Oil finally over $100 a barrel, officially

[iamshack]

The information about the nickel is interesting, though I find this editorial somewhat questionable in its conclusions. I do agree with the overall point though, that many technologies have unintended consequences.

 

But you see, that is yet another reason to get some of them moving - to vet them out and see what needs to be changed. As the hybrids example goes, the newer hybrids are using lithium ion batteries.

 

Many of these technologies do not need to be put into mass consumption in order to discover they have very harmful consequences. What happens is pure capitalism takes over and blinds the manufacturers as to the actual environmental affect of the technology.

 

What is required is more research, not reactionary responses.

 

Look at what we have done with wildlife preservation. We've altered the ecosystem through our irresponsibility for centuries. However, the ecosystem adapts. And just as it adapts, we attempt to restore it to some half-assed natural state, and it not only does not fix what we have previously destroyed, but it then ruins the ecosystem that has adapted to that destruction.

 

We need research, research, research, patience, small-scale pilot programs, common sense, and more research and patience.

 

Meanwhile we are ignoring the problems we have as a society today, and trying to solve the problems our grandchildren may have in the future, ill-equipped and helpless as we are at this point....it's just so backwards in my opinion...

[NorthSideSox72]

Many of these technologies do not need to be put into mass consumption in order to discover they have very harmful consequences. What happens is pure capitalism takes over and blinds the manufacturers as to the actual environmental affect of the technology.

 

What is required is more research, not reactionary responses.

 

Look at what we have done with wildlife preservation. We've altered the ecosystem through our irresponsibility for centuries. However, the ecosystem adapts. And just as it adapts, we attempt to restore it to some half-assed natural state, and it not only does not fix what we have previously destroyed, but it then ruins the ecosystem that has adapted to that destruction.

 

We need research, research, research, patience, small-scale pilot programs, common sense, and more research and patience.

 

Meanwhile we are ignoring the problems we have as a society today, and trying to solve the problems our grandchildren may have in the future, ill-equipped and helpless as we are at this point....it's just so backwards in my opinion...

I see your point, and agree to an extent. No doubt that our "experiments" in, for your example, wildlife preservation, have at times been disastrous. Just look at Lake Michigan - the alewifes, the salmon and trout, and that whole mess.

 

But, we get better at it as time goes on. All sorts of reintroductions are happening successfully now around the country, along with habitat restorations, that are simply much more educated and researched (as you rightly suggest).

 

Plus, I think you can almost always go right by leaving nature to its course. Leaving space undisturbed, it will find a way to balance itself with its surroundings. I'm a big advocate of open space initiatives, but I think the best ones are exactly that - leave the space to become wild on its own, to the extent possible.

 

 

 

[YASNY]

I see your point, and agree to an extent. No doubt that our "experiments" in, for your example, wildlife preservation, have at times been disastrous. Just look at Lake Michigan - the alewifes, the salmon and trout, and that whole mess.

 

But, we get better at it as time goes on. All sorts of reintroductions are happening successfully now around the country, along with habitat restorations, that are simply much more educated and researched (as you rightly suggest).

 

Plus, I think you can almost always go right by leaving nature to its course. Leaving space undisturbed, it will find a way to balance itself with its surroundings. I'm a big advocate of open space initiatives, but I think the best ones are exactly that - leave the space to become wild on its own, to the extent possible.

 

I totally agree with your last paragraph.

[bigruss]

I completly agree with iamshack in the research portion. My brother is a junior at UMich working towards becoming an electrical engineer and hopes to work on alternative energy sources in his career. This has led to many family discussions about the environment and future sources of power and the whole corn ethanol strategy, and what has been found is that corn just doesnt have enough power in it to fuel the country. Even if we grow corn on every square inch of the US it wont match the requirement, so what do we do? Ive heard that there are researchers working on a new dense grass like crop which has much more energy than corn and hopefully that will come out soon. We definitely need to invest more in research.

[YASNY]

I completly agree with iamshack in the research portion. My brother is a junior at UMich working towards becoming an electrical engineer and hopes to work on alternative energy sources in his career. This has led to many family discussions about the environment and future sources of power and the whole corn ethanol strategy, and what has been found is that corn just doesnt have enough power in it to fuel the country. Even if we grow corn on every square inch of the US it wont match the requirement, so what do we do? Ive heard that there are researchers working on a new dense grass like crop which has much more energy than corn and hopefully that will come out soon. We definitely need to invest more in research.

 

I believe that's called switchgrass. I think it's stupid to use food supplies for energy when starvation is rampant in parts of the world. At the same time, if corn farmers start growing switchgrass instead that doesn't help the world's food supplies either. Maybe we should take another look at some of Tesla's work. He seemed to be on the right track.

[iamshack]

I completly agree with iamshack in the research portion. My brother is a junior at UMich working towards becoming an electrical engineer and hopes to work on alternative energy sources in his career. This has led to many family discussions about the environment and future sources of power and the whole corn ethanol strategy, and what has been found is that corn just doesnt have enough power in it to fuel the country. Even if we grow corn on every square inch of the US it wont match the requirement, so what do we do? Ive heard that there are researchers working on a new dense grass like crop which has much more energy than corn and hopefully that will come out soon. We definitely need to invest more in research.

 

Even if the corn was more efficient, how absolutely irresponsible is it to use it for fuel when we could use it to feed people? The amount of corn it takes to fill an average SUV with gas could feed a person for a year.

Edited January 8, 2008 by iamshack

[Texsox]

We need an oil man in the White House, that would fix it.

[NorthSideSox72]

We need an oil man in the White House, that would fix it.

Where have you been, ya old fart?

 

[Texsox]

Where have you been, ya old fart?

 

Avoiding the 'buster and feeling happier, chipper, and liking my fellow man.