Fuel Crises???

[tammy1999]

Should we drill in America now until we can find better solutions or not?

[kjbstevens]

I'd rather us have our own than financing other countries. If we have our own we don't make stupid decisions about getting it elsewhere. We could cut ties with countries that don't have our best interests at heart. It's not going to solve everything because we need other fuel too, but it'll certainly help.

[NellieRose]

The better solution is to cut oil consumption starting today.

We only have approx. 3% of the fossil fuels available in the world and it would take a handful of years to even get it flowing. Then figure how much we use compared to how much is available...it's not the answer.

It's unclear why people still want to try & go get more oil when we clearly need to cut our dependence on it for security and environmental reasons.

ETA: By going "green" we would also create many more jobs in this country....green might be the newest course for job growth.

[[michele]]

Personally, I'm rooting for wind "farms". Granted, I don't know a lot about them and there very well may be a huge downside that I know nothing about!

:) Michele

[kjbstevens]

They made me mad with the wind farms here. They put out a news story that for $2,500 the county would come install 1 wind mill here per acre on your property. Of course everyone got excited then they realized the typo that it was supposed to be $250,000 per person. Yeah all the farmers here have that type of money. :p

[Haley64]

Anyone know why the gas prices are dropping? We are down to $2.97 a gallon and that just doesn't make sense with everything else that is going on.

I agree with drilling, I push for finding another alternative and I save gas. Luckily I can go almost a full month on $40/12 gallons in my civic! :)
I have gotten so I just hate seeing the SUV on the road sucking up gas, thankfully I don't have all the kids with me anymore and don't need a large vehicle.

[NellieRose]

Anyone know why the gas prices are dropping? We are down to $2.97 a gallon and that just doesn't make sense with everything else that is going on.

Tracey, the price of a barrel of oil has tanked...I think yesterday it was at $86/barrel.

We can now get gas here for $2.93-$2.99. Some stations still have it at $3.29...can't figure out who would dare to buy it for 30+ cents more a gallon though???

[txmusicmom]

In the immediate, cut consumption and drill our own now!

In the future, look for alternatives.

I've heard the downside of wind is the cost (HUGE) to get it from where the wind is harnessed to where the energy is needed.

We have done quite a bit to make our home more energy effiecient- plus I drive the most fuel efficient car when my dh comes home to run errands.

[tammy1999]

We will always need oil in this country for items such as plastics and medicines. And I think they are finally going to let drilling start out in the waters of Florida. We will see. A lot of people are worried about the drills be safe from hurricanes. Well heck!! They survived Katrina and the hurricanes from this year.

The town I use to live in with about 20,000 people had their own power plant. My electric bill, in the heat of the summer with my a/c on was never over $35.00 a month. Now I lived in a 1 bedroom apartment, but still a friend of mine lived in a fairly large home and her bill was never over $100 in the summer. I wonder why there aren't many more of those?

I know here in Florida they are starting to open up, very slowly, stations for biofuels. Being from a farming community in Missouri, they have opened up a station of biofuels made from corn. We also had a truck that was fueled by natural gas and that was back in the 80's and it worked great! They are also experimenting on fuel from orange and other citrus peels here in Florida.

[Tiffikat]

I don't think drilling here now will do anything for the immediate from what I have heard. I agree that overall we need to reduce our dependence on oil for fuel. I'm not entirely sure what the solution should be for the immediate though. I think cities should work on better forms of public transportation in order to reduce the need for cars.

[mirranda]

I'm all about the renewables. As the wife of a lineman- the guys who would build the powerlines to and from windmills, solar facilities, etc I'm excited about the job prospects on the horizon.

[~ashleigh]

I am against drilling in ANWR and drilling offshore (except for the millions of acres already leased by oil companies). Drilling will not help us in the near future (http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/30/news/economy/oil_drilling/index.htm?postversion=2008053011). It is highly possible that it will not even help us in the long run. Furthermore, if we were to localized most of our oil resources are in the Gulf, we face becoming completely helpless when the next hurricane hits. I think we need to focus on reducing our own energy consumption, and as a nation, devote our resources, time and energy to developing renewable energy resources.

I don't know who said it first, but it bears repeating: Drill, baby, drill is a 19th century solution to a 21st century problem.

