Out of control gas prices - what's your answer?

[frickaline]

I know, it's crazy to think we could discuss policy but let's give it a shot and see if we are capable of policy discussion outside of partisan bickering.

I have heard proposals from various sources that include:

* gas tax holiday paid for by a growing deficit
* gas tax holiday paid for by your road money
* localized drilling for oil here in the US
* investment in alternative fuels
* liquefaction of coal to create oil
* more investment in ethanol
* higher mileage requirements for vehicles
* other (what did I miss)

What would you like/dislike to see YOUR candidate propose, and why? I'd like to hear your thoughts!

[graywarrior]

1. Either allow a vehicle to be built or attachment that gets 150 miles per gallon or

develop an alternative way to run a car. Hell, we can't come up with a way to move around without using oil?

[Texas Hill Country]

75. google LOREMO... 2010, $30k, 157 mpg, and pretty cool lookin

[Frustratedlady]

2. Biking? Walking? Why do I get the idea we are being squeezed...

so that we will invest in researching new sites for oil, giving in to drilling in environmentally fragile areas and processing so the oil companies don't have to pay for it?

I just can't get that out of my mind.

[NJmaverick]

3. Release some of the strategic reserves and push the over inflated prices down

Prices are high due to market manipulation, Bush just has to start releasing some of the reserves to collapse the scheme.

[mdmc]

4. there is only one answer

use less gas.
anything less is uncivilized.

[Bruce McAuley]

5. Global answer: Stop the War.

My local answer: Ride my new electric bicycle a lot for trips here in town.

Bruce

[ingac70]

6. Get Bush to quit hoarding oil in the SPR....

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=16201

This is from '05.

[AZSlacker]

7. It isn't in your list, but until the dollar stops sinking like a lead baloon

The proposals you noted are putting a band-aid on a gushing arterial wound.

[KittyWampus]

8. Tax deductions for car-pooling.

[dkf]

9. Government loans for individuals to buy their own solar and wind energy generators

A big push for electric plug in cars.

Energy problem solved...

:)

[seasat]

10. Increase public transportation esp light rail.

Greater light light rail. Subsidize it to increase incentives for people to use it. Subsidize cities investment in fuel efficient buses. Mandate fuel efficient vehicles for the the Federal government. The government fleet is huge and that will encourage auto manufacturers to invest more in them bringing the price down. There is no short term solution for high gas prices only long term solutions involving conservation.

[nykym]

11. To bad there is not a way to

harness all the political hot air we hear every day.

[SoonerPride]

12. Electric cars

Put solar panels on every roof in america and wind farms from coast to coast.

[harun]

57. I'll second the electric car (n/t)

[thoughtcrime1984]

83. I like those ideas, esp. the electric car, which there was a prototype

10 years ago, before GM killed it off. Watch the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?" .

[Tribetime]

111. we put a man on the moon 40 yrs ago, you can't tell me

we can't run a car on anything other than gas. They could do this right now.

[liskddksil]

13. Other: Investment in national rail service / lightrail and a total rethinking of our housing policy

The reason people can tolereate even higher gas prices in Europe, for the most part, is that they are not dependent on automobiles to fulfill their every need as they live in neighborhoods and cities where you can walk places, which are in turn connected by rail to other areas. The opposite is true here, as we have totally disregarded train service, and pursued fifty years of policies that encourage highways, and sprawling subdivisions, strip malls, and office parks. Instead of widening more highways here, which only cause more outward development, and even create more traffic, that money should be invested in train service. In addition housing policies should be pursued intended to reward developers that use existing sights in cities, possibly brownfield industrial sights, where infrastructure already exists. Metro Portland Oregon pursued a policy that limited future development outside a certain radius of the city, to protect open space and reduce sprawl, which while at first was met with hesitation became overwhelmingly recieved by the public. When people live close enough to their work and recreation, to walk or bike, and won't be dependent on cars, it will be a huge relief for energy use, and greenspace, foster the revitilization of cities, create stronger communities.

[Aloha Spirit]

47. Yes. Agree hundred percent.

:party:

[Amaya]

55. Perfect answer

my husband is from Germany and we have discussed this many many times.

[Homer Wells]

69. Now heres an answer I would love to see as an OP!!

I would recommend this one early and often!!

[RichardRay]

74. I agree in principle and would support that idea, but....

how do we deal with the spaces between the cities?

