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DrumBeat: July 12, 2008
Posted by Leanan on July 12, 2008 - 8:24am
Topic: Miscellaneous
Welcome to a world with $500 oil
How far will the real price of oil and other carbon-based resources rise? Experts (I am not one of them) differ widely in their medium-term and long-term predictions, but my reading of the evidence suggests that there is a fair chance that the sky is the limit. In the short run (the next 2 or 3 years) a global cyclical slowdown may provide some temporary relief from rising commodity prices in general and rising oil prices in particular. This temporary cyclical energy price comfort will be deeper and longer-lived if the key emerging markets that have let inflation get out of control (effectively all of them except for Brazil) tighten monetary and fiscal policies to bring inflation down to politically tolerable levels. The resulting cyclical slowdown in emerging market growth will be bad news for economic activity in the industrial world, but will put downward pressure on commodity prices. We will be unemployed but able to afford petrol.
Czechs take measures to offset Russian crude cuts
PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech Republic's main oil refiner said on Saturday it was tapping state oil reserves and bringing in crude through an alternate pipeline after Russia cut deliveries to the central European state.Czech officials said on Friday the cuts would nearly halve incoming oil from Russia -- which could hurt ties already under strain after the Czechs disregarded Russian objections and signed a missile defense pact with the United States this week.
And it doesn't lead to a good place. U.S. dependence on foreign oil has led to both a wealth transfer and a power transfer.
An Energy Policy We Can Stick To
Energy independence is the wrong goal.Oil, like all other goods, flows toward the highest bidder. Consequently, talking about "independence" in a global economy ruled by market forces is a contradiction.
As national policy, we must protect the U.S. economy from interruptions in the supply of such a critical commodity -- whether those interruptions are related to natural or political causes. I believe the appropriate aim is to strengthen our energy resilience to adjust to such changes.
Dr. Johann Wingard On Synthetic Fuels and Energy Crisis
I believe that the combination of electrified transport, bio-fuels and synfuels from coal and oil bearing minerals can eventually replace oil based fuels, which would last mankind for the next couple of centuries. I am a hydrogen skeptic, but research and development on fuel cells which use hydrogen bearing liquid fuels may provide the breakthrough, as phenomenal efficiencies are possible with fuel cells used in conjunction with unfired micro-turbines. I agree with physicist David Goodstein who said that fusion and shale oil are the energy sources of the future – “…and will always be.” Geophysicist Amos Nur of Stanford University believes that oil production will have to triple by 2060 just to cater for the world’s expanding population. Clearly that is not likely to happen, meaning that a huge conflict could be emerging during the next few decades.
Analyzing the analysts, part II: Oil price forecasts
The best and worst forecasts of the past decade: Best – Jeff Rubin in 2005; Worst – Dan Yergin in 2004.
Short supply fuels oil crisis in Nepal
KATHMANDU: The fuel crisis in Nepal intensified on Saturday as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the main supplier of petroleum products to the Himalayan nation, cut supplies due to non-payment of outstanding bills.The shortage of petroleum products in Nepal aggravated as IOC cut fuel supplies by 67 per cent to the Himalayan state. The decision to cut the supply was made after state-run Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) failed to make payments of committed amount to IOC, official sources said.
Abu Dhabi rations supply of diesel
Abu Dhabi has rationed the supply of diesel to heavy duty vehicles at its petrol pumps to ease worsening traffic congestion on main streets and prevent a possible supply shortage because of surging demand, suppliers said yesterday.
Malaysia: Diesel Subsidy Scheme For Fishermen Flawed - State Assemblyman
KUALA PERLIS (Bernama) -- A state assemblyman has called for a review of the diesel subsidy scheme for fishermen as it is flawed and leads to abuse....He said the present system where subsidy was based on the size of boats and not the actual catch made by fishermen had led to abuse.
Hudson road crews revamp work schedule
HUDSON, NH – Faced with a roughly $90,000 shortage in his fuel budget, Hudson Road Agent Kevin Burns will send his crews out for fewer, but longer days.Starting next week, highway department crews will begin working 10-hour days four times a week rather than eight-hour days five times a week. Burns hopes the four-month experiment will save up to 15 percent of his fuel budget.