[Haley64]

Tracey, the price of a barrel of oil has tanked...I think yesterday it was at $86/barrel.

We can now get gas here for $2.93-$2.99. Some stations still have it at $3.29...can't figure out who would dare to buy it for 30+ cents more a gallon though???


:lol I knew that but I still feel that the higher prices, supply and demand hype were just another way for the rich to richer.
The oil prices in the stock market were inflated and we really can't doubt that with everything else going down now days on wall street.
However just because the oil stock markets have fallen along with everything else, it's not like the supply and demand all of sudden just stopped.
What about the hurricane season, the people who didn't have gas at all for weeks? Then WHAM we get gas the cheapest its been in over a year?

It now almost feels like, well they basically have broken the world, they have destroyed lives so awwhhhh heck lets give them gas cheap again. It feels like a hee hee we got ya!
I am so sick of the greedy!

Re: biofuels made from corn: It cost more to product the biofuels then it saves. Every piece of machinery that touches that corn runs of diesel.
Cheap food no more (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6481029.stm)

But the impact of soaring corn prices on consumers is likely to be less beneficial.

Corn is used directly by the food industry in things like corn flakes.

It is also widely used for feeding animals like pigs and chickens.

And food companies are warning that high corn prices will feed through to everyone's grocery bills.

In Mexico, there have been street demonstrations about the rising cost of tortillas, which are made from corn.

And rising food costs are unlikely to be the only impact of biofuel refineries buying into the corn market.

In places like Illinois, the price of agricultural land has started to rise.

That will eventually feed into the cost of other agricultural commodities.

Sam Martin puts it succinctly.

"I think that cheap food is history," he says.

[~ashleigh]

I was so sickened when I realized how THRILLED I was to see gas at 3.15 yesterday. Just 3 years ago (after Katrina), we were outraged at the thought of $3 a gallon gas, and now it is a good thing? Ugg.

[ccouch]

Here's some food for thought.....I read somewhere that green energy companies may be looking at paying windfall profits taxes. The proposed legislation defined the windfall profit as having made 10% more than the previous year. Once we begin investing heavily in green energy and alternate energy sources, those energy companies would see a sharp incline in profits, thereby requiring them to pay a windfall profits tax. I just thought that was interesting.

I wonder how many people will be angry at the big, bad green energy folks once they start turning a heavy profit. Or will their success be applauded?

oooh, I found the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121780636275808495.html?mod=opinion_main_review_ and_outlooks

[Hollie]

I would rather see us put all of the financial resources for drilling into alternative resources. But I am far from really educated on the ins and outs of each side. It just seems silly to say we should drill when it will supposedly take around 10 years to actually have it happen. In the meantime, that money we would spend could be better used for research and implementation of other ideas. I agree that we need to stop our foreign dependencies (not just oil), but really, we need to stop (or at least significantly lower) our oil dependency altogether.

I am totally against corn being used for biofuels (among other things). The overuse and abuse of corn is an environmental disaster.

[4noisyboys]

One word....NO!

[hellosunshine]

There's a good film called "A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash" that discusses the inevitability of oil running out. It looks at countries such as the U.S. that were oil rich not many decades ago and those countries producing oil today. We may already be on the downhill side of supply--past the peak of production. No one knows for sure. What is for sure is that this country uses 25% of the world's oil and we have only 3% of the supply to draw from. They've been scouring the earth for decades and have discovered all the oil except for perhaps 2%. What it is coming down to are new sources where it is just so expensive to extract the oil. Of course, there is no guarantee that the oil produced here would stay here--it would go to the highest bidder unless it was nationalized, and I don't think that will happen.

I think "drill, baby, drill" is a ploy to get unknowing people to fall for it as a solution, or it is a distraction from talking about more complex, but less popular topics that might make a difference such as cutting back on consumption, funding new technologies, creating mass transit everywhere, requiring recycling, etc.

Does anyone even know how quickly we would consume the oil in question? No one talks about that.

[NellieRose]

I would rather see us put all of the financial resources for drilling into alternative resources. But I am far from really educated on the ins and outs of each side. It just seems silly to say we should drill when it will supposedly take around 10 years to actually have it happen. In the meantime, that money we would spend could be better used for research and implementation of other ideas. I agree that we need to stop our foreign dependencies (not just oil), but really, we need to stop (or at least significantly lower) our oil dependency altogether.

:clap

[opeysmama]

Should we drill in America now until we can find better solutions or not?

Yes! But we must explore and even embrace nuclear power plants!!!!!!

[opeysmama]

;1520830']Personally, I'm rooting for wind "farms". Granted, I don't know a lot about them and there very well may be a huge downside that I know nothing about!

:) Michele


I have heard wonderful things about the wind farm thing...I'd love to see that take off! I'm on the coast, and we have lots of free wind :) I say we're stupid for not using it!!

[tammy1999]

I am against drilling in ANWR and drilling offshore (except for the millions of acres already leased by oil companies). Drilling will not help us in the near future (http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/30/news/economy/oil_drilling/index.htm?postversion=2008053011). It is highly possible that it will not even help us in the long run. Furthermore, if we were to localized most of our oil resources are in the Gulf, we face becoming completely helpless when the next hurricane hits. I think we need to focus on reducing our own energy consumption, and as a nation, devote our resources, time and energy to developing renewable energy resources.

I don't know who said it first, but it bears repeating: Drill, baby, drill is a 19th century solution to a 21st century problem.

It's been proven many times that hurricanes don't hurt the drills in the golf. Katrina and the 2 that went through this year is fine example. Clinton said drilling 10 years ago wouldn't help either, so he didn't let that pass. Well, 10 years have passed and look at us now.

We have got to drill here now to stop depending on other countries until we can figure out what to do next. We are already working on other measures, but that takes years. Oh and BTW, we will have to have oil in our country for other items that we use every day, such as plastics and meds. So, we can not stop drilling for oil.

[~ashleigh]

It's been proven many times that hurricanes don't hurt the drills in the golf. Katrina and the 2 that went through this year is fine example. Clinton said drilling 10 years ago wouldn't help either, so he didn't let that pass. Well, 10 years have passed and look at us now.

We have got to drill here now to stop depending on other countries until we can figure out what to do next. We are already working on other measures, but that takes years. Oh and BTW, we will have to have oil in our country for other items that we use every day, such as plastics and meds. So, we can not stop drilling for oil.

There may not be a long term effect on oil because of hurricanes, but my point is that there is an effect. Most recently, after Gustav, gas prices spiked, and then again after Ivan. QT ran out of gas in my city (St. Louis) because of the fear of dwindling supply. And gas stations were charged with price gouging after charging over $5 a gallon for gas. There may not have been a real effect on gas supply, but that didn't matter. Plus, this was with just 10% of our supply being affected. What if 40% or 60% or more of our oil was in that area?

I am also not advocating the end of drilling, I know that is is necessary. I just don't support drilling in areas not already tapped for drilling. And more drilling, now, will not help us for years (if it helps at all). IMHO, we should use that time (and $$) and put it toward developing renewable energy which in turn will create jobs, develop energy independence, and help our environment.

[Gina.Maria]

I don't think drilling here now will do anything for the immediate from what I have heard. I agree that overall we need to reduce our dependence on oil for fuel. I'm not entirely sure what the solution should be for the immediate though. I think cities should work on better forms of public transportation in order to reduce the need for cars.

Absolutely! Light rail, busses and a train sytem that connects cities and towns. Europe has the right idea when it comes to transporting people. So many here actually manage without cars at all.

:lol ::snip::
Re: biofuels made from corn: It cost more to product the biofuels then it saves. Every piece of machinery that touches that corn runs of diesel.
Cheap food no more (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6481029.stm)

But the impact of soaring corn prices on consumers is likely to be less beneficial.

Corn is used directly by the food industry in things like corn flakes.

It is also widely used for feeding animals like pigs and chickens.

And food companies are warning that high corn prices will feed through to everyone's grocery bills.

In Mexico, there have been street demonstrations about the rising cost of tortillas, which are made from corn.

And rising food costs are unlikely to be the only impact of biofuel refineries buying into the corn market.

In places like Illinois, the price of agricultural land has started to rise.

That will eventually feed into the cost of other agricultural commodities.

Sam Martin puts it succinctly.

"I think that cheap food is history," he says.

We could do as they're doing in Europe, now. Collecting restaurant scraps for the production of BIO fuels. Corn isn't our only choice as raw material.

