Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] Re: A recent thread.

Subject: [OM] Re: A recent thread.
From: Doug <doug9345@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 10:21:08 -0400
On Sunday, May 25, 2008 05:00, Nathan wrote:
> Larry, I have no idea from where you have the impression that I am
> somehow wealthy and can ignore the cost of fuel and other costs of
> living. I can assure you this is not so..


The point I think Larry is making it that it is easy to assume what is easy 
for me to do is neccesarily easy for someone else to do. There have been 
points in my life that to ask me to come up with a $100 was no different than 
asking me to come up with $1,000,000. 


>
> So yes, the $4/gallon gas in the US is not a good thing for the
> individual car driver in the short term, but it is definitely good
> for the environment, for the US society as a whole, and, given the
> size of the US and its greenhouse gas emissions, for the world.

Nathan I think that your analysis is clear and well thought out but there are 
several points that I disagree with you on.

"Or take houses: conversion of existing houses to natural gas or solar  
can be difficult and expensive."

The assumption that I disagree with you on is that there can be or will be a 
wholesale conversion of homes from fuel oil to natural gas. At least in 
Upstate New York I believe that any community of any size is already 
converted to natural gas. There is usually no economic presure to convert 
because NG is in general more expensive that fuel oil and the efficency of 
the furnaces are not that much greater. The choice to install NG has to do 
with the the cost of the equipment, it's reliability and I believe building 
code many times.

"but it is definitely good for the environment",

This is true only if the cost of energy causes the US to use less energy and 
greener energy for lack of a better word. I don't see it going that way at 
least for a while. The first think that I see happening is much more use of 
coal, both as a nation and as individuals. The blacksmith that moved in to a 
shop a few doors down installed a coal furnace because it was the cheapest 
way to heat his shop by something like two. The second thing that I know will 
happen is that people that live on the edge of the economy, both physically 
and financially will get much more creative in how they heat. Can we say 
burning tires,old  furniture etc. I know that this has been done in the past 
and will be done in the future. I know we are not talking about a large 
number of people here, but it doesn't take a large number of people.

"for the US society as a whole"

This a very over simplified and  simplistic but see high energy prices 
accelerating the problem that we have in this country right now of wealth 
concentrating into a handful of people and companies. given the


" size of the US and its greenhouse gas emissions, for the world"

This assumes that as energy costs increase that the US will do the same amount 
of things with less energy. I see many of those things being done in other 
places in the world like China with more and dirtier energy.


I'm going to ad just a few comments. I would love to see solar energy become 
the main source of energy for the world. I believe that the first society 
that achieves that will have a long run as an economic and cultural power. 
Our main source of energy in the world right now is mining (oil coal,gas, 
uranium). While we all disagree on the length of time it will last I can't 
believe that any reason person believes it will last indefinitely. Will 
anyone give me a 100 years or 200. I bet I have no takers at 500 which is 
about  the time most western societies have existed. 

-Doug





==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz