Pulling The Plug On Oil

I think Chu is absolutely right. The U.S. needs to stop its dependency on foreign oil. Take a look at this link to the homepage of the Danish Ministry for Climate - it shows how Denmark has been able to have both economic growth while having a nearly stabile energy consumption.
<a href="http://kemin.dk/en-US/facts/danishexample/Sider/TheDanishExample.aspx">Link tekst</a>

C'mon sheep. Start thinking for yourselves. Chu will export your jobs to China.

Diesel is a one of the many ways to go. Fuel cells need to be brought online, we have been sitting on the technology since the 1960's. Gasification of coal, nuclear power, wind, and biofuels are all things that can be done NOW. If we are the ones we've been waiting on: "let's do this".

The first step we should be taking is more serious conservation of energy -- using technologies and deploying behaviors that reduce energy consumption. Less energy consumed = less CO2 produced. An d we should not put all our eggs in a hybrid basket. Greater use of diesel engines to power our light duty cars and trucks makes sense since the diesel will use 20-40 percent less fuel than gasoline, and can also use renewable diesel fuel and biodiesel as well. This is one reason that the VW Jetta TDI just won the "Green Car of the Year" beating out several hybrid entries. More at www.dieselforum.org.

I agree that we need to cut consumption but the dollar cost to the USA will be about the same even if we dont buy another drop of oil. To many goverments fund 50% of there spending on oil sales so if You stop buying fuel how will they make up for the short fall ??

Too bad discussions about energy policy often contain such a hodgepodge of lousy economic analysis, especially around foreign trade. Examples from this article:
1) "any dollar we send overseas for oil is a dollar we can't reinvest in America" - so therefore all trade with foreign countries should also be eliminated?
2) "while we can't predict oil prices from year to year, we know they will rise in the long run as the developing world starts to use energy like we do." - so market prices now don't take into account the consensus of expected future price increases?
3)"Our oil dependency also weakens our security" - you mean we would be more secure being ecomomically isolated from other countries rather than having robust trade along with the accompanying reduction in incentive to go to war with each other?

Rather than get sidetracked by poorly thought-out "us vs. them" statements regarding oil, let's focus on the real problem. It is not that we are dependent on "foreign oil" that is the problem, it is that we are dependent on "oil" that is the problem. And the definition of that problem specifically seems to be twofold: 1) that consuming oil (or gas or coal) produces polluting emissions whose costs are not included in the economic transaction between the seller, buyer and user of the oil, so the market has virtually no way of addressing the negative effects of the emmissions. 2) that having so much of our lifestyle 100% dependent on using fuels and getting them from a centralized infrastructure for fuel distribution puts everyone at greater risk of being subject to a significant disruption. And whether we all like it or not, the only way to tackle these issues is to collectively mandate an increase in fuel prices so that market driven activity for conservation and substitution of other sustainable fuel sources (wind, solar), both activities that are not now "worth it", will take hold.

"the science on global warming is clear and compelling: greenhouse-gas emissions, primarily from fossil fuels, have started to change our climate." Really? What about 900 A.D. when the climate began a warm period for 400 years? What about 1850 when the planet began to warm up yet again. To what do you attribute this climate variation?

This man is out of his mind and brainwashed by Obama. Now he is trying to brainwash the American people. Global warming is a big hoax and he knows it. What is going on with these people?

"......the science on global warming is clear and compelling: greenhouse-gas emissions, primarily from fossil fuels, have started to change our climate. " I was hoping that the Sec. of Energy would have a little better grasp of the state of that scientific discussion. Not only is it NOT clear and compelling that anthropologic climate change is occurring, but an ever increasing number of scientists have concluded that whatever climate change we are seeing is a natural occurance with any effect by man's activity being minimal at best. Disappointing.

"......the science on global warming is clear and compelling: greenhouse-gas emissions, primarily from fossil fuels, have started to change our climate. " I was hoping that the Sec. of Energy would have a little better grasp of the state of that scientific discussion. Not only is it NOT clear and compelling that anthropologic climate change is occurring, but an ever increasing number of scientists have concluded that whatever climate change we are seeing is a natural occurance with any effect by man's activity being minimal at best. Disappointing.

Biofuel, or ethanol, has shown to be more detrimental to human health than gasoline. does Chu know that ? It is amazing that Chu did not mention the two more common green energy currently used in US which is nuclear and hydro energy. Toyota will be selling plug in hybrid electric car next year, without the help of bailout money from taxpayer.