I understand that those of us in rural areas cannot expect to 'wag the dog', but we do live here. The county I live in is larger than many small states, but has only 20,000 people spread across it. There is no way that light rail or even rubber tire mass transit is economically fesible here, the economies just don't scale.

What do we do? How do we pay for $5/gallon gas? The only thing I can think of is that we have to raise the prices we get for the things we ship to the rest of the country (energy and food) and for the access to the resources we provide (recreation and conservation).

[Aloha Spirit]

96. Part of the idea is that more efficient transport will drive down demand (and price) overall, but

beyond that, renewable energy harvesting in remote areas (wind, geothermal, solar, tidal, etc) will make electric vehicles a solid option. And beyond that, other possible alleviating factors to consider are
-cleaner coal
-petroleum producing genetically engineered bacteria
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/122/fueling-the-future.html
-less likely:liquid hydrogen or boron as fuel
http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/hydrogen.html

[RichardRay]

105. I will hold on to that hope...

but when it's 200 or 300 miles between towns in places it may be hard for electric cars to do the trick!

[Aloha Spirit]

113. Yeah... I visualize that wondrous, sustainable future every night before I go to sleep! ;-)

[liskddksil]

126. thanks

I'm actually taking a class on this subject (landuse and sprawl) at school this semester, and i've found it fascinating how so many of our political problems (poverty, gas prices, the environment) arise out of this issue, yet it all but avoided by political figures. Hopefully if any good comes out of this energy crisis is that big changes are needed in the longterm.

[Dawgs]

14. I wish my/our candidates would propose businesses offering telecommuting one/two days a week.

I think it would do more than just help with gas prices.

[frickaline]

16. Ha! My thought exactly, we posted this simultaneously

[2Design]

34. they do - they outsourced most jobs because they could be done somewhere else n/t

[frickaline]

15. I'm replying to my own thread, which is silly, but no candidate mentioned this one

I'm replying to my own thread, which is silly, but since this wasn't something I heard mentioned, ever, by any candidate, I didn't list this one.

I'd like to see corporate incentives for telecommuters. People that can work from out of the home for at least part of the week, should provide a benefit to their company. This way, companies would learn to be more acceptive of this work style and we'd have fewer rush hour drivers on the road.

[graycem]

17. Strategic reserves..

We have oil. Bush doesn't want to release any of the millions of barrels we pump into the reserves every day because he and his friends are oil men robbing us blind for his last few months in office. Watch and see if the next president, no matter who it is, doesn't send that oil price tumbling. It's a scam.

After that, they need to raise the requirements on car manufacturers, they have the technology, they had it years ago, but the oil and car industries have worked together to keep it off the table.

Then invest in other alternatives, not ethanol which they have proved hurts more than it solves.

All those things will happen eventually, we won't have a choice, it's just a matter of how much damage they'll inflict before they do.

[Obamanaut]

119. I don't think the strategic oil reserves will help. The last time

they did this, there was some sort of auction, people who were allowed to purchase did so at a greatly reduced price from what the gov had originally paid, then made a killing selling to others who had access to refineries who also made a killing, and here we are again.

Auto makers were to have had their auto (not truck) fleets average 27 mpg by 1985, a requirement made during the Ford administration. That requirement was met by adding tiny little cars (Geo metro, Ford Festiva, etc) to bolsters the overall avg. They continued to make behemoths which we bought in large quantities. The fuel economy requirement has not changed, we continue to buy behemoths and they keep making them, and here we are again, again.

I believe that until we come to the realization that we can not continue to flood the highways with gas guzzlers we are doomed to stay in this mess.

Most of Europe and Japan drive cars that avg over 40 mpg. We should also.

Any dates listed above may not be accurate due to memory cell deterioration.

[Indiana_Dem]

18. Conservation! nt

[TheZug]

19. Corn ethanol is a crock of shit.

There are other possibilities out there that may prove much better, such as algae.

Corn ethanol is nothing but a bribe to Iowans and the agriculture industry. It drives up food prices, it's a net energy loss, it's terrible for the environment, and it will never be able to make much difference.

Anyone who tells you corn ethanol is a good idea is either a huckster or a fool.

[frickaline]

38. what is the viabillity of algae - this alternative is not one I know much about

[uponit7771]

40. High viability and output but even higher with other flora. Can grow up instead of flat

[frickaline]

58. nice solution, I was just reading up and its good stuff, consumes CO2 and makes ethanol

what more could you want?

[EnviroBat]

20. Abolish stupid shit like this...

Tax the shit out of tools who feel these kinds of vehicles are necessary, because they are so self-important.



The "But I need this vehicle for work" excuse is getting old as most of the people I see driving these dumpsters on wheels are white -collar executives on their way to the fucking office, (and usually with no one else in the vehicle).

How's that $4.00/gallon working out for ya?

[madrchsod]

22. remember most of these vechicles were given huge tax breaks

because they could be written down as a business expense. there is a purpose for these vechicules by not in someone`s drive way...unless they are willing to pay the price

[frickaline]

31. I was thinking the same thing, we haven't closed off the SUV tax deduction yet

If you own your own business and the vehicle is over 6000 pounds I believe you can still apply for this section 179 deduction.

in fact, its a selling point! outrageous ...

http://www.landroverusa.com/us/en/Dealers/Special_offers_finance/Small_Business_Owners.htm?sReferrer=I_06SBOpaidsearch_google_LandRoverusa_20061002

[Merlot]

43. My car isn't an SUV but I can still deduct travel and maintenance

Not sure how much more of a deduction you get from the SUV, but it hardly makes up for the additional expense of owning and driving one.

[frickaline]

51. section 179 is a 1 time 10 grand tax hole for business owners with >6000 lb vehicles I believe

Anyone buying a luxury SUV doesn't deserve a break like this. This law was implemented for farmers and small businesses with a delivery arm. Its being horribly abused.

I had a friend use this loop recently to help pay for his luxury SUV. He claimed it against his wife's dance school small business but he uses it to drive to work every day.

[Merlot]

37. Every try getting around one of these in a Trader Joes parking lot?

It disgusts me every time I see one person driving these monoliths to the grocery store for a couple bags of groceries. The same amount of groceries that fit in my 2 -seater.

These disgusting machines were made so people can feel like they live in the wild outdoors, on a ranch, or crossing territory...they just have to pretend the grocery store parking lot is a dirt road with flood damage. Me in my little car, I'm the debris.

Unless you're in the middle of Montana, there is NO excuse for driving these things.

[EnviroBat]

71. Ever try SEEING around one?

They completely obscure the landscape and road in front of you. It's like driving behind a friggin billboard.

[knixphan]

44. AMEN!

[Rosemary2205]

62. Snort - I think the free market is about to take care of those jackasses

Go ahead, just try to resell it. Our local Ford Store lowballs on the trade in price so much that it basically makes it so they just don't take them in trade anymore.

[EnviroBat]

76. Dealerships won't touch em on trade.

It's about time too. I do see where they are necessary in some instances, for farmers and such. Some contractors with loads of tools and a crew. But rarely do I see that. It's usually the real estate sales person or some executive just lumbering along with no one or nothing else in the truck with them. Or they're driving 80+ mph like complete assholes, gleefully wasting what little oil we have left. Oblivious to the fact that they are screwing everyone else over for their inflated egos. Makes me want to go on a little tire-flattening rampage in the interest of protecting our valuable resources.

"Your honor, I was doing my duty to preserve resources". Case dismissed.

[madrchsod]

21. drive slower

maintain your car
is this trip necessary
walk -bike-car pool

[AllentownJake]

23. Stabilize the Dollar

and the price of Gas will slowly come down. Only answer.

[totodeinhere]

108. You beat me too it.

[TheZug]

24. Hillary will "fight" them down!!!!! Because she's a fighter, just ask her!!!

[redqueen]

25. CAFE standards at the very least.

Perhaps a steep tax on SUVs & RVs both when they're bought and when they're registered.

Awareness campaign / maybe some incentive to get people to use public transportation. Also, INVESTMENT in public transportation.

Bring back the 55 mph speed limit.

[bobbert]

26. Isn't gas already cheaper here than it is in Europe and a lot of countries on other continents?

I think that demand has also risen as well, not only in the US but around the world. High gas prices may cause people to drive less and conserve more, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything an investment in safe alternative fuels and mass transportation would be best. If people are using less gas, the price will fall, but until then the demand will keep prices rising.

[uponit7771]

39. Not relative to the supply we give the world market

[Merlot]

It's not the high price of gas that bothers me as much as the obscene profits

by the oil companies.

I agree higher prices make people aware that oil is not going to be around forever and we should conserve it and find alternatives. But the fact is our money is not going to invest in those alternatives, it's going to profit big oil.

[grantcart]

27. First the cause - speculation

The 40% increase in gas price is not related to supply (which is actually up) or demand (which is actually down) but by speculators who are looking for investment with the decline in stocks, mortgages and more importantly the US dollar.

Three things will have an impact

1) Elect a new president that doesn't saber rattle. Every empty threat against Iran drives up the fear factor and speculators make billions

2) Have to rebuild the US dollar

3) Release 5-10% of the strategic petroleum reserve on a single day and make it a policy that the President reserves the right to punish speculators if they push the price of gas up to high.

( I would then use the money gained by selling that off to build roads and bridges and really stimulate the economy)

[DefenseLawyer]

49. In the short term they should enforce the law.

The price of gasoline is not be set by a competitive market, it is being set by 5 companies that have agreed to set the price and split the pie. That's illegal.

[uponit7771]

52. yeap, and in the mean time get the electric cars that are ALREADY mass producable past US DOT.

[CK_John]

28. Buy, build or invest in rickshaws and learn to weld. n/t

[madwivoter]

29. Conservation

Bike, walk, bus.

Stop feeding the beast and conserve. There isn't going to be any magic bullet that solves the problem. Investing in research for alternative energy sources for the future is the only way we can begin to wean ourselves off the teat of foreign oil.

That's going to take a while, and most folks want to see instant gratification and that's not logical and isn't going to happen.

[ramapo]

30. No magic answer

This problem has been a good 25-30 years in the making. Despite the widespread belief that there is a magic fix (pick one or more from the list in the OP), there is no magic fix. It is not like we weren't warned.

In case nobody has noticed, demand is rising and supply is diminishing. Had we gone in a different direction in the 1980s, the US might have been in a leadership role showing the world how our "legendary" innovation solved this problem before it really began.

I fear that our electoral candidates will do their best to make it seem like there is an easy and painless solution to our current situation. Voters, bottom line, demand it. Sure people might say they want to hear the truth but woe be the candidate who actually delivers it.

But here we are. My solution:

#1 - Immediate conservation. Drive less, drive slower, walk more. Simple yet socially difficult.

#2 - Mandate higher mileage requirements. Yes this might mean smaller, more sensible vehicles.
Another social challenge.

#3 - Reinvest in the national rail system. Long haul freight should be by train, not truck. The truck should be for the last xx miles. Same goes for passenger rail. Airlines cannot maintain service to all corners of the countryside. Trains did and could again.

#4 - Gas tax holiday. Dumb as dirt. Political pandering at its finest.

#5 - Liquedification of coal has to be one of the more horrible possible solutions. The process of extracting coal today is incredibly destructive to the environment. Liquidification requires vast amounts of water. Just an awful idea.

#6 - Alternative energy. I don't know about ethanol. I think long-term that a move to hybrid and all electric vehicles makes the most sense. Of course, the electricity has to be there to charge the all electric vehicles. I see little choice but a long-term move to nuclear generating plants.

[frickaline]

33. ah you don't like the new "clean coal" ads? what a campaign ...

[Merlot]

53. Agree with all but last part of #6

Nuclear generating plants may make energy, but they have a 100 year break even point before all the energy used to build them is equal to the energy they put out.

That, and the building of them is as destructive as the process of extracting coal.

[ramapo]

73. I don't really agree either

I don't know what the answer is. The nuclear waste problem seems unsolvable. Uranium mining is incredibly destructive. Nukes are certainly a target. There's always the small but real chance of catastrophe. But where will our electricity come from? Solar/wind is not sufficient. Hydro is full of problems. Coal is the worst. Natural gas is limited.

Individual solar/wind generators for each home or maybe neighborhood plants? Cut consumption with smart devices? A bit of this and that?

[2Design]

32. 100% tax on profit over 15% goes back to consumer n/t

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

64. The ChipperbackDemocrat Petroleum Policy

I my mind there need to be four main objectives.
1. Rebuilding and strengthening our national rail infrastructure. America's currently is the worst in the industrialised world for carrying goods or people. We need freight trains running to carry our products, we need American Shinkansens and TGV carrying passengers..and we need a rail system that is up to date and on time and that can also integrate into road, mass transit, water transit and air transit system seamlessly.
2. This nation has to commit fully to sustainable energy solutions. It is in our prime economic and structural security interests to do so.
3. It is time to end the gridlock in our major cities. It is wasting time, money and productivity. The best way is mass solutions.

NOW, HOW DO WE PAY FOR THIS?

1. CAFE: All manufacturers who wish to sell cars in the united states must meet a CAFE Standard of 35 mpg in 2009, 40 mpg in 2010, 45 mpg in 2011 and 50 mpg in 2012. A graduated tax will be levied on the price of any vehicle that does not meet the 35 mpg standard based on how much they are under that standard. The further you are under that standard, the more you get taxed. Being a person who likes sports cars, I'll probably have at least one vehicle that will be taxed heavy, but so be it. I'll drive the sensible car and have fun with the sports cars once in awhile. ;)

2. NATIONAL NEW CAR TAX: The Federal Government will levy a 10% tax on the sales of new vehicles in the United States starting 2009. 50% of the tax revenue will go directly into overhaul and upgrade of the national passenger and freight rail system. 25% will go into the National Alternative Energy Programme. 25% will go to the National Mass Transit Development Programme. Hybrid vehicles that still use petroleum in some form will only incur a 5% tax. Buy a motor vehicle that does not use petroleum, you get a 10% tax credit.

3. THE SPOKES CREDIT: The Federal Government will give you a 10% tax rebate for buying a bicycle. This is also a key part of "ChipperbackCare" (America's National Health Service)

4. NATIONAL GASOLINE TAX: The gas tax will be raised 10% per year between 2009-2012, all money from that tax will go into the National Mass Transit Development Programme

5. FLY-RAIL COORDINATION: As part of rebuild and strengthening our national passenger rail system, we will mandate that all major commercial airports in a metropolitan area will be served by a ChipperRail spur ("ChipperRail"=The replace of Amtrak, ran in part by the Federal Government in cooperation with SNCF or Nippon Railways, whoever wins the National High Speed Rail Contract). In turn we hope to build a synergy between rail and air travel that can help loosen congestion of the skies and change the hub-spoke system into something that works. We also seek to expand the coordination to every form of mass transport, especially in our major cities. If I fly into a city, I should also be able to get a bus, train or water transport if possible. In most cities you find that isn't the case. That is a waste of energy, time and human capital.

(Paid for by ChipperbackDemocrat for President 2008: I'll change America, whether you are ready or not.)

[uponit7771]

35. Get out of Iraq, our dollar is being depressed because of over borrowing

[Aloha Spirit]

36. Hillary wants the Gas Tax Holiday paid for with a windfall profit tax on oil companies.

None of which prevents gas prices from going up.

[uponit7771]

42. Oil is up because dollar is being tanked in speculative markets due to stupid borrowing.

[Aloha Spirit]

68. Agree mostly--I read that weak dollar pushes investors into oil market, further driving up oil price

[Buzz Clik]

41. drastically reduce consumption.

[uponit7771]

46. Where? Like DFW? Where people live 30 miles outside the city have a 30 minute communte & no mass...

...transit?

Car pooling will affect around 10% of that traffic but it's a fraction.

Gas prices are high because our dollar is tanking due to REALLY REALLY stupid econ practices.

[Buzz Clik]

54. A 10% reduction in commuting by carpooling in DFW would be huge.

The weak dollar accounts for about 1/3 of the current spike in gas prices.

[uponit7771]

60. I agree it would be huge but not enough to bring down gas prices IMHO, the reason they are high is..

..because of the weak dollar and gouging.

[knixphan]

45. give tax breaks to any manufacturer of electric vehicles.

[uponit7771]

50. I pray for the LIVES of those people, there's no reason why series diesel hasn't been put out yet...

...all the while trains can get 400 miles to the gallon pulling 2000 pounds with the same technology and it's been around for what...50 years?

There has to be a reason why the electric car companies haven't mass produced the practical electric family car before Honda mass produced their hydrogen car.

[backscatter712]

48. Congressional and DOJ investigations into oil co. price gouging.

Of course, this'll have to wait until someone sane is in the White House, but I'm convinced that much of the high gas prices are due to market manipulation.

Time for old-fashioned anti-trust investigations, public Congressional pressures on the oil executives, and deep probes into the oil industry.

I'll bet that if the oil companies were pressured into doing businesss a more honestly, we could bring gas prices down by a buck and a half, maybe two bucks per gallon.

Of course, once gas prices are more reasonable, then it'd be time to raise the gasoline tax incrementally and use that money to fund alternative energy, public transportation, rebuilding our infrastructure, etc.

