politicians have stock in big oil companies, and will move to block such speculation on renewable, and plentiful energy sources which are available with today's technologies.

There are plans available for automobiles that will and can run on nothing more than used vegetable oils, but the auto manufacturers and oil companies have blocked, and buried these technologies. It is a common thing these days for corporations to actually buy out the owner of such technologies, and then bury them just to protect their own interests.

Answer 7

Since the 1970's energy scare was so short lived, I have no reason to believe that this will be any different.  We need to unfortunately have the government step in to help.  

1.  A gas tax on all personal vehicles not obtaining 30 mpg.  The tax could be charged once - at the time of sale or (better yet)  with each license/registration renewal.  These taxes would go to alternative energy research or construction.  

2.  Tax credits increased to offset the cost of building alternative energy plants.  Tax credits increased for personal purchases of wind turbines, solar panels, etc.

3.  All utility companies required to buy back any surplus energy created through personal alternative energy means (wind, solar...).

4.  All new housing would require 50% of lighting to be energy saving light bulbs.

5.  Minimum/maximum temperature settings established for all government facilities.  Also, energy saving light bulbs used for at least 75% of lighting where applicable

6.  Gas saving vehicles such as hybrids required on at least 50% of new vehicles put in use by government.

...to name of few

.

Answer 8

Use more cream-based salad dressings.

Answer 9

My answer to the question is to point the finger at myself and ask "What I can do?" While I do have a vote it counts for 1/500000000 of the population of the US sees fit to do (if in fact we are a democracy). Of course I'd vote for less dependance on oil, it's doubtful that exact issue would ever come to ballot.

However, what I choose to do myself counts 100%.

My answer to reducing foriegn dependance on oil is to reduce oil consuming activities and support companies that provide hydroelectric, solar, and other technologies that I feel are pursuing environmentally viable solutions for energy in the world today.

I don't my answer will work. Lots of poeple want a clean environment, less depenance on oil, blah, blah, blah. But they don't want it bad enough to economize or change their habits...because, well, its inconvienient.