There is another word missing: WATER. Water is a critical element in very short supply on a global level. Sure, we have plenty of ocean water, however, it is not potable.

Whether you believe man is speeding up a global warming process or not, the bottom line is that something needs to be done. Take a trip to Los Angeles, Beijing, Sao Paulo, (all countries I have personally been to on many occasions), and you will find pollution, smog, increased humidity, and other nasty side effects. It is clear that we must reduce our emissions significantly and without haste.

There is a way to do this, and RainTrapper environmental solutions has several ways of meeting the challenge of carbon reduction. On one side, through the use of rain harvesting, homes and companies can catch large amounts of water and put it to many different uses. The water can be used for irrigation, general home use, even potable where allowed. RainTrapper designs water based sustainability solutions, allowing people to use water, (whether harvested or from a municipal supply), in a myriad of ways. One of the ways is to use water to make the air conditioning more efficient in buildings. Through the use of water, air conditioning units can become up to 40% more efficient. (This is significant when you consider that most greenhouse gasses come from buildings, not cars or other transportation modes). The end result is a significant savings in building operations, (imagine if you are a company with 200 buildings), and the ability to utilize water for other conservation efforts. Solar, for example, can be made 10-15% more efficient through the use of water cooling. If you use rainwater, the cost for the cooling is ZERO once the unit is paid for, and typical returns can be seen in under two years.

When it comes to nuclear power, it is the safest and best way to generate power. This, however, takes a great deal of water. In Atlanta, for example, more nuclear plants means a greater strain on the drinking water supply. The solution is simple - catch the water & put it to use.

Check out raintrapper.com and see what they can do for you.

There's a word missing here: nuclear.

Global Warming (aka Climate Change) Pshaw! The American People, nay, the People of the World demand to be made a part of the Debate over the Future of the Human Race from this so-called Self-Induced life-as-we-know-it-ending Cataclysm... No, Dr. Chu, Political Spin will not suffice; You'll have to do better than that... Your Phd and Noble Prize don't give you Immunity from having to compete in the Arena of Facts... You want to Terminate the "Global Warming" Emmisions from Power Plants that Burn Dirty Nasty CO2 Emitting Coal? Then, promote what is our Only Viable Solution (and what the French have been doing for the last 20 years) and Build, Build Build Safe, Cheap, Affordable Nuclear Power Plants; Millions of Domestic Jobs would be created instantaneously and America would finally have the Energy Independence that it was promised when Nuclear Generated Electricity was to become so Abundant that it would be Too Cheap to Meter... EY, BS USSMA Marine Engineering, SM MIT Nuclear Engineering

Global Warming (aka Climate Change) Pshaw! The American People, nay, the People of the World demand to be made a part of the Debate over the Future of the Human Race from this so-called Self-Induced life-as-we-know-it-ending Cataclysm... No, Dr. Chu, Political Spin will not suffice; You'll have to do better than that... Your Phd and Noble Prize don't give you Immunity from having to compete in the Arena of Facts... You want to Terminate the "Global Warming" Emmisions from Power Plants that Burn Dirty Nasty CO2 Emitting Coal? Then, promote what is our Only Viable Solution (and what the French have been doing for the last 20 years) and Build, Build Build Safe, Cheap, Affordable Nuclear Power Plants; Millions of Domestic Jobs would be created instantaneously and America would finally have the Energy Independence that it was promised when Nuclear Generated Electricity was to become so Abundant that it would be Too Cheap to Meter... EY, BS USSMA Marine Engineering, SM MIT Nuclear Engineering

Sure, this will work. Solar and wind currently account for something like 7 percent of our energy needs, doubling it in 4 years, an Obama campaign pledge (for what that's worth), would mean we are getting a whopping 14%. I notice that Chu doesn't mention nuclear as an option and, in fact, quietly shut down almost complete nuclear waste depository in Nevada as one of his opening events.

While Obama flies around with his closest 500 advisers to apologize for America's existence, we are supposed to suffer and pay. America, you voted for this clown, welcome to the Apocalypse.

Thanks Dr Dope, I'll right out and buy one of those shoe boxes. Great idea. We need to weaken our economy because Al Gore says its the right thing to do.

Dr. Chu also never mentions the Greenhouse gasses produced as a result of using "Biofuels". These produce more GHG that hydrocarbons.