Comment from Bettina Hempel
August 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am

Keeping strictly to the speed limit when driving saves a lot of gas.

Comment from Jess Barnett
August 11th, 2008 at 11:41 am

Cities need to improve their public transportation systems so that they are more palatable to commuters. We also need more PSAs/advertising that promote these systems.

Comment from Lopamudra Giri
August 11th, 2008 at 11:41 am

Solar power and Renewable energy and Sustainable Goverance all over the world necessary.Thanks.

Comment from Kelly Ryan
August 11th, 2008 at 11:41 am

REDUCE REDUCE REDUCE consumption! That is pivotal...we all buy too much and waste too much! Also use public transportation, a bike, or your own two feet whenver at all possible.

Comment from Pavel Ivanov
August 11th, 2008 at 11:41 am

This topic was taboo; I hope it should not be now:
The SUVs marketed as safer vehicles are in fact less safe for their drivers, their passengers, the pedestrians and the people in other vehicles.

I do not want to see them coming back advertised as hybrid. They can not be fuel efficient because the air drag caused by their shape. Hybrid power source is not a cure for their shape and mass.

Would you please look at this book: High and Mighty: SUVs–The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way, by Keith Bradsher (Author)
Please look also here:
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-SUV-Safety-newWin.html

Now is a good time to inform the public about the harm caused by these vehicles.

Best regards,

Pavel Ivanov

Comment from Mike McElhare
August 11th, 2008 at 11:42 am

There needs to be ways to make solar power available in homes at a price that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! Maybe some significant tax breaks or public financing.

Comment from Elke Schoffers
August 11th, 2008 at 11:43 am

Whenever possible, replace lawns with native plants, vegetable gardens, perennials or any other ground cover. It is also possible to replace them with slow growing grass that requires no or little mowing. Some cultivars do best when acutally not cut.

Comment from Kim Sherman
August 11th, 2008 at 11:43 am

Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This stuff does not break down and ends up in the ocean, gets eaten by fish, and we end up eating it too.
Take your own bags to the grocery store.
Wrap your sandwich in waxed paper.
Use paper bags for garbage.
Save jars and use for leftovers.
I'm not sure what to use for taking my 3 oz. liquids on the airplane.

Comment from Anne
August 11th, 2008 at 11:43 am

1) There is no real reason other than deregulation and greed for the price of gas to be so high. We need for our government to be protecting us by regulating commerce rhater thanbeing the agent for commerce talking advantage of the populace. There is plenty of oil.
2) We need to end the tax incentives for oil and create big tax incentives for the development, implimentation and usage of inexpensive and environmentally healthy energy.

Comment from Susan Wyman
August 11th, 2008 at 11:45 am

We in Michigan, surrounded by Great Lakes, should be leaders in wind energy. States with lots of sun should lead in solar. Most shipping should be done by train along with a lot more personal transportation: this means improving the train systems. All buildings should be required to have their climate at 68-72 year round: why wear sweaters in the summer and boil up in the winter? Once again, we should be required to drive 60 (not 55–no one liked that!) instead of 70 on the x-ways. If we can get everything but vehicles off gas and oil and fuel oil, the oil that remains can be used for transportation. No drilling in sensitive areas!!

Comment from Tilman
August 11th, 2008 at 11:45 am

We need to build a railway system like Europe has. Lots of trains running several times throughout the day and night. We need both intracity and intercity transportation in order to make this a reasonable alternative to driving. These trains should run on electricity powered by clean sources. I believe this is our only chance to lower the massive amount of pollution caused by transportation each day.

Comment from Wayne D Pickette
August 11th, 2008 at 11:45 am

I have developed a short term solution:
It is currently wending its way through the USPTO

The system replaces the internal combustion engine and it's accessories.

The system decreases fuel usage approximately 60% to 100% depending on whether Solar Energy is available. When on fuel the system has no service requirements over 5 years.

The system can use nine fuels:\
Hydrogen, alcohol, E85, gasoline, kerosene, propane, butane, Natural Gas and (diesel which not recommended due to dirtiness)

Comment from Thomas Barth
August 11th, 2008 at 11:46 am

It's time to reinvest in our infrastructure by redeveloping our rail systems. Living in San Francisco for twenty-five years I almost never needed my car. Now that i am living in Phoenix, I can't live without it. Phoenix is FINALLY building its first light rail line but it is for tourists and shoppers. We need to develop electric bus and train systems for moving people with cities, getting people from the suburbs into and out of the city centers and then between cities. Current rail travel in the US is a joke and takes a back seat to moving freight. Developing these transportation systems will not only save gas but also get people working–especially if there is a requirement that all components be manufactured in the US.

Thanks,
Thomas

Comment from jake3_14
August 11th, 2008 at 11:47 am

I've asked my apt. mgt. to install double-pane windows and patio doors to reduce my horrendous electric bill (3rd floor, no insulation). So far, no answer.

I'm prodding my wife to do something to earn an income. I can't afford to support her alone any longer. If she doesn't, we're going to sell one of our two cars to cope with higher energy and food prices.

Comment from Hank Savioli
August 11th, 2008 at 11:47 am

Please consider joining Moveon.org and supporting their efforts to promote clean renewable energy. We will be holding Clean Energy Rallys nationwide on August 19th. Join us at OperationDemocracy.org.

Comment from sue ball
August 11th, 2008 at 11:47 am

We definately need to be using wind and solar energy for a multitude of our energy needs and able to use it at an affordable cost. Every home could have their own solar panels to run their home and maybe community windmills to harness more engery for their daily needs. Other green energy resources, like ocean wave power, need to be quickly developed so it is also available at an economical cost to to the masses. We need to get away from oil and gas.

Comment from Nick
August 11th, 2008 at 11:48 am

I for one have cut my driving to work down to about 2 days a week because I now bike to work in Atlantic City, NJ from my home about 4 miles away. In addition, I would love to have some sort of subsidy to install solar on my home. The revenues to fund this could come from a rollback of the economic stimulus checks, and taxing the largest polluters. In my area, there are talks of building an offshore windfarm that would generate more electricity than our local coal fired power plant. With energy coming from wind and residential solar, we could begin a switch to plug in hybrids.

I for one, would hate to see oil platforms off the coast of my town, being that I live on the coast. I watched a pod of about 100 dolphins swim around my boat about two weeks ago, and said to my guests, "This is why we need to call our lawmakers, and tell them to reject offshore drilling." We need to think forward, not backwards.

Comment from Liz
August 11th, 2008 at 11:48 am

Switching to renewable electricity, solor power & using public transportation

Comment from Abe Velez
August 11th, 2008 at 11:48 am

We of course need to find more ways of capturing and re-purposing sustainable energy, and here's one that I think should happen: the fitness industry in the U.S. is bigger than ever, but right now we're powering our treadmills by burning energy (mostly non-sustainable electricity from coal etc.) in order to then burn our bodies' own energy (calories). This doesn't make sense. How can we close the loop and use all this chocolate cake-fueled energy of ours to power our fitness equipment?

Comment from T.Hays
August 11th, 2008 at 11:48 am

Alternative energy has always been the answer,but as long as there are greedy people running our energy policy I doubt anything will change.Changes could have been made long ago.

Comment from John Davis
August 11th, 2008 at 11:48 am

A taxi driver in New Hampshire stopped using his taxi and started using a rickshaw. He's licensed and has helmets for his passengers. They ride right past the gas stations during their low-cost rickshaw ride.
Seriously, our country must end our foreign wars (which it turns out were all about oil after all) and we should reduce our nuclear weapon stockpile to zero. This will put us in a position economically to completely retool both the power and automobile industries to use solar, wind, plug-in cars, hydro, hydrogen, but not bio-fuels (which compound our problems and increase the cost of food). The oil industries can be compensated for their retooling costs by the federal government which at this time will be able to balance the budget, eliminate the national debt, and finance the conversion of our country's transportation and power industries to renewable energy sources.

Comment from Tim Mattson
August 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am

Short term: More public transportation options. A lot of cities don't have public transportation, why not? If someone can't use public transpo then ride a bike and if that can't be done then carpool. We've had these solutions for a while now but American's have to stop being spoiled by their cars. It's not a status symbol, it's a vehicle.

Long term: Electric cars with a home-based power generating windmill or solar panels. There are also air-cars being introduced to the market that run on compressed air.

Comment from Benjamin Israel
August 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am

This would be quite unpopular. The federal government should declare that it will not allocate a penny to build a new highway. Highway money should only go to maintaining existing highways. This would prevent an increase in urban sprawl by putting people on notice that if they move to a distant subdivision, they will not have an easy commute. If there is any surplus in the highway trust fund, it should go to public transportation.

Comment from Mike Thorne
August 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am

Personally, I think the cost of gas should be more on the order of what they pay in other countries like Australia, the countries of Europe, etc. There should be an enormous tax on gas, with the money designated to go for the repair/improvement of infrastructure. The bottom line should be conservation. Put an enormous tax on inefficient cars/trucks, with the ultimate aim to force them off the road. We should study the processes that work, such as what they have in Brazil, that turns sugar cane into gas, subsidize that rather than methanol from corn. And again, conserve, conserve, conserve. Recycle, stop putting garbage in giant landfills, make every congressman see Wall-E.

Comment from Jonas Diener
August 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am

Sure, here's my long-term idea. Maybe good, maybe bad.

Burn nitroglycerin in power plants. To me it seems like a cheap source of abundant energy. If it's mixed on-site you wouldn't have to store large dangerous quantities of it.

Use the explosion to propel a very large (multi-ton) piston up a track, either straight-up vertically, or up a hillside, using a large amount of air as a cushion to avoid shattering things due to the compound's extremely high burn rate. Then as gravity brings it back down, harness that energy.

Make of that what you will...

Comment from ANn
August 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am

I've been driving 60 mph on the highway and have seen a dramatic improvement in my gas mileage, I'm getting 38-40 mpg in my Toyota Camry on the highway! Drive 60 when you go.

Comment from Denise from VA
August 11th, 2008 at 11:51 am

There are so many issues at hand. First of all, growing up in the 70's - there was knowledge of the problem then and why our government didn't carry on with Carter's starting of the process is beyond me - I suppose money talks. We need to use more wind power, less gas, smaller vehicles, solar - the list goes on and on.

It amazes me how much profit these oil companies have made off of the US Citizen. That is a disgrace to this country and should be forced to provide funds to come up with alternative plans for electricity, etc.

I personally worry about our environment, our economy, our jobs, our survival for my children and grandchildren more than myself. We all need to be concerned and act accordingly - not just thinking about today but for our children/grandchildrens future. It is not just about our generation. Things HAVE to change and our government needs to act NOW.

Comment from Bonita Sivi
August 11th, 2008 at 11:51 am

I am insulating my new house. There is next to no insulation in the attic. How could people have lived this way? I had my previous house build and had it highly insulated and with good windows. My bills were much lower than my neighbors.

I am taking old drapes and sewing them to the backs of my current drapes for extra insulation in winter. I have double pane windows and storm windows on those that are not double-panes.

Comment from Linda Schreiber
August 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am

US Oil Exports
Why is everyone talking about drilling for more offshore oil? Do they actually think it will help anyone except the big oil companies? The US has plenty of oil, otherwise why would the US have exported 55,972,000 barrels of petroleum in May? Actually, between 2000 and May 2008, the US exported 3,556,683,000 barrels of petroleum to over 120 countries? Look up the facts on the DOE website on the Energy Information Agency, EIA page. The supply is obviously there otherwise we would not be able to export so much oil.

Comment from Robin
August 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am

We are looking into the very expensive option of converting home heat to geothermal from gas — there need to be greater tax incentives in place for conversion to solar, wind, and other alternative power sources at both the residential and the commercial levels. Locally, our architectural review board within our town actively disallows solar panels in some neighborhoods, including ours — this is totally unacceptable. Local governments must be forced to recognize not only the benefits from but also the need for conversions to cleaner, not petroleum-based energy sources. And, of course, we all need to reduce our reliance on petroleum-based products such as excess plastic packaging.

Comment from Mike Thorne
August 11th, 2008 at 11:53 am

Oh, I forgot to say that I put my money where my mouth is. We've been driving a Prius for almost 2 years now. After about a year, the gas mileage improved significantly, and it now routinely gets 50+ mpg on trips. I drive the speed limit, by the way. We also recycle everything that's considered recyclable in our community. Unfortunately, that doesn't include several things (glass, plastics other than 1, 2, 3) I think should be recyclable.

Comment from Emily
August 11th, 2008 at 11:53 am

1/ No more idling in cars! So many motors are left on unnecessarily - both private and corporate. I understand for Fresh Direct and other such fresh food services, not for people - or trucks - waiting for others in their cars.
2/ Congestion pricing in cities and better public transportation everywhere, not just in major cities.
3/ Sensor-based lights in all public work places. Too many office lights, and lights in private homes, stay on after hours when noone is there. What a waste.
4/ No throwing out clothes. I can't believe the number of perfectly good clothes I see in the trash. Donate, donate, donate - to help others in need and to save the environment. Organizations like Big Brother Big Sister will pick up at your door, you just have to schedule a pick up date with them.
5/ Keeping air conditioners everywhere had a mandatory minimum temperature of 74 degrees. Nothing below. Same in winter, other way around: no thermostat above 74 (I live in VT where it hits zero Fahrenheit, and we do just fine). It is perfectly comfortable, healthier, and more environmentally friendly.
6/ Government rebates on environmentally-friendly purchases (as they have begun doing for hybrids).
7/ SMALLER CARS for all.

Comment from Lynda
August 11th, 2008 at 11:53 am

Transportation is the largest culprit here and that is where we need to start, although we can also reduce our consumption and reuse.
As already stated, we need better mass transit. Road and bridge tolls and elimination of oil subsidies can be used to finance transit systems and at the same time reduce congestion. High speed rail and bike paths and lanes will provide commuters with less harmful choices that meet their needs.

Comment from Joe Wyman
August 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am

As the cities have been built to be "car friendly" we need to find a way to change the way the mode is powered. I like Mr. Pickette's idea of multi-fueled engines. From what we read, there is a large to push for plug in's so we can also generate re-charging power from multiple sources.

How do we get the dinosaur car companies to provide us with a viable retrofits of the existing car stock that would allow plug-in power sources (rather than forcing us to buy new, shiny inefficient models) ?

Comment from Donna
August 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am

Covering even 1/5th of the Mojave Desert with solar panels could generate enough electricity for the entire country. Demanding that automakers produce electric vehicles that have the range and the speed of the EV1, even the Tesla Roadster for drivers who like it "fast and furious", would meet the needs of 90% of the drivers in the US.

Comment from Jerry
August 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am

The federal government should nationalize the oil industry as several countries have done. There must also be more oversight of this industry. Petroleum from our 50 states is a natural resource that belongs to the people of this land and should not be leased away to corporations.

Comment from Joel Welty
August 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am

My wife and I built an earth sheltered home and moved in two years ago. It is bermed on three sides, with high windows on the south. We use very little energy in this home but are cozy and comfortable. We burn NO fossil fuels and emit NO greenhouse gases. We have a patio but no lawn, and let beautiful wild carrot, goldenrod and other plants grow where they wish. Next we will put in a wind turbine to generate our own electricity, and we will sell the excess back to the grid. After that, we will buy a plug-in automobile, to be powered by the electricity we harvest from the wind. When the planet fries, don't blame us. We didn't do it.

Comment from Eric Triffin, MPH
August 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am

I use wind and solar power every time I dry my clothes outside! I hike at least twice weekly with my dogs who are my personal trainers and motivators, for exercise and unconditional love, not holding a grudge, and much more!

Comment from john
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 am

Not having solar in the SouthWest is just stupid. We should mandate solar on roofs or other green roof for new construction and give rebates/credits to offset cost for existing buildings to encourage them to be installed.

Why not make all postal service vehicles (which do a lot of stop and go driving) be hybrid or electric vehicles?

Two no brainers...

Comment from Jenny Wilder
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 am

Oil and other fossil fuels will dwindle, become expensive and then there will be no more. This is becoming obvious.

We are looking at our options and since we live in the Mojave Desert, it seems that using micro solar and wind energy production would be very advantageous to individuals here. We do not need a larger grid system until we have used all the rooftops for solar/wind energy and/or gardens.

We are checking into electric cars because they can be recharged with solar/wind energy at our house or even on the car.
We have already put electric assist on one of our bikes because we are able to make longer trips in a shorter time frame and with a heavy load against the wind(avoiding even more trips with the car). Next step is to attach solar panels to recharge the batteries. We are lucky-almost all of our needs are within a 2-5 mile radius! Such a 'Village" concept linked with bicycle/walking trails would help the country tremendously. We would be healthier and happier.

I am reading everything I can about alternatives-and they are changing fast.
Long term: get out of houses & cars that use fossil fuels. One challenge is to find a way to pull our travel trailer and not use gas. Our bicycles have always provided a sense of freedom, and we feel that being off the grid and away from the gas station will provide an awesome sense of freedom! Everyone in the country should have the same options. Every house that is built now should have built in solar/wind energy with under the floor heating and hot water. Community swimming pools must use solar/wind energy or not exist. Community landscaping should provide food or be of native plants, instead of just using water.

Comment from Pavel Ivanov
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 am

I want make solar power available in my home and I am looking to buy a house.
The problem is the architecture of the city is such that the houses are street oriented (facing the street) and not solar oriented (the main slope of the roof facing south).

I would prefer to have a lot of south windows and definitely not west windows. With the south windows the sun can warm the room during the winter but not during the summer - east and west windows work in the opposite way.

Comment from Dean
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 am

Until we get to a new source of energy, the government should require us all to drive vehicles that get at least 20 mpg. They could test this when you register your car, just as they do for a smog check. You would have to have proof that you need a vehicle that gets less than 20 mpg for work that is deemed important enough to do so (medical care, etc.) otherwise you will pay a huge fine for operating a vehicle not authorized. Just this fairly small step will not upset our society's balance and will save millions of barrels of oil immediately.

Comment from Ron
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 am

I think that one of the most important things today not only to save oil but the oceans and the general environment is to develop a totally different kind of packaging non-oil and non-paper that is totally biodegradable. Everything we do seems to involve some kind of packaging. If there were an alternative we would save probably nearly as much as if we switch power sources to non-oil.
And no more feaking plastics into the oceans.

Comment from Andrew
August 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am

Expand public transportation.

Invest in a more efficient fleet of vehicles ( watch this: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/amory_lovins_on_winning_the_oil_endgame.html )

Comment from gerry steinberg
August 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am

(1) Enforce mpg standards with US auto makers-they already have technology to roll out 50mpg+ cars and trucks
(2) Tax and grant/low-cost loans to spur production of fuel cell, electric vehicles that dont use fossil fuels
(3) Major investment in energy retro-fitting/insulation of commercial and older residential buildings-particularly in inner cities (where this would also create thousands of skilled jobs and trades training opportunities)
(4) Greatly increase government investment in wind, solar, hydro, other non-nuclear,non-petroleum/gas/coal energy generation alternatives; this should include mandatory requirement, in areas where feasible, that certain % of energy generation for homes and business come from alternatives
(5) Government buildings, on every level (state, local, Federal) be converted to "green" on energy use-Portland, OR is prime model for how this can be done.

Comment from marvin grantham
August 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am

There are at least 2 ways to break water into hydrogen and oxygen. One is to pass a current of electricity through it.
The other is to use calcium carbide. Calcium carbide when exposed to water fresh or seawater produces accetylene.
Some welding shops use carbide generators to produce gas for cutting and welding. The technology is already there it needs to be developed.
It could be used for vehicles as well as homes and industry

Comment from Clay
August 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am

I propose hemp as the solution to many of these problems. we could easily produce hemp oil from the seeds to use for fuel. We could make paper products and clothing from the stems and fibers, which would mean we wouldn't have to cut down tree so many trees. We could also use the hemp as ground cover to green large sections of desert to increase the carbon sump and scrub the air. It would also serve to end Reagan's War on Americans. Did I say Americans? I meant drugs, of course. The savings there alone could provide health care for every man, woman and child in America and might make our neighborhood police stations less akin to the gestapo-like paramilitary organizations they've become, and more like the Mayberry police stations we once knew.

Simple as that.

Comment from mwags3373
August 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am

Keeping tires properly inflated, not accelerating quickly, switching to a manual lawnmower, getting all of my errands done in one day and not leaving the house unless it's neccesary(ie- no vacations or bringing the kids anywhere) can't afford it..

Comment from Jay Blue
August 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am

How about Jack Newman's work toward genetically engineered yeast? And what about Glen Kertz and Valcent Products - vertically manufacturing bio-fuels from algae? - Check out http://cc.pubco.net/www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html.

Comment from Matt Auerbach
August 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am

HUGE tax breaks coming from oil, chemical, pharmaceutical companies and the US Department of Defense going to making several things much cheaper than they are today:

1) solar and wind power
2) cars like the Aptera (230 miles per gallon, built to Formula 1 safety standards, www.aptera.com)
3) local, organic food
4) public transportation

Comment from Dana
August 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am

I'd like to see a public discussion/forum, maybe on TV, between Al Gore, T. Boone Pickens, Mr. Krup, perhaps one of these folks: Ken Zweibel, James Mason and Vasilis Fthenakis from "A Solar Grand Plan", http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan, and others you at EDF might choose.

I'd like to see our presidential candidates in the audience of this discussion, but probably not as direct participants. I'd like to hear discussion of cap & trade vs. carbon tax, solutions to energy storage issues, etc.

Comment from LeAnn Wanex
August 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am

We as T. Boone Pickens as said, "can't drill our way out of this mess." We need to focus on solar, wind and other renewable energies. But our government who is owned by big oil, timber, and pharmaceutical companies could care less about what the middle class and poor are going through. Make renewable energies affordable for us and conserve. We drive less, walk when possible, reuse, cut air to 78, buy less, not much else to do but sure would like some solar panels. But can't afford them just yet.