We could also stop using high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener in all our foods and go back to real sugar. It's so much better for you (OMG! I never thought I'd ever say sugar is good for you!)

Corn farmers aren't going to be out of customers any time soon, so they can afford to drop their lobbying for the use of HFCS and let the sugar industry grow a little.

Honestly, I think cheap food should be a higher priority than cheap computers, cheap TVs and cheap clothes.

I would rather see us put all of the financial resources for drilling into alternative resources. But I am far from really educated on the ins and outs of each side. It just seems silly to say we should drill when it will supposedly take around 10 years to actually have it happen. In the meantime, that money we would spend could be better used for research and implementation of other ideas. I agree that we need to stop our foreign dependencies (not just oil), but really, we need to stop (or at least significantly lower) our oil dependency altogether.

I am totally against corn being used for biofuels (among other things). The overuse and abuse of corn is an environmental disaster.

Absolutely!

There's a good film called "A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash" that discusses the inevitability of oil running out. It looks at countries such as the U.S. that were oil rich not many decades ago and those countries producing oil today. We may already be on the downhill side of supply--past the peak of production. No one knows for sure. What is for sure is that this country uses 25% of the world's oil and we have only 3% of the supply to draw from. They've been scouring the earth for decades and have discovered all the oil except for perhaps 2%. What it is coming down to are new sources where it is just so expensive to extract the oil. Of course, there is no guarantee that the oil produced here would stay here--it would go to the highest bidder unless it was nationalized, and I don't think that will happen.

I think "drill, baby, drill" is a ploy to get unknowing people to fall for it as a solution, or it is a distraction from talking about more complex, but less popular topics that might make a difference such as cutting back on consumption, funding new technologies, creating mass transit everywhere, requiring recycling, etc.

Does anyone even know how quickly we would consume the oil in question? No one talks about that.

I don't know but it can't be too far in the future. Our consumption just keeps increasing.

[JenTapler]

Tracey, the price of a barrel of oil has tanked...I think yesterday it was at $86/barrel.

We can now get gas here for $2.93-$2.99. Some stations still have it at $3.29...can't figure out who would dare to buy it for 30+ cents more a gallon though???

WOW - I'm jealous!!! We're still at $4.89/gallon!!! And Oahu has been at around $3.57/gallon for a week according to the Honolulu Advertiser - it can't cost THAT much more to ship it to Maui - it's ridiculous!! Actually, I think we even have a refinery here...there's no reason other than price gouging it should be that high here.

Of course, I also paid $9.98 for a gallon of freakin' MILK yesterday at the grocery store (and $7.50 for a box of cereal), so gas isn't my only complaint over here!!!

[Inkspots]

Absolutely! Light rail, busses and a train sytem that connects cities and towns. Europe has the right idea when it comes to transporting people. So many here actually manage without cars at all.


So true! This is the fourth country I've lived in and the third that's had amazing rail service--we have a station not a block from our house that can pretty much get us anywhere in Japan. Asia has it down as well. Japan and Hong Kong have such efficient train/subway systems. Korea isn't too shabby either. When we traveled in Europe we'd drive to the outskirts of the cities and take the trains from there. Never had any problems getting around Rome, Paris, London. I do not understand why the US doesn't do more with rail. Except for the trolley in San Diego, I don't think I've ever ridden a train in the US. Will the US ever build a high-speed train? I keep hearing about it. Imagine the traffic decrease there could be if they had bullet trains linking large cities.

[mama_pajama]

Yes, we should drill! Okay, I'm a little biased because an oil company just leased some land we own in Texas, and they're checking it for oil this month. Putting that aside, I think we need to put more research into alternative energy (while drilling my land for all it's worth :p).

[kjbstevens]

I totally agree that corn biofuels are totally counter productive. They have to spray chemicals and burn diesel and gas to grow the corn. You are polluting a lot to get a little bit of energy along with the damage it does to driving up feed prices especially those in the poultry industry like us and for people that need it for food.

[Gina.Maria]

Correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm not even sure how to pose the question for Google, but aren't BIO fuels diesel only? What I'm getting at is most autos in the U.S. are standard gasoline and we'd still need to convert drivers to diesel burners to make effective use of a renewable fuel.