[polmaven]

56. "* other (what did I miss)"

*gas tax holiday paid for by taxing oil companies "excess" profits

[knixphan]

59. we can change...

http://pluginamerica.com/

[Rosemary2205]

61. find a way to stop the crude oil speculators.

Everyone but Salon, to Economist, to ABC has told us that at $120 a barrel about $80 per barrel is pure speculator profit and $40 per barrel is the cost to get it out of the ground, transport it to refineries, and a reasonable profit for oil nations.

We could also stop the deliberate manipulation of the gasoline supply.


Oh and that part about ethanol? You are just wrong on that. It takes 1.2 gallons of gasoline to produce 1 gallon of ethanol. In addition, you take fields that should be used for food off the market, thereby screwing up the food supply. Lastly, though ethanol is better on climate change, it's actually worse overall pollution wise for living things.

Ethanol is bad bad bad. And I so wish DUers would stop advocating it. I've posted cuss words toward folks who pushed this so hard the last couple of years in the name of not depending on foreign oil. We tried to tell them they were going to screw up the food supply and enrich all the wrong people.

[IDemo]

65. Prize winner

I heard someone the other day mention possible congressional action to control the oil commodities market, but I'll be very surprised if anything comes of it.

[frickaline]

66. but you misread - it is not me that advocates these things

[Rosemary2205]

79. I did - sorry - I become red eyed at the mere mention of ethanol

call it a personal shortcoming. :)

[Tesha]

63. Accept the fact that oil will soon be obsolete

and move, as rapidly as we can, to alternative
sources of energy.

Me? I'd drive the price higher still with taxes.
I'd also investigate why the oil companies are
making record profits and tax some of those as
well.

Tesha

[ladjf]

67. Electric cars charged by solar and wind. It is most definitely

doable.

[SoonerPride]

72. I agree. Put solar panels on every roof in America.

Feed the grid during the day and charge your car at night.

Wind farms from coast to coast. Hell, put wind farms in highway medians all over the country. The damn cars whizzing by increase the spinning, feeding back into the power grid.

[ladjf]

89. Since more that 50% of the roofs don't face the optimum direction,

it might be better it place the tracking panels on stands in the back yard. Improvements are being made every day in the design of solar panels resulting in greater efficiency.

There are lots of places for wind turbines. Note that the large ones are far more productive that smaller ones. Large sub-divisions of houses, say with 1,000 homes, could erect three 1.5 MW turbines for the use of all 1,000 homes. The turbines wouldn't necessarily be located on the subdivision land. However, transmission lines are expensive so they would need to be as close as possible.

Another idea would be to put vertical, "egg-beater" type turbines on all four corners of tall buildings in urban areas. The tall building create a tunnel effect which accelerates the wind.

Further, the electric cars themselves could have solar cells on all correctly angled surfaces, supplying at least some of the electric charge while underway and while parked during the work day.

Electric bicyclers ($400 to $1,000) are another way fuel could be saved. They only run about 18 mph so they couldn't be used of any hi-way work but would be useful for short runs near home.

[zulchzulu]

70. Short term solution: Discounts for smaller, efficient vehicles

If you drive a car that gets 35mpg or better, you get a 20% monthly discount tax credit. If you take mass transportation, you get a 10% tax credit. If you carpool, you get some kind of tax credit based on passengers per day.

Other than that, the obvious solution would be more electric cars. If you ever saw "Who Killed The Electric Car", you know the technology is here now.

Longer term solutions include the obvious coal to gas (sans CO2), better CAFE standards, better mass transportation, electric and hybrid technology....

[flvegan]

77. Thunderdome.

[NashVegas]

78. I Would Like to See Proposals for Encouraging More Public Transportation and Walkable Communities

For ALL.

What's happening right now across America is city centers re-gentrifying and squeezing out people of average or below average income. It's wonderful to see cities revitalized, but it's going to suck if only the wealthy can afford to live in them.

[Chrisnreno]

81. Hear, Hear! n/t

[Chrisnreno]

80. I would like to see...

More investment in public transit systems nationwide. Vast improvements in our national rail system, Amtrak. More promotion of the idea of Plug-in hybrids, as they seem to show some real promise.

[taterguy]

82. Treat people who waste gas the way that smokers are treated now

Public shaming, ridicule and a pervasive PR campaign to get them to see the error of their ways.

