U.S. energy bill skips raising fuel standards

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23378402.htm

WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Republican leaders trying to finalize a broad energy bill skipped requiring a boost in federal mileage requirements for cars, vans and gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles.

Instead, the lawmakers released draft language late on Tuesday that would order the Transportation Department to consider the impact on vehicle safety and autoworker jobs when deciding whether to raise fuel economy standards.

Environmental groups argue that stronger mileage requirements are the only way to significantly reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

However, Republicans and some automakers say that a large boost in fuel economy may make vehicles less safe because they would be smaller and built from lighter-weight materials, and could result in thousands of lost autoworker jobs.

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[realFedUp]

1. Doesn't retooling create jobs?

The future is now and it's in higher fuel standards.

[Flying_Pig]

2. Piece of shit bastards!! They are dooming our kids in the armed

forces to fighting for oil for the next 20 years! Better that than raise the mileage ratings a little bit? Republican logic= Dont' offend our corporate donors!!!! DMF'ers

:grr: :wtf:

[JohnyCanuck]

3. When reality dawns, it will come as a shock

From an aritcle "Oil Prices and Recession" by geologist Dale Allan Pfeifer:

From the chart below, courtesy of Campbell, we can see that we have produced almost half of the oil that is available. There remains only about 150 Gb (billion barrels) yet to be found, and we are consuming four barrels of oil for every one discovered. Because of this, we are depleting our oil inheritance at a rate of about two percent per year. From all of this we can deduce that conventional oil, which is the vast majority of the oil produced and consumed, has peaked.

Measurement / Measure
Produced-to-date / 873 Gb
Reserves / 928
Discovered-to-date / 1801
Yet-to-Find / 149
Yet-to-Produce / 1077
Ultimate recovery / 1950
Current consumption (2001) / 22 Gb/y
Current discovery rate / 6 Gb/y
Current depletion rate (ann. prod. as % of Yet-to-Produce) / 2%

For the last few years demand and production have been in a neck and neck horse race. Production had the lead until 2000, at which time production hit its limit and demand took the lead. In 2001 the recession curbed demand to the point that production bounded well ahead and the price sagged. This gave the economy a chance to gain its second wind, and now demand is ready to rebound and overtake production again. This horse race could last for a few years before production is crippled.

<snip>

First, world oil production peaked in 2000, but the give and take between production and demand may put off the decline of production for a few years. So it appears that we have entered what could be called the "oil plateau," a kind of limbo where we will alternate between stagnation and viability. From our perspective in the midst of things, this will hardly be perceived as a smooth plateau. We have entered a cyclic pattern of peaking production leading to a price surge, which results in recession, which then reduces demand, leading to production surplus and weakening oil prices. This will in turn permit an economic rebound and an increase in demand, bringing us back to peak production again. This cycle could continue for the next several years until the inevitable decline of production sets in. The only way out of this cycle is to hold back demand below the rate of production, and this is unlikely to happen in a free-market economy.


Oil Prices and Recession
See also Part II of this article in
The Coming Oil Crisis Will be Worse Than You Expect

From an interview with geologist and retired oil industry executive and Consultant Colin Campbell PhD:

FTW: What about replacement sources and alternative energy? Tar sands?

Campbell: Of course there is a range of alternatives from wind, sun, tide, nuclear, etc. but today they contribute only a very small percentage, and do not come close to matching the oil of the past in terms of cost or convenience. No doubt production from tar sands and heavy oils can be stepped up in the future but it is painfully slow and expensive, carrying also environmental costs. It will help ameliorate the decline but has minimal impact on peak. The simple solution is to use less. We are extremely wasteful energy users. But it involves a fundamental change of attitude and the rejection of classical economic principles, which were built on endless growth in a world of limitless resources. Those days are over, exacerbated by the soaring population, itself now set to decline partly from energy shortage.

Interview with Colin Campbell

[cthrumatrix]

4. Are we really surprised with this admin..... why should they stop now.

[hatrack]

5. Not to worry, y'all!

Chimpy talked about fuel cell cars - FUEL CELLS! - doncha know! He talked about them in the State of the Union Address! Why, he even had his picture taken next to a model of a prototype of a mockup of a proposed initial beta version of a fuel cell car.

Soon the streets will be filled with millions and millions of fuel cell cars, and wow-eeeeeeee, it's gonna be really, really cool.

No more nasty bearded sheiks muttering into their whiskers as they plan to gouge American drivers!

No more clouds of nasty smog blocking the view of the Hollywood sign from Mulholland Drive!

No more terrorists using our money to fly planes into buildings and blow up American soldiers!

Instead, millions and millions of fuel cell cars will free us from the tyranny of fossil fuels, and they'll only emit water, and free hydrogen will soon flow from service stations from coast to coast, and we'll all have great teeth, and our breath will never smell bad again, and we'll never, ever have to worry about energy again!