OT: Bobwins, Tell you what, lets create a new company to manage a VM fund and with the profits from the company (we will charge low expenses ala Vanguard) we will begin a backyard design for a revolutionary nuclear plant that will not only generate electricity, but provide Hydrogen for our newly designed fuel cell vehicle. I say we target maybe a ten year planning horizon. Are you in?
On the conservation side, I tweaked your message and provided the following to Doc Hastings, Cantwell and Murray. I also plan to send the email to all my friends.
Thanks,
Mat
Dear Ms. Murray,
I am an investor and engineer. During my search for good stocks, I read a lot of articles about various businesses and industries. Based on my reading, I am convinced that the world oil production will peak at some point in time, just as the US production peaked in 1970 and has steadily declined since. I am writing to you in utter dismay at the ineffectiveness of our nation's energy policies. We are energy pigs. We use up 25% of the world's energy with 5% of the population. WHY??? Because we think we are invulnerable to the laws of nature. Our country, our economy, our lifestyle is built on cheap energy!!!! Without cheap energy, the suburbs become a wasteland,the "SuperMall" sits desserted, the viability of an auto society is in jeopardy. Is it going to happen tomorrow? NO... But it's going to happen quicker than we want unless you start thinking long term.
What happened in the last gas crisis in the 70's??? Every politician stood up and said "We will become energy independent!" Wrong! We are importing almost as much as we produce. What can you do???
Change consumption and pursue alternative energy sources!
We are a free society but we must enact those laws that ensure our survival as a nation. One of the most effective regulations of the past crisis was the fleet mpg rules that forced automakers to meet certain fleet mpg standards. This is still a free society and they can advertise all the muscle cars they want as long as the fleet mpg hits 40mpg. The bloated SUV is the supreme symbol of American stupidity. Just as our citizens are the laughing stock of the world as FAT AMERICANOS, the SUV carrying one person to work at 19mpg is a sad commentary on our collective intelligence. The higher gas prices may force automakers to nudge their production towards economy but it's always temporary. This issue is NOT going away. Put the standards up there, increase the standards slowly over time to ensure that they continue to strive for higher mpg results. They will advertise what their higher margin products, if you let them, without regard for fuel economy. Let them put their creative juices to work on improving fuel economy and profits. They can do both AND help stave off the end of this glorious cheap energy life style.
We can easily modify our energy consumption. Europeans use HALF the energy per capita that we do!!!
Setting a fleet mpg standard works. It's one step towards continuing to reduce energy consumption. We are not going to increase energy production. The Federal land in Alaska is 10 years from production. Hydrogen is an energy user if you count the energy required to produce the hydrogen, LNG plant construction is 5 years away, Nuclear is 10 years away maybe. There is no short term help.
Change consumption!!!! NOW!!! If you change the fleet mpg, it affects all cars sold after 2006. A permanent fix that improves as older cars are junked. Slap an energy surcharge on the SUV junkies. Do everything you can. I want my internet, I like lots of the perks of our cheap energy. I don't want the SUV's to take away that lifestyle. Please stop arguing about pork barrel gifts to various energy constituencies and enact effective legislation that impacts and reduces consumption!!!
In addition, we need to establish incentives for individual households to consume less. This could be accomplished by rebartes for consumption reduction initiatives, or incentives for the use of alternate energy sources such as Photovoltaic arrays on individual homes. These will not solve our problems, but they will make a difference. In addition, we should pursue alternate base energy sources such as nuclear or alternate fueled vehicles such as Hydrogen. In order to avoid the train wreck we are heading towards, we need to start acting now!
I appreciate recent efforts to push alternative fuels that are practical and doable. I believe that methane production from animal waste is viable now and should be encouraged as quickly as possible. This is not like fuel cells that are years away. This is something that other countries have been doing for years. Push legislation that makes dairy farmers stop polluting our air, water and aquifers. Corporate dairies accentuate the problem by concentrating so many animals into a limited space for efficiency. Make them convert to methane digesters. Help them with tax credits. Biodiesel you already know about and are promoting.
I realize you are working hard but this fleet mpg seems like a simple step to help Americans help themselves. We cannot increase production in any meaningful way. We can decrease overall energy consumption by enormous amounts. Imagine the results if we used 50% more energy than the Europeans but still saved 25% of our current energy consumption!!!
Keep slugging away. Please work on the consumption side. Conservation can work now!!!
Regards, Mat Irwin
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