Comment from Daniel
August 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am

We need dedicated mass transit lines running along interstate corridors. We shouldn't need to acquire more land when we the government already owns these vast swaths of development. Even before the trains can be up and running, hopefully replacing lanes of traffic, we should have buses running the train routes in dedicated lanes where traffic will not interfere with the bus system's schedule. This will get people used to the route and schedule and bridge the formidable gap between ideal and implementation of a mass rail system. Furthermore we need to stop wasting precious bits of renewable energy; every house should have solar and/or wind power to help the grid now, and the government incentives to make it affordable. Our fossil fuel cars need to be giant electric generators, where all the unused kinetic energy from the day's travels can be plugged into the grid at home. Every destination in the country should have well-planned, maintained, and safe bike lanes, paths, or corridors that provide safe places for those who can to use bikes as primary modes of travel.

Comment from Darin De Stefano
August 11th, 2008 at 11:58 am

Combustion technologies and current nuclear technologies are death traps. We've known this for quite some time, and yet because of the greed and existing infrastructure of energy supply companies and automobile manufacturers we've been forced to support and develop these deadly options.

It is no longer 1950. We face a simple choice now: transformation or disaster. It's time to realize that neither of these options are acceptable or survivable. Additionally, our seeming desire to cover the entire earth which buildings and automobiles is suicidal. In 2008 we are going to begin to realize that cars and technology -are competing with organisms for terrain and resources- in a way not unlike an evolutionary competition.

It's time to recognize that we face a choice between an unlivable future, and a new way of existing together. Endless development is no longer an option.

Comment from George M. Kesselring
August 11th, 2008 at 11:58 am

I already have an electric car. It's the GemCar from Chrystler Moters, and even though it is only "street legal"
I make 95 % of my driving local, so I figure that I am saving about $10,000 per year. Japan is already testing, and have one car on the road that runs on water, converting it to hydrogen. Alternate fuels will someday take us off gasoline completely...

Comment from gdolme
August 11th, 2008 at 11:58 am

I have noticed that oil prices are coming down a bit in the past week or so. I even had a friend remark about how "gas prices are really down—they're under $4″ (they were actually $3.99...)

I believe that we are being manipulated by the Bush administration and their oil company buddies into thinking that the oil crisis isn't really so desperate...that all this talk of renewable energy, sun and wind is still to be relegated to the hysterical left-wing crunchy-granola-types who are over-reacting to the "natural effects" of supply and demand economics.

DON"T YOU BELIEVE IT!

I believe we are being led to erroneously conclude that things are not so bad using smoke and mirrors so as to very subtly provide support to John McCain, the "status-quo" oil candidate.

I believe that until the election is over, things will look as if they are once again under control and that once the new President is elected, the truth will be revealed—just in time for our winter heating season!—that we are in a horrible position: dependent on the oil provided by people who hate us because of our two-term President's policies of skirting the terms of the Geneva convention, as well as subverting our own Constitution.

I hope when deciding who to believe that the people remember that Al Gore didn't get the Nobel Prize for spouting hysterics. Global warming is a reality, as is the oil crisis. Lucky for us, both of these huge issues can be solved with the same creative measures. Our country must lead the way toward the use of renewable energy sources that will go a long way in the fight to stem the one-way trip we are on toward our own demise, as well as ending our dependence on the oil of people who would like to see our country destroyed.

Comment from kastigar
August 11th, 2008 at 11:58 am

More and better accommodation for bicycles. Improve public transportation so that all forms of public transport also accommodate bicycles.

Bicycles + Public Transportation produces a synergy that will encourage the use of both.

Comment from fugue137
August 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am

Transportation: a public bus or subway system that covers everywhere people need to go is difficult if there needs to be a stop every 3 square miles or so (reasonable given that walking a mile takes about 20 minutes). We can do it in metropolitan areas, but that leaves most of the country uncovered. However, if instead of walking we can bike, the 20-minute range is suddenly more like 5 miles radius (75 sq. mi.) at a very relaxed pace.

Why don't people bike? Assume that buses and trains have bicycle facilities (they do where I live, but not everywhere is so enlightened). The explanations I've heard are, first, "I end up with wrinkled clothes", and then "it's dangerous." Can those be addressed? YES! Wrinkled clothes are trivial to avoid if employers provide showers (take your work clothes in a bicycle garment bag, shower and change when you get there). The danger is vastly overstated–bicycling is much safer than driving if you have put as much time into learning the skill as you have put into driving, but when you factor in the daily light exercise (massive reduction in heart disease, obesity, diabetes, many cancers, depression, tiredness, and a great big etc...), bicycling might even be our best shot at solving the health care crisis. So my transportation solution is: (1) reliable, fast public transportation with fairly infrequent stops, and (2) assisting (or forcing) employers to provide bike commuter facilities including showers and safe bicycle storage.

Comment from scott
August 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am

1. all government buildings should have solar panels installed and excess energy sold back to the grid
2. renewable tax credits should contiunue beyond 12/31/08
3. continue to push real improvements in appliance efficiency
4. continue to require improvements in CAFE beyond those just enacted
5. establish a floor price for gas so if the price does drop, we get extra revenue to invest in renewables as opposed to simply encouraging demand for gas
6. invest in high speed rail in high traffic corridors (eg, Dallas/Houston/Austin/SanAntonio, eastern seaboard, LA/San Francisco, etc)
7. require green building standards for all new buildings
8. switch ethanol production to a nonfood source (switchgrass, etc rather than corn)
9. push the Pickens Plan to get wind rolling

Comment from laurag
August 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am

Some cities in the U.S. have switched to a 4 day work week, where you'd work 10 hours a day Monday through Thursday with Fridays off. If more cities did this, we'd reduce the amount of oil we are using GREATLY. Too many people commute to work 5 days a week!
We also have to improve public transportation in many cities.

Comment from Charles V. Powell
August 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am

I think expanding the use of the 4-day workweek (4 days at 10 hours per day), more telecommuting, and maybe a 4-day school week also, would save a tremendous amount of fuel.
Also, staggering work hours so everyone does not start and end work at the same time would greatly reduce congestion and thus also save fuel otherwise wasted in stop-and-go traffic. These steps, plus more traffic-light synchronization, could be accomplished fairly quickly and relatively painlessly, so I advocate implementing them early on to reduce the immediate oil crunch while we work on longer-term solutions.

Comment from Luke Wyland
August 11th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

1) Get on the bus.....
2) Don't let the BIG 3 kill the next electric car....

Comment from Deborah
August 11th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

Organize small communities, friends, neighbors, apartment building dwellers,to share transportation for grocery and other shopping and errand running. Companies should start sign-up boards/chat rooms for car pooling and give incentives for energy-saving activities. These small groups could investigate and implement together ways to save energy i.e. possible didcounts for energy-saving supplies bought in bulk that the group could then split up and use.

Comment from ray
August 11th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

drill for more oil in the usa .. stop depending on other countries for oil. also ask congress and president bush for gas rebate check.

Comment from Anne
August 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Cellulosic ethanol. It is much more efficient to produce than grain-based ethanol, gives much greater returns on the energy invested, and does not use food crops. The crops used to make cellulosic ethanol can be grown without pesticides and herbicides, without synthetic fertilizers, on land that would not support food crops. Why are we not hearing about research into perfecting the enzyme that would make this possible on a commercial scale?

Comment from Bob Inda
August 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

1.) ban the incandescent light bulb
2.) monitor/prevent over-cooling/heating of commercial buildings
3.) go back to a 50 mph speed limit
4.) create a law that addresses the right to pollute the air. just because an individual can afford to own and decides to buy/operate a large SUV, power-boat, Motor home etc. Tax emissions on these non-essential luxury uses.
5.) push for an act of congress that sets the US on a course to match per-capita energy use in developed European nations.

Comment from chris
August 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Attitudes need to change and we need to make it attractive, cool, to be part of the solution. Too many people are selfish without thinking about it.

Cut consumption across the board - ot just energy, but also food. clothes, household items, frivolous items. Recycle, sell, give away stuff instead of renting an off-site storage barn. Buy used goods. Fix things. Plan your errands.

We have to accept the idea that the environment is more important than the economy - blasphemy in America. But we NEED to slow down the consumption-based economy, make choices, do without (more blasphemy), and find more natural ways to do things.

It's progressive to go back to simpler lifestyles!!!

Comment from Paul Adams
August 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

We need to get past the idea of 'burning stuff' for power. Until we get to the hydrogen economy (where 'burning' results in H2O), going all electric with clean wind and solar power is the route to go.

We can't solve the health care crisis while we poison our citizens with by-products of burning coal, gas, propane, natural gas and manufacturing mercury, PCBs, PVC, etc.

Green chemistry will help us get there. IF a spider can create a web that is ounce for ounce strong as structural steel, then we should attempt to do the same. The spider does this at Room Temperature without Toxic by-products.

In the meantime, plant a Victory Garden and source your food supply from local sources, preferably where you know the person supplying you directly. (CSA and farmer's markets)

Comment from mwags3373
August 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

If this country wasn't so corrupt we'd still have widespread use of electric cars. We should incorporate more solar and wind power, also utilizing rainwater collection, in turn lessening our dependence on oil until it's fazed out completely. Local recycling should be mandatory and plastic containers should be fazed out, using more glass. Local farmers should be given state funds to expand agriculture in the community

Comment from Juliette
August 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Lawmakers who are not mandating that we immediately change our way of life for a better environment should be held accountable for their lack of action– this is a situation that is essentially killing us all, literally. Why are we tolerating lazy and inefficient lawmakers? Why are we allowing them to continue to allow big companies and corporation to continue their toxic practices?

The government ought to be mandating stricter environmental protection and alternative energy laws. Require alternative energy cars to hit the market not in 10 or 20 years, but in 2 or 3. It's possible and we know it. These technologies exist, they must be made available and even required.

I recently saw a case for the new iphone that is solar powered and charges the phone for you. Gadgets like this would also be a great way to allow consumers to have access to renewable and basically free (once you buy the gadget) energy for small items that tend to get left on, plugged in and forgotten. These items tend to add up to quite a bit of energy waste.

Comment from fugue137
August 11th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

The increasing rate of renters vs. homeowners presents another interesting conundrum: few landlords will upgrade the energy efficiency of their rental properties, preferring to force the energy costs onto their tenants. Of course, energy efficiency of a house depends both on equipment and on usage patterns, so I propose a federal law mandating that landlords and tenants must split utility bills 50-50. Um, except that it's unconstitutional. But nobody really reads that thing anymore anyway, and this law would surely do some good.

Comment from Michael D. McGuire
August 11th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

Before we go running off in all directions to find a "fix" for all our problems think about what are really problems and what are inconveniences. We all need to drive less, use less electricity, conserve water, and generally consume less of everything we use once and throw away. We are trying hard to do just that, and the bit of extra effort it may take to accomplish these things is more than offset by the rewards that stem from the effort. We have become a country where convenience is everything, at any cost. As someone once said: "Simplify, simplify, simplify."

Comment from herb oringel (Somers, NY)
August 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

Above all we need political will and LEADERSHIP.Intelligent leadership would hopefully build an affordable acceptable strategy comprised of Conservation techniques and sacrifice,significant investment in infrastructure inter and infra-city,maximum use of solar/wind and bio-fuels and optimization of existing USA resources :natural gas, EXISTING leases for oil production and modest growth of well placed nuclear facilities.

Comment from greg davis
August 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

We need to take all the tax credits to oil and coal companies and put that money towards on demand hydrogen from water internal combustion engines and conversion kits for existing engines. There is already one patent for on demand hydrogen from water and another patent pending from a Canandian company. Our government should work out a royalty agreement with the patent owners, license out the technology all over the place, put heavy tax credit incentives to build new factories for manufactoring these enginges and kits in towns that currently employ coal workers with a re-training program for the soon to be out of work coal miners. Do the same with wind turbines and solar panels. We could be 90% off of coal and oil in 5 years. The price of oil would drop in less than 2 years.

Comment from Mike Thorne
August 11th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

A couple more comments: We're on a kick now to avoid receiving plastic bags when we shop by using cloth bags. The checkers often seem to hate this, but we persist. Put a tax on the use of plastic bags so that people will stop accepting them. Also, burn garbage to produce energy, like they do in some more enlightened countries. We could learn a lot by studying things that work in other parts of the world and by not electing "ignorant and proud of it" presidents.

Comment from Darren
August 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

We need to invest in railways not highways. Trains transport freight more efficiently.
Tax incentives for corporations that allow telecommuting for employees

Comment from lacey white
August 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

we need to find something that works as well as oil but doesn't ruin the environment

Comment from Renee de Vicq
August 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

1-Give us back our night sky by addressing light pollution. This will save a massive amount of energy and have the added benefit of making people's minds less crazy.
2-Make as much of the coast of the USA as possible into a national park, this would conserve fish stocks and also reduce pollution- future generations would be able to enjoy our beautiful shores.
3-Better urban planning would make it easier for people to shop close to home. Community health centers would be more accessible and affordable.
Produce from neighboring farms would reduce the amount of energy wasted in trucking produce over long distances.
4-Free up our rivers, dams have been proven not to be the best ways to treat our rivers, neither has concreting river beds so that valuable water goes straight out to sea. Let our rivers be beautiful parks for future generations to enjoy.
5 Introduce gardening into the school curriculum. Kids who grow up in urban areas are disconnected from nature.
6 Prevent off road vehicles(big gas guzzlers) from destroying pristine wilderness areas.
7-Finally create a prestigious award to be given annually by the President to the state that makes the best efforts to improve their environment- a kind of a Green Award. By introducing a competitive element you would get everyone on board.

Comment from Ryan
August 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

I am 23 years old, I just graduated from college, and I am working two jobs while living in my parents house. I have a half hour commute at the moment and I am in the process of changing everything. I am moving into the city, which will bring me within 6 miles of my morning job and 3 miles of my evening job. I plan on buying a nice road bike and will be using that for commutes for now. I live in Syracuse, NY and we have to deal with the cold and the snow, I'm thinking possibly a tricycle to deal with the slippery snow and ice and maybe even going with a velomobile, or an enclosed tricycle, to deal with the cold and rain. Either way though, my car will go from my main form of transportation to a back up, where it will only be used for extended trips, emergencies, and the worst of weather days. I might even try to get an electically assisted velomobile! As for my other energy costs, my new apartment is the second story of a recently renovated row house, it's beautiful, it's efficient, and it's totally perfect! Cheers!

Comment from Janet
August 11th, 2008 at 12:05 pm

In the 70s and 80s, teachers and mothers taught children to conserve and about the dangers of smoking until it became socially unacceptable to smoke and waste paper. That needs to happen for us to cut all consumption.

But unfortunately, none of this will move the well-to-do to change their consumption habits so we will have to take up the slack for them.

Comment from Steve Parscale
August 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

Tips for fuel conserving driving habits are readily available. They aren't difficult - they're just different. By moderating my driving habits, I've gained 4+ mpg with very little effort. (speed limit or lower; never exceed 60mph; windows in town, A/C highway to reduce drag; minimize idling; keep tachometer at 1500 - 2000 when possible; smile at everyone passing you)
We also need to remember that we haven't evolved beyond the point of being ambulatory. Walking, biking, consolidating trips - none are difficult ... only different. Whatever we think we are sacrificing will be insignificant. We are not sacrificing luxuries - we are growing.
Common sense and a desire to learn will go a very long way.

Comment from Chris
August 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

We are dealing with a finite resource, so thinking of the future, we'll have to change our lifestyle completely. Living within walking distance of work, no more airline trips, goods will have to be made locally, as well as food will have to be grown locally and put up for the winter.
Wasteful practices will have to stop, which includes things like NASCAR, monster trucks, etc,
mowing lawns and being a throw-away society. In other words, we'll be turning the clock back in time little by little, and it's already begun.

Think of it, oil is necessary for making windmills, solar panels, heating homes, farming, tractors, airplanes, cars, trucks, any construction, medical industry, on and on. It's got to be preserved responsibly, but it only seems to be preserved when the prices skyrocket. People can't even bring their own shopping bags to the grocery store, and you think we're going to stop using oil? And the more oil we use, the larger our carbon footprint becomes.

We're in a time of great change, and hopefully, we'll work together and make it through.

Comment from Clara Roberts
August 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

When I was growing up on the farm we had a horse and sled.
The horse power exhaust waste was recycled on the land where crops were grown. Most of the time, shoe leather or barefoot is how we got around. Eventually we got a bicycle for everyone (ten) to share.

My Dad took a 55 gal barrel and put it on the roof of the wash house we eventually built. He attached a piece of rubber hose and a large juice can (about half-gallon) that he used hammer and nail to poke holes in it. That was my first experience with solar heated water, and a shower. We did not have electric or inside plumbing.

When I lived in Tampa, I had solar panels on my house that worked wonders. A weather strip was installed underneath it to keep the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

So wind and solar energy, hydrogen, and other renewal energy sources are available. When our government can build 5000 lb bombs to kill people and destroy Nature, then it can build numerous ways to use natural resources that will not destroy our planet.

'Nuff said.

Comment from Larry Anderson
August 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

I believe that not one individual thing will work yet a combination of all alternatives will be necessary–the absolute truth is for every American or individual that they will have to be unspoiled and unselfish in their manners and methods or nothing will work and will always be shifted off in responsibility to the government–I doubt if the American population as a whole can do this-drive 1 mile below whatever speed is the location limit–and use synthetic oils–develop super cleansing oil filters for synthetic oils-if all did this-a surplus in 1 month would happen and the prices go down–very few will be unselfish enough or patient enough to do this–I DO IT AND GO TO THE PUMP FAR LESS FREQUENTLY THEREFORE LESS EXPENSE AND NOT SPEEDING I HAVE LESS WORRY ABOUT TICKETS AND AM SAFER AS FAR AS THE POSSIBILITY OF A WRECK AND A BETTER ABILITY TO AVOID A MISHAP-MY INSURANCE COVERAGE HAS DECREASED AND I ENJOY MY TIME IN A CAR-THE GREATEST INVENTION FOR THE COMMON MAN IN HISTORY–FOR WORK-PLAY-FAMILY FUN-VACATIONS-SUCH AN ABUSED FREEDOM THE CAR IS–WE WOULD HAVE ROADS WITH LESS DAMAGE ALSO–I DO IT AND CHALLENGE ALL OTHERS TO THINK OF US ALL AND THE CHILDREN TO COME-SET AN EXAMPLE AND RECYCLE THE AUTO FREEDOM WE HAVE HAD WITH BUILT IN GOOD HABITS-THANK YOU FOR READING

Comment from Laurette Bienvenu
August 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

For immediate impact and behavioral change - close off a lane on highways to anything classified as a non-dangerous and environmentally friendly vehicle - such as bicycles, small electric scooters and Segways. That gives the person on the small vehicle a safe option to commute where they have the added benefit of NOT waiting in traffic. It will get more cars off of the road immediately with little or no cost.

Comment from Jan Boden
August 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Besides reducing use drastically (do you really need to go there?),expand clean public transportation systems and ride-sharing options. Right now I take my car to work because it would take me 90 minutes to get to work instead of 30 minutes by car. We also need to be growing a wider variety of food locally: urban farms — suburban farms? Local stores versus malls — places we can easily get to on foot, by bike or public transportation. And alternative heating and cooling technologies for parts of the country dependent on fuel oil for heating homes and offices.
It's a change in mindset and culture as well as practice.

Comment from greengiant
August 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

One of the simplest things we can do is refuse to use the plastic bags that are clogging our environment. Canvas bags are abundant and save lots of plastic since they can be used over and over again. Also check out ChicoBag.com. Their little pocket size bag fits in purse, pocket or belt loop and opens to full size.

Comment from Nancy Henderson-James
August 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Rebuild our train system with high speed rail. Beef up public transportation in cities and towns with light rain, small buses, large buses, shuttles, etc. Convert intersections to roundabouts (traffic circles) to keep cars moving... no standing at lights burning gas. Require manufacturers to take back their products for recycling once the cars, appliances, etc. reach the end of their life. Extend tax credits for alternative energy to make solar water heaters, solar heat, wind, geothermal, etc affordable. Walk and bike as much as possible. Live close to your job. Buy less. Buy local.

Comment from John Cobb
August 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Shorten supply lines. That means, live near work. Produce locally, especially food. Abandon economic globalization and work for local economies. Shift thinking from how to "grow" to how to achieve sustainable economies that meet the basic needs of all. End urban sprawl and build Paolo Soleri's arcologies.

Comment from Christopher F. Vota
August 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Redraw the lines in parking lots and design new ones for single-line parking ONLY. No more backing in nor out of spaces. Just turn into the open space and turn out when you leave. It negates the whole issue of saving more gas by backing in on a warm engine as opposed to backing out on a cooler one. No more parking on the edge of the lot and incurring the occassional damage, no more backing into oncoming traffic nor pedestrians - all of these also increase the collective carbon footprint. We may have to walk a little more, but that's a good thing for most of US.

Comment from Jeremy
August 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

Streets need to be more bike friendly. We need better, more integrated mass transit.

But for a quick fix, suck it up and walk or bike to work! What's mostly needed, where the real conflict is at, is the change of attitude, and the way we perceive the ergonomics of transit.

Comment from Jamie Crouse Gwynn
August 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

We have the technology to produce energy from wind, solar and geothermal. The car companies have the technology to produce plug-in hybrids and hydrogen cars; we just don't have the infrastructure to support it. What we really lack is political will. Why don't we cast this needed change away from carbon-based energy as a source of national pride? It should be a national goal like the space race was. We should ask the American people to sacrifice for something greater than war.