Gas Thieves Use New Tactic To Keep Prices Low
CHICAGO (CBS) ― With sky-high gas prices, thieves have come up with a bold new way to steal fuel, right at the pump.CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago reports police and gas stations are now catching on to the scam.
How much will the local school system have to send to Raleigh to cover travel costs?
The Alamance-Burlington Board of Education talked about high fuel prices and the potential impact on schools, students and parents during a meeting held Friday.Superintendent Randy Bridges said the system doesn't yet know how much money the state will ask to be returned from local school districts in other areas to compensate for rising fuel costs.
Fuel costs a burden on prep sports
Struggling with escalating gas and diesel prices, some high schools and districts are hiking athletic participation fees to help offset the rising cost of transporting athletes to events.
The G8 fiddles while petro-civilization burns
From the ancient Trojans to the louche Renaissance popes who provoked the Protestant secession, to the British who lost America in the 18th century, to the Americans who made their fatally poor decisions in the Vietnam War of the 20th century, Tuchman painstakingly catalogues the information the political leaders were aware of and could have used to make better decisions, but didn't.Were she alive today, Tuchman would be twitching to write another chapter and this one would follow the grandest folly of them all. It is the story of rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and ocean and the global political establishment's utter inability to cut them down.
Building the world's first electric supercar was never going to be easy - even without the hubris, infighting, and mismanagement that nearly sent Tesla spinning off the road.
The Only Diet for a Peacemaker Is a Vegetarian Diet
A hundred million tons of grain go yearly for biofuel -- a morally questionable use of foodstuffs. But more than seven times that much -- some 760 million tons according to the United Nations -- go into the bellies of farmed animals, this to fatten them up so that sirloin, hamburgers and pork roast grace the tables of First-World people. It boils down to this. Over 70 percent of U.S. grain and 80 percent of corn is fed to farm animals rather than people.
Is the Iraq War a US response to Peak Oil? Is it a favor to Israel? Is it meant to bring US consumers cheap gasoline?, or to inflate oil prices that balloon the profits of US oil firms? Ismael Hossein-Zadeh posed these questions and gave his answers in an interesting article "Are They Really Oil Wars?"
War, oil caused most U.S recessions since 1950
WASHINGTON - Wars and sharp spikes in oil prices were behind most of the seven recessions in the United States since the Great Depression.Following is a list of recessions since 1950...
Last month the International Energy Association announced that we will reach peak oil in five years because the global demand for fossil fuel has accelerated faster than expected. Gas prices in Hawaii have nearly tripled in the last five years, without the demand crunch. Hawaii depends on fossil fuel for more than 90% of its energy needs, making it vulnerable to the approaching global intersect of peak demand and peak oil production capacity.
Floridians Driving Less, Buying Fuel Efficient Cars
Rising gas prices are changing people’s driving habits. Floridians are driving less and choosing more fuel efficient vehicles. Scooter sales are skyrocketing. According to a report released by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in 2007 Floridians bought 40 fewer gallons of gas than they did just a few years ago. Sarah Williams, A Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman says less gas means less gas emissions.
'Fuel For Thought' On Transport Sector Challenges
A report on how Australia can best respond to the environmental and economic challenges arising from its dependence on fossil fuels for transport has just been released in Melbourne.The report "Fuel for thought – The future of transport fuels" challenges and opportunities addresses two serious issues – the need to dramatically reduce the transport sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and, how to deal with the economic risks associated with increasingly costly and scarce oil supplies.
After eight hours in a single day on buses and trains, Yvonne Wenham realised Adelaide’s public transport system was shot.The Onkaparinga councillor wanted to test government claims that public transport in the outer southern suburbs was good enough. She put her car keys aside and used public transport exclusively for a fortnight.
