Question about the off-shore drilling debate.

[taterguy]

Are there any reliable estimates about how many gallons of gas are used for trips that could be easily done on foot or bicycle?

Is it more or less than the amount of oil that might be off-shore?

I'd like to know but I'm a bit lazy when it comes to research.

[baldguy]

1. It's about money.

As soon as Halliburton figures out a way to get rich by having people walk instead of firing up the Hummer to go anywhere, thats when the need for oil will be reduced.

[taterguy]

2. I'd rather give my money to New Balance and Trek bicycles than Halliburton

But that's just my wacky opinion

[madokie]

5. Well a bicycle is out of the question for us out here where we are

not everyone can benefit from the use of a bicycle. Walking or bicycling is out of the question for me because of a health condition called peripheral arterial disease, I could just see me walking or cycling the mile into town. What I do instead is I don't go to town very often and when I do its many trips rolled into one and yes I'm getting pretty good about doing that.

[taterguy]

10. You be wacky your way and I'll be wacky my way

:toast:

[sammythecat]

9. Millions of us are in rural areas.

The nearest convenience store is 4.1 miles from my house. The nearest supermarket is around 16 miles. If I want to shop for something other than food, then I'm looking at 45-65 miles. My job is exactly 60 miles one way. And then comes the wintertime and any of these trips by foot or bike become extremely difficult, and even dangerous with the shoulders being covered by hardened slush and snow. And also, a huge number of us are either old or physically unable to even make the 8.2 mile trip to the convenience store on a fine spring day.

[mloutre]

3. Sorry about your laziness, but you really should try to learn about this stuff on your own sometimes

An informed citizenry being necessary to the proper functioning of a democratic republic, it's also a citizen's duty to take responsibility for their own informedness sometimes.

Laziness is a mighty lame excuse for not bothering to learn how to use the googles and find out stuff on your own, yo.

Otherwise, you have no idea if you're getting actual information from anybody else, or just echo-chamber spin from people who are willing to subsidize your laziness by giving you their own off-the-cuff versions of stuff.

Sheesh.

[taterguy]

7. I'm willing to take my chances with the crowd here

They're generally smart and their heart is in the right place.

I know how to use Google but the information I'm looking for can't be found with a simple Google search.

If it could, someone would have posted it by now.

Of course the fact that this info isn't readily accessible distresses me.

You would think it would be a basic part of the debate on whether or not we need to drill for more oil.

Or maybe not.

[chelsea0011]

4. It would be nice that any contruction or rehab of any streets to

have bike lanes mandated. And yes, and do mean mandated as in you have to do it. I was in Boston this past week and was surprised by all the small 50 cc motor scooters up on the sidewalks. If this trends there will need to be other places to put these but on the sidewalks.

[taterguy]

8. Unless your parking place or yard is in the way of a proposed bike lane

I'd settle for this reform:

All traffic planners have to regularly bicycle on the roads they plan.

Except for ones that work on Interstates or people that couldn't because of ADA reasons.

[MiniMe]

6. I was listening to Randi today, and she mentioned that even if

congress repeals the offshore drilling ban, there is some kind of provision that they would need to wait 5 years before they can start working on the leases, then so much time to build the drilling platforms, and so much time to drill. All in all, she was saying that it would be 2026 before we got a drop of oil out of new offshore drilling. And since oil prices are set by the world wide market, there would be little effect on the price of oil.

Randi said that she got all the stats off the government's websites. I have not seen a link of any of what she said anywhere, but it might be worth a listen to yesterday's show.

[taterguy]

11. I was asking about what the alternatives were, not when the oil will be available

Did Randi say anything about that?

[MiniMe]

12. Well in my mind, when the oil will be available is part of the answer

If the oil isn't available for another 18 years, it really isn't going to help much now.

[taterguy]

13. So what do we do in the meantime?

Any suggestions?