Comment from Nance Nicholls
August 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

we need to develop public transportation systems that are energy efficient and reliable. Whatever happened to our cross country rail system. So many European countries are way ahead of us. I think we need to produce more efficient power and heat by utilizing solar and wind power. Instead of homes heated with solar power being an expensive option lets look at how do this for more homes, not just the exclusive ones that are examples.

Comment from marychristenson
August 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

It will be helpful if we support local organic agriculture as much as possible. This will reduce inputs that require fossil fuels and will reduce transportation costs. Also it will rebuild smaller local economies so that people in rural areas do not have to commute to their off-farm jobs.

In Woodbury county, Iowa, they have made great strides to turn their failing economy around by following this goal; now schools and government agencies there are promoting the use of local food. This type of regional approach also builds community and when it comes to conservation that will be important.

Comment from naomijulia
August 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

We need to have major, serious subsidies for getting solar power to homes in this country. We have many areas of the country with a LOT of sunshine. We need to use that. People are willing, but the initial costs are too far out of reach for most people.

Comment from gideonstorm
August 11th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

My ideas are expensive somewhat but simple
- Make homes and businesses part of the electricity grid where it make sense by making it mandatory and cost effective for them to use solar panels or wind or both
- Enable more choice in fuel from non food resources (grass, human waste, garbage, etc) and have engines that use it no matter what form.
- Charge users of more inefficient vehicles higher taxes and move to taxes based on consumption. this will lower the consumption rate on many items that we are addicted to.
- Stop mega corps from influencing the residual hyper consumption rates that USA has. We are 4% of world population yet we consume 24% of the resources. That is strange and sinful.
- More laws on efficiency and move taxes on the use of things that are not since people dont listen until things get out of hand. The American way

Comment from Ron Russell
August 11th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Begin by treating the oil situation for what it is, a grave threat to the health and wealth of our nation. Begin by enlisting the support of every American. This would include making some sacrifices, as we have had to do in every war–and that what this truly is, a war. Reduce the speed limits, teach people to drive in fuel-saving ways, increase public transportation, increase research and development of alternative sources of energy, demand that car makers design more fuel-efficient autos, force the oil companies to cut their obscene profits, pass a wind-fall tax on these companies and pass the money on to the lowest-income taxpayers, give tax breaks to people who drastically reduce their fuel use, demand that corporations stop producing wasteful and needless packaging (little cardstock boxes for every bar of soap!)that consume energy without reason, and then take about 100 other common sense approaches that our do-nothing congress and corrupt, moronic administration has ignored for the past eight years. The solutions are not as impossible as the stinking media and leaders will have you believe. What brought us to this situation is simply that our nation has fallen victim to a bad case of national retardation.

Comment from Roger Johnson
August 11th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

A major effort is needed by governments to fund incentives for solar and wind - big and little. Stop construction of new coal fired and nuclear power plants. Phase existing such plants out, over time, as more wind and solar come on line. Use limited natural gas sources in transition period as needed. Also, for vehicles encourage plug in hybrids, and shift to natural gas, and eventually hydrogen (as infrastructure is developed)by tax credits,etc. A strong effort along this line could stimulate the ecconomy, too. (I've just read David Freeman's "Winning Our Energy Independence" and I'm sold. Way out - maybe, but Freeman has great credibity.)

Comment from gecko
August 11th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Small hybrid human-electric vehicles less that 100 pounds ruggedized for collisions and mishaps in developed world urban environments will go a long way toward providing much more comfortable and resilient, low-cost, safe, highly efficient transport and transit using very little energy and emitting very low amounts of CO2.

Comment from Linda Burlak
August 11th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

1) Reduce and reuse even before recycling. Reduce energy use, waste, etc.
2) Push auto companies for more efficient, higher mileage vehicles - in the 40 mpg range, not the 26 mpg range.
3) Continue to develop both local and national renewable energy facilities. Make solar affordable for individuals, and keep building wind and solar plants.
4) Take up Al Gore's energy challenge for the next decade.
5) Fund research for renewable fuels that do not compete with the food supply, particularly for poorer nations.

Comment from John Mann
August 11th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

There are so many ideas already in the blogosphere (I have been following "theoildrum.com" and "energybulletin.net" for about 4 years now) it is hard to come up with new ones. I really do like ANn's comment about driving slower.

Suggestion: require each car manufacturer to post efficient rpm's for all cars from 1995 on, on level ground, 5% uphill, and 5% downhill. Convert this to mph for the top 2 gears. ASAP, put real-time mpg data into the instrument panel (I assume it is not hard for fuel injected cars) like the Prius does.

Have an energy committee for your municipality. Start a citizen's committee if the Town or City won't have an official one. Town planning must (MUST) help reduce driving by planning shopping areas within walking distance of all homes, or vice versa i.e. allowing homes to be built only near "village centers". Infill building is suggested by Building Sciences principal in a recent Fine Homebuilding magazine. Learn how to properly weatherize a house (See "stack effect" in Wikipedia; read Taunton Publishing's Weatherize and Insulate or, perhaps better, something written by the principal at Building Performance Institute (bpi.org).) Make sure your region preserves farmland and if at all possible go for low pesticides. Even grass-fed beef is better, old fashioned grazing supposedly actually sequesters carbon in the soil (worldchanging.com/archives/008338.html). We're going to have to go for local food, so don't let your region ruin all your local farmland with pesticides. (Throw away your pesticides and learn to love spiders and ants and bees). All that stands between us and death is our skill at taking care of our very ill planet. (Just my OPINION, of course.)

Comment from windmill3
August 11th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

Lower speed limits - I have found that by driving 55-60 I can get almost 40 miles more per tank of gas. More bike lanes - if it were safer to ride on the streets I believe more people would be inclined to use their bikes for short trips. Strictly enforce Smart Growth - we need to stop building homes in outlying areas, the closer to the cities the better. Strongly discourage purchase of SUV's of any type, we need more fuel efficient cars. And, increase the gas tax to provide money for public transportation.

Comment from Marisa
August 11th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

Original completion date for CA monorail: 2016. What is it now, since we haven't started? Let's push for this solution.

Europe charges manufacturers for excess packaging. They have cut back. We should hold manufacturers responsible for creating excess waste, the true cost of creating an item.

Seattle now charges consumers for plastic bags, and has banned styrofoam for takeout. They have set a precedent, let's create the momentum in our cities!

The American consumer is swathed in petroleum, increased asthma in our population yet another cost. We are suffocating on petroleum, and taking the planet down, species by species, with us. So we must take responsibility in every sector!

Comment from dwg2008
August 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

1. Conserve - We bought a Prius, take public transportation to work, and drive 55.

2. Make green tech affordable by requiring solar panels on all new construction.

3. Support alternatives to fossil fuels (excluding corn ethanol which is inefficient).

4. Eliminate tax breaks and incentives for fossil fuel production.

5. Harness rather than burn off methane from landfills.

Comment from Lois Karasek
August 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

If our Congress was not so full of greedy SOB's concerned solely for their own and their "friends'" welfare, we would already have been investing in alternative fuels, solar and wind energy to a far greater degree than at present. When "We the People" force Congress to become "one of us" again, paying out of their own pockets for life's necessities, perhaps they would take a little more interest in doing what "We" are paying them to do....act in "Our" best interests, not theirs.

Too, it's really not such a joke to suggest that we begin charging a price equal to a barrel of oil for our grains that are sold to the same nations from which we buy oil. The saying "Let them eat sand" is not meant to be cruel to the people of the oil-rich countries, but fair is fair.

Comment from Bridget
August 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

For now, my husband and I ride bicylces to work daily, and lump our errands into one trip. But we, as a nation, need to be focusing on developing the fuel cell, solar energy, and SAFE public transportation. I live in a large CA city and the public trans. is riddled with crime–who wants to be subjected to that? I also agree that we need to re-think our consumerist mentality and begin purchasing renewable products (i.e. shoes and clothing mede of recycled materials). I'm not sure we can get away from our capitalist desires, so let's market green living–make that the new bling thing. We'll still have to deal with ourselves as massive consumers rather than deep thinkers, but that's another tale.

Comment from Helen King
August 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

I am tired of the media putting the blame for exceeding the ozone standard in our city on the citizens who drive a car or mow the grass. Right in the middle of downtown are two petroleum refineries, an sulfuric acid plant, a chemical manufacturer, and several other industries which contribute to the bad air. In my city, the industries should be made to cut production during ozone days and the city should improve their mass transit. It really stinks.

Comment from Scott Wilson Sr.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

Not sure if it will work or not, but, a few years back, we lived in Maryland and the small city we lived in had a central used oil dump area. Unfortunately they do not still have it now, primarily due to a cost refinement factor, but, that was before this oil cost issue now hitting everybody and gas as a result.
Anyway, establish central oil collection areas in all of the cities, big and small, and then ship the used oil to a refining area where it can be cleaned and re-used like this small city in Maryland was doing before it got so cost un-effective. I know the oil could then be utilized in vehicles again, but, what I do not know is whether this re-cycled oil could be made into gasoline as they do with the current oil that is purchased. If it can, what a savings and also what a reduction in foreign oil usage.
The only thing I don't know is if gasoline can be made out of this used oil, I do know that it can be replaced into oil containers for usage in motor vehicles again internally.

Comment from Alfred Muma
August 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

Carbon Tax on gas won't work, all these taxes will do is take money from everyday people, raise the pricee of gas, and line the pockets of the government as the money won't actually be used to fight global warming. What really needs to be done is government pass laws that force car companies to imediately end production on large personal gas powered vehicles and replace them with electric and other alternate modes of power such as gas and electric hybrids, hydrogen etc. That includes removing protection laws for the big car companies against small independent companies to produce alternate modes of transport.

The Canadian government is far behind in taking action as it is still only talking retoric.

The other action all governments must take to curb greenhouse gas is to ban all armed conflict and so that the millions upon millions of gallons of fuel for military planes and ships is reduced drastically and is only used for humanitarian purposes such as seach and rescue etc. Besides a country's economy shouldn't be based upon arms and war rather peace and humanitarian endevours. The American public have to tell their president and leaders that they no longer wish to be a nation that relys upon war for their economy, to stop medling in other countrys affairs under the false pretence of concern for freedom and democracy and get on with the real job of saving our only home before it's too late.

The results would be a hug change in the US economy and life style for the better which would have world wide reprocusions for the better.

All the other wealthy countries have to do the same.

Comment from elizabeth
August 11th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

I am willing to drive ANY car that will hold me, my husband, my daughter, my dog, a stroller, and 3 bags of groceries. It can be solar powered, wind powered, electric, or partially powered by bicycle pedals. I don't care. I will buy it and I will drive it if someone will offer it to me.

Comment from Dori
August 11th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

The comments already posted are positive, good solutions. Let me suggest that public transportation should not only be expanded to areas where it does not currently exist (the closest to me is a light rail system 3 miles away, for example– I'm a little north of Baltimore), and it should be very heavily subsidized: FREE, in fact.

When my older daughter worked in town, she was able to take the light rail system. It was faster than sitting in her car on the expressway, saved her a lot of gas, and of course parking fees. She begins a new job this week with the state, which gives her free access to the light rail as part of her state benefits. This benefit not only saves her approximately $700-800 a year, since the fare cost is $3.20 per day, but saves more pollution being pumped into our air.

My younger daughter is mentally challenged. She will be starting a program in another area of our county in 2 weeks. It will take us nearly 1/2 hour to drive, assuming no traffic jams (which are very probable in that area). To get her there by public transportation would take a full 3 hours.

More, better, and cheaper public transportation!!!

Comment from marilyn
August 11th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

To use less energy, we should be able to hang our laundry out on clotheslines. But many HOAs across the country have restrictions against their use. Pressure should be placed on HOAs and state legislatures to rescind this regulation. It is just common sense to dry laundry using solar energy and not use the electric or gas dryer.

Comment from Paul Burke
August 11th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Take all the subsidies (our tax dollars) going to big oil and big coal and plow them into solar thermal. Dismantle our excessive and ridiculously excessive nuclear war head stock pile and plow that money (our tax dollars) into alternative vehicles (the air car, hybrids, electric cars)- raise the gas mileage standard to 40 mpg across the board (no loopholes).

Comment from Lorin Thwaits
August 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

A year and a half ago I upgraded a cheap Razor scooter to run off lithium batteries, and over the past year I've put about 2000 miles on it. I use it daily, both for little neighborhood trips and to ride over to a coworker's house where we carpool. It's easily paid for itself several times over. Plus it's fun to ride! Here's more info:

http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/775

Comment from phiqueen6
August 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

I believe businesses can cut down on energy substantially. I have been driving to work every day (sometimes, very long distances) only to work on a computer that I could have worked on at home. Telecommuting is a great way to save energy. If businesses got a credit of some sort and allowed workers to stay home and telecom, this would help the energy situation plus traffic substantially. I would also like to see communities promote activities on a local level for all the necessities of life. Lets get back to the basics.

Comment from Nick
August 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

It has become pretty clear that we need to make radical changes in the way we live.
We need to invest dramatically in wind and solar energy, re-design our power grid, and we need an aggressive, all-out effort to build hydrogen fueling stations throughout the United States. How silly is it that we have existing hydrogen vehicle technology (produces 0 emissions, only water vapors) that is not viable at this stage because there aren't enough fueling stations?
We also need an all-out effort to improve solar-cell and battery powered vehicles. To some people it may sound silly but think about this: if some low financed, average individuals can put together battery powered vehicles with a range of 80-150 miles, can big industry, which has tons of capital really not figure out a technology that will double or triple the range?
We also need to change the way we live... First, we need to use less plastic in favor of material that are not manufactured with gasoline — it takes an estimated 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bottles we use for water consumption in the US alone each year!! Second, we need to pay more attention at the houses we build by taking the control of the building process away from developers and back to architects. There was a time when we knew how to build energy-efficient homes... somewhere along the way, we've lost that knowledge and have started building homes that have no soul and that are very inefficient. Third, we need to be better at recycling water... from better collection and use of rain water, to using grey water for watering plants. Finally, we need to start massive construction of de-salination plants along our coasts. They'd be a lot more beneficial in the long run than drilling for offshore oil. We should use that water exclusively for a massive campaign of reforestation to fight and hopefully reverse the effects of global warming. I am often told that this is not realistic because of the costs involved... my question is this: what would be the cost of having Florida, Louisiana, parts of California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Washington, and several more states underwater? Is that costly enough?

Comment from C. M. Barons
August 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

#1: The current emergency was predicted with uncanny accuracy by Pres. Jimmy Carter, thirty years ago. If we had listened, there would be no urgency. #2: We need to rethink the myth of mobility independence that wastes our resources: embrace mass transit, car pool, restrict unnecessary travel... #3: We need to endorse a national renewable energy plan to eliminate the influence of corporate cabals that have subverted green initiatives and profited from the depletion of carbon-based fuel. #4: We need to halt the resurgence of the Nuke-mongers. Reactors are not cost-effective and uranium production, security and disposal issues are not worth the effort. #5: We need to motivate communities to invest in community-wide geothermal and wind power to solve community energy needs.

Comment from deuggims
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

The only way to go is to increase funding for solar and wind power projects, produce automobiles that are far more fuel efficient or are alternate powered, conserve energy (and everything else too)as much as possible,improve and increase public transportation, get the Republicans out of office and Big Oil out of the politician's pockets,stop buying everything that is disposible or one use only, and start living like we want our environment to be pristine and last another 50,000 years for all our progeny.

Comment from Mark Farmer
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Do away with toll roads and instead pay for the repair of bridges and highways with increased gasoline taxes!!

This past Saturday I and thousands of other motorists on the Mass. Turnpike spent nearly one hour to go less than ten miles just to get through the limiting toll booth at exit 9. There was no accident, just a back up from the toll plaza. There must be millions of gallons of fuel wasted at toll booths and millions of man hours lost at these uneeded bottle necks.

Comment from J. Barry Gurdin
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Project Better Place is promoting a lithium-ion battery-powered car to be built by Rennault-Nissan, and already the countries of Israel, Denmark, the City of San Francisco, and possibly the State of Hawaii will be converting their gasoline-powered autofleets to this battery-powered vehicle. There will be a national-network of stations in which the batteries can be traded and recycled, much like a cell-phone payment plan. In a somewhat different modality, MDR, a French company, is marketing a vehicle that runs on compressed air. One can recharge the vehicle using any power source, for which I would prefer solar and wind solutions. We need a national plan that will encourage a rapid as possible conversion to electric cars and other vehicles, for which a national network of battery-refueling and recharging stations can be built. Likewise, we need to encourage use of public transportation and modern trains such as magnetic levitation trains. Moreover, in the short term, wider use of biofuels, such as switch grass ethanol, can be encouraged.

Comment from Rob Ford
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Burning oil for heating energy is a widespread practice in many areas of the country where natural gas is not readily available. It's almost hard to believe that we still do this. Fortunately I think this is could be very easily remedied with focused attention.

There is a very viable and efficient alternative in geothermal heat pumps. They offer several advantages:
- eliminates the dependency on foreign oil
- vastly more efficient: they use the ground loop to shed/store heat in summer, and draw on it in winter. As such, these drastically reduce greenhouse emissions
- being driven by electricity, can even be powered by wind and solar

I think there are two main barriers to entry for homeowners getting decimated by heating and cooling costs
1) relative obscurity of the tech. nobody knows about it
2) high capital cost

It can cost $20K to put in a system. While the payback time is not outrageous, few can afford the up front costs of the system and will suffer through high oil prices.

What I think is needed are focused programs to publicize and encourage this technology through public information campaigns and low-cost loans. I think the major drive should be to make it easy for people to finance these systems and let the resulting demand drive down prices instead of focusing on cutting subsidies like many states do for solar.

Anyway, my $0.02.

Comment from Mike Frisch
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

I have dropped my fuel use by 70-80%

1) I bicycle two days per week (25 mile round trip) - great exercise & fun.

2) I purchased an electric bike/scooter (Ego cycle 2 LX, cost $1700) and I use it two days per week - costs 10 cents to charge it - great fun.

3) On the days I have to use my car, I carpool, and I drive 60 mph or less to save fuel.

Comment from David, Louisville KY
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

As a few others have already mentioned, we can grow our way to energy independence. Hemp is the one plant that is prolific enough to meet our fossil fuel needs. Hemp can be made into charcoal to replace coal. Hemp can be made into ethanol, methanol, gas, gasoline and biodiesel.

GM already has the means to build a battery-powered car. Equipped with a super capacitor and a turbine engine, it can charge the batteries in 5 seconds. Turbines can burn just about any fuel and get about 100 mpg.

The problem? Congress has hemp listed as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act. That's Congress' way of saying that hemp has no beneficial uses.

Congress doesn't want to address recreational hemp, aka "marijuana." Yet we regulate, control and tax far more dangerous substances — alcohol and tobacco. No one has ever died from using recreational hemp.

Comment from bwyg1x
August 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Carbon tax. Collect it at the well-head, mine entrance, or port of entry.

This will raise the price of lots of stuff, from gasoline to plastic supermarket bags. And raising the price will cause people to cut back on their usage. Manufacturers will cut back on plastic packaging, which will save weight, which will save transport fuel... it will snowball.

Use the money raised to build a network of seriously fast trains. For both people and mostly for freight. There is only one more efficient way to move freight and that's by boat, and then only if it's a pretty direct route. Otherwise trains win hands down.

Use some of the money to fund research into alternatives, from photovoltaics to nuclear fusion (not fission). Like it or not, it's about energy density. There's not enough arable land on the planet to supply our food and energy needs. Even if we deforest the whole planet there's not enough. Do the math.

Use some of the money to promote a vegetarianism. Every pound of meat takes about 2.2 pounds of oil to produce.

Use some of the money to develop plans, with the UN (has to be worldwide, but the USA should follow China's lead), for human population control. This mess (resource wars, global warming, massive pollution, etc.) is all due to overpopulation. We all know this, but no one will talk about it. What we have to do is reduce our population to a sustainable level. You can argue what the level is, but it is certainly considerably less than the current total. Half or less most likely.

There's more, but there's no point in listing anything. The US government isn't going to do any of it. Neither will the rest of the world until they paint themselves into a corner like China did with population. I hope India does something before it turns into an amazing disaster, but I'm not hopeful.

We know what needs to be done. Yet all we talk about is changing light bulbs and working from home one day a week. It's not enough. Not nearly enough. We know this. But we won't act on the knowledge. Why???

Comment from Kay Thomas
August 11th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

Somehow we have got to educate the American people about how important it is for us to get off our oil addiction and how just drilling "more" in places like Anwar and offshore will not solve our problem. I am amazed every day by how oblivious the American people are to this problem.

Comment from John
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Change the classification requirements for NEV's (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) so that they can go 40 – 45 mph rather than be limited to the current 25 mph. This would make these small, efficient, low-cost vehicles much more flexible for around-town errands and short commutes. It would also encourage the installation of solar energy systems to charge them and reduce noise pollution.

Comment from Richard Madole
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

First and formost quit whining about the cost. To overcome an obstical you need a positive attitude. The Europeans have been paying more than twice what we pay and they have made it work. Secondly, at any given moment there are more than 10 thousand Semi's sitting with their engines idleing. It is a waste and totally unnecessary. And this also applies to each of us with our smaller vehicles. Don't leave the engine idleing for more than a few seconds. Develope good reliable public transportation, including a nation-wide train service. Have the government take over the rail system just as they have done with the federal highways. They could then provide adequate rail lines so that trains don't have to sit, sometimes for long stretches, waiting for an oncoming train because there is only one rail line to be used in both directions. Finally, get out of Iraq!

Comment from ShaunF
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

First Gather Information:
What do we use in total? What should be our target?
What can easily be reduced?
Mandatory reductions: Make it more expensive to keep energy wasters than to replace them with tax incentives and penalties (tax increases) for households using over X energy.
Invest in a better infrastructure (public transport, effecient & green power)

Comment from Linus
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

I work in a remote location about 30 minutes outside a moderate-sized rural town. To save money and the environment, my coworkers and I changed our schedules to 9-hour days and convinced our employer to let us use a company vehicle (a hybrid Escape, no less) to make the commute. We buy punch cards to keep track of payment and have a set departure time and scheduled drivers, so we don't have the headaches typical of standard carpools. Five people in a car getting over 30 mpg is a big improvement!