Catholic activist sees living green as a divine calling
"I have been striving for years to live a fairly simple lifestyle, in part because of care for our environment, though mostly because of the poverty of so many of our sisters and brothers in the world," Holtz said in a recent interview. "I was unaware of the severity of the environmental challenges until October 2006, when I read a book about the convergence of the peak oil and climate change crises. Through my prayer and study of 17 additional books and numerous Web sites, it became clear to me that I needed to weave this new awareness into all my other work."
Oil Will Fall to Disastrous Levels in 30 Years: With the arrival of peak oil production, the oil coming out of the oilfields is of lesser quality and costs more energy to obtain
What is Spain's energy situation?Dire, since Spain's dependence on foreign produced energy and fuel is overwhelming. In 2007, according to British Petroleum (BP), we consumed some 150 million tons of oil's equivalent (MTEP). The government says that we are "dependent" on foreign sources for 87% of that, but that's because it considers nuclear energy "independent." However, a hundred percent of the fuel for nuclear plants is imported; Spain does not control the enrichment process, nor is it the owner of important parts of the basic technology. For me then, nuclear energy is energy which is "dependent" on others.
Russian oil sector at 'critical juncture': Putin
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday expressed concern over the country's declining oil production and said the sector was at a "critical juncture." Putin also said, however, that Russia would not engage in "economic egoism" and would continue to fulfill export contracts even as it met the energy needs of its own growing economy."The prospects are good but some tendencies worry us. The rate of growth of production has gone down...In the first quarter of this year, production even declined 0.3%," Putin told ministers and oil executives.
"The oil sector has reached a critical juncture," Putin said after visiting the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk where Russia's first Arctic oil rig is under construction.
Political action needed to deal with reality of peak oil
Wait a minute! Isn't Canada a net exporter of crude oil? Yes, and more than two million barrels a day is flowing into the United States, mostly from Western Canada plus a portion from Newfoundland.Why then, are Canadians paying world commodity prices for the stuff?
Oil shortage will become a local issue
The 19-member Vancouver Peak Oil Executive, which includes energy consultants, community organizers and artists, aims to "build awareness of the potential effects on metro Vancouver of an imminent shortage of oil and other critical natural resources."
The Texan oil baron and the winds of change
T Boone Pickens was the ultimate Texan oil tycoon. Then he saw the light: the green light. Now he's at the forefront of a revolution that has turned the Lone Star state into the US's biggest producer of wind power. And, he says, that's just the start.
Riyadh agrees to defer Pakistan's oil payments
Saudi Arabia has agreed to defer payments for the crude oil sales to Pakistan worth $5.9 billion during Pakistan's current July-June financial year, a British daily reported on Saturday.
Angola: Oil Production Sets Huge Challenge to Navy
Large scale production of oil in Angola sets a huge challenge to the country's Navy (MGA) in protecting the installations from enemy attacks.This was said Thursday in Luanda by the chief of staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), gen. Francisco Furtado.
Nigeria's top building firm to pull out of delta
LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's biggest construction firm, Julius Berger, is set to pull out of the oil-producing Niger Delta because of the deteriorating security situation there, a senior security source said on Saturday.
Iran confirms Total's withdrawal from gas project
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's oil minister confirmed on Saturday that the French energy giant Total was out of a multi-billion dollar gas investment in the Islamic republic, the state broadcaster reported.
Nigeria navy arrests Filipinos on ship of stolen oil
YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) - The Nigerian navy has arrested 15 Filipinos after intercepting a vessel carrying a significant quantity of stolen crude oil off the coast of the Niger Delta, a senior military official said on Friday.
Vandalism rampant Niger delta region of Nigeria
More than 200 foreigners have been seized in the Niger Delta since early 2006. Though almost all have been released unharmed, but the ransom the militants have extorted from them was much more than people can imagine.The militants, who said they are fighting for greater local control of the region's oil resources, launched a campaign of violence against the oil industry in early 2006 that has shut a fifth of Nigerian output.
Queues grow as Nigerian strike enters second day
LAGOS (AFP) - Long queues of motorists formed at petrol stations in Nigeria on Saturday as a truck drivers strike to protest soaring fuel prices entered its second day."We will not lift petroleum products from the depots until the government brings down the price of diesel and kerosene," said Peter Akpatason, president of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Akpatason said fuel prices had more than doubled in recent months and the government had not managed to do anything about it.