[democrattotheend]

84. More investment in public transportation, for one thing

I live in the DC area, and plans to extend the metro out to Dulles are currently on hold. If they go through with the project it will enable a lot of people to take the metro to work rather than driving 20-30 miles each day. Projects like that can help reduce the demand for gas and thus lower prices.

[depakid]

100. Amazing that it DOESN'T go to Dulles

Portland and San Fransisco had the same incomprehensible planning with BART and MAX -and it cost the cities a lot more down the line to bring rail lines to the airport.

Then again, they finally got around to it -unlike say, Raleigh NC where you can't even get a bus from the airport.

[Forkboy]

85. This is a good thread, and not just because you used the word "liquefaction".

:)

Willpower is step one. Until America develops that all these other ideas will be slow going.

[frickaline]

115. heh sorry, spellchecker strikes again!

:banghead:

There are a few 'quick' ideas in this thread but for the most part, you are right. It's going to be a long uphill battle.

[Forkboy]

121. Actually, I was just laughing at the word, not the spelling.

It's funny to me no matter how someone spells it. :D

[frickaline]

123. well I should explain, the first time through ...

I hadn't spelled it even remotely correctly, I probably didn't deserve to use it :)
*sigh* at least I'll know for next time. What can I say, I was always better in math ...

[stillcool]

86. stop driving...

express drive to work and back. No stops. One day a week shopping with the whole dang family. No running out to the store. Walk, walk, walk. Pay more for the stuff at the corner store, save much more on gas. Take the bus, take the train. I certainly can't wait for the government to do anything.

[busymom]

87. Boycott the top oil companies by

Not by gas from the big gas stations. If enough people do it, they will begin losing money and will be forced to lower their prices to draw back customers...and the competition will probably do the same to keep the customers?

[Vinca]

88. They need to regulate the trading of oil for profit

and put a windfall tax on the oil companies to invest in alternative fuels.

[Yurovsky]

90. I'll go you 1 better ... NATIONALIZE the freaking oil companies...

call me a socialist, I don't give a crap. The bastards at Exxon-Mobil have raped this country (err, make that PLANET) long enough.

[Vinca]

93. I'm not disagreeing - throw health care into the package, too. nt

[LSK]

91. tell Reverend Wright to stop making them higher

:shrug:

[workinclasszero]

92. Saw a news story the other day about 2 brothers who

took a Prius, added an extra battery pack to it. You plug the car in at night.

It gets 100 miles per gallon!

Why the hell don't the car companies start building these things at an affordable price???:shrug:

Heres the link: http://cbs2chicago.com/local/efficient.car.gas.2.707134.html

[JCMach1]

94. Nationalize the oil and gas industry

eom

[MattP]

95. Bring back the electric car!!

Pass the environmental law that made them create the electric car then Arnold's epa guy killed it and than the car companies killed the car. Anybody else see that movie, Who killed the electric car?

[MadinMo]

97. Conservation, reduced speed limits, 4 day work weeks,

investment in public transportation/rapid transit. These are just a few, I'm sure there are many others.

The very fact that Dubya and Co have been begging us to quit driving so much and so fast reinforces the idea that they are gleefully lapping up every oil/gas dollar spent. They don't want us to conserve. At least Jimmy Carter in the 1970s reduced the speed limit!

It is going to take a huge public information campaign to convince people that it is in their best interests to conserve. Hopefully Gore's informational program will cover this issue.

[Missouri Girl]

98. What about an alternative fuel "Manhattan Project"

Place a high excise tax on oil companies, but a complex, put the best and brightest from MIT and every other scientist you can find. Lock them in for 6 months, give them every supply or resource they need to develop a car engine that will run on hydrogen, solar, electric, or will get 60 miles per gallon. Use the remaining excise tax to subsidize the early production of those vehicles by AMERICAN car manufacturers, give money to gas stations to convert to other supplies and then give HUGE tax rebates to the purchasers of those vehicles.

I know it's stretch, I am an eternal optimist, but I just believe that American ingenuity can solve this problem. I think it is do-able.

[Radical Activist]

101. We already have the technology.

That's not the problem. The power of the oil industry over politicians and car companies is the problem.

[Radical Activist]

99. Use less fuel.

There are many ways to do it.
1) Invest in more public transportation.
2) Use existing technology to raise fuel economy on conventional cars.
3) Use existing hybrid and electric car technology.
4) Reduce urban sprawl that requires long commutes to work.
5) More bike paths for commuters.