Comment from MJ
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Free energy — valid, plentiful, suppressed.

http://www.free-energy.ws/lindemann-1.html

Comment from Bruce May
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

First drill for oil and natural gas offshore and in Alaska, build more refining plants to increase production, convert all power plants to natural gas or put advanced scrubbers on coal power plants, increase atomic power plants, and convert all automobiles and trucks to electric drive with plug-in meter stations everywhere you may park. Convert all homes and businesses to solar power and wind power.

Comment from sascha2
August 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

A tax credit ought to be offered to employers for every employee-day telecommuted. This will save vast amounts of fuel (probably reducing the cost of oil), clear up rush hour traffic, save lives that might be lost to traffic accidents (and reduce injuries, too), deeply reduce air pollution from vehicles and reduce potential damage from (less needed) drilling (offshore and otherwise), put less wear-and-tear on infrastructure (saving money), make neighborhoods safer with more people there to watch over them, and improve businesses bottom lines.
What are the potential objections?
• Employers may object to the record-keeping requirement, but surely they know today who is in the office and who isn’t. Further, they are not required to take the credit.
• Reduced travel will mean reduced income from tolls and gas taxes. However, since much of this money goes to repair infrastructure, etc., the lowered need for such repairs will partially offset this. Besides, good idea though this is, it is not wholly without trade-offs.
• Reduced fuel use will likely negatively impact oil company profits. Yeah, I feel really bad about that…
• The credit, itself, will cost money. Personally, I call this a bargain.

Comment from Ezer
August 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

One thing that's very noticeable in the U.S. is how your entire life is built around the car. Suburbia is an American invention, and the suburbs are still getting larger. You need to reverse that trend, along with the highway-building investments that support it. The real-estate crisis needs to be taken advantage of. Now is the time to reshape the way urban communities are built, and start bringing people back from the suburbs. The goal should be, less people who depend on cars, and less space taken up for living. For some reason this is not a proposition that is on the table right now.
Obviously, this will take something of a cultural shift too. The American Dream is still the house in suburbia. But you need to start by making policy shifts that will allow people to imagine this kind of life too.

Comment from chrisrushlau
August 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

An economist would suggest that we don't really know what oil use is costing us because our foreign policy interferes in the market, by stationing Israel on the fringe of the oil-lands and by directly invading some of these lands ourselves. The price of oil almost quadrupled since the Global War on Terror started.
Two further points: tackle big, near problems before small, far-off ones. A problem-solving attitude with that sense of proportion ("do-ability") will get going when it starts having successes. A senior Palestinian official said over the weekend that the two-state solution will never work as things stand so a "binational" solultion, Palestinians and Jews together in one state, is all that's left. Another word for "binational" is "liberty under law".
The law is our framework for solving problems. We have to regain our faith in due process. We can't have a crazy non sequitur like the "Jewish and democratic state" terrifying the oil producers on one hand and these, so far, seventy one little, iffy oil-replacement solutions on the other. Law requires balance and allows balance. It requires we balance our expectations by some basic sense of fairness, but then allows these "reasonable expectations" to find workable, broadly supported realization: like civil rights, for instance. And a sophisticated transportation grid.

Comment from eugenewu
August 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

A national program to put photovoltaic panels or other renewable energy source onto every new residential or business building that would feed into the grid. It's time to distribute electrical generation to thousands of individual generators, not just a few select local monopolies using fossil fuels. Once people are ready to generate their own electricity, each individual will be empowered to fuel his/her own electric/plug-in hybrid vehicle with it.

Comment from b
August 11th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

How about reinstituting efforts to educate the general public on the benefits of nuclear energy? The world has learned a lot about nuclear power since the events that gave it a bad reputation. Europe has demonstrated how well nuclear power can work. It just needs to be accepted by the general public, who, in general, still thinks nuclear power is still unacceptably unsafe. Education is the only thing that can fix this incorrect belief.

Comment from fugue137
August 11th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

And just to make sure that people get on board with the bicycling thing: an outright ban on motor vehicles (except for emergency vehicles) for one day every month. Think what this would do for, say, LA!

Comment from Holly Dain
August 11th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

We should institute a Peace Corp type system where young Americans commit a couple years to working building the infrastructure necessary for renewable fuels. The large energy corporations now making record profits should contribute the majority of the funding as they will be profitting from the infrastructure once complete. The workers would be learning the necessary skill for jobs in the new clean fuel industry and should be given job placement assistance at the completion of their service. This would create jobs, training and the infrastructure our country needs for a oil free future.

Comment from Keleigh Muzaffar
August 11th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

How about reducing the amount of wasteful plastic packaging?

Comment from monte greene
August 11th, 2008 at 12:20 pm

http://www.valcent.net/i/misc/vertigro/index.html
ALGAE!!!

Comment from bahen
August 11th, 2008 at 12:20 pm

All modifications of driving habits, speeds, etc. still use oil, although maybe less oil. Even public transportation is oil based.

ENCOURAGE TELECOMMUTING. This uses NO oil and has several added advantages of a social nature: no one cares what color, age or sex you are as long as you get your work back accurately and on time. And even more positively, no one cares about physical disabilities. You can do computer work from a wheel chair. Lots of areas already maintain no offices. When you order from many computer on line places, the operators are at home and the stock is stored right at the UPS or FedEx terminal - they don't even have warehouses.

So I urge distributed work places to avoid the necessity of commuting and offer work to everyone willing to be reliable no matter where they live.

Comment from Sam
August 11th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

What No One is telling our Congressional Members about Energy.

I have been reading Letters to the Editor in my local newspaper that try to make the case for “More Drilling for Oil in America.” Most of us remember the mid 1970’s when we had a world wide oil shortage and the price of gasoline went up. Soon it came down and we were back enjoying our gas guzzlers.

If America and our Automobile Industry had learned from this and supported fuel efficient cars, we would not be paying the price we are now paying. The oil companies did learn. They did stop building new refineries but NOT because of environmental concerns nor NIMBY (No In My Back Yard) as one writer had written. Instead, the oil industry began merging and started slowly closing, one at a time, their existing refineries. The result was gasoline prices slowly started their climb to where they are now. Not because of any perceived oil shortages but because of decreasing refinery capacity. To prove this point, does anyone believe the new congressionally mandated 10% ethanol is made at refineries that cost one billion dollars to build or does everyone understand they are using “moth-balled/ closed" oil refineries on loan from the Oil Industry to make mandated corn ethanol?

I have been following the Congressional House hearing where the oil executives have been testifying. The oil industry is saying they do not have any "off –shore or on-shore" drilling equipment not already in use. Bottom line – they do not have the equipment to do more drilling. If they did “find some” not in use, I would suggest they start re-drilling Texas/Oklahoma oil fields where 2/3rd of all oil ever found is still in the ground or maybe on the 38 million acres off-shore where they have found and are obtaining a lot of Gulf Oil on land already under lease. That oil will come to American refineries.

The fifty years that the oil executives are telling Congress that Prudhoe Bay will keep the Alaskan Pipe line full of oil, none of that oil has ever nor will ever be made into American Gasoline. Congress does not understand all of our Alaskan oil goes to China, Japan and South Korea. So while some congressional members scream to drill ANWR, there is NO rational reason to drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee.

We all remember when our president failed to get Saudi Arabia to sell more oil. A week later Saudi Arabia said why they refused. Their answer was that the world oil pipe line had all the oil it can handle (meaning refinery capacity).

Since cars do not run on oil but require gasoline, if we want the price of gas to go down then the oil industry needs to put “moth-balled” refineries back into service. Surely all of our Congressional members know this. Could it be no one wants to tell the oil industry to “do it”?

Does anyone believe the oil industry will build more drilling rigs or take old refineries out of "moth Balls" unless Congress gets involved? Why should the oil industry want the price of oil to go down? They are the ones who closed their old refineries in the first place.

Americans while hurting now must wean itself off oil and help the rest of the world learn how to successfully, peacefully and rapidly retreat from its addiction to oil. If not we will remain at the mercy of the oil industry that has since the 1970's been unregulated. My next car will be a plug in electric powered I hope by solar panels on my house.

Comment from Tom Janowski
August 11th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

Stop automatically thinking about alternative energy sources and think instead about "people-powered" transportation. Every single urban/suburban area needs a netword of dedicated, safe bike/blade/walk paths. There are many existing assets that can be used to start this type of path network–unused railway areas, for example.

There are far too many cities in the northeast that jumped into building light rail at an extreme cost only to remove their rail systems 15 - 25 years later when they were deemed failures. Bike paths could be done much more cheaply.

Some sort of tax incentive to live near a person's place of employment would also be useful.

This is probably the most sensible transportation alternative and it promotes healthy living as well.

Comment from SoBe
August 11th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

We waste a lot of energy just through inefficiency. How stupid is it that we didn't raise CAFE standards until last year?

#1 we need to set some standards and offer incentives for conservation measures. This should be a national priority. In the same way the nation got on board with rationing during WWII, we should view energy conservation as a patriotic duty.

#2 we need to invest in renewable energy. Tax credits to help homeowners, businesses and yes even churches switch to solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative energy sources.

#3 R&D. What this country invests in renewable energy R&D is pitiful compared to what we spend on bombs. If we had energy independence, we wouldn't need to be investing trillions in Iraq. Sorry, space program, but right now the national priority is energy. That manned mission to Mars might need to wait a few years.

And let's pay for all this by cutting defense spending and a windfall profits tax on Big Oil.

Comment from Garrett Brewer
August 11th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

Don't a own a car and shop locally. This can be easy or difficult depending on your situation. Easy for me

Comment from greenarch8
August 11th, 2008 at 12:22 pm

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE. We've read it, we hear it, we've applied it, now we have to redouble our efforts to apply it. I do so all the time.
REDUCE: car trips, use of plastic bags, clothes, furniture, anything plastic in favor of natural materials, plastic packaging (use paper, then recycle it), replace your lawn with low water plants and vegetables, get a cordless electric (battery powered) lawn mower, paper towels, napkins, plates.
REUSE: paper or cloth grocery bags (very easy), plastic or glass containers with lids (look for them in the store with the intention of reusing them: yogurt containers, sauce jars, etc.)
RECYCLE: find an industrial plastics recycler in your area (they are there, but may not be in the phone book) and deliver almost all of your plastics to them yourself in a big bin capable of holding 4-6 months worth of plastic. In Austin, If you must have carpet, buy recycled PET (pop bottle) carpet.
Not trying to preach, People, just remind of easy things we can do. Peace.

Comment from Donald Shank
August 11th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Help people, through free classes and tax breaks, to convert lawns into gardens. Growing your own organic food eliminates the need for oil inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, farm machinery, trucks and your own car for weekly trips to the grocery store. Most of us can't grow everything we need, but whatever we can grow reduces our carbon footprint, and you'll be amazed at how much better fresh organic food tastes. You've never really tasted a tomato until you've had one fresh from the garden.
Also, stop having so many babies! The sustainable population of the planet without the oil economy is about 2 billion. This number will be achieved, the only question is whether we do it through conscious choices or whether nature does it through famine.

Comment from Kira Lueders
August 11th, 2008 at 12:23 pm

The price of gasoline needs to be kept near $4.00 a gallon, by increasing taxes (which can then be used to maintain infrastructure) if prices fall because it is the only thing that will force people to think about how they use it. The recent high prices have resulted in a decrease in the sales of big gas guzzling cars, the sale of smaller, more efficient cars, and the incresed use of public and alternative transportation. Prices are twice as high in Europe, with lower incomes for many people, resulting in more small cars and better public transportation systems.
The answer to the energy problem is not offshore or Arctic drilling! The answer is also not alternative fuels made from food crops. This merely drives up the price of food, compounding the higher cost of living due to higher fuel costs. Using corn to make ethanol does not make any sense from an energy consumption point of view.
The sizes of houses need to be limited to a resonable level. Rooms with 15-20 foot ceilings take a lot of energy to heat or cool. Utility prices need to be on a sliding scale that discourages such waste. There are now sophisticated ways to control the amount of energy used, and if people are unwilling to be prudent, it may be necessary to ration energy. A temperature of 65 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer is reasonable for indoor spaces.
We need more motion sensor controlled light fixtures in public buildings where lights frequently blaze away all night because people don't turn them off when they leave.

Comment from fedup
August 11th, 2008 at 12:24 pm

Provide companies an XX tax credit for every employee they set up as work from home. Part time work at home = $XX while Full time work at home = 2 x $XX.

There are many large companies that today already have employees enabled to work from home (for nights/weekends). Let's make it worthwhile for the environment and the company to allow those workers to take advantage of current technology and work from home. Less commuters on the road. Less road rage and odds are companies would have a lot of happy workers.

Comment from quidam56
August 11th, 2008 at 12:24 pm

The mega profit machines are letting us down. If there's going to be any changes made, it's up to us to do it. Quit buying 'made in China' to start. I was getting an oil change the other day ( my mechanic has a garage at his home which is kind of a meeting place to chit chat ). Anyway, he mentioned somthing about converting to hydrogen and said it can be done. This is what Detroit should have been doing but it looks like it is up to us to do it ourselves. Here's a site he told me to check out, I am going to get this on my Jeep ASAP !

http://water4gas.com/2books.htm?hop=mtveter

Comment from Eliece
August 11th, 2008 at 12:24 pm

Build more Bike Paths and Bike Lanes!

Comment from Dori
August 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Make carpooling options more viable, less scary to help get people out of one person/car mentality. Maybe some group or agency that can register riders or ??? An expansion of vanpooling??

Comment from wildwiilly1111
August 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

1) Ecodriving - see www.ecodrive.org

2) All-electric vehicles that get less than 100 miles per charge will be more widely adopted for commutes if employers provide recharging capabilities (not free - just available).

Comment from Larry
August 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Not muck else to say the following people said it all. Conserve, Solar, Improved rail system, better roads, require all new housing to have Solar panels when possible. Make electric cars to start running on the roads by 2010. Design neighborhoods so that golf carts, Segways and other small electric vehicles could be used.

Comment from DoctorSerizawa
August 11th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Wouldn't it be great if we had a government that advocated for US and not the corporations?

Every other country on earth has good trains, solar power and small, energy efficient cars. GM sells natural gas-powered cars in Europe, but not here. All sorts of cleaner diesels are available in Europe. Japan has an amazing array of "Kei Cars", safe, functional, comfortable & CHEAP transportation. Scooters? Everywhere but here. Electric Cars? GM and Toyota had them, and the customers were universally thrilled, and them the corporations collected the vehicles and literally tore them apart.

The solutions already exist, corporations refuse to bring them to the United States and the government refuses to push them. Instead we have cheney, who shoots off his mouth at a volatile situation with Russia and Georgia.

Comment from Gena Nadeau
August 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

Lower speed limits to 60 mph. Move more goods around the country by rail rather than truck. Rebuilding our rail infrastructure would also create jobs.

Comment from gemariah
August 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

quit speeding towards the red light or stop sign. ride a bike to do mini-errands. take public transportation. support amtrak. walk. keep looking for better and less expensive solar panels. buy a row house instead of a sprawl. demand your city council to change city codes to use less energy including land developers. create one mall instead of many little ones with public transportation to and from. demand car makers to create hybrids — no more fuels that take food away from people.

Comment from Fred Merrick
August 11th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

Things I have done and many other people could do:
Home: installed insulation, double pane windows, CF lights and Energy Star appliances. Recycle everything possible.
Commute: sold my second car and bicycled to work for 18 years until age 65, including using a van shuttle across the bridge and commuter train to work 45 miles away. use bicycle for small grocery and other shopping.
Slowed down 5-10 mph on the freeway.

Comment from roxanne
August 11th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

Tax incentives for urban or apartment-style living

Investment in public transportation and light rail

Encourage biking

Comment from Dave Hymers
August 11th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

Sustained government subsidies for at home solar generation of electricity.
Construction of more solar power plants.
Education at grass roots level on economic living and smart decision making.

The major change that needs to take place thats already been stated here is responsibility for ones own lifestyle and its impact.
People can no longer live ignorant of the human race's impact on this planet. We will only bring hardship on ourselves also, if we don't change this countrys oil dependance; those who don't change fast enough will loose out.

Comment from greenarch8
August 11th, 2008 at 12:28 pm

In Austin, Cycled Plastics off Rutland on McKalla Place takes almost all plastics (must be clean)

Comment from Susan7214
August 11th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Here's an idea. Do what Jimmy Carter tried–and failed–to do. Get the C.I.A. to release their records on alien technology. They have learned enough from the flying saucers or whatever has landed to solve all our energy and environmental problems. Hard to believe?
Check out the National Press Club's 2001 "Disclosure Project," available on YouTube and see what you think.

Comment from bronwynwe
August 11th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Walk or ride a bike when you can

When driving is necessary, try to do as many errands as possible in one trip.

Don't buy an SUV. Standards won't change until the consumer stops buying them. We as consumers have a bigger voice than sometimes we realize.

Instead of pushing so many tax dollars towards maintaining oil, push it to public transportation and more efficient fuel. Public transportation isn't available to everyone and/or it doesn't run all day.

Buy organic local or grow your own vegetables.

Phase out incandescent light bulbs and other energy hog items.

Stop making healthy energy efficient a choice between cost and the better choice. The better choice needs to be the standard and at same cost as the other less efficient choice and move toward completely phasing out the less energy efficient item.

Comment from Charlton Jones
August 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

In April I completed the conversion of an older car to all electric. I have been driving for less than 5 cents a mile since. I used lead acid batteries and components off the shelf. I didn't invent anything. I can drive on the freeways and have 150 mile range. It's surprising that the car manufacturers can't do as well. GM had the lead in electric cars in 1996 with the EV-1, but then they crushed them all. (If GM had been in change in 1492, Columbus would still be in port.) I enjoy my electric car, but I also ride a bicycle for short trips. It's a shame more people don't realize how smoothly a bicycle fits into traffic at very low cost in fuel, pollution and congestion. Bicycles and electric cars can solve the current oil fiasco.

Comment from karen222
August 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

It seems pointless to continue to drill without insisting that the oil we produce stay in the U.S. market, and not be placed out on the world market which is what is happening. So, drilling isn't practical, nor will it solve the problem.

The best way is to refine bio-fuels for an interim period. I'm thinking of fuels that will work with the existing autos. Then we can gradually cut over to all electric autos, rechargeable by solar cells. The batteries that we are currently using in our autos will have to be replaced by more efficient cells. Also, conversion kits for existing autos can be offered. I favor tax incentives for conversion kits, perhaps even small subsidies for converting, and definitely tax incentives for purchasing hybrid vehicles and total electric vehicles.

Comment from cfrkeepr
August 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

There is a solution to our oil crisis which also has the additional benefits of reducing pollution and and global warming gases. This solution is currently available technology, and would not require huge capital investments or major infrastructure investments. The solution is the electrification of the US's transportation fleet through:1. hybridization of existing Internal Cumbustion Engines (ICE) with electric motors with after market conversions,2. plug-in after market kits for existing hybrids to extend "all electric" range, 3. Advancement of new electric vehicles into the market. The efficiencies of electric motors over ICE produces three times less pollution and green house gases than oil and twice as efficient even when coal is used to make the electricity. Ordinary volunteer conservation has merit but is very unreliable. Additional pollution and green house gas emmisions reductions can be achieved by moving to increase the use of sustainable means of generating electricity i.e. solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, etc. Improvements to the grid management are need now so the benefits would only enhance the entire energy picture. Electric mobility is possible now if we have the will.

Comment from Patrick
August 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

Move closer to work and school. Ride your bike to work and to get groceries. Don't buy a new car. Buy used. Don't contribute to more cars on the road.

Comment from gemariah b
August 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

quit speeding towards the red light or stop sign. ride a bike to do mini-errands. take public transportation. support amtrak. walk. keep looking for better and less expensive solar panels. buy a row house instead of a sprawl. demand your city council to change city codes to use less energy including land developers. create one mall instead of many little ones with public transportation to and from. demand car makers to create hybrids — no more fuels that take food away from people.

Comment from Tara Loughlin
August 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Is there NO ONE who is excited about the "air car"? Why aren't people going crazy for this? Why aren't governments putting funds towards bringing this brilliant invention to market? Why aren't capital venturists clawing their way to the front on the line to drop money on this? A CAR THAT RUNS ON AIR? Go to Youtube and watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtsAm3t2HDA

Comment from billyr
August 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

We need a whole new energy paradigm, and we need it implemented 20 years ago. Carbon based fuels are a dead end in every context, since not only do they have undesireable by-products, they represent a finite resource that must supply a hopefully infinite demand.

It's not that we lack the know-how. Much of the technology has already been developed, and more becomes available regularly. It's that we lack the political will, and that is inexcusable.

If our current energy companies cannot - or will not - completely rededicate themselves to the renewable, sustainable, environmentally conscious energy paradigms we need, then they should be taxed out of existence with the proceeds given to new enterprises with the kind of vision we need to survive as a species. The progress must be swift; if nothing else, nationalize the energy companies and restaff their management with people eager to do the right thing.

In fact, continuing on the present course is so egregious a crime, that the corporate executives and their shareholder, investor support ought to be subjected to prosecution for crimes against humanity in international court if they refuse to at least get out of the way, or balk at progress toward a new paradigm.

Comment from garygifford
August 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Instead of driving to the gym and driving to the grocery store, get some grocery baskets on that bike collecting dust in the garage and kill five birds with one stone? 1. Get groceries, 2. Get your exercise, 3. save wear and tear on your car, 4. save money on gas, 5. Cut down on your carbon footprint.