It would be a mistake for GM, assisted by the raving grease-monkey CPAs of Citibank, to sell the brand to an upstart carmaker in India or China or to breed it as a hybrid, as some have suggested. GM desperately needs an obnoxious, attention-grabbing brand to keep from turning into a dreary shadow of its former self. And America needs the Hummer to remind us of what has always made our automobiles stand out, from the tailfin 1950s to the muscle car 1960s and '70s: swagger. Americans don't just drive their cars -- they proclaim something about themselves by driving them.
EPA says climate rules are the job of U.S. Congress
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The top U.S. environmental regulator on Friday declined to make rules to regulate planet-warming emissions under existing pollution laws despite a Supreme Court decision that has pressured his agency to act.Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson said Congress should make rules to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming.
Excerpts from greenhouse gas decision documents
Key excerpts from Environmental Protection Agency, White House and other government documents on the Bush administration's decision rejecting regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act...
White House rejects regulating greenhouse gases
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration, dismissing the recommendations of its top experts, rejected regulating the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming Friday, saying it would cripple the U.S. economy.
Pope expresses worry about climate change
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE - Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday he wants to wake up consciences on climate change during his pilgrimage in Australia.
No road pays for itself in gas taxes and fees
the real gas tax rate people would need to pay on this segment of road to completely pay for it would be $2.22 per gallon...
There is not one road in Texas that pays for itself based on the tax system of today
Texas Department of Transportation
Some examples pay only 1/6th of their cost. And the social costs of pollution, disabilities and deaths from accidents and oil dependence are not accounted for by TxDOT.
http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/index.php/news/Do_Roads_Pay_for_Themselve...
Alan
It should be noted that the fuel taxes on gasoline and diesel burned on city streets, which are typically paid for with property taxes, are used to subsidize the highways mainly used by Suburban commuters.
The hidden costs of our lifestyle are not invisible any more. The bills are piling up. Time to stop living beyond our means (which BTW includes living beyond walking/biking distance from work/school/outside activities).
Frugality and thrift were once considered virtues. Hard lessons are on the horizon.
Yes, and it is strange, how fragile the veil that separates us from cruel reality really is.
BTW this 2006 apocolyptic bestseller is already in post production starring Viggio Mortenson and Charlize Theron to be realesed in the fall.
On the life style issue, responding at the top, this also relates to the previous thread, about war premium on oil, see oildrum.
(In the sense that war premium = society premium, but I won’t elaborate, too complicated, long, and questionable.)
Americans love to berate themselves on their high flying life styles, their consumerism, their excessive mindless driving, their gas guzzlers, and so on. Endless posts in this vein are all over the internet. Appealing, rests on a kernel of truth - the US lifestyle is not ‘sustainable’ - whatever exactly that means.
Yet, most Europeans in Eu. countries live better than Americans. Their health (all the official indicators) is far better; their education is far more expensive, and some would argue, superior (a tough one), and the statistics for ownership of toilets, TVs, fridges, books, or whatever (except living space in m2 and car ownership, and even there, Sweden and Switzerland come close or beat), their food, are the same or higher, etc.
As for direct oil use (which should be FF use overall and count in nuclear in some way), overall stats are lacking, afaik, but really on average, many of the developed countries are not too different from the US or even *greedier* consumers. (see for ex one nationmaster link below; or take a trip to Europe. note: The measures are always averages or medians and much could be said about that.)
Yet, this common sense reading of world stats is somehow a dirty secret, not acknowledged either by the EU or the US (uk, aus, canada..)
What gives?
*One* answer relates to the pattern of production and employment (> export.)
According to one figure I read, the US has lost 25% of its industrial employment in the past 10 years.
Hardly flash news, and not dissimilar in parts of the EU: France: -17%. (From G. Steingart, the War for Wealth, google. World: + 16%.)