I need to move to a city that's got a mild enough climate to allow for bicycling all year long!

[scribler]

But we must explore and even embrace nuclear power plants!!!!!!

This is one area where McCain is absolutely right. We need more nuclear and we need to do reprocessing of the waste.

[Gina.Maria]

This is one area where McCain is absolutely right. We need more nuclear and we need to do reprocessing of the waste.

McCain doesn't hold a patent on this idea. It's only one of many alternative energy sources being supported by Obama. McCain lies when he says Obama doesn't support nuclear energy. Obama doesn't support dumping the waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, too near homes for many to feel safe.

[kjbstevens]

Correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm not even sure how to pose the question for Google, but aren't BIO fuels diesel only? What I'm getting at is most autos in the U.S. are standard gasoline and we'd still need to convert drivers to diesel burners to make effective use of a renewable fuel.

I need to move to a city that's got a mild enough climate to allow for bicycling all year long!
There are many of both here. Some people went out and bought the Volkswagon diesels after gas starting shooting way up. Then diesel shot up and it didn't help them at all. Most all of the agriculture people do use diesel though and you have to burn a lot of it in combines, sprayers, planters just to get the same fuel back not to mention all of the chemicals they have to spray and the fuel for the airplanes to do spraying. We have 100+ acres of corn or soybeans depending on the year on our farm and at harvest they taken them directly to a feed plant to make sure they are used for food. A lot of farmers get control in where they go but I'm sure in some areas they don't. We had a biofuel place here but it blew up a few months back. I'm not even sure if they rebuilt it. I haven't heard anything.

I need to move somewhere close enough to civilization that I could bike anywhere but the next door neighbors in under an hour and a bike that will fit a 3 and 1 year old. I just need the gas in my car. Here around the house and on the farm we use electric golf cart power though. I like not having to fill it up. Plugging into the wall is nice until you get the power bill anyways.

[Gina.Maria]

::snip::

I need to move somewhere close enough to civilization that I could bike anywhere but the next door neighbors in under an hour and a bike that will fit a 3 and 1 year old. I just need the gas in my car. Here around the house and on the farm we use electric golf cart power though. I like not having to fill it up. Plugging into the wall is nice until you get the power bill anyways.

You should see the (I call them) "Bucket" Bikes here in Germany! They've got this big tub in front of the "driver" and it can carry about 3 or 4 young children. With so many families living without cars, bikes here have adapted to accomodate growing families. Some use trailers and baby/toddler seats behind the driver (which is already available and common in the U.S.) while others have the bucket-bikes and seats between the rider and the handle-bars. Regardless, I'm sure a bike would become tiresome if you don't live near any of the places you need to visit.

[DirtyFeetDesigns (heb1976)]

I don't think drilling here now will do anything for the immediate from what I have heard. I agree that overall we need to reduce our dependence on oil for fuel. I'm not entirely sure what the solution should be for the immediate though. I think cities should work on better forms of public transportation in order to reduce the need for cars.

There is no way it would be immediate. They said it would be about 5-6 years before any effects would be seen. Does that mean don't do anything? We need to depend on ourselves. I believe we should drill and look for alternatives at the same time. We will always need oil.

[DirtyFeetDesigns (heb1976)]

Of course, I also paid $9.98 for a gallon of freakin' MILK yesterday at the grocery store (and $7.50 for a box of cereal), so gas isn't my only complaint over here!!!

OMGosh ... ten bucks for milk? $7.50 for cereal? I thought paying $3.99 for milk and $4.00 for cereal here in Ohio was expensive. Sheesh. Gas here was $2.59 by my parents house Friday. The one gas station by me - who is always $.20 difference then the gas stations up the road (30 minutes away) was at $2.97 Sunday.

[kjbstevens]

Our gas jumped back up to $3.09 this morning. I was not happy. Guess it's because it's a tourist travel day maybe? We live right by the beach so maybe tomorrow it'll go back down again.

[mama_pajama]

You should see the (I call them) "Bucket" Bikes here in Germany! They've got this big tub in front of the "driver" and it can carry about 3 or 4 young children. With so many families living without cars, bikes here have adapted to accomodate growing families. Some use trailers and baby/toddler seats behind the driver (which is already available and common in the U.S.) while others have the bucket-bikes and seats between the rider and the handle-bars. Regardless, I'm sure a bike would become tiresome if you don't live near any of the places you need to visit.