Comment from Kit
August 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Just returning from a trip to Europe, I had a very graphic reminder of this recently. WHEN IT IS TIME TO REPLACE YOUR PRESENT VEHICLE, THINK WHAT YOU ARE DOING!! Americans are driving 6000 pound trucks to do the work of small cars. We would be using half as much fuel for transportation if we had Europe's vehicle mix. Moving to more efficient vehicles can only take place gradually and it won't fix things forever, but would sure be a good start.

Comment from John Mann
August 11th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

I would like to reply to Anne (11:43 am) who wrote that there is plenty of oil and the government should do something to alleviate high gas prices. This is a common thread of thinking and it sends me semi-ballistic, — although I must admit she could be right and I could be wrong. So read the following with prudent skepticism if you will...
(1) My belief based on quite a bit of reading is that - sure, there's plenty in the ground, but the correct question is, how fast can we get it out of the ground? Many existing fields are declining in pump rate rapidly, and if there are not new wells coming on line to make up for that decline, then the total amount available for the market will decline, resulting in higher prices.
(2) I think the government (i.e. we) should impose a steep carbon tax (i.e. on ourselves) - dollars per gallon - to wake people (i.e. us) up, to fund alternative energy, to reduce consumption. However, this populace (i.e. we) is too entitled and not well enough informed (yet) to support this.
(3) Why don't we think about the people who come after us, like our children or grandchildren? Since I am a retired / grandfather this is easy for me to say, but: to hell with our current comfort and our plans and our expectations and so on. If we have to adapt, then let's adapt. Actually, I left the city, built a super efficient house with the proceeds, am building soil (FBO future gardeners, whoever they might be), learning rural / farming skills, getting acquainted with the community (which, being rural, has an amazing array of living skills), forming an Energy Committee, working on a regional land conservation project, and keeping myself as fit as possible. Darn, if I had to have a job I don't know WHAT I would do. Stay in the city, I think.
(4) A good source (considered by some a "classic") is a book by William R. Catton called OVERSHOOT. Suggestion: Try to get every one of your friends to read it. Don't read it yourself, it's painful. Reading the first 2 paragraphs may be enough.

Comment from Kevin Macdonald
August 11th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

Policymakers need to get over the idea that public transportation should pay for itself; invest in and expansion of public transportation networks, recognizing that the societal benefits attendant to mass transit more than compensate for the subsidies necessary for the operation and maintenence of these systems.

Comment from Kate
August 11th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

We need to think beyond cars. Before cars–and TV's–we talked to our neighbors, lived (and invested) in the places we worked. We need to re-examine our lifestyles and adapt, and new technology will not be enough to save us.

Comment from Shannon
August 11th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Using what we have-wind, sun, water, earth's energy, etc.Incentives and freebies for using your shoes, public transportation, or your bicycle! What about shadowing other countries that don't rely on Oil? How do they do it? Make jobs here by making it a priority! We can put a man on the moon, but can't stop our dependence on oil. Really?

Comment from Connie Charles
August 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Seeing that driving fewer miles (just 9.6 Billion!!! in May) has really had an impact, it seems vital to me to find ways to get people to continue driving fewer miles–not sure how to do this, but it's obviously a huge factor. I know we can do anything we put our mind (and hearts) to.

Comment from Charles Montes
August 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

i recently uped my mileage in my accord. It used to get about 20 in traffic and 30 highway. now i get about 30 traffic and 40 highway. a new technology that has been around for over 50 years now is finally being rediscovered from the hands of the government and big oil. it is called hydrogen assist system. some call it hho.

the install was suprisingly easy. some people call it a scam but again, powerful interests dont want u to have this. the device electrolyzes water using the energy from your car when its not charging the battery, running the ac, ect. this process separates hydrogen from oxygen in the water. the hydrogen vapor is then mixed in with your gas, and burned more efficiently.

yes that is right water helps power your car. after the hydrogen burns, the by-product is water. e.g. water comes our of your tail pipe in droplets. Parts are a little expensive but it pays for itself after a while.

if u dont believe me lookup 'hho' or 'water car' on youtube. you will see many who have already made the conversion. the website i provided is not my website but they really assisted me with getting started with the installation in my car. this fits all cars since all cars use fuel. the whole thing cost me about 350$ but im sure there are better prices out there.

i will most likely add another jar to give me another additional +10mpg. drop me a line with any questions

musashiz222@yahoo.com

Comment from Phil Hinderaker
August 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

We have been living in a "fool'sparadise" with cheap oil. It is about time reality has struck. It should force our
society to stop our wasteful burning of fossil fuels which
are needed for more critical products–medicines, chemicals
etc.
I believe nuclear(plutonium)power, coupled with renewable
sources (wind, solar etc)is the most practical solution to
achieve a carbon-free energy economy.

Comment from Walt Terrell
August 11th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

Why don't we use cane sugar like Brazil does , for fuel, we have the technology, why do deisel engines still use petro. why not use what they were originally designed for cooking oil, used cooking oil that has been raised to the proper smoke point, we have the technology BMWs are being converted all the time, what about painting an entire car in SOLAR NANO-PAINT ?? All these options and more are technologically available and rarely if ever - is marketed for the average consumer. Why Not?? Maybe the Environmental Groups should get together and and design them, the big companies don't seem to want it - it affects their $$ bottom line — we should as members of the Environmental Community spearhead these ideas into action. Thanks for the opportunity to comment. God Bless Ya'll.

Comment from Phoebe
August 11th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

Unfortunately a large part of the U.S. has evolved during the time of cheap energy. Most land developers and communities have been very slow to change the way land is developed. So folks who have bought into "the dream of owning a new home" are still commuting long distances to work. We really need to encourage small, private businesses to start efficient mass transit (Bus, Vans, etc.) to immediately set up transportation to carry these folks from their bedroom community to their work place. People who can are already working from home as much as possible ( 2 or 3 days a week ) and are helping to reduce our consumption of oil.
The cost of transporting goods may end up having a positive impact and bring some business back to the U.S. We need a long term vision and we need everyone to understand how they are effected by and effect the economy and ecology.

Comment from Marion
August 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

More electric cars and public transportation. Also more solar power, wind power where it's safe and cleaning up waste by turning it into energy. More responsible packaging.

Comment from Amy McClintock
August 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Here are a few ideas: Tear up that grass lawn and plant a vegetable and herb garden; sell the SUV and get a scooter; carpool or take public transportation; walk to the store or to a friends; ride your bike; shower less and wear clothes more than once before washing; dine by candlelight; rise and settle with the sun (keeping lights off); if it's yellow let it mellow–if it's brown flush it down; advocate that solar panels (photovoltaic) be mandatory on all cars and homes; put wind turbines on the top of all high rises and make them green buildings; turn down that AC (why are stores so cold anyway); stop building such huge homes; stop building and/or buying 2nd 3rd and 4th homes—try a vacation rental!; vote for someone who really cares about the environment, our lives, and the planet—not some oil industry benefactor; and lastly for now, live with love in your heart and be confident that we can repair our world!

Comment from tammy
August 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Give tax credit to those wo decide to take public transportation rather than their vehicles to and from work.

Comment from Louise S
August 11th, 2008 at 12:41 pm

Nationally, we need CAP AND DIVIDEND, see capanddividend.org
Cap and dividend is a simple, market-based way to reduce CO2 emissions without reducing household incomes. It caps fossil fuel SUPPLIES (which are MUCH easier to measure than CO2 output), it makes polluters pay, and RETURNS THE REVENUE to everyone equally. It’s simple, fair, progressive and market-based.
Presidential camdidate Obama is calling for windfall profits tax on oil companies and rebate to American people. That would be a terrific start.
The next step would be to reduce the amount of oil, coal and natural gas the fossil fuel companies are allowed to sell each year.
The fees paid by oil companies would go right back to the public in cash rebates. Alternative energy would be more competitive. And pretty soon all we will be getting all our energy from free sunshine and wind.

Any cap and trade bill that GIVES allowances to oil companies to let them keep selling fossil fuels is a guarantee of climate disaster. Europe has been using cap and trade and is still increasing CO2 emissions.

Comment from Lisa Petrie
August 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

Collectively, we can consume much less gasoline and greatly reduce our carbon emissions if we become "hypermilers". (For more info. on how to drive efficiently and green your road trip, please visit EDF's webpage: http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=7910.)

It's difficult to drive efficiently, though, when surrounded by aggressive drivers.

I designed a bumper decal that I hope can become a "national hypermiling symbol". It's my hope that Congress will adopt and recognize this symbol as part of a national, voluntary movement to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels. I contacted all of the members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in Congress and asked them to promote this cause; I haven't heard from any of them. I've decided to take this idea to non-profits working to educate the public regarding our consumption of fossil fuels.

EDF — please help us identify ourselves as hypermilers! Encourage folks to purchase this decal and affix to their left bumpers:

www.cafepress.com/hypermileUS

In an effort to share the road safely with non-hypermilers, this decal will "warn" others that they're approaching a more efficient driver. Hopefully, it will encourage others to drive more efficiently, as well.

All proceeds from the sale of this decal will go to EDF and other like-minded organizations working to promote this cause.

Don't drive if you don't have to! But if it can't be avoided, become a hypermiler. This is a near-term, very affordable solution that will allow us to make a statement collectively.

Thanks!

Lisa

Comment from paul
August 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

the majority of our oil is used for transportation. So the solution to the problem is going to need to be a combination of several things that address more efficient transportation of people and goods.

1. better mass transportation.
2. infrastructure that supports pedestrians and bicycle commuters.
3. plug-in electric vehicles.
4. use of rail instead of trucks & planes to transport goods.
4. increase gasoline and diesel taxes to support programs above

Comment from Chas Richards
August 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

The coalition that killed GM's electric car (EV1) should be taken to task for that and required to fund its return.
Oil companies should be assessed a windfall profits tax used to fund research and development of ethanol from other than food sources, all forms of hybrid car development, a huge investment in solar generation of electricity, and high speed rail. Emission and fuel economy standards strict enough to force development of alternatives need to be enacted. Co-generation should be a requirement of all new construction where power is generated or used for central HVAC. Not enough has been said about reducing the use of plastics, a petrochemical, especially to produce "disposable" products.

Comment from Sarah Williams
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Reduce consumption - this requires education people about marketing/advertising schemes to get us to buy so many things we don't need (and which don't really "improve" our lives the ways were led to believe); Keep working toward more renewable energy sources; Keep developing cars/buildings/food production/etc that focus on being more efficient and healthy; But Most Of All... Reduce Consumption! We tend to long for the days of our youth when we were carefree and so easily entertained by the simple things - music, an old tree, bodies of water, home-made treats... Many people try to "escape" from their busy lives to go camping. Well, let's live more like we're camping! Play outside, enjoy having nothing to do but sing songs around a fire (ok, that idea needs a lower-carbon-emitting alternative...), focus our time on growing and cooking our own food. Then, when you need a break, or just something different, go to the movies/arcade/mall. We're just living a little backwards right now, is all.

Comment from Bobbie J
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

I have been wanting to get an electric car since the 70's. Now I read from one of the commenters on this blog that he has made one himself.
Charlton Jones
August 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Is there any chance you would go into this form of work? I would love to buy an electric car if you would make another one. If not, where do you find information on converting cars to Electric? Maybe I can find someone else who can do this for me.

Comment from andiec
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

In this day and age of advanced technology employers should be forced to allow more work to be done remotely from home.

Four Day work weeks as an alternative should also be mandated.

Comment from Brenda Bryant
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Ask architects and builders to build smaller homes which use less oil and electricity. Install a zone(thermostat) in each room and close unused rooms.
Work closer to home.

Comment from sdavis3398
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Whether we've already passed it or not, we're close to Peak Oil. Our American civilization was constructed on a faulty premise that cheap oil would flow forever. It's a waste of time to point out how our government has failed us in recognizing this and pointing it out. The truth is, we've failed ourselves by neglecting our own civic responsibilities to stay informed.

High prices for oil are only the beginning of the problem. What we're paying today will seem cheap just five years from now. If we listen to Robert Hirsch and Matthew Simmons, we're in some serious trouble. Just imagine the mortgage meltdown that will ensue when gasoline reaches $15/gallon in the US, and you'll understand what I mean.

All of us need to get clear that we've got to use the precious oil we've got flowing today to rebuild how our society works. As Lester Brown wrote in Plan B 3.0 , we've got to, as many other posts suggest, use that energy to (on a wartime footing) construct new infrastructure that will liberate our economy from dependence on liquid fuels for so much transportation in our economy. We'll need those fuels for other things.

It's worth remembering that world population has grown 6 -fold during the age of cheap oil. (30% of which is used for the fertilizers and pesticides that gave us the green revolution) The carry-capacity of the planet is far less than 6.7 billion people without cheap oil.

Comment from ronald long
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

the "elephant in the room" is still overpopulation. Not an easy subject, but we need to address it at some point.

bicycling is a great start. Even here in the supposedly rainy Northwest, commuting by bicycle year round is quite doable.

I'm hoping for a breakthrough in growing algae, both to produce fuel, and remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Thomas L. Friedman of the NY Times has had some great editorials on this topic in the last couple weeks.

Comment from Average White Guy
August 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Harness all the wind power available in Washington D.C. Between that and the copious amounts of fertilizer being generated there, we should be able to solve most of our "energy problems" without spending a dime!
Honestly! Reading some of the postings and suggestions here is a bit distressing! While it may make you feel good to conserve, and it makes lots of sense on a personal level, conservation and reduced demand are not going to satisfy our energy needs. As the population expands, demand for fuel and energy naturally increases. Expensive technologies like Geothermal, Wind, and Solar power are great, but beyond the realistic reach of the majority of us working stiffs. If I had the money to convert my 15 year old vehicle to run on hydrogen... I'd probably buy a motorcycle instead. There is no magic wand. We need oil, at least for the forseeable future, and utilizing our own domestic supply makes a lot more sense to me than continuing to transfer our national wealth to despots, tyrants, and lunatics oversees in exchange for their oil. Domestic drilling makes sense, and so does Nuclear Power. France, China, and many of our other economic competitors have been building and utilizing nuclear power plants for decades. Not us. We haven't built one in 30 years. Apparantly, we'd rather buy oil from Hugo Chavez!

Comment from louiseharris17
August 11th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

How do I love the earth:let me count the ways... First we bought a Prius, keep 1994 Camry for short trips in town. Then we had a "keep-fill" clause in our heating oil contract, so we called them and told them to cancel and we will call as needed. (Stick down the tank is sufficient.) We plan to add a room to the house because of tree damage in storms, and add solar panels (southern exposure that will not be seen behind the original roof line.) We compost every thing and have wonderful gardens. I take trains when I can to professional conferences. All of our light bulbs are CF, and we use cloth napkins. We plan trips to store to conserve gas even in the Prius. Buy at local farmer's markets- great here in NC. I take recycleables home from my office for home pickup.I burn shedded paper (occupational necessity) in our woodstove, along with wood from trees felled in storms. WE only have basic cable on TV and regularly threaten to cancel that.

Comment from Jerry
August 11th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Just mandate the Big Oil Companies to import 10% less oil every year starting 2009 till imports are face out in 10 years.
Mandate also these companies to produce-they have the Capital and knowledge to do it-E85 GREEN GASOLINE in the same amount they reduce in IMPORTS.
No corn or other grains are needed,just GREEN WASTE.We in USA send to landfills more than one trillion tons of Green Waste.One ton of biomass makes 70 gallons of ethanol.One gallon of E85 cost about $2.50.
One midium size plant in construction now in the city of Lancaster,Ca. will cost to build $30 million;will convert 170 tons of waste per day into 3.2 million gallons of ethanol per year.(The Co.building the plant is BlueFire Ethanol).
Projects like this can be replicated thousand times...
Can you see the possibilities?...
Mr.Jerry

Comment from Lawrence R. Decoste
August 11th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

We need to start thinking green get off the need for oil it is polluting our environment. We need to invest in wind power,solar power, electric, hydrogen and algea oil the technologies of the future. Our planet has many sources we can use to make energy and run our cars & trucks. We need to make more smaller cars and less big gas guzzlers that are good for our environment. If we continue the path we are on our planet will suffer big time and so will we, we need to act fast and use these ideas so that our future is bright for the next generation otherwise human extinction could be a real scenario.

Comment from Marianne
August 11th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

I had a window replaced that I could not open and had always been covered with a blind since it was so unattractive. Now I can open it to get cool breezes and in the winter I will be able to open the new curtain to get the warmth of the sun.

Comment from rlpfamily
August 11th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Let your lawns/grass grow a few inches taller; this will take CO2 out of the air and help with global warming and the time you don't cut it as it grows will save gas, though not much unless done by millions of homes.

In our area this means, skip cutting it a week to save grass and raise the mower to the highest height thereafter. For non-HOA- or non-city controlled homes, you might want to not cut your grass at all and let it blow like wheat.

Comment from Mark
August 11th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Increase the age for getting a driver's license from 16 to 18 years old. This will reduce traffic congestion, save lives, reduce pollution, increase car pooling and reduce consumption of gasoline.

Comment from Mary Handy
August 11th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Transportation: I ride the bus, drive the speed limit, and reduce trips by consolidating errands and driving tasks. We have 2 vehicles used for different purposes. Small commuter, car which gets most of daily mileage and the family mini van which is still needed for longer trips when family of four and all our pets goes along for the ride.

We try to Recycle Everything possible! NEVER buys bottle water. My boys, know that it’s sin ( at least in my eyes ) to even accept a water bottle from a neighbor. We use tap water and I have a supply of cooled refillable aluminum water bottles in our refrigerator.

Home Efficiencies: Last year we increased attic insulation to R-48, installed exhaust fans and replaced all our light bulbs with compact fluorescents. We have two rain barrels and a small home garden that is producing some of our vegetables. This year we had to replace our HAC unit and although expensive, we selected the highest efficiency rating available 18 SEER. We have installed solar screens on all our windows and created passive solar shading on south-west exposure and we planted more 5 more trees this year.

Consumer Choices: I have been using my own cloth bags for shopping for the many years. We use cloth napkins at home and only buy toilet tissue that is recycled from post consumer paper. I try to support local farmer and organic products as much as possible. I refuse to buy products that have excessive carbon miles. Cat Litter imported from China - how absurd is it that? Grocery stores will sale shrimp from Taiwan (shipped over 8k miles) at half the cost of North American shrimp.

Comment from Melissa Parnell
August 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm

I feel that the first step is educating the public. We can't talk solutions to a problem the general public does not know exists. How about an ad campaign which shows all of the petroleum products which our lives are based on, and simple alternatives? Very few people are aware of just how dependent we are on petroleum as an energy source, and a manufacturing ingredient. We need to agree as a society that this is a huge problem first, then solve it.

Comment from viny
August 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm

We cannot be controlled by this dirty and dangerous form of energy. The age of narrow mindedness must end for clean alternatives to begin. We must use the energy that nature has provided; solar, wind, and even water. That's right, I came across a site (http://www.WiseH2O.com) which explains how to use water to run you car!

For our safety, for the environment, and for our families, we must all rise up and overcome this obstacle.

Comment from Mike in NJ
August 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm

We need to fund additional research to bring Daniel Nocera's recent discovery at MIT of an inexpensive catalyst for separating water into its component parts, hydrogen and oxygen, into the home. This has the potential to make our houses into miniature power plants, with no need to connect to the power grid. We'd be able to charge our electric cars from power collected by our own solar cells, stored in water, and re-energized by fuel cells. Read more about it here:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/print/oxygen-0731-print.html

Comment from Berry West
August 11th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

I do what I have always done: take public transit and ride a bicycle.

Comment from Vudu12
August 11th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

It's quite easy really. Stop subsidizing the oil/energy companies. The price of gas will increase to what it is in Europe (double the price) so currently around $8/gallon at the pump for the cheap stuff. (They also use higher octane for cleaner air so it costs even more.)

This would have to be eased in over say 5 years, with steady monthly reductions of subsidies all the way down to zero. This would give companies a chance to create workplace policy and infrastructure to allow easy and effective telecommuting. And people would have time to restructure their budgets, buy fuel efficient cars, add solar panels, etc.

Comment from Pam Horovitz
August 11th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

I think we all might learn something from our friends in warmer climates who have alterned their dress codes to attire suitable for hot weather. The days of men (and women) in suits in an air conditioned office strikes me as a custom that should die sooner rather than later.

Comment from friedhar31
August 11th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

A good thing that a barrel of oil has become so expensive that people are finally looking for an envronment- friendfly solution. Unfortunately, one of the proposed solutions is the electrically driven car. Electricity as energy source is not expensive because it is produced by coal (or gas). But coal is a fossil energy source producing a high degree of pollution and greenhouse gases. It is disastrous for the climate and therefore the price we have to pay for it is much higher than the price of the coal itself. However, should we generate electricity using solar power to produce steam by the method of Concentrated Solar Power of SOLEL, we would at first almost double the price of electricity but save the World from a climate disaster. In the long run, this method may even generate electricity at a lower cost than coal.

Comment from bikejon
August 11th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

I traded in my 16 mpg SUV last year for a 33 mpg crossover (Pontiac Vibe). I love it! The SUV was a slug; the Vibe is agile and sporty, and it carries plenty of stuff.

I also drive 60 mph on the highway and accelerate very slowly instead of stomping on the gas at green lights.

