Is Freedom from Foreign Oil a Worthy Goal?

[Xringer]

Freedom from using (so much) oil is a worthy goal..

The world needs to cut back on the amount used. It's going to run out sooner are later.

It would be nice if we re-discovered how to make safe thorium reactors
to take care of our power requirements for the next few hundred years.

That would allow us to use oil for more important things that don't involve just burning it up..
If we stopped burning it as a fuel, and just used it for making plastics etc, it could last another 200+ years..

[AC_Hacker]

Is Freedom from Foreign Oil a Worthy Goal?

• U.S. oil production peaked in the early 1970's and has been declining since, despite advances in production technology;
  
• In 1970 we imported 28% of the transportation fuels we consumed. Today we import over 65% (Energy Information Administration);
  
  -energyliteracy.org

It's frequently quoted that as a nation, we're importing 65% of our oil.

Interesting when we hear that figure, the assumption is that we're equally involved... but we are not.

People with more affluent lifestyles are more intense consumers of resources.

So if we were to cut 65% of our oil consumption, where would it come from?

The US military is the single largest consumer of petroleum on the planet.

How likely is the Pentagon to volunteer to reduce it consumption by 65%?

Or the big SUVs with their infamously poor mileage, will the people who can afford to buy these monsters willingly adopt a smaller, lighter car that would get 65% better mileage?

Or the over-sized McMansions with their over-sized heating bills. When the average sized house in Cuba is around 600 square feet, and the average size new house in the USA is around 2500 square feet, how likely are people who live in these things to reduce their house heating foot print by 65%?

And air travel and foreign vacations... where will we find the 65% of the people who will just say "no" to jet travel?

And when will the meat-eaters amongst us elect to switch their diets to less energy intense (and more healthful) vegetarian diets.

-AC_Hacker

[Sularus65]

Very valid points ( except I personally can't give up eating meat). As a member of the US military I can attest to consumption of petroleum. Much of it boils down to lack of innovation because of the ease of using petroleum. The space race in the 50s and 60s sparked tons of innovation, but the fervor did not carry over to the automobile industry. We can put men in space running on batteries in the 60s, but we are just now figuring out how to do it for cars over 40 years later. Technology follows and mirrors the mentality of society. It is about convience, not requirements. Take me for example, I am posting this on my blackberry from work.

[RobertSmalls]

I'd much rather import oil than have a sub-Cuban standard of living: the Cubans at least have meat in their soup. Perhaps Japan would be a better exemplar? They appear to have avoided McMansions and suburban sprawl altogether, and they are early adopters of efficient automotive technologies.

[Xringer]

I guess kids have been watching too many TV shows about the rich and famous..

Because it seems there is a big demand for jumbo houses. Around here, when a nice
home gets sold, about half the time, no moving truck rolls up, but a large
dumpster appears overnight. With a large back-hoe to rip down the home.

Later, swarms of workers (many who speak no English) build a super-sized house.
It stays on the market between 1 to 18 months and then two or three people move
into a house with 6 bathrooms and 11 bedrooms..?.

Lately, it seems like these homes (which resemble resorts in many cases)
are being vacated and resold about once every year or two..

In Lexington MA, these houses appeared to be sealed (all windows closed) 24-7-365.
They all seem to have a roll of large heatpumps, (maybe AC only /w oil?) normally
three or more units, which seem to run a lot..

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

I'd much rather import oil than have a sub-Cuban standard of living: the Cubans at least have meat in their soup...

Oil is sold on an international market, to the highest bidder.

Since we citizens have been so complacent and stupid as to keep electing politicians that are gutting our manufacturing sector, our ability to create worth is dropping at the same time as our consumption is increasing.

The result is that our money is becoming less valuable, while imported oil is becoming more valuable.

We are in danger of losing the option of importing any amount of oil that we want, at will.

Originally Posted by Xringer

Because it seems there is a big demand for jumbo houses. Around here, when a nice home gets sold, about half the time, no moving truck rolls up, but a large dumpster appears overnight. With a large back-hoe to rip down the home...

I can hear the sounds of Empire crumbling.

-AC_Hacker

[TimJFowler]

Originally Posted by Daox

I don't think we have to be completely independent, but our current reliance is completely unacceptable. The incredible usage (read waste) that we have here is ridiculous.

Yes, our (U.S.) use of energy is ridiculous and incredibly wasteful. According to Amory Lovins at the Rocky Mountain Institute "Fully applying today's best efficiency technologies in a doubled-GDP 2025 economy would save half the projected U.S. oil use at half its forecast cost per barrel."

Originally Posted by Daox

So many simple and easy things could lower our energy consumption. Why is it so hard to get people to even make simple small changes?

Currently there is very little economic incentive to do so. When it becomes too painful / expensive people will scramble to reduce their energy use. For example; the gasoline price spikes of the 1970's and 2008.

Originally Posted by Daox

Is Freedom from Foreign Oil a Worthy Goal? – Red, Green, and Blue

I think this question could broadened to "Is Freedom from Fossil Fuels a Worthy Goal?" I think the answer is definitely yes. The question is am/are I/you/we/the country planning ahead and making incremental changes now or not.

I think that as fossil fuel demand grows and supplies are depleted that prices will rise, but not in a steady, smooth curve. The more I/you/we/the country can reduce our reliance on finite fuel sources with volatile supply and price now the better off we will be in the short and long term future.

All that said, I still use plenty of fossil fuels in various forms. But, I am making changes to reduce my and my family's use of fossil fuel. Here's hoping that I can stay ahead of that falling supply / rising price curve.

FWIW,
Tim

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

I can hear the sounds of Empire crumbling.

-AC_Hacker

Even on my little street of smaller,less expensive ranch style homes, it's starting.
At first it was little add-on rooms, now it's second floors.
And it a couple of cases, the whole house was replaced with a new
house that doubles it's sale price.


I'm starting to think that people are afraid to save their money these days.

They must think 'the end is near' and might as well spend those
bucks on a new home, or home improvements.
I've been thinking of investing in some index stocks.. DIA or GLD,
but have not done so. Mostly, my money is now in CDs..Crappy CDs!

BUT, we have been spending a considerable amount of money on our home.!.
If it's a purchase for the house, there is hardly any discussion.

Humm, maybe the end is near? May as well spend it, while it's still worth something..?.

[AC_Hacker]

Here's a thought-provoking little gem, written by a Pentagon think tank.

Called, "Fueling the Future Force: Preparing the Department of Defense for a Post-Petroleum Era", it states approximately when the Pentagon thinks Petroleum may not be readily available, and how to prepare for such a situation, and how long that preparation may take.

Here's the first paragraph:

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) must prepare now to transition smoothly to a future in which it does not depend on petroleum. This is no small task: up to 77 percent of DOD’s massive energy needs – and most of the aircraft, ground vehicles, ships and weapons systems that DOD is purchasing today – depend on petroleum for fuel.

I think everyone at EcoRenovator should download and read this document.

Here is a paragraph from a critique of this report:

However, the report seems to have a poor grasp of where biofuels come from, the energy required to make them, and how to estimate the future availability of oil.

EcoRenovation is not just about saving money anymore...

Regards,

-AC_Hacker

[AC_Hacker]

Here is another military study called, "The Joint Operating Environment 2010".

The full report can be found here.

Page 29 (PDF page 31) of this report has a very interesting Energy Summary:

The entire report is interesting enough to read in it's entirety...

-AC_Hacker