the real keys to cutting gasoline/oil consumption
09-09-12, 02:19 PM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
the real keys to cutting gasoline/oil consumption
this TED talk is really good.
it talks about how much we spend on gasoline/oil, and what the real answer is, and it's probably not what you think no matter your political leaning.
please watch and discuss! putting this in car chat because it affects all cars and our future cars!
it talks about how much we spend on gasoline/oil, and what the real answer is, and it's probably not what you think no matter your political leaning.
please watch and discuss! putting this in car chat because it affects all cars and our future cars!
09-09-12, 08:17 PM
#2
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 12,050
Likes: 0
Received 73 Likes
on
44 Posts
very interesting indeed. At first I was like, "15 minutes!" but it was worth it. 
I assume all his facts and figures are true...
I am surprised that he drives both a Fisker and a Tesla since he didnt really seem to put much thought and time into the "blue" democratic/green side. I agree with almost everything he said. It all comes down to the fact that auto makers wont produce cars that use other sources of energy because there is not infrastructure, and the infrastructure wont change because there are not cars that need/use it.
But I see change happening in the US, as slow as it is. I have faith in the American people, with the new found awareness of the global issues at hand, that the cars we want as we move forward into the future will be more energy efficient and cleaner.
I assume all his facts and figures are true...I am surprised that he drives both a Fisker and a Tesla since he didnt really seem to put much thought and time into the "blue" democratic/green side. I agree with almost everything he said. It all comes down to the fact that auto makers wont produce cars that use other sources of energy because there is not infrastructure, and the infrastructure wont change because there are not cars that need/use it.
But I see change happening in the US, as slow as it is. I have faith in the American people, with the new found awareness of the global issues at hand, that the cars we want as we move forward into the future will be more energy efficient and cleaner.
09-09-12, 09:23 PM
#3
very interesting indeed. At first I was like, "15 minutes!" but it was worth it. I assume all his facts and figures are true...
I am surprised that he drives both a Fisker and a Tesla since he didnt really seem to put much thought and time into the "blue" democratic/green side. I agree with almost everything he said. It all comes down to the fact that auto makers wont produce cars that use other sources of energy because there is not infrastructure, and the infrastructure wont change because there are not cars that need/use it.
But I see change happening in the US, as slow as it is. I have faith in the American people, with the new found awareness of the global issues at hand, that the cars we want as we move forward into the future will be more energy efficient and cleaner.
I assume all his facts and figures are true...I am surprised that he drives both a Fisker and a Tesla since he didnt really seem to put much thought and time into the "blue" democratic/green side. I agree with almost everything he said. It all comes down to the fact that auto makers wont produce cars that use other sources of energy because there is not infrastructure, and the infrastructure wont change because there are not cars that need/use it.
But I see change happening in the US, as slow as it is. I have faith in the American people, with the new found awareness of the global issues at hand, that the cars we want as we move forward into the future will be more energy efficient and cleaner.
Hydrogen is being pushed by Japanese, so who knows what will happen there - US is not pushing hydrogen these days as EV industry is conducting smear campaign against it (which is interesting as EV industry is saying that this big bad Hydrogen companies are trying to influence govt, but they must be doing poor job since all the money (billions) is going towards EVs right now).
09-09-12, 10:18 PM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
you guys keep looking for govt to drive this, and may be overlooking that the video makes it clear that govt is OBSTRUCTING COMPETITION. it's not legal for people to convert their cars to run on alternative fuels for example.
09-10-12, 04:47 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
right now as the talk says early on, it's either (right) drill, baby drill, or (left) green energy, when neither by itself will solve the problem. we need to FREE UP the market.
Trending Topics
09-10-12, 07:33 AM
#9
People really need to stop trying to run to the govt to solve our energy needs. All govt can do is force people to do certain things. That's good for us? Politicians have been promising this for the past 40 years yet our reliance on foreign energy has kept going up. The free market is far more effective. Its too bad we dont have a free market anymore with all the govt meddling. Yes lets trust the people who gave us Solyndra, the Volt, the bailouts, and cant even deliver a piece of mail profitablely to run our energy policy.