Concurrently, in The Economist’s voice (eds. Stigliz and Brad de Long), Samuel Bowles and Arjun Jayadev:
“estimate that America devotes about a quarter of its labor force to conflicts over dividing up the pie rather than producing it--far more than other nations. Inequality may be among the reasons.” Behind a pay wall: link
Htlm version of a paper (PDF to download at link) “Garrison America” by B. and J, does not include the cost of war: link
To extrapolate extravagantly, the matchin’ % and history (see paper) could be argued to show that industrial jobs have become security jobs, the latter being not only an utterly, useless, waste, but detrimental in extra ways...
Politics! Politics. Engage in...
Nuff said. Apologies for the length.
nation master oil per cap
Yearly numbers are available for all countries at the EIA.
Are you sure that link says what you think it says? When I read it, I get the following list of (major) developed countries with oil consumption per capita >= 90% of what the US has:
By contrast, the list of countries with < 90% of the US's per capita oil consumption are:
It's simply not true that most developed countries use nearly the same amount - of oil or fossil fuels in general - that the US does per capita. A few do, but the US really is unusually high in its consumption as compared to the general group.
As compared to "Old Europe" - UK, France, Germany, Italy, etc. - the US uses twice as much oil and twice as much energy of all types per capita. Full details are given in the EIA data tables I've linked above.
It's simply not true that most developed countries use nearly the same amount - of oil or fossil fuels in general - that the US does per capita. A few do, but the US really is unusually high in its consumption as compared to the general group.
E.g. the Netherlands, tiny territory, highly populated, has no need for long, expensive transport of goods (rail or truck). It has a huge port and receives much by ship... It is also not *extremely* cold there in the winter, as compared to Maine, Norway, or even Switzerland. It has an efficient rail system, and commuters use it. Moreover the Dutch have the reputation of being rather Protestant, careful, modest, abstemious (except for pot which is mostly imported), not being flashy or keen on a hyper consumerist life style, a kind of model for green liberals...
Holland is no 36 (per capita) in electricity consumption, though that rank order means little - in quantity roughly the same as Germany, Israel, Hong Kong, Denmark, Singapore, and Spain, already quite high.
Indeed, the US (per capita) consumes almost twice as much, but less, even much less than other developed, such as Norway, Iceland, Canada, Finland, Sweden. nation m.
(nation master gives a rough indicative picture not more.)
The Dutch are not extravagant as a ‘developed’ country electricity users. They use the electric as my auntie used to call it for light, computers, hair driers, fridges... and batteries for torches! any Dutchman here?
Heh but they guzzle and freely burn... natural gas. See:
nat gas per cap nation m.
Few tally up these different energy uses, mixes, and I can’t attempt it. Holland is a huge user, while actually being well placed for parsimony (see above) and having a reputation of being well.. moderate. Well it isn’t, if one totted it up, it is more than the US, I should think... One bloody clue is that ppl in Holland live better than US citizens.
Just one example, to evidence the complexity, and the fact that myth and hype overwhelm, and that many prefer obfuscation and silence. No thorough round up exists, not even in the specialist literature.
The EIA give country profiles in absolute terms, which mean nothing. Per capita is perhaps not the best measure, but at least it can be easily figured and gives a rough handle.
The Dutch do much of oil refining and petrochemicals for the EU (and we Americans burn a bit of Dutch gasoline), so that is where much of the natural gas goes.
The list of nations that use a lot of natural gas a largely renewable hydro producers, and nuke a major source as well for the group.
Norway - Hydro exporter, Iceland- Hydro & geothermal, Canada - hydro (BC, Manitoba exports hydro, Ontario - hydro, nuke, FF, Quebec - export hydro, Labrador - export hydro), Finland - mix, lots of nuke and more building, Sweden - half Hydro, half nuke
Alan
Per capita, from the link I gave before.
And yet the EU uses about 50% of the energy per capita that the US does (the Netherlands is higher - 76% - likely due to its large natural gas and petrochemical industry).
I take that as a clue that we can consume a lot less energy than we do now while not giving up our standard of living.
how did you conclude that? what's your cut off for too long a commute? 10 mile roundtrip? 15? 20?
Cut off for too long commute depends on several factors, not just distance but also time and route.