My husband just bought a trailer for our 3 year old to ride in. Now that it's starting to cool off here, he plans on having our 7 year old ride her bike with them whenever possible. Now I just have to get my un-coordinated booty on a bike! :blush

[Haley64]

We could also stop using high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener in all our foods and go back to real sugar. It's so much better for you (OMG! I never thought I'd ever say sugar is good for you!)

:yahoo I have never used anything but real sugar in my coffee or baking!

[tammy1999]

I love riding my bike. Heck, my dog comes along for the run. Good for both of us.

The community where my mom lives, is basically nothing but golf carts. You can either have electric or gas. My mom hardly ever takes her car anywhere except if she has to go out of her area and across the highway. They have all their own hospitals, doctors, shopping and virtually anything else you want to do to survive. Heck, they can take their golf carts to the fast food areas and the Walmart. Great place to retire to and now they are letting others that aren't 55+ live in another area.

[JCSimon]

On wind farms....I like the idea of them, but I can understand why people who have a bunch of them near their homes don't like them. When DH was working in Nebraska last summer, the place we stayed was a half mile or so from a wind farm with 18-20 of those things. Man, are they ever LOUD!! They put out a really high-pitched whine and a deep whup-whup-whup sound underneath. About drove me nuts after a couple of weeks there.

On nukes....dh also works on those a lot. What he's heard on all the nuke jobs is that the government has actually approved 14 new nuke sites in the last 10 years and only a couple have been built because the cost to insure them is MORE than the cost to build them and get them running. We already have two here in West Michigan and they've had approval for a third for 5 years....again, they won't build it because it's too much to insure.

[Gina.Maria]

:yahoo I have never used anything but real sugar in my coffee or baking!

Check the labels of processed foods, though. It's even in some chips! My "reduced sugar" JIF (from the US) uses HFCS instead of sugar - yeah, they reduced the sugar - by putting in another type of sugar! Here in Germany, they don't even have corn syrup. Coke is made with real sugar and it's so much better for you than the Coke in the US (not that I'm suggesting that soda is a good thing.) A Large McDonald's Coke here is about the size of a Medium and believe it or not - you may not even be able to finish it. HFCS messes with your body's ability to feel full so you consume more.

[Microferk ~ Miki Ferkul]

My husband start raising the red flag about HFCS to me a few years ago. I am APPALLED to find it in almost all but organic breads! WE only drink 100% fruit juice, have given up chips, BB sauce, certain spaghetti sauces, most crackers, LOL! We really limit those little snacks- like cookies- that we do allow the kids to eat.
Maybe I should start baking my own....

[scribler]

McCain doesn't hold a patent on this idea. It's only one of many alternative energy sources being supported by Obama. McCain lies when he says Obama doesn't support nuclear energy. Obama doesn't support dumping the waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, too near homes for many to feel safe.
Please note that I also included reprocessing in my statement. Obama does not support reprocessing of the waste. McCain does.

[Haley64]

Check the labels of processed foods, though.

I know and wish we had more control over what the producers put into our foods here in the healthy old USA! I do think that McDonalds adds chemicals to fast food that makes us almost addicted to it so we have to have more.
Uuhhmmm have you seen our obesity statistics???
Thankfully their food makes me physically sick so I don't eat there. I do like Sub-way and The Pita Pit.
Until 8 years ago my family and I had the luxury of eating 85% of homegrown and farm raised foods. There were very few nights where our supper table included store bought foods. I miss those days! :(

[scribler]

Check the labels of processed foods, though. It's even in some chips! My "reduced sugar" JIF (from the US) uses HFCS instead of sugar - yeah, they reduced the sugar - by putting in another type of sugar! Here in Germany, they don't even have corn syrup. Coke is made with real sugar and it's so much better for you than the Coke in the US (not that I'm suggesting that soda is a good thing.) A Large McDonald's Coke here is about the size of a Medium and believe it or not - you may not even be able to finish it. HFCS messes with your body's ability to feel full so you consume more.

