Cost of Oil Economy: $7 Trillion Over 30 Years?

Question

If our use of oil and gasoline costed us $7 trillion, why are so many people against electric and hybrid cars that use less gas?

http://www.iags.org/costofoil.html

Yankee_Sailor - It's true that oil-based fuels are used beyond the driving of cars/suv's. That being said, most of of the crude oil is being used by those cars/suv's. If we can implement electric and hybrid engines, we'd significantly reduce the need for oil. We won't eliminate it, but reduce it.

Answer 1

Wow, that's a great article! Thanks for posting it!

It is a big mystery why we don't put a lot more effort into reducing our oil consumption. It's quite obvious that some of our leaders are in bed with the oil industry, that's one reason. Also a lot of Americans are still stuck in the mind set where they think that it's their inherited right to use as much oil as they like. Most don't see these other consequences, like having our military securing oil supplies in the Middle East and the negative effects it has on our economy. More people need to hear about things like this!

Answer 2

please remember that burning oil is more than an SUV driving down the road.

It's the power plant that made the computer youre sitting in front of, and provides the electricity to run it.

Its the diesel fuel burned by the tractor that harvested the food grown with oil based fertilizers and herbicides that you are eating today.

It's the fuel in the truck that brought the food to market, and the fuel in the ship that brought all the stuff made by oil produced power that sits on Wal Mart shelves.

It's also the fuel burned by the ship carrying food grown in America and Australia and Canada that's feeding the world.

Want to invest a trillion over the next 20 years building nuclear plants? I'm with you.

Not that? Whats the alternative for the truck and the farmer and the shipper and the hungry mouths in the Third World?

Answer 3

I think that switching over to green technologies would be enough to stimulate the world economy and possible prevent recession in the US though lower unemployment and a lesser reliance on oil and coal. How dumb must they think we are by saying that the economy will crash if we switch to Green technology. The monetary cost would be small compared to that of the cost of transporting oil, gas and coal halfway across the world. Once these technologies receive the same or more subsidy to the equivalent of that of oil and other fossil fuels they will be cheaper.

Answer 4

That's a choice that should be left up to the individual.

A hybrid won't do the functions that I need in my car.

But if nuclear power was available I would buy a small electric car for commuting. I just don't want to recharge my car with coal.

Answer 5

people, especially in the US, with it's policy of not taxing fuel and subsidizing large cars, take what their government offers them, and if this government is a captive of the oil and auto industries, the People will waste oil in large cars and energy wasting housing and products.It is the business of a government to ignore narrow interests and think big.

Answer 6

They're nearsighted. All they worry about is horsepower and four wheel drive. If people shopped with their brains instead of their hearts, we'd already be getting 100 mpg.