Distance/time: I cycle 18km to work every morning. This takes me about 55 min, less than it would take if I took the bus. I have normal old bicycle and certainly don't achieve the above 20km/h speeds like with the modern sports bicycles that some people have. And considering some people spend 1.5 hours in a car in the morning rush hour or come from very long distances away, one could easily cover 25km with a comfortable average speed of 15km/h for example.
Route: for countries with no road system with space for bicycles, it might take a long way into the collapse before the roads would be clear enough of cars to actually be taken over by bicycles. Certainly many people wouldn't hazard the journey now amongst the morning rush hour.
There are also benefits cycling other than the obvious health benefits. Compared to driving to work, with cycling you have the freedom to choose your route, which is often shorter than the one over the highway intersections and bypasses. There is no congestion, which reduces stress, and you have the choice of taking the scenic route. You can travel at your own pace. And compared to public transport you can decide on your own schedules, leave home and work when you feel like it (especially if you have flex time). All this decreased stress and healthy exercise would actually increase productivity nationwide.
Building a network of bicycle roads extending 25km out from city center's would be faster and cheaper than restructuring the whole infrastructure to take on electric mass transit. This is something we can do now already - just take it on with your local city council today!
Now how about that for a positive attitude post from a doomer-gloomer!
Instead, the vast majority of people drive to work, many of whom spend their money at a health club getting in shape. Drive to work and kill two birds with one stone. Even if it takes an hour to get to work, you get an hour of exercise with only 30 minutes of additional commuting time.
Roads all pay for themselves with economic activity. Look at your house and everything in it that you own. You may not be able to find anything that you purchased that did not spend some time on a truck - even seeds for food. We build roads to get these things for us and for us to get to the jobs that we have, not to mention such things as being able to get to school. 150 years ago, children walked to a one room schoolhouse. Not going to happen today. Ever take a night course at a college? Did you walk? Could you attend if you had to walk?
what do you think the average commute by car be, if by car at all?
Volume 3 Issue 4 of Omnistats from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows average time and distance for US commuters. 71% commute further than 5 miles, which I'd say is the upper limit for most on bike; to be sure many in good shape can go quite a bit further - I've read of hardcore types who commute 40 miles or more on pedals. That's about 105 million commuters who need motorized transportation of one kind or another to get to work.
You've been to Peak Oil Debunked, right? Definitely you get a warmer reception there than TOD's endless stream of reality based cold showers.
Changes in Urban and Suburban form can change those statistics.
Best Hopes for secure Bicycle Parking at Urban Rail Stations and space enough for bikes on-board (not allowed during rush hour in many localities).
Alan
I've ridden the 116 miles round trip by bike. Not bad for 45.
I prefer to drive though.
EVERYONE HERE NEEDS A GOOD LAUGH,
a reply to this 116 miles is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo
I commute every day with decent weather about 5 miles with a pedelec bicycle. At 45 I don't find it a physical challenge... I don't really break sweat even when the weather is hot.
Going through the city I can take a more direct route via bike paths, so the commute time is actually much less. Coming home my route takes me right by the farmers market, the bakery, and the videothek.
I also regularly use the bicycle to also make 25 mile or longer trips without problems.
So given my personal experience I'd wager more expensive fuel is going encourage many people reevaluate that "5 mile upper limit" for commuting by bicycle you've cooked up.
Ever take a night course at a college? Did you walk? Could you attend if you had to walk?
I took a couple of courses at Tulane. Almost every time I walked 2.5 blocks to the streetcar and took it to and from class. Meet my professor on the streetcar several times.
A high percentage of students at nearby schools either walk or take the streetcar to school (I am puzzled that only a handful bicycle).
Most of the nearby streets are 28' wide (cheaper that way) one way streets with parallel parking on both sides.
Sidewalks are as essential to mobility as streets, but much of Suburbia never built them, just massive, oversized swathes of asphalt (think oil) and concrete (think energy).
To save money and "make them pay" lets reduce every Interstate highway to 4 lanes and every other major road to 2 lanes and all the rest to one lane for cars & trucks.