If you live in an area where there are Mexican food markets, you can often find Coke there without high fructose corn syrup as they import there cokes from Mexico, where sugar is used rather HFCS. Also, in the Dallas area, you can buy small bottles of Dr. Pepper made with sugar from the plant in Waco. And I can assure you it tastes so much better than the stuff with HFCS.

[Peppermint]

We can buy the Mexican Coke in a few of the grocery stores around here (in Wisconsin ... where there is neither a proximity to nor an exceptionally large population of immigrants from Mexico). It's the most divine tasting little treat, though. I'm a diet soda drinker, because sugary drinks make me gag a little, but I do love the Coke with pure sugar. Heavenly.

[Microferk ~ Miki Ferkul]

If you live in an area where there are Mexican food markets, you can often find Coke there without high fructose corn syrup as they import there cokes from Mexico, where sugar is used rather HFCS. Also, in the Dallas area, you can buy small bottles of Dr. Pepper made with sugar from the plant in Waco. And I can assure you it tastes so much better than the stuff with HFCS.

I LOVE Dr. Pepper- send me a care pack :giggle

[kjbstevens]

We have a Mexican market here off their restaurant in town and they sell the real coke and other stuff there. They are awesome.

[DawnMarch]

I really don't think drilling is the answer. The only way we are going to get any real progress on alternative energy and reducing consumption is if gas prices stay painfully high. That is the only thing that really makes a difference to people and will help give us the political will to force change. As long as there is cheap fuel, everybody just goes back to their comfortable high-consumption lifestyles with no urgency to change anything. Yes, it SUCKS -- but it's just a shame that we can't get any meaningful change without it being a crisis (just like some other issues in the news lately!).

[Chreamps]

Drilling? I thought we were talking about sugar?;)

Nah, don't think drilling will "fix" it and there doesn't seem to be any "quick" fix but there is hope. One of our local community colleges was on the news tonight showing how their students are learning to retro-fit a small truck to electric. Unfortunately, it will only go 40 miles before it needs recharging and the cost is $15,000. It's a start, though.

[Haley64]

LOL it's Gina's fault, she started it! :p I was talking corn bio fuel!

[scribler]

I LOVE Dr. Pepper- send me a care pack :giggle

I'm in South Florida now. That's why I'm hoarding my final little bottle in my ice box. lol :O)

ETA: Look what I just found off the homepage for the only plant that makes the good stuff..

http://www.olddocs.com/product.aspx?id=174&up1=0&up2=0&up3=0&cat=Drinks&subcat1=Dr%20Pepper&subcat2=

[Chreamps]

Is anyone old enough to remember the cute guy that did the Dr. Pepper commercials?

[Inkspots]

The one from "wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?" I think I know who you're referring to.

[Chreamps]

Yeah, that's the one! I'm thinking he was on a special and he still looked pretty good.

[Miss Chris]

Ok, I am very ignorant on the nuclear energy issue. The uninformed person in me thinks Chernobyl every time someone even mentions nuclear power. Can you much better informed ladies enlighten me.

[Inkspots]

Yeah, that's the one! I'm thinking he was on a special and he still looked pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvCTaccEkMI

[Tiffikat]

Ok, I am very ignorant on the nuclear energy issue. The uninformed person in me thinks Chernobyl every time someone even mentions nuclear power. Can you much better informed ladies enlighten me.

This happens to me too.

[Haley64]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvCTaccEkMI

OK so how come he was so much hotter in the 70's? ROFLMBO maybe because I was so much younger? :yahoo

[Haley64]

Ok, I am very ignorant on the nuclear energy issue. The uninformed person in me thinks Chernobyl every time someone even mentions nuclear power. Can you much better informed ladies enlighten me.

While not proclaiming to be informed about nuclear energy, my interest was renewed after talking to a guy who had been stationed abroad where their leading energy source was nuclear.
Here is just one site (http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/nuclear_statistics/worldstatistics/) I found that I think might be rather informative and correct. I would like the gals who live in the countries that use nuclear plants to give us their take on them. :)

Just the facts PDF (http://www.nei.org/filefolder/just_the_facts_brochure_1.pdf)

[Inkspots]

All things considered, it's rather surprising that Japan uses nuclear energy. We just got here, but I can't recall ever hearing any issues. I know France is a big user too. I know the US has a few plants, but you really don't hear much about them in way of production. This is one area that I've always thought the US would be big with, but I guess not.

