If you think the oil companies are ripping you off, if you think Iraq is all about oil, if you think?

Question

carbon fuels are causing global warming, why don't you just quit using so much oil rather than complain about it?
Ride a bike. Buy a high mileage car. Put solar panels on your roof. Do something other than expect the government to wave its magic wand.
Consumer habits create the demand. Consumer usage fools the air.

Answer 1

Yes we should use bikes to transport goods across America instead of using tractor-trailers too. Good idea. Go back to picking flies out of your hair and eating them.

Answer 2

hey bob, where you been at?

I totally agree. I think the sprawling exurbs built during the real estate boom from about 1997-2004 are going to prove expensive and wateful and will bite us in the @ss.

I know many people (and internet users) live there and don't want to admit this. Riding a bike in some of these places is impractical because of how spread out everything is. Public transportation is almost non-existent outside of major cities.

There is a development movement called New Urbanism or Smart Growth that encourages responsible use of land and resources and urges developers to design towns that cater to pedestrians, rather than cars.

People will be forced to change their ways, kicking and screaming, when gas goes up so high we will look back and miss the days of $3 a gallon.

Answer 3

how about doing what you mentioned and continue to complain about it?
You know, complaining is part of doing something about it, without complaints the economy would continue plodding along like nothing was wrong.
those complaints are the consumer DEMANDING, diferent products to be SUPPLIED with. currently there is no choice, but to give up every part of your life and live like a hermit.
For some people that is acceptible, for others it isn't. So we tell the economy what we want. That is how supply and demand works. When businessmen see that there is a demand for something they build it. Complaining about the current state of things, raising our voice above all of the denial makes it pretty obvious to them, that they need to start producing the alternative, does it not?
meanwhile, the deniers, bash these businesses for supplying what the consumer demands, as it[climate change] being just a hoax to get your money! it works both ways.
You know, if there was actually a realistic choice, your children riding their bike on the expressways isn't one of them, there wouldn't be any complaints, just "consumer habits" saying Bye Bye to big oil. Why do you think they invest so much to make sure there isn't one??

Answer 4

Conservation is admirable but it won’t guarantee lower prices. Oil companies can maintain their high profits by supplying less oil and charging higher prices for the oil available. This can be done at the point of origin and at the refinery level.

Control of the oil is the key concept. Iraq is producing less oil than before the war, for various reasons. Iraq has the second largest oil reserves in the world. By some estimates, Iraq may have as much oil as Saudi Arabia. Control of that much of the world’s oil supplies would put oil companies in a very good position to affect the price of oil worldwide.

Answer 5

I don't think the Iraq war is for oil. I also don't think the Oil company's are riping us off. I don't agree totally with man-made global warming but pollution is another story. However it is normal for the Government to effect public policy to "promote the general welfare". I think a federal mandate to get the country off fossil fuels is perfectly fine. Remember the terrorist have the oil. The problems we see today have been discussed for 40 years now. Its time for forced change!

Answer 6

The problem is that our entire world is designed around oil.
I agree it is admirable to do these things. I have a hybrid car.
I use energy efficient items as much as possilbe.

Even credit cards are made of oil. It is going to require a vast amount of money in order to come up with a solution. Something I don't think any private company will be willing to risk.

We pay taxes to the government. It is not to much to ask for the government to set up a NASA type research agency for alternate fuel. In fact they could take the money from NASA
We need to solve our own problems before we go to Mars and discover that Mars is a barren planet with no life and no ability to sustain life.

Answer 7

You sort of hit the nail squarely and maybe without knowing it. Global warming has become a "cause" for the Dems in this election, partly because they controlled Congress during the beginning of the Iraq war and voted for it and don't really like to call too much attention to that fact. As many politicized causes this one is likley doomed because once used up, it will be business as usual. Anyone who thinks that the Repbs are all about business and the Dems are all about fuzzy things is dead wrong. Politicians and the political system does not allow for a dimes difference in Rep/Dems or libs/conservs once they are in office and that is why things go on about the same no matter which party is in control. There are no green candidates who are going to win, there are some Dem candidates who are courting that vote to put into their larger coalition of support (unions/pollution, small business/polluters, public works/wreck the outdoors) and once elected they can get down to the business of building personal wealth. It really and truly is up to each citizen. No one puts a gun to your head to buy at Wal mart but we do. SUVs used to be the status symbol of really cool sort of left outdoor people but they are still clutching them in their hands and burning mucho oil. AND enivironmental groups are opposing wind, water and solar energy in almost every state of the union. WV is a good example where environmentalists in the heaviest coal producing state in the union (creating smoke stack pollution/the worst) are opposing wind and hydro electric cuz it could maybe might harm fish and birds. You are right. But go further. We have to stop with stereotyping people and get down to making our own lives as clean as possible and insisting on clean products. It can be done. But not by two faced politicians (Gore).

Answer 8

You have hit nail the on the head. As a society we would rather moan and groan about a problem and expect someone else to fix it than do anything for ourselves. This why film makers like Michael Moore are so popular - they show us who we can blame. Mike Huckabee has an interesting approach to medical care expenses - stop needing the doctors as much. Get healthy and stay healthy - be responsible for yourself. I wish more Americans would see this issue the same way you see it. Stop blaming the government for our lack of self control.

Answer 9

I agree, I drive a Honda rebel motorcycle it saves hella gas 65 miles to the gallon. At least start buying cars with 4 cylinders

Answer 10

You da man. You answered your own question. I agree, if people hate the oil companies, then stop making excuses and ride a bike or take the bus, train. No one has a gun to anyone's head making them pump gas into their S.U.V.s They could also buy a SMART car or Hybrid, now widely available in the U.S. But these folks that hate Bush, hate the war in Iraq, hate oil companies are more about Statism and using the police powers of the state to shove their sick, Socialist moral values down our collective throats.

Answer 11

Doing that doesn't decrease the price of oil, now, does it? It decreases usage, but oil prices still continue to skyrocket. So how is that a solution?

I bought my car four years ago and it cost me less than $20 to fill the tank. Now if I can do it for under $35, it's amazing.

Only FOUR years later, gas prices have almost DOUBLED.

FOUR YEARS.

Don't tell me the gas companies aren't screwing us.