Comment from navel8
August 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

Simply put, we need major investments in safe, affordable, accessible public transportation systems - and not just within city limits! We need a rail system like Europe's, with state-of-the-art bullet trains traveling on safe, upgraded rails between states and across the country. We need more businesses to upgrade their computer systems so that employees can do most, if not all, of their work from home, or from hub stations closer to where they live. We need to stop packaging everything we buy in plastic and we need to stop manufacturing loads of cheap, plastic JUNK that doesn't last (save in landfills) and that no one truly needs. Recycling of all types of materials, esp. plastics, needs to be mandatory and widely accessible. Research into renewable, alternative fuels that do minimal damage to the environment is a MUST (and from the impact biofuels like ethanol are having on deforestation for crops, crop prices, and food shortages, they're not the best answer). We also need to have fewer babies (people will balk at this, but I think 2-3 children per couple should be the absolute cap - by law). There are too many human beings for this planet to continue to sustain at the rate we are currently consuming resources, and our problems across the globe will continue to increase exponentially if current reproduction rates go unchecked. I'm sure there are a lot more options, but these were the first that came to mind...

Comment from Arpit Chauhan
August 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

The rise in oil prices is very positive for the earth. Due to increasing fuel prices, people will resort to lesser use of fuel to save money. What an irony! When people are told that save energy because it saves the earth, they don't care but if we say save energy because it savers money then they are ready.

Comment from dantesian
August 11th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

In Europe, energy companies offer discounted rates for off-peak usage. I'm just now starting to hear about such proposals being implemented here. Write to your energy supplier and ask them about it. With enough demand, they'll provide it. Also in Europe, water heaters are not kept on constantly–there must be a way to put timer switches on water heaters here as well.

Comment from Kira
August 11th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

1. GARDENS: REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL USED FOR FOOD IMPORTS. Increase food gardens in yards, at schools as educational tools that meet DOE standards, on rooftops. Create more community garden plots for citizens.

2. HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE: Audit yuor own home for wasted electricity. Unplug unused appliances; change lightbulbs, delamp when lighting is too bright; wash laundry in cold water, not hot; hang clothes out to dry instead of using a drier; use a solar water heater — about 40% of a home's energy use keeps hot water hot 24 hours a day!

3. CONSIDER LOW IMPACT HOBBIES: Do you like to run, hike, paint, play an instrument, read, write, bike, have potlucks, or go on walks with friends around the neighborhood? Try to enjoy things near home rather than driving far away.

4. Buy local products — to reduce fuel used in transportation

5. BUY LESS: It takes a lot of energy to make everything! From mining or farming the contents of the product — to making it in a series of factories — to shipping it around the world to 1000s of store locations — we burn so much fossil fuel in the process. When we shop, we can ask ourselves if it is worth those environmental costs to buy the product we are looking at.

6. Encourage people to car pool or bike together when you are doing something with a group of people.

7. Delamp and change lightbulbs in large buildings (office buildings, universities, etc.). Companies and organizations can have tremendous monetary savings on their electricity bill.

Comment from Bonnie
August 11th, 2008 at 12:53 pm

Besides eating locally, we should learn long-almost-lost skills for taking our local foods and making values added products ourselves by the old fashioned low tech methods: how to make vinegar, how to make wine, how to make pasta, how to make cheese, how to make butter, how to make bread, how to grow an organic garden, how to recycle our kitchen scraps into rich compost, how to make juice, to can, to dry foods, to ferment foods, to work leather, make shoes, make baskets...all skills that will be in demand again and can save us transportation costs, from additives put in commercially prepared foods, etc.

Comment from Ron & AmyJo
August 11th, 2008 at 12:55 pm

We used to live in a beautiful valley, but it was a 40 minute drive to work. We moved to town and are now within biking distance to work. The public transit situation is in pretty good shape for us too. We still need a car from time to time, but we need only one car. I'd love to get that down to zero car one day.

Comment from Jamie Strait
August 11th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

Our oil dependancy is integrated into so much more besides gas/energy. Plastic products are petroleum-based, and take a quick inventory of what's around you and plastics have essentially taken over our earth! In manufacturing we release toxic chemicals, in useage we often are exposed to toxic chemicals (how many people still think it's okay to microwave plastic?), and in disposal plastic sits in landfills and pollutes our oceans and will far outlive any of its users. I've become acutely aware of what I purchase, use & discard every day, and cringe when throwing plastic into recycling bins, knowing most of it will never be recycled...but so much of what we use is packaged in plastics - how do we reduce?
I now re-use even plastic bread bags and any bag or container I can...but still feel overwhelmed and buried in plastic! Just seeing what my family generates, in the form of garbage, while being pretty conservative, still stresses me out - especially when I think of all the homes, businesses and plants that regularily use and discard plastic products. We need to ban plastic shopping bags to start with, and only produce products that can be recycled or which degrade without harming our environment.
As far as oil in the form of gas, energy, etc...our most logical option is to develope alternate enery plans. More than 40 years ago America took the lead and developed a 10-year plan to put people on the moon! If we could do that, why can't we develope a plan, even if it takes 10 years - to break our oil and consumerism mentality?
Also - check out: www.storyofstuff.com - everything we consume comes at a premium - We've become a nation of consumers looking for a quick fix and the cheapest bargain - at what cost?

Comment from upgeya
August 11th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

1) Re-orient priorities: stop warring, start cooperating.
2) ELP: Economize, Localize, and Produce
3) Geothermal - the only sustainable, clean, base-load energy source that has any chance of replacing any significant portion of fossil fuel energy during energy descent. Wind is a possibility if the wind energy can be used to store compressed air in underground reservoir, to be used for base-load capacity.
4) Shift transportation from fossil fuel powered to human powered (bicycle).
5) Deconstruct suburbia and suburban sprawl; turn that land back into farmland.

Comment from Scott Bishop
August 11th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

I think one of the win-win things we could do it seal and insulate our homes. If there were incentives a lot of folks would get the job done. We would be burning less fuel for heating/cooling. The bills would go down. And a lot of folks would find jobs doing the retrofits. Sounds like a win-win-win solution.

Comment from Marilyn Sanchez
August 11th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

1. use less plastic, make sure to have recycling stamps on every piece of plastic that IS produced, so precious oil resources dont end up in landfills.

2. have incentives for grocers to carry local and organic foods, to cut down on fuel use in transportation and in oil-based fertilizers

3. investigate into biodiesels, but not from corn, as this raises prices on food even further and pushing more world hunger. algae would make a very good source of biodiesel.

4. tax hard-to-reycle plastics such as stryofoam

Comment from rlpfamily
August 11th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Reply to the "overpopulation is our doom" folks (bwyg1x, ronald long, etc., etc.). Coming from the Midwest where there is still land we pay to sit fallow even though we have farmed it in the past. The Midwest alone can produce enough wheat to give the entire world bread (even with the current populations in China, India, and Africa). The problem is distribution. For many reasons, I believe the earth can produce enough and to spare for humans and animals, so I disbelieve the overpopulation arguments. Though if we keep polluting the oceans and have to take fish out of the equation, than the spare production of food comes into jeopardy. I will also mean that protein consumption will have to rely on both animal products and vegetable products rather than mainly animal products (beef, pork, chicken) in the richer countries.

Comment from John Gulsby
August 11th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Don't build any more "freeways" or add more lanes. Just maintain what we have. Spend time, money and resources in city planning and mass transit.

Convert transportation to electric vehicles.

Generate electricity from wind and solar. They are free, inexhaustible and you don't have to burn them.

Comment from Ultima Rodriguez
August 11th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

A comprehensive approach is the answer including: conservation, defining what can be supported with alternative energy sources and those like petrochemicals that cannot, nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, liquifaction or hydrogenation of coal and biomass. We should not overlook the fact that our society is hugely dependent on petroleum and that we should therefore move quickly to allow offshore drilling to provide the energy we need during the transition to alterante sources and for the petrochemicals few realize are the basis for many consumer products, not just plastics.

There is a trade off with just about everything. The use of paper bags in stead of plastic means more trees will be cut down to make paper. The use of wind power clutters the landscape. Nuclear offers the possibility of highly toxic contaminaton of the environment. Coal is a dirty solution. Solar is still expensive and unsightly in the numbers of panels required.

Mandatory green designs for homes and retrofits. Two x six construction with maximum insultation would help.

Comment from Carolyn Moore
August 11th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

I drive a 13 year old Honda Civic VX which was designed to & did get high 40's mpg city/around 60 mpg highway, and still gets low 40's/mid 50's. So the technology has been there for at least 13 years and we need to ban large gas hogs, insist on using smaller fuel-efficient cars, and enforce existing laws keeping only needed large vehicles in the right lanes of roads. A nice side effect will be fewer fatal accidents. Recreational vehicles also need to be banned - side effect: preservation of the wilderness areas without which we will soon suffocate. Like off-roading? Get a bicycle, horse or hike. Like boating? Get a sailboat. Like camping in your RV? Get a tent & some cots. Side effects: less obesity, increased health.

Public Transit - Yeh! I wanted to use it to get to my last job which was a 20 minute drive from home. Turns out it would take 2 hours with one transfer plus a mile walk at beginning, middle and end, and if one didn't make the transfer in time, add another hour. No one has 4 to 6 hours a day to commute when 40 minutes will do it. Then I wanted to make a trip from Phoenix, AZ to Portland, OR (2 major cities) by train. This is the route: Bus to Flagstaff, train to LA, switch to a train to Stockton, bus to Sacramento, train to Portland, and better part of 3 days. Insane!

Get rid of HOA's and put the burden back on cities where it belongs to enforce reasonable rules regarding not letting your home become a weedlot or a parking lot for clunkers & RV's. Then prevent cities from building energy sucking Taj Mahals and mandate they use the money to subsidize placement of solar panels (&/or windmills) on house roofs so each home can be energy sufficient and maybe even contribute some back to the grid. And oh yes, stop the silly snobbery of not allowing people to hang their washing outside in the purifying sunshine or on screened porches in inclement weather.

Just read where they've made a small electric vehicle run by power from a solar panel on the roof through a storage battery - if it runs out of power, you stop for 15 minutes in the sun while it recharges. If we made provision for these on city streets, as we have bicycles (which older people, disabled folks and those with children to transport can't ride) these could be used for those many short errands around town that use so much gas. Sells for $9000.

There are so many sensible things we can do, not just to cope with this "temporary emergency", but to permanently make life better, if people could be educated out of their self-centeredness to see that we need a huge change in our MO if we are to preserve humanity itself - on personal terms, that's your children, grandchildren, and so on. And while we're educating, we need to teach the world about population control, since overpopulation is the basis of pretty much all our current collective problems.

Comment from Jupiterssun
August 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

Our garbage habits are really bad we throw away every thing and it just goes to the land fills That is just wrong in every aspect. there needs to be a seperator of the sorts to go thru and organize, and properly recycle, PERIOD. More DRILLING fine but that will not fix are fuel problem OIL is NOT the answer. ? is the desert year round, (country solar).
O and any idea we come up with is gonna cost money SO WHAT!
that is what money is for, To spend, just be smart about it. (gotta spend money to make money), How old school, how about paying back Mother Earth for her allowing you to live here. I don't care who you think you are or what you have done you owe this planet.

Comment from edwardjpeters
August 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

ahh here is my idea consider carefully every time you choose to use energy. there is the chief mechanism toward reducing energy use.I want to begin thinking of the gas I personally get to use when I drive as my demands upon my personal slave, I think this viewpoint can help me be diligent in my use of the car/truck. Would I ask my slave to carry on his back an extra 100 200 or more pounds for the trip to work(I resent the need for my heavy duty chain for my bicycle but feel I must at times use that behemeth)?From now on the car has the tools box and spare,blanket and water alone.I used to hitch hike a lot years ago and those times when I could view miles long views of bumper to bumper traffic leaving metro nyc struck me. Would I ask my slave to hold his 1 or two ton load( i.e. the vehicle) for twice as long because I could deal with the rush hour(s) traffic just like everyone else.
Dear readers get away from your job and home after the damned rush hour(s)Saturday early a.m.They enforce dwi laws effectively now,it is true though that you won't get creamed at 75 mph on the Major Deagan Expwy on a friday afternoon.
The biggest hindrance to dealing with these issues of energy use and global issues of can our world support us lies in one big big thing: we are afraid to give up our attitude that all is well as things are now. Yeah if this fear could be addressed successfully we could truly change. I am thinking we have got to believe that this comfortable future we imagine will just go on is ready to vanish.
What am I asking? Don't show up with the rent next month,there's your fear facing you in the face. The mortgage crisis I believe is symptomatic of people's best plans gone bad.It has such importance as we address these issues.Insulate a home.Keep your electric bill low.Even with my new wife I can probably be amazing but am insufficiently concentrated on it than I need to be.
It is relatively easy to do things once some choices have been made. I believe once earth starts calling the shots,once things get sufficiently bad climate wise ,etc. our choices will be made for us, but for now I believe facing an exciting unknown out of the mainstream, by choice, is the largest method open to a new and better future.There is a great generation's wealth out there now being passed on,to whom I chose ,you choose we all choose.

Comment from Bajar
August 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pm

the real answer is solar vapor and wind.. the nature has been given these for centuries and we need to take advantage of it

Comment from wickfordbard
August 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pm

1. Public transportation in all cities - no more cars allowed.
2. More local buses in suburbs and light rails to run on solar power.
3. Use hemp as a fuel - it's renewable and I've heard it's non-polluting. Get over our fear of HEMPl
4. Free internet service: so workers can stay home a few days a week and work from home.
5. Solar power on homes with tax-breaks
6. fund alternative fuels instead of big oil.
7.

Comment from Colette LaDue
August 11th, 2008 at 1:02 pm

We now drive at 55mph on the hwy - even if the speed limit is 65 - saves plenty of gasoline. We also do not go into town unless we are bundling errands - no more one stop only trips. We have also changed all of our household water faucets to 1.5 gal with new areators and even put something called a ladybug on our shower faucet that turns the water off when it gets hot so that we don't waste hot water while we are 'multi tasking' in the morning instead of waiting for the shower to heatup - lots of hot water wasted when we let it run while we feed the dogs...get a cup of coffee etc. We are looking into building our own passive solar hot air collectors for this winter to help cut down on heating the house to - there are lots of plans available on Mother Earth News web site.

Comment from Andy Belk
August 11th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

Federal and State governments could provide big tax credits/incentives for companies to allow/encourage telecommuting. This would have a triple benefit for folks commuting a long distance:
1) Reduce gas expenses.
2) Reduce time in the car (wasted).
3) Reduce CO2 emissions.

Companies will also benefit as telecommuters will likely feel much happier not spending all that time and money on gas and car travel.

Comment from susanna
August 11th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

I'm delighted to see gas prices as high as they are, and hope that they will continue to rise. It takes a "crisis" to get us to change our habits. As the price of gas rises, the number of people demanding more and better mass transit, aggressive development wind and solar power, and greater energy efficiency in cars & appliances will continue to increase. Already, fuel consumption is down, the number of road accidence has decreased, and utilization of mass transit has increased exponentially. I think in high gas prices we have finally found the answer to the rhetorical question that we've been asking since the Seventies: "What will it take to make people realize that they must conserve?"
In the short term there is so much we can do to reduce our energy consumption; the list is virtually endless: wash clothes in cold water; hang them on the line outdoors or indoors to dry; replace incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs; turn off the lights when leaving a room; buy more locally grown produce — or plant a vegetable garden yourself; walk or ride a bicycle to any reasonable destination (what's "reasonable" may vary widely: a colleague of mine takes his whole family on 200-mile bicycling vacations); car-pool, take the bus/train/subway; drink tap water (not bottled!)...the list goes on. There is SO much an individual or a family can do to conserve energy — saving money at the same time!

Comment from Roger
August 11th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

Make a small, four seat, three cylinder car available again at an economical price. The Geo Metro was such a car and could produce an mpg rating of more than 40 mpg. This would be a good alternative to those that can't afford the Prius.

Comment from abinkow
August 11th, 2008 at 1:04 pm

I have a comprehensive solution.

It starts with a combination solar power/mini wind power system on the roof of the house. Obviously, this system would need to be individually configured to the circumstances of the house; a house covered by trees requires more wind power; a house with no trees with more solar power.

The roof configuration electrical generation has two priorities: top off a house battery system, and run the electricity thru a hydrogen/oxygen separation system. This runs on distilled water.

All of the house appliances (including heat, water heat, and clothes washing equipment) run on either eletricity or burned oxygen (where that is practical).

The house battery system only tops off from the community power grid when it's running low. In many situations, it may never need to do so.

The hydrogen is used in the family car(s). These need to be triple-hybirds: Run off of batteries like a hybird, but recharge the hybird from hydrogen when available, and from gasoline when not. (It should also plug in when possible.). This is as efficient as we can get with existing technology.

Obviously, this would be very expensive. But energy costs become almost nil, and the more people doing it would lower the cost.

My problem: I can't figure out how to bring this to the attention of the appropirate people. And I'm not a business person, to get it done.

Comment from Tom Smith
August 11th, 2008 at 1:05 pm

My dad has always shown an interest in renewable energy. Now he is involved in a project that I find very appealing. Instead of using commodities like corn to make biofuel, his project involves algae. The algae requires CO2 and our nation's power plants are under pressure to reduce CO2 emmisions. If biofuel production plants are constructed next to power plants and other sources of CO2, we can turn the CO2 emissions into a positive by consuming it to grow algae for renewable energy production. Please check out the link about Solix. My favorite brewery New Belgium is helping out Solix by donating land and CO2 from the brewing process. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/12/solix_and_color.html

Comment from Terry
August 11th, 2008 at 1:06 pm

1. We must revise zoning laws to encourage clusters of small self-contained communities over sprawling centralized metroplexes. For example, since big box stores are a reality, why not build high and low density housing along with restaurants and entertainment within easy walking and biking distance. Even homes on the fringe of a cluster would be within an easy walk, bike ride or even short drive with a golf cart or car to more than one clusters centers. With the ability to electronically commute, many people will be able to not have to use cars or public transportation most of the time. Recently in a Meijer store (or Walmart or Target), I thought that if I lived within a few blocks, I could even do my grocery shopping on an as needed basis and not have to run a freezer and even be able to downsize my refrigerator. I could also buy most of whatever else I needed at the same location. If developers were to think in these terms, the profits from sales of residences could be used to help build the big box store and other business buildings while ensuring a customer and work-force base. A big plus would be the increased likelihood of Americans actually getting to know and interact with their neighbors.
2. Stop thinking in terms of gargantuan systems of energy production and distribution in favor of mass production of consumer solar, wind and geothermal production systems in order to bring the prices down. Tax incentives shifted from oil and electric companies could jump start the shift. Or incentives could be shifted to make oil companies take the lead by using their current record profits to diversify into becoming more "energy companies" as opposed to just "oil companies."
3. Imagine a national hub system for express passenger trains similar to what airlines have done. Imagine passenger trains the length of current 100-car freight trains making high-speed express runs from New York to Chicago and other major cities. The passenger-miles-per-gallon would be astronomical. Then subsystems of smaller trains and buses could move people out to smaller secondary hubs.
4. Take advantage of existing infrastructure by placing one, two, or even three or more small vertical wind turbines on every high tension tower within the current electrical grid.
5. Think about how much energy is used in transporting and burying our garbage. We need to find ways to first recover reusable and recyclable materials and then cleanly incinerate the rest which would conserve vast amounts of that energy while creating heat to generate electricity. This may involve rethinking how waste is collected and would lay more responsibility at the feet of consumers, but needs to be done. I could not help but notice when traveling westward toward St. Louis recently that the view of the Arch is obscured by a huge mountainous garbage dump.
6. We must come up with affordable mass-produced systems to generate electricity from manufacturing sources which create large amounts of waste heat. This would cut the bottom lines of those companies
7. As I was writing this an article came on CNN about oil from seeds of the jatropha fruit as a fuel alternative that does not even require refining. It makes better sense to cultivate these kinds of plants that have no other use instead of using food crops like soy and corn to create biofuels. Again the oil companies could take the incentive in this, diversifying their energy production instead of just drill, drill, drill. The capital investment would be substantially less than for drilling, and there would be no dry holes.
8. As we see the images of pollution in the Beijing Olympics, we need to realize how we need to wean away from oil. And with jobs moving away from America, we need to use our vast resources of genius to create new technologies that we export to other countries instead of just buying their oil and manufactured goods. It seems that the role of America in the world economy has become just to be the world's consumer. Even that will grind to a halt if we cannot generate new sources of exports that will help solve the problems of the world as well as our own while bolstering our position as a the strongest nation in the world, doing it in ways other than militarily.

Comment from Francis Parnell
August 11th, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Speaking of energy waste, the International Dark Sky Association estimates that because of light pollution we waste in excess of $10-billion dollars a year just lighting up the sky. Light pollution also releases about 40-million tons of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere annually. By using fully-shielded lighting fixtures that put light where it's needed, on the ground and not into the sky, turning off all lighting that isn't needed for security, i.e., signs, landscaping and architectural lighting, we could save energy, money, and natural resources. A win-win for the environment, and us too!

Comment from abinkow
August 11th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Quick followup: I should mention that the waste product of the hydrogen in the car is — distilled water, which feeds back into the separation system. There might be additional water needed, from time to time (evaporation), but that's easy.

Comment from Fred Beyer
August 11th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

It's time to do away with thge long haul trucking industry. Move long hual commodities on trains and us short haul trucking to move the goods from rail terminals to factories and stores. We did much more this way fifty years ago. It is time to bring back what was a more energy efficient way of doing business.

At the same time we need to upograde the rail system and switch to electric locomotives across the entire country.

Making the passenger rail system run on schedule with cleaner and more efficient service would provide a truely viable alternative to flying and or driving from one place to another.

