Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragoneye
The wakeup call came in the late 70s...long before Katrina. So I agree with you there. This situation should have been prepared for, imo. But what's tricky is that the "when" was unforeseeable.
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I agree with you there. But, unfortunately, people in this country tend to have really short memories. After the oil started shipping again, people went right back to what they had been doing. We should have started creating a comprehensive energy plan at that moment (if not before). Too bad we still don't have one. Until we do, we'll be subject to artificial emergencies as well as short term problems ranging from a tin pot dictator in Venezuela, to a hurricane, to someone sneezing in a board room.
Much of the shortage in the southeast (sorry, mega, I had not yet seen the news of the price gouging down there when I posted, more on that later) is caused not by an oil shortage but a shortage of refineries and production within our own borders. When was the last time an oil refinery was built? Anyone? Anyone? And people expected the outdated plants to keep up with normal demand, let alone emergencies?
Now, about those prices in the southeast, that is not normal market forces at work. It is simple greed, shortsightedness, and price gouging. There will be a backlash about those prices. And that is not acroos the entire US. In fact, I saw a couple of places that LOWERED priced on my way home from work this morning.
I am perfectly fine with market forces setting prices, but there are somethings to note that have interfered with market forces when it comes to oil, gas, and energy as a whole. Most noteably, extreme environmentalism. I don't mean the environmentalism that means being a good steward to the Earth, I mean the no logging, no drilling, no new refineries, no nuclear political garbage that has kept this country from either being energy self-sufficient or dang near it! Everytime I see something about setting up a plant or system to create more energy, some whackjob is out to kill it and can usually convince enough sheeple to believe him/her. Example, there was supposed to be a wind farm set up in the Olympic Mountains here in Washington. Now, wind power is environmentaly friendly, right? And there is plently of wind up in that range. So, it should be fine right? Nope, some groups got together and protested on the basis that birds will fly into the windmill blades and be killed. Hmmm, I have been to Germany where these things are ALL OVER, the blades move pretty slow. If a bird is dumb and clumsy enough to be killed by them, nature is better off without that bird.
Another thing, (yeah, I know this is long) I understand and agree that gas will eventually hit $6 a gallon on a normal market. That's inevitable. But, I am pretty sure my paycheck will go up as well. When you look at year adjusted prices, gas isn't all that horrible. Heck, I remember gas under a buck and I am not THAT old. And since the price of everything is going to rise, it is not unreasonable to believe that as gas prices eventually reach that level, the effect on SUV owners won't be that much.
Now, if prices weer forced to jump to $6 across the US and stay there within, say 1 month of now. Then, we would have a the effects I stated in an earlier post (and that is what it looked like you were advocating, mega, sorry if I misunderstood you-long night on the flightline)