On May 31, 3:30*am, wrote:
On Fri, 30 May 2008 17:06:00 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I think we can scream all we want about HIGH gas prices, but it seems
it's falling on deaf ears. I guess we have to take matters in our own
hands.

That's right. *Grab a shotgun and kill an oil company executive !!!

Typical (stupid) response. Shoot it or nuke it!!!!!!

Having built our society on cheap (polluting) oil products we are now
starting to encounter the era when the cost of that basic fuel is
increasing due to the double whammy of both world wide demand and the
falling value of the dollar in comparison to other currencies.
Political pressure to reduce unnecessary taxes and oil company profits
will be only one factor. We are also starting to encounter the effects
of the inevitable pollution that using any mineral fuel causes.

After WWII the City of London had to start banning the use of coal;
due to the severe 'Smogs' that affected health, communications and the
effectiveness of that city as a place to live and work! It is now a
much cleaner city. California also????

In less populated regions where fuel is already very expensive the
alternatives are starting, very tentatively, to be looked at. For
example in northern and sub-arctic regions to where the cost of
transporting refined diesel is very expensive since it uses an
increased cost of fuel for transportation, the idea of a transportable
nuclear powered electrical generating station that can serve up to
7000 homes is being 'looked at'.

In regions where generous water power is available, hydro generation
will be encouraged and will be comparatively more profitable than
using oil products.

We waste a lot of energy; when energy cost triples or quadruples we
will all be more enthusiastic to 'save a dollar' and avoid wasteful,
uses, unnecessary driving and many convenience gadgets. Do I really
need more than one bathroom, two TV sets, more than one gas consuming
hog of a vehicle? Is my house well insulated and/or overheated against
winter cold? That energy wasting Jacuzzi? Swimming pool in back yard
needing cleaning and requiring pumps and chlorinators etc. using
electricity? Etc.

Early industrial societies used energy, by burning some coal for
blacksmithing, cooking, even steam engines etc. Also low level
lighting using candles and small oil lamps etc. but the pollution
imprint (now often referred to as the 'Human Carbon Footprint' etc.
was much smaller than today.

And despite any jokes about Al Gore and his Nobel Award, the effects
of pollution are very noticeable!

Our life style is inevitably going to cost more as we each consume a
significant amount of the world's resources.

Maybe already too many billion of us on this one small planet? Maybe
we humans have to downsize; in numbers and use of remaining resources
and some of it won't be comfortable.

Anybody agree that the oil producing nations and companies are using
up finite world resources, petroleum etc. for their own profit and not
replacing any of it?

At least if we grow trees, or crops, it is to some extent replacing
the wood or the food that is taken off the irreplaceable land! But if
you burn up the oil etc. That's it; gone! For a few million years
anyway.