User Comments

1. 

   9/10/08

   xmarks

   opec has a profit motive, as would the oil companies drilling here. If there is more profit to be made by leavin the oil in the ground, what makes you think local oil companies wouldn't do the same?
   
   How about conservation? Dropping oil use by 3 - 5% would be easier than producing 3 - 5% more.
   
   Actually, how about doing it all - doing it now?

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2. 

   9/10/08

   csiunatc

   Exactly, Do it all, INCLUDING drilling and nuclear,
   
   Wait a second, wasn't that McCains policy?

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   1. 

      9/10/08

      csiunatc

      wrong place
   2. 

      9/10/08

      jnvscnln

      Gas prices were just $3.50 per gallon when oil was $100 per barrel. Guess that's good enough.
      
      I've never heard of ten-year oil futures. Six month, eighteen month, sure, but ten years? I thought speculation hadn't driven up the price of oil.
      
      No one is saying to do nothing. The big change that needs to happen is upgrading the power transmission lines, so power can be transferred around the nation.
   3. 

      9/10/08

      csiunatc

      Is 3.50 rather than 4 dollars a difference to the middle class do you think?
      
      Check with Southwest Airlines, Long term speculation is what has kept them able to keep low prices while the others suffered through the hike.
      
      Speculation can work both ways. Didn't you know that?
3. 

   9/10/08

   jnvscnln

   You're right ... The price of oil won't go down until the US drills its own. ... or demand drops significantly. The US Energy Department says no oil will be produced from new drilling areas for ten years (twenty years to full production). Is that soon enough?
   
   And ... Using the most optimistic estimates, oil reserves in ANWAR and offshore amount to less than three percent of the world oil reserves and less than one percent of the world energy market.

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   1. 

      9/10/08

      csiunatc

      3 things.
      
      1. Yes it will take time. I've heard 3 7 10 and more years.
      So we can't have an effect NOW.. lets not do anything at all... nice thinking.
      
      2. Oil is bought on long term prospects, You can sell today what you pump tomorrow. So oil prices can be effected before a single barrel is taken out of the ground.
      
      3. 3% would bring the oil price back down under 100 a barrel. Remember what the pump prices were like then?
4. 

   9/10/08

   xmarks

   Actually, although McCain talks about other alternatives, his plans don't put an extra nickel toward anything but nuclear and drilling. The main problem with both of those is that their effect is several years down the road. McCain also wants to give a gas holiday, which is a total gimmick.
   
   I agree that drilling is hole in obama's plan (pun accidental). The rest of his plan is more immediate and diverse (i'm a big fan of diversifying).
   
   It should be noted the drilling won't lower gas/oil prices but will help our economy by keeping those dollars at home.

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   1. 

      9/10/08

      csiunatc

      I just read through both sides web page on energy, and i think you are wrong.
      
      www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/17671aa4-2fe8-4008-859f-0ef1468e96f4.ht...
      
      McCain is as diverse as Obama. And more specific.
      
      I love the obama position of increasing renewable sources to 10% by 2012.
      
      Thats a whopping 1.5% more than it is today at 8.5%.
      my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
   2. 

      9/10/08

      csiunatc

      It wont put the price of oil at 20 dollars a barrel no. But it WILL have an effect on oil prices.
      
      Oil is global, you can effect the oil price of the world by digging up a single barrel.. (although minuscule for one single barrel).
      
      But don't think for a second that increasing world production by 3% isn't going to impact world oil prices.
   3. 

      9/10/08

      xmarks

      I'll have to look back at their energy plans. Last time I compared them both and read something 3rd party, McCain's was weaker on alternatives. Maybe that has changed. Note that I don't think we can increase the worlds supply by 3%, we just don't have enough in fiscally obtainable reserves (drilling through 2 miles of shale gets to be expensive).
   4. 

      9/10/08

      xmarks

      I just skimmed both plans and you and I will have to disagree again. McCain's were a lot of "McCain supports ethanol . . . . " no action planned. BTW, the Obama link you provided is just the summary.
      
      A note about the 8.5%, how many decades did it take to get to that? Many dams were build before world war II. There was a real focus on it in the 70's and it limped along in the 80s and 90s and 00s. For us to get from 8.5 to 10% by 2012 would be something. I doubt it is possible.
5. 

   9/10/08

   clioandme

   No.

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6. 

   9/10/08

   csiunatc

   Not at all,
   
   You can replace for instance 1.5% of coal or oil with Solar and wind. especially by tax cuts and higher incentives for individual homeowners.
   
   I've been working a lot with energy for small businesses, especially solar to stabilize their energy consumption cost. And the great thing is this. Many areas that have solar power incentives for homes, allow them to "upload" excess production into the grid, and actually run the meter in reverse.
   
   Combine strong incentives to create household level production, and increased infrastructure to transport electricity, and you'll reach that 1.5 percent rather quickly.

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   1. 

      9/10/08

      xmarks

      There have been a lot of incentives in addition to the federal incentives (which McCain repeatedly missed voting to extend) and the solar adoption has been at a great pace but it is still barely moving the percent solar. I was talking to a solar installation company around 6 to 8 months ago. His business has been growing double digits for years now but he is facing an issue with the supply of solar power parts, distribution, knowledgeable technicians. In 4 years, not only would the solar power have to be installed but the technicians would have to be trained, additional manufacturing facilities would have to be built. I'm not saying it CAN'T be done but it isn't going to be easy.