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Dec 6th, 2017
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday said that as president he would strengthen government oversight of energy traders, whom the Illinois Democrat blames in large part for the skyrocketing price of oil. Do you think this will have any impact? I am not familiar with the specific provision that is referred to. My hunch is there will be little impact. For what it is worth, our friends at Enron were enthusiastically manipulating markets. For example, they had contacts with natural gas and electric suppliers. They arranged to take supply off the market (shutting down generators for maintenance, etc)... and then return that supply to the market when prices went up. As Far as I am aware, there is nothing comparable going on in the oil markets. Also, it is important to remember two things regarding the futures market. For every buyer, there is a seller. And at the end of the contract closing, the closinmg price returns to the real market price. IE, if the price of a future is trading at much higher than the real piece of oil... then at closing, the people who have real oil will deliver it in new York and drive price down at closing,,, after all, if you have Texas crude and can sell it in new York for a $10 a barrel premium... then you would buy the future at that premium and deliver the oil in NY at closing to capture the excess profit.
Last edited by Ardy; 06/23/08 08:14 PM.
"It's not a lie if you believe it." -- George Costanza
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. --Bertrand Russel
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Joined: Aug 2004
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It's the Despair Quotient! Carpal Tunnel
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It's the Despair Quotient! Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 17,177 Likes: 254 |
Last on my rant is alternative propulsion sourses. If we can eliminate the need for new internal combustion type engines, then we can decrease the need for new oil capacity. In the past we have requested alternatives to oil, I suggest that we demand new forms of propulsion. Get rid of the V8 and replce it with electric/Hydrogen/Oxygen/nuclear/fill in the blank forms of automobile. They must be competitive with todays performance and cannot cost any more to produce. They MUST go from 0 to 60 in less than 15 seconds, why you ask, because they MUST be an alternative and not a sacrifice. The government should provide a reward for the first 5 companies who succeed in the quest within 10 years, let's say $100,000,000 ea put in an interest bearing account, each winner gets one. Nothing motivates like money, even if the winners lose money in the deal, the competition will drive development. At the same time we look for alternative fuel sources, but not like the Carter Mobil One debacle. Two or three labs, working in secret from each other, funded by the US government, doing nothing but experimentation. The greatest minds recruited for the cause, top pay and a budget that is approved in 5 year increments. Show results and you get 5 more years. I know, you are all saying that we could feed the poor and what about the children, but what about the vast majority of America who will benefit from such successes and in the end, the poor and children will benefit also.
We don't need taxes and we don't need threats. We need motivation and inspiration and competition. It will work and the results will bring on a new age! OK, maybe a slightly modified age, but the potential success will be enough. Think of it as another challenge in the "America in Space before the end of the decade" type challenge. Win or lose, it is an approach that will excite America, an idea of hope instead of an idea of failure. Get rid of the V8 and replce it with electric/Hydrogen/Oxygen/nuclear/fill in the blank forms of automobile. ---THAT is something which will never happen. Not the V8 part, the other part. Nothing will ever completely REPLACE oil as fuel source an besides there is also nothing and no president and no legislature which will ever have the cajones nor the pull to do so either. The trick is to introduce the alternatives as COMPETITION to oil instead. It's gratifying to see and hear more people referring to this challenge as our new space race or the new "Manhattan Project". Even GM's CEO Bob Lutz is now quoted as saying that the 2010 Chevy Volt is General Motors' "moon shot". I sincerely hope that one or both candidates will recognize the seriousness of this issue and treat it with the respect it deserves and will attach sufficient importance to it in order to bring it to the forefront. One thing is certain, continuing to view OIL as the be all and end all solution is certain doom for this country.
"The Best of the Leon Russell Festivals" DVD
deepfreezefilms.com
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Posts: 973
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 973 |
Well, I took the first step toward reducing my consumption, (other than cutting back on driving that is!) I had a PCV filter put on the car last week, yesterday I had to do a rather long round trip, (374 miles)gas mileage with the new filter? 33.7 mpg at a road speed average of 74mph
Was I happy? You betcha. THis constitutes a 12.5% increase in fuel mileage, with a net gain of 60 miles per tank. Next step, adding a HOD to the car to hopefully eke out another 30+% gain in fuel efficiancy
Last edited by Frazier; 06/23/08 10:45 PM.
Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, we may never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1 |
the air car ive posted about this before, apparently is going into production. not in the states though and from the discussions here im not sure its entirely viable. but no oil!
"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words."
(Philip K.Dick)
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,010 |
Last on my rant is alternative propulsion sourses. We have an enormous infrastructure built around oil. Except for electricity... there is no new fuel source that could be rolled out in a meaningful way in any short time frame. For example... just imagine the work and investment that would be requirted to develop a hydrogen power vehicle, get it to market, get a significant portion of our fleet switched over, build out the fueling stations, build out hydrogen generating, storage and distribution facilities. Electricity is ready to go... but batteries are expensive and currently have limited distance capability. On the other hand, if we simply enforce a reduced highway speed limit, we could save about 5% of our auto fuel usage immediately. That would have a significant effect on the supply demand equation RIGHT NOW. Oh, but I forgot.... we hate high gas prices but would not be willing to drive 60 mph instead of 70 MPH in order to reduce those prices. Yeah, it is those awful speculators who are to blame. Don't ask us do actually do anything ourselves.
"It's not a lie if you believe it." -- George Costanza
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. --Bertrand Russel
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1 |
then again, old technology can also be part of the solution ![[Linked Image from uh.edu]](http://www.uh.edu/engines/bicycle.gif)
"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words."
(Philip K.Dick)
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,740 Likes: 1 |
oh yeah and prevent the militant nationalist imperialsists currently in charge of the US government from attacking another country in the middle east.
"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words."
(Philip K.Dick)
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,010
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,010 |
then again, old technology can also be part of the solution When we start using bicyles, the terrists will have won. I say we stick to hummers.
"It's not a lie if you believe it." -- George Costanza
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. --Bertrand Russel
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,630 Likes: 28
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,630 Likes: 28 |
On the other hand, if we simply enforce a reduced highway speed limit, we could save about 5% of our auto fuel usage immediately. That would have a significant effect on the supply demand equation RIGHT NOW.
Oh, but I forgot.... we hate high gas prices but would not be willing to drive 60 mph instead of 70 MPH in order to reduce those prices. Yeah, it is those awful speculators who are to blame. Don't ask us do actually do anything ourselves. My husband and I drive a 14 year old Honda (we only have one car) that gets 40/45 mpg. We do just fine. then again, old technology can also be part of the solution When we start using bicyles, the terrists will have won. I say we stick to hummers. 
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,499
member
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member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,499 |
"As long as" there is "50/50 speculation" "CONCERNING" Iran-"gas prices" will "go"[painfully] UP.
[Do "We" still HAVE a "Department of State"?]
"Conservation"!!!
What-a-"CONCEPT"!!!!!
["WE" are OBVIOUSLY "a Nation" of IMBECILES!]
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You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time,but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.[A. Lincoln]
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