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85 comments on DrumBeat: May 21, 2006

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westexas on May 21, 2006 - 9:47am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Scene from the movie "Over the Hedge."  

A group of animals are staring open mouthed at a large SUV:

How many humans does it carry?

Usually just one.  They are gradually losing their ability to walk.

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Jack Russell on May 21, 2006 - 10:22am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
...Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst

They didn't see the stop sign, took a turn for the worst

She said, "Listen baby, you can hear the engine ring

We've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a god damn
thing"

He said, "Call the doctor, I think I'm gonna crash"

"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay him cash"

They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around and got lost

They didn't care they were just dyin' to get off...

Eagles '76

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odograph on May 21, 2006 - 11:53am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I'm feeling pretty good about peak oil response, even as solo drivers in their large SUVs look over at me disdainfully as I walk, or bike.

I'm optimistic because I think the central question has been answered: will people respond, or will they remain in denial?

We are seeing responses wall to wall.  Now, some of those responses are stupid ("E85 Everywhere") but I'll take 'em.  I figure the stupid ideas will drop out of their own accord.  They are a little wasted energy, but there is your invisible hand, and creative destruction, in action.  Heck, a few weeks ago commentators here were maligning the invisible hand for its inaction, and now it is off the stick:

Mobilization ...

A new index tracking the performance of a portfolio of US alternative energy stocks is set to be launched on Friday, among the first to focus on the relatively young and fast-growing sector.

The launch comes as high oil prices, geopolitical uncertainty and worries about climate change are generating growing investor interest in non-hydrocarbon based energy businesses.

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RussianCrude on May 21, 2006 - 12:37pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

"What people are seeing at their gasoline pumps reflects the global economy in which we live," President George W. Bush said last week. "I think we need . . . to encourage conservation, to expand domestic production and to develop alternative sources of energy like ethanol."

Oh my! Dubya used the C word!

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jdeely on May 21, 2006 - 7:08pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Odograph...

I agree... I too am surprised by the amount of response. I thought it would take $5/gallon gas before we saw this.

Hopefully, gas prices will stay high enough in the near term to get people to make more permanent investments and changes.

If our politicians had any guts they would enact an adjustable gas tax that would keep gasoline at a minimum of $3.50 and then increase this amount by 25 cents a year till it hit $5.00 a gallon.  If this happened, we would see huge investments in alternatives.

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Dot on May 21, 2006 - 7:28pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Yes, there has been a lot of response.

But, if oil prices stay in the $60-$70 range for the next 6 months, I think you'll see this issue drop completely off the radar, as people become used to it.

You have to remember that for US citizens, oil is still really really cheap at $70 a barrel.

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jdeely on May 22, 2006 - 12:18am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I saw this on EIA Web site... just goes to show that gasoline  prices need to get a lot higher for real demand reduction.
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp


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85 comments on DrumBeat: May 21, 2006

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