11-02-2004, 12:10 PM
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#10
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Quote:
Originally posted by Timber Loftis:
MagiK, you may hint at vast oil reserves sitting under the pristine wilderness, but I've not seen anyone other than you alleging facts to back that up. Additionally, I feel pretty certain exploration is occuring in Alaska already -- but not all exploration is intrusive in nature. If we knew we had 100 billion barrels more, for certain, then maybe we could open up some. I'm not foreclosing that possibility. Of course, rather than 6 to 8 years of spare oil on hand, wouldn't it be nice to have 10 or 12? True security.
Nope you mischaracterize what Im saying. IM saying neither YOU nor I nor any one else knows whats there because the greenies won't let them go look. If we found out for sure what was there then the debate could be more accurately held and everyone would have hard data to work with, instead of wild speculations.
Shamrock, hybrid cars, even the new SUV lines, increase fuel efficiency by 50-75%. Over all of America, that would be HUGE. It would also satisfy completely our commitments under Kyoto, as an added bonus, without any harm to industry. 
You haven't addressed how to meet the electrical demands this would cost...new power plants and electrical generation systems would have to be built, increased infrastructure to carry the increased laods, and the oil would still be burned to produce the electricit...Hybrids and Electric cars are not yet an answer to oil dependance...you over look the costs just like they did with the Gasohol...it the sheer scale and quantity was not scrutinized in the cost/benefit calculations.
The problem with Nuclear power is that it is not economically viable and must be subsidized. A Nuclear plant is the only kind of plant that costs more to build and maintain than you can sell the energy for. Nuke plants are completely codependent on the gummint and cannot ever make money in any sort of free market.
The problem with Nuclear power is that it has waste products, however newer nuclear technologies, such as the Pebblebed reacotrs pioneered by American companies in South Africa show great promise for increasing Plant safety by huge amounts while enabling the handlingof the waste material more safely....however...you still end up with waste material.
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