[Haley64]

I think it ties back to our fears of another 3-mile island tragedy, for a long time I don't think the American public was ready to go forward with many new plants being built.

[Gina.Maria]

LOL it's Gina's fault, she started it! :p I was talking corn bio fuel!

:p It was a legitimate side note and it took on a life of it's own! ;) I'll start a new thread.

While not proclaiming to be informed about nuclear energy, my interest was renewed after talking to a guy who had been stationed abroad where their leading energy source was nuclear.
Here is just one site (http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/nuclear_statistics/worldstatistics/) I found that I think might be rather informative and correct. I would like the gals who live in the countries that use nuclear plants to give us their take on them. :)

Just the facts PDF (http://www.nei.org/filefolder/just_the_facts_brochure_1.pdf)

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I always considered uranium to be a non-renewable fuel source. While it's emission-free and efficient, the waste is dangerous, it still supports mining operations and the source could run out (not in our lifetime, granted, but it's still a finite resource). I'm actually in support of nuclear power (though I draw the line at nukyuler power ;)) but I really want to see more forward-thinking ideas to power us into the future without raping our planet and leaving a wasteland for our descendants.

[Charlene]

The better solution is to cut oil consumption starting today.

We only have approx. 3% of the fossil fuels available in the world and it would take a handful of years to even get it flowing. Then figure how much we use compared to how much is available...it's not the answer.

It's unclear why people still want to try & go get more oil when we clearly need to cut our dependence on it for security and environmental reasons.

ETA: By going "green" we would also create many more jobs in this country....green might be the newest course for job growth.

ITA with this. I don't get the interest in drilling. It will solve NO immediate issues. NONE.

I really want to see us start focusing MORE on greener energies. Not just stretching oil with hybrid technologies but also figuring out how to replace it. I have a particular interest in this b/c my state's economy would greatly benefit from focusing on new technologies, particularly in teh automotive industry.

[kjbstevens]

The interest is because no matter what for the forseeable future we need oil. The places we are getting it from now really don't like us. If we can drill for our own while producing this other stuff hopefully we can totally cut those other guys out after a few years and not need to depend on them. The plan is to provide for ourselves and we haven't found a perfect solution to eliminate our need for oil even with other power types. That's the case for the other side.

[Charlene]

The interest is because no matter what for the forseeable future we need oil. The places we are getting it from now really don't like us. If we can drill for our own while producing this other stuff hopefully we can totally cut those other guys out after a few years and not need to depend on them. The plan is to provide for ourselves and we haven't found a perfect solution to eliminate our need for oil even with other power types. That's the case for the other side.

Oh I get the point of wanting domestic oil but it would take so long for us to see any actual benefit from new drilling. And that is why I don't get the interest. I would rather see the money spent on developing new non-petroleum-based technologies. The time for a recognizable benefit might be the same but, in my opinion, the long-term benefits are greater.

[kjbstevens]

But it really could take us longer to find new non-petroleum stuff and the time it would take to convert and the amount of money people would have to spend on new vehicles and all is going to take even longer especially for the poor that can't go out and get new stuff whenever. There are still uses for it that even if it does take years, we're still going to need it eventually. What if these other countries just cut us off one day? Then we have no drilling and potentially no new source. It's not a totally problem solver. It's a just in case thing because we already have that technology today.

[Charlene]

Ah, but there ARE viable technologies out there. If funding were there, I thikn we COULD have affordable alternative technologies available to the masses BEFORE new domestic petroleum was even available. If new drilling had a faster turnaround time...I might be for it then. I'd want to be against it but I am still a realist. :)

Anyway, my stance is that we should invest in and focus on eliminating our dependence on oil, not extending it.

[Gina.Maria]

Ah, but there ARE viable technologies out there. If funding were there, I thikn we COULD have affordable alternative technologies available to the masses BEFORE new domestic petroleum was even available. If new drilling had a faster turnaround time...I might be for it then. I'd want to be against it but I am still a realist. :)

Anyway, my stance is that we should invest in and focus on eliminating our dependence on oil, not extending it.

:clap

[Haley64]

I was just clicking through the news channels and on CNBC there is a Documentary on the examination of nuclear power "The Nuclear Option" there is only 10 minutes left but I bet it will be on again later tonight.