I had an interesting thought tonight.
I was listening to an ad for a candidate on the radio. His career highlight apparently was that he had voted to expand coal, oil and wind energy in our state.
That got me thinking about a comment someone made to me not to long ago when I was telling them about my trip to the badlands and how there was so much oil production going on that I was in disbelief and highly disappointed, because of what it was doing to the area. Their comment was drill, drill, drill… drill it all.
Of course my thoughts were… easy for you to say, one who never makes it out of the city or off the black top. Sucks for people like me, the virtue of the land and the animals who make it home.
Within a minute after the commercial I was thinking about that conversation, the badlands, the Gulf, all the oil under the national parks in the SE US and ANWAR.
It then dawned on me that drilling is exactly what needs to be done - “we” really do need drill it all. There are so many people who never realize the cost, the why and how it really doesn’t matter? Don’t get me wrong I’m a consumer, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely unaware. It also doesn’t mean I’m completely against the use of these resources. I just cannot stand the ignorance of so many people and their complete disregard for everything else involved - especially concerning oil.
Anyway, I’m actually convinced that we need to encourage the drilling (only with extreme environmental consideration of course). The reason being that the closer we get to the last drop is the closer we get to the day when the badlands are free again and places like ANWAR will be completely forgotten to all but those who really care about it.
This is the only thing that will provide the momentum necessary to initiate the use of an energy source that is truly renewable and that will get all of these eye sores out of our wild places.
Imagine the month before the world realizes that we are that close to the last drop - will it be absolute chaos or will the world give a big sigh of relief?
7 responses so far ↓
1 william // Oct 31, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Another interesting thought…
What will become of all the vehicles that are dependent on oil when there is no oil left?
Look around at all the cars when you are driving home tonight and picture that… a world of no oil and gas stations that have no gas!
Nearly all of the cars parked never to move again, only waiting to be moved one last time. Crazy thought.
Car recycling operations. or Perhaps they will just make a conversion.
There would still have to be engine recycling plants.
2 oddnoteccentric // Oct 31, 2008 at 2:22 pm
STOP EATING YOUR BOOGERS! Just kidding.
Consider the average car. I am sure someone has published a gov’t funded study on this, but I will venture a guess of 15 years average, between wearing out, wrecks and rust, etc. Note: no basis, just theory here.
Now: where do you think all the Dodge Aries K cars are? Still driving? I think not, though I did just see one this week here in northern WY. What form do you think all the rest of them are in now? Are they floating in the Pacific, between CA and HI? No, smarty, they have been RECYCLED into machines that recycle your patchoulli bottles, or made into dies that cut the soles for your Birkenstock Arizonas. Or more useful things like, uh, other car parts. Or shipping containers. Oh, God, we need to stop recycling so China can’t send us the goods that our countrymen want so much!
3 oddnoteccentric // Oct 31, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Back to the topic: ethanol and liquified coal are two existing fuels that can take the place of dino fuels tomorrow. Not saying we have the volume just yet; just talking theory again.
“Innovations forthcoming” should have been a campaign slogan. Maybe I will make it mine.
4 william // Nov 1, 2008 at 12:38 am
You Dousche bag!!
I can’t believe you actually thought that I was presentingcar recycling as an original idea!!
Of course I don’t think all the cars that have ever been made are still in the same form or in existence.
Dude, seriously, put down the pinner, turn down the guns and roses and read between the lines!!
Also, concerning the ethanol and liquified coal - neither are truely renewable resources at this point…
5 william // Nov 1, 2008 at 12:39 am
I really, really wish I could learn how to spell truly.
6 Dom // Dec 11, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Has anyone thought about all of the other oil based products? What about the keys you are typing on to be able to read this page. Plastic? Rubber?
There is a government study somhere that shows what percentage of oil produced is used for what purpose. I am not certain, but I think gas is not at the top of that list.
As a matter of fact, I think more money could be made selling tap water in nice plastic bottles at convenience stores than from selling gasoline at a station anyway.
7 william // Dec 12, 2008 at 8:36 am
Good point, I honestly hadn’t even considered all of the other products that are petroleum based.
It is a crazy thought to wonder what will be the replacement material will be for all of this “junk”
we have right now.
It is going to be crazy times when we get close to the end of the oil.
If you can find that report I’m sure several of us here would be quite interested in reading it.
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