Posts Made By: Luke Schmidt

Thank you for reading my entire post. I would like to point out a couple things, in my post I pointed out what I saw as a flaw in a previous argument about global warming, but then went on to say that I believe that the global warming argument can be ignored as I feel this is more of a moral issue about being good stewards of our planet. If you believe global warming is a scam fine, I still don't think that makes it ok to blindly use resources at what ever rate is convenient.

I am willing to admit that a million deaths may be high, I was just trying to point out that limiting the human cost of US foreign policy to ONLY American lives is not accurate or fair. I also recognize that it is not just Americans that are killing people, but the US has played its part as well.

I did not intend for my post to come across as a diatribe, just a response to previous posts. I admit I lean to the left, as for being a socialist I believe I said in my post it is not the job of the government to take care of you, use personal responsibility where you can, not really a socialist concept, and as for being a nihilist, if I believed that existence is senseless and useless I probably would not have made the original post.

Writing off conservation just because it is not the final solution does not mean it can't play an important part, even if it is just softening the blow to your own wallet.

As for wind generation being expensive to maintain, I don't see how what is basically an electric motor used in reverse is so much more complex than then technology required to build an offshore oil rig, or maintaining the complex distillation process for oil refining.

I believe short sighted capitalism is just as dangerous as no compromise environmentalism.

It might also help to look outside the US media.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6040054.stm

granted only 31% can be attributed to US actions, but that is still a significant number.

I reread your original comment and I may have been too glib in my response, I still feel conservation can have a major impact both in short and long term. In the past couple years I have made relatively painless changes to my own lifestyle and figure I save on average $400 a year, so if I make the assumption that everyone in America can do 1/4th that, $100 a year that is about 30 billion in energy costs saved. These savings last as long as you practice the necessary conservation and only increase with increased energy costs. It also requires no additional infrastructure, it can start today. So over the next 15 years that is 45 billion saved, not 2 1/2 trillion I agree, but not chump change either.

I think we maybe just fundamentally disagree about the place wind, solar etc. has in our energy plan, maybe it's not the answer now, but if the infrastructure is not started today, we are in the same place we are now or worse in 15 years. So I would put forth another proposal that has only briefly been mentioned. Nuclear power. This technology has moved ahead greatly despite public mistrust after Chernobyl and 3 Mile Island. It is definitely possible to build a nuclear power plant with the same power output as a coal plant and current technology can use previously created reactor waste as fuel and the byproducts of newer reactors have much shorter half-lives so waste disposal is not as great an issue as it once was.

I also agree that currently there is not the infrastructure necessary for alternative fuel use, but imagine if we were starting from scratch with our current technology, no oil refineries, no coal mines etc. would we still choose to invest everything in fossil fuels?

As for the devalued dollar mentioned in other posts, I agree, that is a huge problem, I remember traveling in Europe in 2002 and it was .86 US to the Euro, now it is 1 US = 1.56 Euro I have not done as much research on this, but it is my understanding that building renewable infrastructure could also help our economy by creating jobs and a new export. The rest of the world is also looking for cheap energy, I would rather the US export solar panels and wind turbines than add to the trade deficit by importing them. If this is equal to the savings of getting more domestic oil, I don't know. Obviously this is a complex subject with many heated opinions. I guess I'll just agree to disagree and continue doing what I'm doing, trying to lessen my own impact and need for energy. Thanks to all for a good discussion. I feel like the responses have become more thoughtful and less knee jerk as the discussion has progressed. Isn't the internet great?!

Personally, I am going to conserve by making a choice. What needs to happen is a fundamental change in our way of thinking. The most effective change happens when the people changing want to change, not forced by government. All it takes is thinking about others and future generations. Calling me a socialist because I have a programmable thermostat and drive 65mph instead of 80mph is just name calling ignorance. Oil will continue to play a part in our lives for a very long time either as fuel or in plastics etc. I don't see how if we "drill for everything we can, until we grease the skids with the carcass of the last available carribou, whale, polar bear, and environmentalist." is a solution. What happens when that last whale is killed, oil is gone and there is no alternative infrastructure? Will you be the first in line to sort through landfills to reclaim now precious plastics? I am not opposed to technology, I am opposed to using technology with no thought to the consequences of its use. If you want technology, in the same time it takes to get meaningful production from ANWR etc. (by most accounts, 10-15 years) we could be building nuclear power plants and replacing cars with battery powered/diesel hybrids. Use pure electricity for your daily driving (which for most is much less than the 200 mile range possible with CURRENT battery tech) and if you feel the need for a vacation get away, you run on electricity until that runs out and then the small efficient diesel takes over. We won't get rid of gas completely, but usage will drop dramatically. To think that we can continue on our current path, without changing our lifestyle choices with no consequences is just delusional.