Last edited by 4TehNguyen; 09-10-12 at 07:39 AM.
09-10-12, 08:20 AM
#10
not going to work if govt throws subsidies to certain forms of energy, obstructs other forms of energy by denying drilling, unleashing the EPA goons, etc. Then you have the environazis that try to scaremonger certain forms of energy and govt caves into their demands.
People really need to stop trying to run to the govt to solve our energy needs. All govt can do is force people to do certain things. That's good for us? Politicians have been promising this for the past 40 years yet our reliance on foreign energy has kept going up. The free market is far more effective. Its too bad we dont have a free market anymore with all the govt meddling. Yes lets trust the people who gave us Solyndra, the Volt, the bailouts, and cant even deliver a piece of mail profitablely to run our energy policy.
People really need to stop trying to run to the govt to solve our energy needs. All govt can do is force people to do certain things. That's good for us? Politicians have been promising this for the past 40 years yet our reliance on foreign energy has kept going up. The free market is far more effective. Its too bad we dont have a free market anymore with all the govt meddling. Yes lets trust the people who gave us Solyndra, the Volt, the bailouts, and cant even deliver a piece of mail profitablely to run our energy policy.
Free market cares only about short term profits, they dont care about people... if free market is to decide then gas would be $15 and you would be paying it.
thats because free market does not exist - corporations are ones that make trillions on us and they continiously try to make system work in their own favour... if there was no government to stop them, we would all be slaves.
09-10-12, 08:54 AM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
It was a good video overall, but I think it tended to avoid the issue of how much in pump-prices that taxes play. In Europe and Japan, for example, taxes play an enormous role...the chief reason why it can be $8-10 a gallon. it is half that price in America because taxes are generally lower. It also doesn't seem to address the point that the refueling-infrastructure, at least in America, is (currently) inadequate for alternate fuels like propane, ethanol, natural-gas, and compressed-hydrogen. It is critical that, if we ever want to convert from gasoline, that we start providing the infrastructure for it. This, of course, will also mean a lot of jobs for a lot of people. A large amount of labor and materials will be involved........just what the unemployment figures need.
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-10-12 at 09:52 AM.
09-10-12, 09:04 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
I don't understand how anyone can just blame this on the governments when big business is in bed with them. Its both, not one or the other. To our governments credit they are purchasing more fuel efficient fleet vehicles and electric vehicles etc. This was just an all bad proposition. Geezus if it wasn't for the government some of us would be working in a coal mine today 16 hours a day with one 30 minute break in work conditions that would make a telecomm worker laugh.
That said I did enjoy his views (TED is a great site btw) as he is entitled to them, telling us from his Fisker Karma and Tesla. Really? So here he is ****ting on the government but the government helped these two electric companies launch. He sits there and complains about the 275k fine to Fisker for being a non emissions car but does not mention all the tens of millions of government money that helped the brand and continues to do so. What kind of one way street presentation!! He enjoys the Government money but ****s on the government. lol. HYPOCRISY!!
If we do want to crap on the government blame Nixon and his cronies. Oil was what 30 cents a barrel or something nuts. He ****ed up handling the middle eastern crisis and foreign affairs and he stalled and ****ed up the Alaskan pipeline. Next thing you know the owners of oil realized how valuable of a commodity they had!! The price skyrocketed and the world went into shock and demand was still high.
Instead of realizing that was indeed the point we need to truly change our ways we simply continued down the same tired path of oil dependence. Its not about hating oil companies either, its finding other solutions to the growing energy problem.
He also ignores that people one by one are discovering other ways through wind power, solar energy etc. Europe has been very proactive with wind power, nuclear plants etc.
Finally what about the way the world is built? We depend on cars/oil b/c most people commute, driving and spending countless time in a car. If one wants to live 50 miles away from work then they assumed gas prices were stay flat. You have to take into account gas prices will continue to rise and you might have to adjust the way you live and WHERE you live. Luckily across America there are more live/work/play communities etc.