Alan
"...reduce every Interstate highway to 4 lanes...."
why not convert every 4 lane interstate to two way train traffic on one side and 2 way auto traffic on the other ?
not going to happen, i know, too radical, maybe someday in the future though we will wish we had.
I am puzzled that only a handful bicycle.
NOLA has a reputation - well-deserved AFAIK - for being a hotbed of crime. What would be the half-life of a bicycle parked at an elementary school every day?
A number of scooters (many more $) are locked to telephone poles, etc. on the street. A bicycle locked in an area not accessible to anyone off the street, during daylight hours, should have a decently long half-life.
Alan
"...typically paid for with property taxes, are used to subsidize the highways mainly used by Suburban commuters."
i'm mad as hell and i'm not going to take it anymore.
Spoke with a friend who is attending a family reunion. He is excited since this is the first time his family - mother, spouses, siblings, and grand-children - are under the same roof in several years. A few family members now live in Europe while the others are spread across eastern Canada.
He told me that only thing on the agenda for the weekend was to enjoy themselves immensely b/c this
will be the last time they will all be together.
When I asked if whether this was b/c of his mother’s age or the high price of fuel, he replied: “I don’t think any of us will be going anywhere very far soon. Not likely the airlines will be in business much longer either.”
Signs are everywhere. People are cluing in that the summer of 2008 may be the end of a era.
Eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we may die.
Last month my daughter was able to travel from Bangkok to NYC (New York City) direct on Thai Air. This flight was about 17 hours non-stop. On the way back next month, she has to travel through Los Angles because the direct flight has been canceled due to high fuel costs. I told her to remember that she traveled on one of the last commercial flights that literally went around to the other side of the planet.
If this is truly the last of such flights, we really did find our maximum energy exuberance in 2008. Kind of sad really.
Pathetic, not sad--
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR200807...
That is from the story "Hummer, how we need thee." posted above.
I guess the American Dream has always been just a dream -- poor, starving immigrants from other parts of the world, landing on the Big Rock Candy Mountain, and imagining themselves kings and queens. Now the scales are falling off the eyes, and we realize that our world is governed by the sun -- not the dark, chthonic forces below ground.
The human species will adapt. But Hummers, and all they symbolize, will remain a repressed nightmare for generations.
Years ago I was working on a computer contract with some folks from England. One of the first things they did, after getting settled, was to buy a large American car. One chap bought one of those frontwheel drive Olds. I'm sitting here reading the TOD while watching the TourDeFrance and admiring all those compact cars along side the road which I would dearly love to own.
Here's another choice quote:
I can't decide who is the bigger moron, the editor that let that be published or the author. Yeah it takes a certain kind of man alright, one who thinks during an eclipse it's the wrath of the gods, evolution doesn't exist, the earth is flat and who would think that 2+2 is 5 if there were a shiny object being dangled in front of his nose. It's articles like that which is the reason I no longer read the Washington Post. Idiots. I do hope that guy owns a hummer and ends up having his house foreclosed upon him because he sank all his money into gas.
And in any case wtf? I've seen just as many women driving a hummer as men.
You obviously didn't understand the satire, or for that matter, read the end of the article.
I've been thinking that, too. I'm of two minds about it (as usual ;-). Sometimes I'm really alarmed at how fast the airlines are going down the tubes, not to mention how bad the economy is looking. Will there be anyone in the stands at spring training in Florida next year (aside from the locals)? My dad wants to take the family on a vacation to Hong Kong. Will it ever happen?
OTOH, I can't quite believe it will end that quickly. People will be traveling less, but they'll still be traveling. Perhaps it will be more like it was in '60s. A trip by plane was a big deal, but people still did it. They might save for years to take the kids to Disneyland, but it was in reach for the middle class.
People have been travelling for thousands of years. If it is important, people will still travel, albeit by different means. In the past, people put their lives on the line if they travelled, it had to be important or they didn't do it.
I think for most, they'll simply decide they have no need of travel and stay near home.
Some people traveled. Fewer in the past than now, and probably fewer in the future than now.