We have the technology and ability to act now. We need leaders who will stand up to the oil industry.

[tokenlib]

102. Tax credit/rebate for replacing SUV or pickup with economy car.

The people who really need a pickup or SUV for business already write off their expenses. So this would be aimed at the masses who still have pickups or SUV's because they are "cool." Think of all the gas wasted by single passenger commuters in these gas hogs--every single day.

[taterguy]

104. Probably a lot less gas than is wasted by individuals in economy cars

Taking trips that could be done easily on foot or on a bicycle

[Warren DeMontague]

103. It's a finite resource. It's not getting any cheaper.

Bottom line? We need to find cleaner, better, more sensible ways to power our shit.

[haymakeragain]

106. Flood the market with the oil in the national reserve off and on for a few months.

Stop filling the reserve. Keep the speculators guessing. Have no rhyme or reason to it so they cannot predict it in any way. they will lose dough and they will quit the game.

[haymakeragain]

107. That's for starters, then wean us off it for good over the next 10-20

years. Maybe we can't get all the way off, but electric cars and bio-diesel trucks and cars will go a long way.

[Veruca Salt]

109. Invest in Public Transportation

I'm actually getting rid of my car because I can take the bus everywhere here in Portland.

And Hi! New here but not really. I've been thinking about registering for a while but couldn't think of a good ID until someone mentioned Veruca. :hi:

[frickaline]

114. Hi Veruca, welcome aboard !

:hi:

[Veruca Salt]

125. Thank you!

So glad to be here and finally in the mix with like minded people!

[Geek_Girl]

110. Raise interest rates

with the value of the dollar declining the price of gas goes up.

[sakura]

112. Biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol

We drive a VW turbo diesel bug, and use B100 biodiesel (pure) exclusively. It runs just as well as any other diesel car we've had (that is, it's noisy!), but smells much better. No adjustments were made for it to burn biodiesel-- diesel cars are not picky that way.

Oregon recycles 1 million gallons of waste oil (from deep fat fryers)into biodiesel each year. Nationally, 3.9 billion gallons of waste food oil are produced by fast food restaurants each year. Restaurants have to pay to get it hauled away, and it is shipped to (where else?) China as yet another raw material. Granted, 3.9 billion gallons is not much compared to our annual consumption of gas (146 billion gallons), but it's a start. And as a previous poster mentioned, the technology to extract oil from algae is developing, as is extracting alcohol from switchgrass. Both biodiesel and cellulosic alchohol are carbon-neutral-- yes, they produce carbon dioxide, but take in the same amount of carbon dioxide while they are alive. And in both of these cases, our food supply is not impacted.

As far as electric cars go, they are great, but you still have to consider how you are getting the electricity to power the car. Solar? Wind? Hydroelectric? Biofuel? Coal? Oil?

Links: http://www.news.com/Fast-food-fat--future-fuel-for-cars/2100-1008_3-6157412.html
http://gas2.org/2008/04/10/biodiesel-mythbuster-20-twenty-two-biodiesel-myths-dispelled/
http://gas2.org/2008/03/29/first-algae-biodiesel-plant-goes-online-april-1-2008/
http://gas2.org/2008/03/14/switchgrass-could-displace-30-of-us-petroleum-usage-with-94-ghg-reduction/

[Lilith Velkor]

120. What about methane from human waste?

There must be a way to collect it and convert it to electricity. It's renewable, and everybody contributes.

I'd call it Operation Poop Scoop.

[frickaline]

122. reminds me of the Herbert book, "Dune"

if you read that, you'll remember stillsuits

[Lilith Velkor]

129. The grass is always greener over the septic tank

Maybe there should be a power plant there.

As for stillsuits, I think they'll become fashionable after mid-century.

[ileus]

116. up with the econo-box.

[electron_blue]

117. I predict in 2 more months, oil companies will post record-breaking profits.

How about start with the oil companies and forget about all the other non-solutions.

[Uncle Joe]

118. Short term answer, slow down your driving, coast more and stay under the limit, take off slow

and coast to a stop, keep you tires inflated and make sure your car is tuned up.

[Owl]

124. The number 1: Nationalization of all domestic energy sources...

(after the current administration is sent packing).

[Cha]

127. Here's Obama's North Carolina ad on Gas Prices that

our donations made possible:)

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/gasprices1

[VotesForWomen]

128. price caps, higher taxes on oil companies. nt