Comment from Mark Schuttauf
August 11th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

The first problem we need to deal with is government. When the US gov't gets 18 cents for every gallon of fuel, you start to understand why they don't want it to change very quickly. Any auto executive can tell you that it is relatively easy to make changes for far far superior gas mileage. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association has had several events where gas mileage has been vastly improved by local engineering students. They've had a Prius as high as 107mph. An 1996 Saturn with 85,000 miles that got over 50mph. The technology has been there for quite some time. Since this forum is for ANSWERS and not a continuation of the "blame game" we should concentrate on solutions. Several stop gap measures would make a huge difference. The first should be a mandate that ALL fossil fuel vehicles produced be flexfuel vehicles. Secondly, we need to change how the federal taxes are charged on fuel/vehicles. Charge tax the same for current vehicles while charging by the mileage on any non-fossil fuel vehicle produced. This alleviates the shortage of tax revenue if electric,hydrogen, airpowered, etc vehicles are sold. We should also investigate the sugar-cane methanol from Brazil. It's much cheaper to produce than corn ethanol. The government should also allow tax incentives to service stations who retrofit for flex fuel as well as other types such as hydrogen. This would ensure that millions of hard working people who currently pump gas still have a job. If the economic ramifications aren't dealt with, NOTHING will change. Our government will find it easier to cut ties with oil if they have another revenue stream to replace it. Conservation and exploration are good short term helps, but the country MUST get completely away from oil. It's the only sound policy for our future as well as that of our children. Do we really want to be the first generation that leaves the planet worse off for the next generation?

Comment from Tin
August 11th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

I don't understand why McCain is talking drill, drill, drill. The absolute majority of people commenting here have said no to drilling.

Great ideas and comments from everyone.

My idea is to grow non food crops like switch grass, etc., in the medians of the highways and along side the roads. Besides growing crops to make bio-diesel, we could grow crops for fiber and other uses. I see tractors using fuel to cut the grass/weeds down with no productivity only fuel usage. Crazy. At least grow something in the center, if not roadside.

Comment from Aliaa Abdel-Gawad
August 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

For one, an education PR campaign MUST be done to educate the general public that expanding offshore oil will NOT change the gasoline prices (especially anytime soon). It's very discouraging that a majority of the American public (including liberals and progressives believe this); therefore, that is priority number one.

Furthermore, we need to expand wind development. I agree with Thomas Friedman (New York Times) when he wrote, "If only we had a Congress and president who, instead of chasing crazy schemes like offshore drilling and releasing oil from our strategic reserve, just sat down with Boone and Shai and asked one question: “What laws do we need to enact to foster 1,000 more like you?” Then just do it, and get out of the way." [Texas to Tel Aviv - Published: July 27, 2008]

Comment from Holly Dain
August 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

We need to implement a Peace Corp type program where young people could commit a couple years to building the infrastructure for renewable energy sources. The large energy corportations who are experiencing record profits should primarily finance this program as they will benefit from the infrastructure once it is completed. The participants would gain job training and experience in a growing field. They should receive job placement assistance at the completion of their service. This would create jobs, job training and the infrastructure needed.

Comment from katie
August 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

i think that combining activities helps out a lot. that means being more organized. l combine my workout with errands-biking 5 miles each way to town to go to post office, library, bank. i take the dogs with me when i need to go grocery shopping and walk them at the beach on the way. we painted our roof so it stays fairly comfortable even on the 100+ days with no air conditioning. when i drive, i drive i keep below 60. i've dried my clothes on the line for the past 2 years.

Comment from olneyca
August 11th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

We decided to do a vegetable garden and plant some food bearing trees. Our current ag system is heavily based on oil, in fertilizers and transportation over long distances.

I started taking Metrolink to work, and then walking from the train station.

I share stories about the impact of plastic bottles with co-workers.

It's being constantly vigilant to the changes I can make in my own setting, and then sharing that information with others that helps to make a difference. I send letters to elected officials on environmental policies and legislation.

Comment from Mike Seymour
August 11th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Policy, technological and behavioral changes mentioned above are all necessary, but we also need to get to the root of the problem, which is more spiritual and has to do with people's disconnection in modern society from something essential within themselves, betwwen themselves and others as well as the world at large. As long as this inner void exists in the modern human, the hunger arising from it will always continue to manifest in unhealthy ways–overconsumption, disregard for others and the Earth, social unrest, violence. Peace on Earth comes from inner harmony.

Comment from Linda S Jones
August 11th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

>Tax credits for individuals to install energy generation on their homes... solar, geothermal, wind... with meters that run both ways. (This has worked exceptionally well in Germany.)
>Make such improvements exempt from inclusion in assessments for property tax purposes.
>Impose a title-transfer tax on the sale of all vehicles based on their mpg rating... and earmark the tax for mass transit.
>Cap the sales taxes on gas to "x" per gallon, and earmark the excess windfall sales taxes caused by high fuel prices for mass transit.
>Some kind of incentive for buyers and builders to reduce the size of new homes and make them more energy efficient.
>Wherever there's already a free-standing cell tower... approval for a wind generator should be fast-tracked.
>Perhaps impose a fee on luxury items that comsume fuel... pool heaters, boat motors, RVs (maybe with a rebate if "permanently" placed in a camp?), off-road bikes & ATMs, etc.
>Allow scooters and mo-peds with limited hp to use bike ways adhering to strict speed limits (for safer commutes).
>Offer more learn-to-ride classes to make it easier for people to get motorcycle licenses.
>Require oil companies to increase refinery capacity before granting additional drilling rights. Require them to use existing leases or lose them. Enforce strict environmental controls on both.

Comment from Wendy King
August 11th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

Many cities and communities have services where bikes and/or cars are shared. Someone needing a car for errands or short trips reserves the car, picks it up, uses it for a set period of time, and then returns it. Other than "renting" the car and refueling/recharging it, and returning it, the driver doesn't have to worry about keeping the car in tune, or any other car maintenance issues.
I also suggest making living closer to transit or destinations more affordable, via home financing/mortgage discounts.

Comment from Rex
August 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Formulate and institute a nationwide "Is This Trip Necessary?"
campaign, aimed at reducing vehicular fuel consumption.

Comment from Jupiterssun
August 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Wow i didn't relize how many, Wonderful People have such GOOD ideas,And how much Thought they have put into it.I'm just confused with why we the people, Don't have a say and the muster to run this country, And keep putting are trust in the elected officials that have come to office for there GAIN and no longer work for the people but work for the Government.

Comment from herb
August 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Oil from shale is plentiful; (estimated competitive cost is $30 per barrel.)

Also, is it not counter productive that people still burn oil for heat?

There is so many other combustibles available!

Lastly, nuclear is the long term solution.

Just get out of the way and the free market of economics and ideas will work.

Comment from Julia
August 11th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Support sustainable, local, organic farming in this country and abroad and end our dependence on petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

Comment from TW
August 11th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

All of the above (nearly)
Opponents and ostriches object to many on the grounds that saving 1% of our total energy needs by means of suggestion X makes it near irrelevent. I agree.
Of 100 suggestions above, long term incentivize the 50+ best and watch American inventiveness fill gaps.
50 1% savings is fine by me.
My point is that no one action is enough, but collectively, a basket of actions will be.

So, the "Economic Stimulus" packages that Bush gave out and Obama has hinted, should be tied to energy efficiency. Many efficiency measures are never taken because of the capital required at installation time, even if the long term savings of running costs give a pay back. Why, oh why don't we make this money available *ONLY* for certified energy saving devices?
The psycology is this: If you don't find the motivation (and maybe additional money) you loose twice: You loose the available free government money AND you don't get a new-double-glazed-window or low-water-use-washer, or solar-attic-fan or attic-insulation or solar-water-heater or heat-on-demand-water-heater or partial-reabate -when-trading-in-guzzler-for-smug-car or washing-line or watt-miser or ..
etc etc .... you make the list.

My proto-list is skewed towards home-owners. We'd need to include
many items that would benfit renters, students and retirees.

There's $$ to be made, a planet to be saved.

Comment from Harris Lewis
August 11th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

Solar water heating is economical and effective. Turn up the thermostat in the summer and down in the winter. Stop using plastic bags; they are made from petroleum, and they are not biodegradable. Recycle everything possible and encourage your governments to do so, too. Limit driving to necessary trips and combine errands. Buy local produce.

Comment from halhurst
August 11th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

I've changed my commuting habits now, and bike to work nearly every day. It's been a year since I switched every lightbulb I could find for a CFL.

But I still cook and heat water with gas, and I need my car for shopping and other occasional uses. I can envision these needs being met by installing the solar roofing which has recently become available, in conjunction with a plug-in hybrid. Even without home-generated power, plug-ins would allow alternate energy sources to be used in cars for most of their operation.

Decentralized, distributed generating of power, such as personal solar panels, will never be the darling of the energy industry, because it cuts into their profits. So don't expect it to be handed to you on a silver platter.

In Idaho there is a prototype generating technology project called the solar road, which produces solar power from a paved driving surface. Considering the vast area, both public and private, which is already paved, this is an idea which bears looking into.

Comment from gelacase
August 11th, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Every structure possible should become it own source of energy using wind and solar technology. The federal government should provide better tax incentives for families and businesses to do this. Electric companies should allow users to sell back more electricity from their solar and wind installations than they use.
Everyone needs to conserve electricity. If all incandescent light bulbs were replaces with fluorescent ones the savings would be huge. Better yet, replace all lighting with LEDs. It should be illegal for companies to leave their lights on over night. Skyscrapers in cities do not need to be lit up at night.
U.S. car companies should start making plug-in hybrids with comfortable seating. I hear people complain all the time that they would buy a Japanese hybrid but the seats are too small and hard. Ford, for example could put Volvo seats (more comfortable than your easy chair)in a little hybrid.
Everyone should write to their representatives in congress explaining that ethanol is not the answer, in fact it takes as much energy to produce and ship as it provides. Brazil's energy independence using ethanol comes at the expense of the largest greenhouse gas absorber on the planet: the Amazon rain forest. We should be paying Brazilians to not cut down the rain forest to grow sugar cane for ethanol.

Comment from sandy
August 11th, 2008 at 1:17 pm

want immediate results?

then try immediate govt provision of free mopeds and pd for service for anyone who applies.

does anyone think the oilers would let the big shot thieves who make up the govt controller allow this? they'd rather kill thousands of opponents - foreign or their own citizens.

Comment from neosapiens
August 11th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

Put people to work insulating and weatherizing homes.
Help people who heat with oil to supplement with or switch to solar heat.
Promote national grid-connection standards, tax credits and electricity rate structures that promote small solar, wind and other power generation.
Help businesses and local governments to exploit local biomass resources, landfill gas, etc.
Promote alternative fuel vehicles and electric vehicles.
Help local, state and federal agencies get alternative fuel vehicles and equipment.

Comment from Curt Sommer
August 11th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

There are countless good ideas here about how to reduce our fossil fuel dependence. The bottom line is that 90% of our transportation fuel comes from petroleum, of which we import 70%, while comprising less than 5% of global population and consuming 25% of global oil production. Is it any wonder BushCo invaded Iraq? We needed to start this dialog 30 years ago to start a smoother transition. Now we must start walking, biking, carpooling, telecommuting etc, etc.

Comment from abinkow
August 11th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

Comment to Tom Smith; A decent attempt, but this would actually INCREASE CO2 emissions. The algae reduces CO2 in the air, it is true — but it also pulls carbon from the water system. When burned, this additional carbon combines with oxygen to creat more CO2 than was removed from the air in the first place.

Comment from Andrew
August 11th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

MORE AMTRAK PASSENGER TRAINS! I can't emphasize this enough. NOW is the time for both the government and the private sector to merge on this idea. We also need to have MORE high-speed trains running from major cities like Chicago to smaller cities nearby (Chicago to St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Minneapolis/St. Paul...to name but a few). CREATE SERVICE to smaller cities and towns that are now without (like Rockford, IL; Madison, WI; Iowa City, IA). High speed ACELA service in the Northeast Corridor is awesome; yet we've got to have this widely available in other parts of the nation as well. If America's government can appropriate funding for this damn war in Iraq, so can we also look out our respective front windows and furnish much needed–and long overdue!–funding for both short and long distance passenger trains, in addition to shoring up/replacing aging bridges and tracks. We'd reap benefits in other ways, too: dedication to improving service in a major way would provide jobs for many, many people, and the public's often dim view of trains would improve. It's a no-brainer and should have been done long before this crisis hit.

As for our cars? I love my own but you know, I needed to get my butt out of the seat and onto the bike more than I care to admit, and I'm doing that now more than ever. What I thought would prove both a headache and inconvenience has paid dividends I never gave much thought to. I've lost some weight, feel more alive and healthy, and I've met some wonderful people in the process–folks whom are doing the same thing as I! Win-win-win! It's all about balance people. You don't need the car to drive two blocks all the time.

I saw on the local news here in the Chicago area how Amtrak had SOLD OUT tickets for seats aboard their trains this weekend. When was the last time any of you heard that on the news??? I think it's awesome (and its clear I'm a huge proponent of Amtrak to boot). Proof positive that when faced with hardships, people WILL explore alternatives. We can whip the oil problem, America! Taking the first step is often the most difficult part of it all. Once done however, the rest comes with relative ease. That said, SUPPORT AMTRAK! Give us MORE TRAINS! Hit the bike paths; do some walking! You'll feel better across multiple levels and you'll have contributed to our country relying less and less on oil.

Comment from catehokte
August 11th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

I have seen many new developements for alternative fuel and the government isn't listening. I saw a news article about a new hybrid electric car that was leased out to various citizens and businesses in California. It went over so big because of it's efficiency that all wanted to buy the cars they had. The cars were taken back by the distributer never to be seen again. I have seen an explanitory video on how a dairy farmer converted his manure into methane and powered his entire farm by this fuel conversion. I have also seen the inventor of an algae farm that grows and converts algae to burnable clean fuel. Then we have wind and solar power that is efficient one or the other in most parts of the world, again no one is listening. The government is trying to suppress these wonderful efficient new ways to stop our need for much of the oil, coal and nuclear power we use. We need to keep the pressure on the government and make them change their policies with big conglomerates and demand they invest their billions in profits to some of these proven and presently existing alternatives they all have tried to suppress from the general public.

Comment from Linda S Jones
August 11th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

Further to comments by Terry at 1:06 p.m.

5. Think about how much energy is used in transporting and burying our garbage. We need to find ways to first recover reusable and recyclable materials and then cleanly incinerate the rest which would conserve vast amounts of that energy while creating heat to generate electricity...

To "find" a way to do this, we need only look to how Germany accomplishes it. They currently have a shortage of garbage needed to fuel their incineration/energy generation plants.

Comment from Skye
August 11th, 2008 at 1:21 pm

Don't have time to read all comments or leave a long one. Great to see them all, though. Loved the ad that we.org did for the Olympics. Their bipartisan approach appeals to many and has a vision that is realistic. Changing my own habits seems to be the most challenging. Use less, recycle more, support legislative change. Mahalo to all!

Comment from chuck
August 11th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

stop giving the oil companies tax breaks.
create more bike friendly cities
create a cap and trade system
create tax incentives for renewable energy

Comment from JP Lelarge
August 11th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

Long term:
1) stop population eplosion which strains ALL resources, not just energy. The "baby booms" or population explosions and the associated consumerism will be man kind's downfall. The Earth cannot sustain this out of control growth. It is time to stop having so many babies.
2) stop building huge (unreasonable) show off houses. Palaces are not needed and wasteful.
3) consume less of everything. Everything manufactured and/or transported costs energy. There is no need to consume so much (except to increase corporate profits)

short term:
1) drive slower. Air (wind) resistance goes up at the rate of the square of speed. Staying at 55mph saves a huge amount of energy.
2) Telecommute, carpool, ride transit

Comment from joyforlife
August 11th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Re-instate the 55 mile an hour speed limit NOW, set high milage standards for new gas powered vehicles. Recycle intensely. Enforce recycling in institutions. Mass transit along existing highways and railroads. Bonuses for home produced solar power.Better tax credits for alternative energy vehicles.
This article will blow your mind! Check out MIT's latest discovery, better than a battery for storing solar energy!
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html

Comment from Robert Bohmfalk
August 11th, 2008 at 1:25 pm

1. If not in a rush, begin driving 55 MPH. 2. We should begin buying more oil from Russia. It would help Russia become more capitalistic. (They have a better chance with democracy than Saudi Arabia). 3. If the U.S. oil companies continue to make obscene profits, we shoud consider natiionalizing them like the other countries of the world does.

Comment from Jessica
August 11th, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Invest in clean energy and public transportation. Also, make cities more bike-friendly. (Portland, OR is a fantastic paradigm for a bike-friendly city.)

Comment from samathia smith
August 11th, 2008 at 1:26 pm

I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN AND I WALK....TO THE GROGERY STORE, SHOPS CLOSE BY. SPEND MORE TIME ON FOOT INSTEAD OF HOT FOOTING IT IN A GAS-EATING CAR. BRING BACK THE PASSENGER TRAINS....WORST MISTAKE AMERICA MADE...TAKING THE TRAINS AWAY. ALSO MOST SMALL CITIES DON'T HAVE GREYHOUND BUS SERVICE ANYMORE....SO INSTEAD OF ONE BUS OUT THERE GOING FROM CITY TO CITY....WE HAVE EIGHT HUNDRED CARS SPEEDING DOWN THE PIKE. WAKE UP AMERICA....GAS IS NOT FREE AND IT MAY NEVER COME BACK DOWN....SO GET BUSY THINKING OF WAYS TO SAVE WHAT WE HAVE...NOT WAYS TO GET RID OF IT !!!

Comment from James W. Anderson III
August 11th, 2008 at 1:26 pm

There are a lot of great ideas posted so far, and some pretty whacko ones too, but of course you get that on the net. A great thing many people forget is that many of these ideas also save you money while reducing environmental damage, so we all win.

I personally have worked on solutions to these problems for over 20 years and have been trying for some time to get investors to pay attention to the fact that there are very workable and profitable solutions that can be built very quickly, generate good clean renewable energy, good profits, and provide jobs. See http://therealmsoflegend.com/eco.htm

I would like to mention that there are indeed people in congress and the senate who do listen. I have spent a lot of time in discussion with the staff of both houses in relation to the recent energy bills, and although they and I would have liked to push for more, there is still the problem of needing to compromise to get laws passed, at least until there is a significant increase in political pressure from you, the people.

It is important to realize that one thing we do not need are single source solutions, we need diversification and localized power grids so that we can use what works best in a given area and not be so much at the mercy of large multinationals and politicians who are not serving our best interests.

Some people also do not seem to know the difference between ethanol and methane/methanol.

Both are very old natural process and can be greatly enhanced with appropriate application of technology.

Ethanol is a fermented and distilled produce of aerobic bacterial decomposition. It requires a lot of energy to distill it from the mashed up material they ferment. This alone is the single biggest factor in why ethanol is so inefficient as a fuel and takes almost twice as much energy overall as just using a gallon of petroleum.

Methane comes from anaerobic decomposition. It bubbles out as a gas but can be converted to a liquid.

Methane digestion has been around since the first swamps and also comes from the digestive tracts of many animals.

It is also what makes up the major part of natural gas, so we already do burn a lot of methane.

As has been said, we should be harnessing methane production from landfills and many places do, as well as what comes form old coal mines, but these methods are not as efficient as they could be.

There is a much more efficient way to make vast quantities of methane using the sewage and other organic wastes that are produced by our society and which amount to millions of tons material that are simply thrown away each year, costing us money for disposal as well as representing various environmental impacts.

Literally our society could make billions of dollars of cheap energy just from the organic material we throw away every day.

This too should not be considered the only answer but should be used in cooperation with the best of other renewable technologies. For example, the residual organic material after the digestion process is greatly cleaned up and sanitized and makes excellent fertilizer which can be used to restore damage soil such as old strip mines and allows us to grow biodiesel crops on that land.

There are many answers and the best plans will use several that work in cooperation to enhance the overall viability, profitability and benefit to the American people, the other citizens of the world, and the ecosystem as a whole.

Our system is called the ORB system, Organics Reprocessing and Biofuels and is also part of the Greener Ohio Sustainability Plan.

The bottom line is that the system can replace most sewage facilities and many landfills or work in cooperation with existing ones, and pays for itself in three years while making a lot of renewable and clean energy.

There is hope, but the toughest thing so far is getting the word out and finding real investors because frankly all the attention has been going to other answers that cater to the specific interests of people who get the most media attention.

Comment from Nina
August 11th, 2008 at 1:26 pm

Steps towards reduction of oil consumption through a relatively gradual substitution have the problem that we may just overuse another harmful resource or we will free up more oil to be used more quickly in different ways. We need to use the oil shortage as an excuse to rework our infrastructure, so that oil is no longer the cheapest and most obvious way to do everything.

This means that we need a swift expansion of infrastructure that is not primarily dependent on fossil fuels– train lines for shipping and inter-city transportation, much more localized wind and solar infrastructure, better public transit and non-motorized transportation infrastructure, housing financing and development incentives that weigh toward smaller dwellings that require less fuel to heat, and decreased incentives for fertilizer-intensive conventional farming techniques.

Comment from randy thill
August 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm

We all know in our hearts what to do. some, tho, feel money will compensate. It doesn't. Even if we can afford to do otherwise, we must drive less and walk more. Donate to ways that are developing alternative energy. Buy into experiments that cut the use of gasoline in our vehicles and fossel fuel in our kitchens. Buy locally and calculate real costs of what you purchase rather than just the dollar cost. Turn the heat down in the winter and allow it to be warmer in your home in the summer. Turn off lights and appliances when not using them. Use Mass transit whenever possible. Give friends rides so two cars aren't going to the same place. We have been told all our lives how to do these things..many think it meant LATER. Later doesn't help. Do it now. Of course, we would do well to boycot gas-guzzeling vehicles and encourage inventions that creat engines that rid us of dependancy on fossel fuel. And do not be fooled. Electricity is a wolf in disguise! Using atomic waste is not an alternative. Using clean energy is! Let's all do it!

Comment from neosapiens
August 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Start a national education campaign to make it chic and patriotic to grow some of your own food, buy local, shop at thrifts and donate what you aren't using.