The bottom line is its not just government, big business controls is just if not even more influential in why we depend on oil.
That said I did enjoy his views (TED is a great site btw) as he is entitled to them, telling us from his Fisker Karma and Tesla. Really? So here he is ****ting on the government but the government helped these two electric companies launch. He sits there and complains about the 275k fine to Fisker for being a non emissions car but does not mention all the tens of millions of government money that helped the brand and continues to do so. What kind of one way street presentation!! He enjoys the Government money but ****s on the government. lol. HYPOCRISY!!
If we do want to crap on the government blame Nixon and his cronies. Oil was what 30 cents a barrel or something nuts. He ****ed up handling the middle eastern crisis and foreign affairs and he stalled and ****ed up the Alaskan pipeline. Next thing you know the owners of oil realized how valuable of a commodity they had!! The price skyrocketed and the world went into shock and demand was still high.
Instead of realizing that was indeed the point we need to truly change our ways we simply continued down the same tired path of oil dependence. Its not about hating oil companies either, its finding other solutions to the growing energy problem.
He also ignores that people one by one are discovering other ways through wind power, solar energy etc. Europe has been very proactive with wind power, nuclear plants etc.
Finally what about the way the world is built? We depend on cars/oil b/c most people commute, driving and spending countless time in a car. If one wants to live 50 miles away from work then they assumed gas prices were stay flat. You have to take into account gas prices will continue to rise and you might have to adjust the way you live and WHERE you live. Luckily across America there are more live/work/play communities etc.
The bottom line is its not just government, big business controls is just if not even more influential in why we depend on oil.
09-10-12, 09:49 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
If we do want to crap on the government blame Nixon and his cronies. Oil was what 30 cents a barrel or something nuts. He ****ed up handling the middle eastern crisis and foreign affairs and he stalled and ****ed up the Alaskan pipeline. Next thing you know the owners of oil realized how valuable of a commodity they had!! The price skyrocketed and the world went into shock and demand was still high.
I don't blame Nixon for the Arab Oil-Embargo of late 1973, which was the first true market-shock the world had seen in decades. We were simply standing by one of our long-standing allies (Israel) during a period when that country was invaded by several of its surrounding neighbors. And our support was simply political and financial, not actual military intervention on our part. Even so, a number of Arab OPEC nations, though, saw fit to retaliate (which, IMO, was unjustified) by a huge embargo, which skyrocketed prices well over 50% and led to gas-shortages and long gas-lines at stations. So, as I see it, the Arabs were at fault for that embargo, not us...epsecially considering that Saudi Arabia had been receiving both financial and military American-aid for some time.
Another oil-crisis, of course, hit five years later, in 1979, but that was for somewhat different reasons, and originated in different countries.
09-10-12, 10:24 AM
#15
govt price controls also helped make the gas shortages even worse. They put the price ceiling way too low to the point where barely anyone was willing to sell at that price - creating a shortage.
How about letting us extract the energy we are sitting on. Oh wait the govt doesnt let you or makes more expensive with the EPA. Oil and gas production on private property is booming now, but oops on federal lands it has been falling. Wont let you produce more oil but they claim they want energy independence. What a joke. The real reason is to appease the radical environmentalists and hinder green energy's competitor. This is why you dont want govt's picking winners and losers. The taxpayers lose in the end. If the govt was so smart and knew what consumers wanted, why doesn't it produce products to sell to consumers itself? They don't and they waste billions of dollars on boondoggles doing it.
How about letting us extract the energy we are sitting on. Oh wait the govt doesnt let you or makes more expensive with the EPA. Oil and gas production on private property is booming now, but oops on federal lands it has been falling. Wont let you produce more oil but they claim they want energy independence. What a joke. The real reason is to appease the radical environmentalists and hinder green energy's competitor. This is why you dont want govt's picking winners and losers. The taxpayers lose in the end. If the govt was so smart and knew what consumers wanted, why doesn't it produce products to sell to consumers itself? They don't and they waste billions of dollars on boondoggles doing it.