Fuel prices

[bigeasy]

Oil at new record as mid east tensions escalate.


Does anyone notice that when the mid east rattles their cage that the price goes up and they make more money?


Drill for oil, more exploration at home, nuclear, wind, solar, gas, coal, woodstoves, clotheslines, conservation, etc. etc. etc.


I am afraid we have become so dysfunctional as a people ( unable to come to a consensus) that we will do nothing.

[WAHOONBOX]

CLIFF.....REMEMBER WAY BACK WHEN THE DRILLING IDEA OFF NC WAS VOTED OUT? WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? FAR AS I'M CONCERNED ...TURN ALASKA INTO A OIL RIG AND SAY TO HELL WITH OPEC

I SHIVER AT THE AMOUNT OF SLOB FEESCH THERE ARE IN THE GULF NOW .....THEY JUST LOVE THEM OIL RIGS


WHATS A CLOTHES LINE?

OH YES...NOW I REMEMBER.........

[BYRD]

A clothesline is a move performed by professional wreslters in the WWE.

[WAHOONBOX]

A clothesline is a move performed by professional wreslters in the WWE.

I REMEMBER THAT!...BUT IT HAPPENED TO ME IN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

[Glenn W]

Capt Cliff, you are striking a raw nerve here. Energy prices you say?
President Carter implemented an entirely new cabnet post and Governmental Department--- The US Dept. of Energy. This Department's annual budget is a little over $23 BILLION per year. In the almost thirty years of existence, what has this investment in our tax dollars gotten us?--- not very much I will tell you.
How many nuclear power plants have come on line since the mid 80's?--- not a single one.--- in fact, we ( the US) have mothballed a couple.
At the same time, our myopic right wing politiations have promoted "energy degregulation" while not understanding the true dynamic economics of the production, transmission, and distribtion of energy. Notwithstanding the short run pricing boondoggle that has resulted, consider the electric generation that has ( and is) being constructed---- Gas turbines almost exclusively. Since Natural gas is a close substitute for oil, it's price fluctuates very closely with oil prices ( up, up, up, through the roof). How many new coal plants have been built?--- nada
The US DOE represents the greatest fleeseing of America in history. Until, our congress stops acting and reacting mainly to special intests and starts using some good ole common sense in energy matters, we can continue to bend over at the pumps and drain the World's limited fossil fuels

RalphNaderNbox out

[bigeasy]

I believe that the clothesline will be the last of the energy conservation measures to be taken as it is somewhat gender selective.

The question of what kind of energy policy we are going to have seems to be out of our hands. I have no idea what our govn't will decide but I doubt it will be very effective. Any policy initiation gets shot down by opposition forces immediately.

There is a company that has been trying to build a new refinery for 9 years but is still in the permit process. Lawyers, injunctions, studies, courts etc etc hold up any rational progress.

Outlook for the charter industry is bleak as we are so energy dependent.

What are we to do?

[bigeasy]

Capt Cliff, you are striking a raw nerve here. Energy prices you say?
President Carter implemented an entirely new cabnet post and Governmental Department--- The US Dept. of Energy. This Department's annual budget is a little over $23 BILLION per year. In the almost thirty years of existence, what has this investment in our tax dollars gotten us?--- not very much I will tell you.
How many nuclear power plants have come on line since the mid 80's?--- not a single one.--- in fact, we ( the US) have mothballed a couple.
At the same time, our myopic right wing politiations have promoted "energy degregulation" while not understanding the true dynamic economics of the production, transmission, and distribtion of energy. Notwithstanding the short run pricing boondoggle that has resulted, consider the electric generation that has ( and is) being constructed---- Gas turbines almost exclusively. Since Natural gas is a close substitute for oil, it's price fluctuates very closely with oil prices ( up, up, up, through the roof). How many new coal plants have been built?--- nada
The US DOE represents the greatest fleeseing of America in history. Until, our congress stops acting and reacting mainly to special intests and starts using some good ole common sense in energy matters, we can continue to bend over at the pumps and drain the World's limited fossil fuels

RalphNaderNbox out

I agree with this post. Regulated electricity seemed to work pretty well. In Virginia the electric companies in return for the monopoly given by the state had to act responsibly and rate increases were granted by a regulatory board as costs of production went up. It was orderly and most importantly the lights came on.

Our energy needs have increased a lot in the last 30 years. Boats are bigger, faster, many airconditioned. The charter boat of the future will be smaller, more fuel efficient, and offer less amenities.

The only constant is change and its coming on strong.

[Sterling]

What kills me is that it's all speculation. Rising tension doesn't lessen the number of barrels they pump out today. As I understand it, the cost to produce oil has barely changed over the years and is something like $5 a barrell. Just 4 years ago Gas was $1.20 a gallon.

We've got a system that allows people to bid up the price of oil and gas based on what might happen 5 years from now. We're paying for the worst case scenario every day.

It's obviously not a free market or everyone would be opening their own oil company to grab the massive profits. As a country we need to find a way to competitively bid our collective buying or some other way to fix this massive problem as we're throwing money into a region of the world with a lot of problems and a lot of people that hate us.

Because it's not a truly open market, it does require intervention....and not a tax on profits or we'll pay that also.

What's also bad is that people are starting to accept it and $2.50 starts to look good. Well, it's not.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Glenn W]

Yes Cliff, and although I could'nt agree more with your take on electric regulation (that's what I do for a living), my real rant was about DOE's lack of getting anything done or accomplished. The Electric utility industry is by far the largest user of fossel fuels in the US. When it is all said and done, there are only 2 factors that influence energy prices--- supply and demand. Reduce the demand for fossil fuels with more nuclear power supply and oil prices will fall with the added benefits of reduced energy prices in other sectors and a cleaner environment.
This certainly would not bring oil back down to $25 a barrel, but nonetheless it's a strategic plan to help reduce our dependance on oil--- instead of the bureaucratic regulations making new nuclear capacity impossible economically.
Sterling--- competive prices are foreward looking--- even speculative at times. Thus, tensions in the Middle East raise uncertainty as to future supply and revenue.

[WAHOONBOX]

WELL I JUST SEEN ON CNN LIVE THAT ISRAELI JETS POPPED AN OIL STORAGE FACILTY IN VACATIONLAND GAZA STRIP IN RETAILIATION FOR KIDNAPPINGS

THE PEOPLE OF GAZA TOLD HOW MADE THIS MADE THEM.....DU HUH


IF GAZAVILLE WOULD QUIT SUPPORTING HAMAS AND SYRIA AND IRAN AND QUIT HARBORING TERRORISTS....MAYBE THEY (ISRAEL) WILL LET UP


I GOT A SNEAKY SUSPICION THAT ISRAEL HASN'T EVEN BEGUN YET.....THEY ARE NEARING THE EDGE