Lower the speed limit. That worked the last time. People groused about it but it DID work. It does save fuel and it does it right away, no gimmicks!

Double the efficiency of big rigs. Rocky Mt. Institute has good ideas on how to do this.

Promote hybrid and natural gas delivery vehicles. These are readily available technologies!

Comment from Virginia Woolridge
August 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

I support a local group that works through my states legislature for smart growth (including mass transit). They bring together planners, citizens, environmentalists, developers and our representatives in the state legislature.
I think the federal gov't should give incentives to support more individual solar development to get the industry up and running, with better price points for home owners.
Additionally, I would like to see all of the malls across the nation cover heir roofs (and/or covered parking) with solar panels.
At home we are beginning to grow our food and buy as much locally as we can. I use a clothes line for drying and other measures as well.
Thanks for your work!

Comment from Sharyn Beach
August 11th, 2008 at 1:29 pm

I am not great with technology and probably cannot offer better technical suggestions than are given here, except to say that I do not think we can solve this crisis without extensive investment in clean, safe, efficient public transportation. Making better cars is important, but not enough. The world cannot sustain individual car ownership for every citizen. An important part of reaching this goal is changing our values. It will be difficult for many to accept this until we all understand that transportation is just that - it's a way to get from point A to point B; it is not an extension of our identities.

Our communities should be designed to truly meet our needs for healthy food, community, comraderie, and meaningful citizenship. How I would love to live in a place where I could walk or ride a bike to a small grocery or produce stand provided by local farmers and only buy enough for a couple of meals and eat everything fresh. Less storage, less refrigeration, less fuel use, more interaction with our neighbors.

So much fun to read all of these ideas.

Thanks!

SBeach

Comment from Lynn Vincentnathan
August 11th, 2008 at 1:29 pm

I'm just waiting for affordable electric cars or plug-in hybrids to come out so I can drive off my 100% wind-powered electricity from Green Mountain Energy. [[Of course, India, Europe, China, and Japan have had EVs for years...only Americans can't have them; see WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR — for one, the car companies, who don't make much money off servicing them, since they are very cheap to run and maintain.]]

Since the 70s energy crunch we've been living within 1 or 2 miles of work & shops, turning off the engine in drive-thrus (& ordering veggie burgers), and many other things.

Realtors tend to take home buyers to the homes that make them the most commissions. Home buyers need to be extremely strict about sticking to homes within 1 or 2 miles of work (if other home specs can be met within that radius). Then they might even be able to offset some car-driving with walking or cycling, which could improve one's health (referred to as "tunneling through" in NATURAL CAPITALISM - www.natcap.org ).

We don't need to drill for more oil. We need to think, act, and reduce our oil consumption. We need to stop being "car seat potatoes."

I'm also hoping to get involved in biofuels from non-food sources. Like the moringa tree. We have lots in our back yard. They grow like weeds, shooting straight up 30 feet in a couple of years; grow from branch cuttings or seeds; can be grown in poor soil, drought, and flood conditions; they die down in a killing frost, but shoot back up 30 feet in a couple of years. I think fuel can be made from their seeds and from the cellulose of their pods and branches. The leaves can be eaten as spinach, and are medicinal. Leaves can also be used as cow fodder, increasing milk production by one-fourth or more. They take up very little horizontal space, and can be grown around food-crop fields.

Comment from Stefanie Gandolfi
August 11th, 2008 at 1:29 pm

How about installing a time display on traffic lights showing how long the light is going to stay red, similar to the timed "walk/don't walk" signs going up in many cities? That way, drivers can turn off their engines, rather than sit idling for minutes at a time.

Also, why not require all new or remodeling multi-story parking structures to install solar panels on the roof? Sounds like good "carma" to me!

Comment from haikuza
August 11th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

Has anyone heard of Trevor Field's Play Pumps, or Raj Pandian's Swing Generators? It's the coolest thing. Inventions use playground equipment & all that natural kid energy to pump water generate electricity. We could get our kids off Ritalin (sp?) & harness the power!
Can't find a proper link to Pandian's work, but can google him.

www.pbs.org/.../2006/09/playpump_projec.html

Oh, & don't forget to inflate your tires!:)

Comment from Holly
August 11th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

I find it obvious to reduce gas prices as well as global warming is to implement additional rural public transportation to connect to metro areas. I was staying in Front Royal, VA, precisely 60 miles west of Wash DC on 66, and there is NO consistent public transportation. This is becoming more and more of a commuter town, and I find this lack of transportation very odd. Furthermore, there is NO public transportation connecting DC to its main airport - Dulles Airport. Very strange, indeed, when our nation's capital does not even have this source. If we had more public transportation that was consistent and usable connecting rural areas to metro areas, this would allieviate much of the pressure for each commuter to own a car and thus cost more and pollute the air more.

Comment from Kathryn Barnes
August 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pm

I believe if the future is to exist at all, that it is time that the people of the world either go backwards in time, and live simply and humbly on the earth in a natural way as the Amish do or as the Tribes, or to develop wind and solar generation systems to retain the quality of life the "civilized" world has come to know.
If we wait until global warming has destroyed the world, or oil runs out, this will be much more difficult to achieve than now. Nuclear energy is NOT the answer...neither is war over oil, neither is desperation.
Electric cars could run on plug in stations of an internal grid from clean....wind, water, solar, geothermal...sources...as could everything else. There is no excuse for the lack of interest or development....and this should all be decentralized, not run by some mega corporation or world power entity.

Comment from smulcahy
August 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pm

The technology to run a combustion engine on water is out there. There was an article about a high school auto mechanics class that converted an old Ford pickup to run on water, it was front page news one day and never referred to again. A man in the Phillipines runs a Honda Accord on water, but the government asked him not to market his idea because it would ruin the economy. Now Japan has a water car, but no plans to market it over here. People are losing their ability to get to work and support their families because of the price of gas. If we would convert our engines, imagine how much pollution would not occur, yes, it would knock the wind out of the sails of the drilling, oil and refining companies, but they have been knocking the wind out of our living standards for years. The combustion engine killed the horse drawn wagon, it's time we moved on.

Why when we are being told the advantages of switching our homes to solar and wind power, is the government removing the tax incentives to do so? A new solar panel that does not use silicon and is more efficient, and way cheaper is coming on the market without any help from our government, however Germany has ordered enough panels that the company is backlogged for at least a year.

The truth is that our government does not want us to be energy independent, we don't have lobbyists that throw millions of dollars around to get our politicians to vote for our interests.

Comment from Bruce Bales
August 11th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

The January Scientific American magazine contained a pretty complete plan for this, including lots of wind and solar. 30,000 square miles of solar in the southwest U.S. Many wind farms throughout the midwest.

We also need to add taxes to the use of carbon-based fuels to encourage going to electric and public transportation. A stiff gasoline tax would be a good start. The tax would help to pay for subsidies for the development and deployment of wind and solar devices.

Development of plug in electric vehicles should be encouraged.
bruce

Comment from snorklmike
August 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm

Actually, there is a quick fix to this dilemma. Have GM and Ford ressurect the electric car. Ever hear of the DVD "Who Killed The Electric Car?" ? Rent it! The technology existed in the 1990's, and with lithium batteries, would be even better today. Try Googling Tesla Motors. They manufacture a high end electric car right now. There are people in this country that own electic vehicles that recharge from their own solar panels. We have the technology people! In fact, the first electric car was built in 1903! We also have the technology for solar and wind power! What we don't have is the will power to back away from an oil based economy! Who's got the guts to stand up to big oil? That's the real question. The problem is solvable, and it's solvable now!

Comment from Brian Colandrea
August 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

We need to maximize alternate sources of energy. For example, there should be offshore platforms yes, but not for oil, these platforms should be covered in windmills and solar panels. The area beneath the platform can be designed as an artificial reef to help fish stocks. in addition to energy these should help boost local economies by providing jobs as well as recreational oppoertunites (fishing). Geothermal systems, wind, and solar systems should be encouraged nationwide with tax incentives and governmental assistance. Also, other fuel sources such as ethanol may be appropriate to fuel public fleet vehicles, such as municipalities, schools etc. We need to demand these changes from our elected officials.

Comment from James W. Anderson III
August 11th, 2008 at 1:41 pm

I agree with Nina too. Housing accounts for roughly 40% of the energy use in the US, mostly for heating and cooling and yet over 90% of this can be eliminated by better designed houses and structures.

Until we can each and all manage to move to such better structures though every step you can take to reduce energy consumption will help us all out, and buy us more time as well.

Reduce the use of the heating and air conditioning as much as you can, insist on good landscaping that cuts cooling requirements as well as a proper overhang on windows and porches to keep the sun out during the hot months but still allow it during the cold months.

The move to CFL (fluorescent lights) is a good start for some people and eventually LED based lighting will be even more energy efficient and cost effective.

Earth bermed and other passive solar structures will help a great deal as more of them are built but this will take time.

Of course had people listened to people like myself back in the 80s and 90s when we were lecturing about this stuff then none of us would be in the situation we are in now.

Comment from Tina
August 11th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

This is not new, but had been forgotten and only now that gas is so high does anyone care. Doesn't anyone remember the 70's and the environmental moment? NO! Forgotten in the 80's and 90's when trucks are exempt from emissions and everyone started buying them. Oh what about those Hummers? Monster trucks? Gas guzzling cars? Not one ad for the last 10 years even mentioned "good gas mileage." If you don't think this was by design your not paying attention. Houses are bigger, traffic is worse and kids ain't learning in school. I suggest raising the driving age to 18 yrs. Exponentially, each year millions of teenagers get their license and flood the byways. Our disposable society is coming to an end....it's about time!

Comment from f5mando
August 11th, 2008 at 1:46 pm

Buy (or build) an HHO (Brown's Gas) hydrogen generator system for around $100 and install it in your car/truck. Repeatedly confirmed, proven results show you WILL increase your gas mileage by between (conservatively) 30% and 80%. Through electrolysis using only tap water, we generate hydrogen (separated from the water) which is delivered to the fuel system via a rubber tube.
If we all do this, we will reduce pollution (individually and collectively), and reduce iol consumption.

Comment from happihiker
August 11th, 2008 at 1:47 pm

There are a few simple things I've been doing for years to reduce oil use:
(1) Use canvas bags for shopping — mostly for groceries, but more recently for other stores as well.
(2) When I have to drive to stores, I plan a trip that includes multiple stops, rather than making several trips.
(3) I pay extra for an electric supplier that provides electricity from renewable resources.
(4) Carpool with friends for both business and social activities.
(5) Buy local produce when available

For bigger things, how about eliminating subsidies to Oil companies and increasing taxes on oil products so that other energy sources become more competitive pricewise.

Then, use the funds from the oil taxes to:
(a) develop more efficient energy methods from renewable resources, both on a large commercial scale and for individual use of methods like solar or windpower.
(b) subsidize individual installation & use of renewable resources for home use.
(c) develop efficient electric-powered vehicles for both long and short trips

Finally, lets let our local state and federal government representatives know that we don't want/need more oil production, we need to eliminate our dependency on oil by using other sources of heat and energy

Comment from charlesyankel
August 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

I drive a small, fuel efficient car, a 1995 Toyota Tercel with a manual transmission. By driving in a reasonable manner, within the speed limits, anticipating traffic lights and congestion, and maintaining my car, I average 45 MPG on my daily commute to work. I have gotten over 50 MPG on highway trips. We must all do our part to conserve all forms of energy. I can do better, we must all do better.

Comment from alan
August 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

American business can quickly reduce our dependency on oil by modifying the traditional working hours and allow more use of technology that allows workers to work from anywhere.

Stop using archaic working hour rules from the 18th century.

Changing the traditional 9-5 work day, 5 days a week to something like a 4 (10 hour day)work week would be a significant change. This could also help increase the employment numbers as more people would need to be hired to cover 5 day work weeks.

Another would be to allow upgrade workers computers to allow for audio/video/file sharing/instant messaging conferencing via VPN and SSH security technologies. This alone would cut down on the traffic and impact the demand for oil which in-turn would drop the price and allow for the so-called work/life balance to really take affect. (We are in the 21st century after all)

These measures could be instituted immediately per business.

Comment from ptferraro
August 11th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Forty years ago, it was all about flower power.
Today we welcome the wonderful world of sun power.

Regardless of the cost you incur when you install PV's, the feel-good part is priceless.

And if you can combine solar and a plug-in car of some kind, you will feel even better and increase your return by the amount you save on gasoline.

I have solar water and power on our home.

The power panels were installed at the end of 2003, and reduced my power import by 50%, and saved me $600 per year. But I also add $600-800 savings on gasoline, as I drive my neighborhood electric vehicle about 2000 miles per year, and my gas-powered car gets only 10mpg with cold starts in the city.

I have two meters on my house. One gets standard 3-phase power (220 volts) and still powers my HVAC and electric oven. My average bill from the standard meter averages about $50/month. My house was a duplex when first build is the reason I have two meters.

The other meter is a time-of-use meters that measures net energy usage and instantaneous power readings into or out of the grid.

I do not have the Fat Spaniel Technology on my system for online monitoring, but if you like to see lots of data, go for it. Here is a neighbor’s link if you want to see how it works:

I have 36-100 watt panels on my roof, facing southeast on a 4×12 slope. The incentives from CA Energy Commission were better than they are now, but still worth getting. The State is getting the peak power it needs, right where it's needed so the tariffs are generous for peak of day export to the grid, over 30cents per kwh, while off peak rates are abut 8.5 cents/kwh

The result is I build a credit of about $100 during the period from May-Oct, which pays for about the first 1000 kwh that I draw from the grid during evenings and winter. I usually use about 600 kwh in addition to the first 1000kwh, which costs me $5/month, which happens to be the minimum amount billed each month by PG&E.

Hopefully, my experience will help other reach a positive decision to install PV's and maybe even a solar water heater. The EV options may not be what you'd like for transportation, but I have found the GEM good enough to get me going and works great as a vehicle to use in downtown San Jose.

To read more ideas, check out my blog at:
http://neverthirstpatferraro.blogspot.com

Comment from Angela Dube
August 11th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

I personally have sold my car and ride my bike and use public transportation. I realize this is not an option for everyone as some are physically incapable of riding a bike long distance and public transportation is not yet efficient in the US. However, using more fuel efficient vehicles and driving slowly goes a long way and can save a lot of fuel. In general I support the further development of public transportation and use of low emissions vehicles. Some cities already have 0 emission buses.

Individually people can reduce their spending in other places. Grow a small vegetable garden. I highly recommend getting rid of your lawn to grow vegetables: they take much less water. If you don't have the space, try growing vegetables in pots in your windowsill. Not only is it cheaper, but it tastes better, too!

Comment from kim
August 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pm

stop buying stuff!
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Comment from Jeff
August 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pm

Wre need cars with better gas mileage,More hybyrds,and for renewable sources of energy!

Comment from Cheryl
August 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pm

In hot cities, build shade shelters topped with solar panels that tie into the grid. Phoenix needs all the shade it can get; they want trees, but solar shading along the streets would both make electricity and create cooler sidewalks, without requiring water and maintenance.

Comment from eaverdugo
August 11th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

One thing I have learned from the changes in my life- I am working in a profession now that pays less than my previous one- is that it is easier to cut back than to find more money to pay higher prices. I now take public transport, more often go to dinner at a restaurant that is within bicycle distance of my home. I am essentially contracting my lifestyle and I do not find my life wanting, rather I find it to be enriched. This may sound oversimplified, but it amounts to simplifying your life.
All people in this country are going to have to make do with less, to sacrifice something for future generations. I do have faith in technology, but technology moves in unpredictable ways and we cannot bank on hope, especially when petroleum does have valuable uses that make it worth conserving. We also need as a planet to address population as an issue that threatens our existence. It is a difficult discussion to have because it is an issue central to our humanity, but it is a root cause of the the shortage of all our resources- food, oil, water, minerals- and the source of some of our biggest challenges- pollution, environmental degradation, species decline, global warming, etc. It is the elephant on the global room.

Comment from ennisd1
August 11th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Carpool if you can. By Hybrid, Alternative Fuel cars, that run on sustainble/renewable sources such as corn. Urge our government to force car makers to produce more fuel efficiaent cars and Also produce cars taht run on renewable & sustainble sources. Urge our government to paln more ways to run electricity by wind or solar power.

Comment from Margaret Whiting
August 11th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

All of the energy needs of the United States can be met from a combination of renewable energy sources along with more energy efficiency. Lets use 20% wind, 20% solar, 20% geothermal, 20% energy efficiency and the remaining 20% can be from a combination of newer energy sources like energy from waves in the ocean, biomass from switch grass, etc. See what they are doing in Germany (working toward 100% of their energy from renewable energy sources) by viewing this video: type in these words on google "Taking germany to 100% renewable energy"

Comment from susan1
August 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pm

If every American reduced their consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy our oil consumption would be drastically reduced. Some sources estimate that more than one-third of all fossil fuels produced in the United States are used in animal agriculture.

Unfortunately for most Americans, government subsidies support wasteful corporate agribusiness. In addition, our Federal Food Assistance and School Lunch programs depend heavily on commodity food items from the meat and dairy industries. We need to demand that USDA policies promote less energy-intensive (and healthier) food choices.

Comment from AHAlexander
August 11th, 2008 at 1:58 pm

The long term solution is to rebuild our rail and public transportation networks. In most areas of the country, the configuration of the community and the lack of rail and public transportation alternatives demands use of an automobile.

The need for an automobile is evident in the patchwork of "transportation solutions" addressing the needs of the handicapped and elderly.

So long as the primary means of transportation is the automobile, we can only achieve modest reductions in oil and gas consumption.

Comment from Wm. von brethorst
August 11th, 2008 at 1:58 pm

Force our regulatory and licensing beauracracy to stop holding back use of electric cars and trucks. Every electric car company I have talked to is being held back by licensing and authorization issues even though they already meet all road requirements. In Montana you can only drive 35mph on roads, which will get you killed here.
Also, stop pushing only grid tie solar and wind system with no energy storage-battery technology is here and ready to go right now-we use it every day.

Comment from Jean Standish
August 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

Unfortunately, the Bush administration refused to develop a coherent energy program during his 7 1/2-year tenure. In 2005 President signed into law the Energy Policy Act. This act failed to lead America in a new direction on an energy policy that reduced our oil dependence, invested in clean energy technology and curbed global warming. We are now paying the price for this irresponsible policy. President Bush's decision to ask Congress to drill in ANWR and end the federal ban on offshore oil and gas drilling along much of America's continental shelf is a terrible idea, and his arguments supporting this policy are completely specious and dishonest. Drilling in these areas will not appreciably increase the oil and gas supply and will definitely not solve the present problem of high gas and oil prices. A realistic energy policy must be implemented with short-term and long-term goals, such as a strong emphasis on recycling; setting strict cafe standards now, not later; mandating and financing research into alternative fuels. Also, alternative sources of energy–like solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and, some day, fusion–are in a better position than ever to receive the kind of investments they need to advance. This administration has been derelict in its duty to press for these initiatives. An entire industry can be developed in the manufacture and implementation of alternative sources of energy. Also, oil subsidies, in the form of tax breaks, must be eliminated and the companies should have to pay the billions in royalties they owe for drilling leases. The money from these subsidies and leases could be used in developing alternative energy programs.

The Bush administration has been dishonest about the drilling leases available to the oil industry. The argument for drilling in ANWR and resuming offshore drilling in the United States is totally misleading. Roughly three-quarters of the 90 million-plus acres of federal land being leased by the oil companies onshore and off are not being used to produce energy. That is 68 million acres altogether, among them potentially highly production leases in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. These leases should be exploited before the oil companies are allowed to get any more. There are suspicions that the oil industry's main objective is to stockpile millions of additional acres of public land before the Bush administration leaves town. Why aren't the American people aware of these leases? The bottom line is that there must be an honest dialogue about an energy policy not political pandering.

Of course, the American people must change their lifestyle in order to conserve energy and natural resources. For too long we have been thoughtlessly profligate and wasteful. We use a quarter of the world's resources, which is unsustainable. Congress could play a role in the implementation of conservation of resources in partnership with the American people.

Comment from revdrjudearnold
August 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

OIL FROM ALGAE VIDEO - IMPORTANT

20,000 gals per acre per year, of useable fuel oil. 1/10 of New Mexico could supply all of U.S.
needs. Video shows a prototype vertical process in greenhouses, speaker tells how it's done, sorta.
Last line is the New Mexico comment. Some of you may have seen this already. IMO,
a good one to keep circulating, keep it current so commercial "will" to do this can grow in the
public consciousness.

http://cc.pubco.net/www.valcent.net/i/misc/Vertigro/index.html

Comment from Ruth Remple
August 11th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

The first thing we need to do is demand that the people in our government serve the people and not corporations! Our present administration has sacrificed respect for the law, scientific integrity, and public health for corporate greed and pursuit of private profit and personal power.

In Bush's budget proposal for fiscal year 2009, they cut $500 million from renewable energy and energy efficiency programs while increasing funding for fossil fuels and nuclear energy by $350 million.

We need to stop subsidizing the nuclear and coal industries. The Nuclear industry is very expensive and the waste it creates we do not know what to do with. It is time to let wind and solar have a chance!

Those subsidies should be used to help people implement solar and wind in their homes. And also help to replace inefficient cars with hybrids.

Our resources need to be managed. We need to demand that currently available pollution reduction technologies are used at all of our power plants across the country. We must also demand that these plants operate within our state permits. As it is now, they are allowed to pay fines and continue to pollute.

There is money to be made from a new process in plants that burn coal,that uses trapped ash, and the CO2 they emit creates a lightweight building material. This new process converts much of the CO2 into stable carbonate materials. Each concrete block can permanently store over a pound of carbon.

We need a new optimistic strategy for clean energy. New technologies will create jobs and new products.

And now for the individual things we can do.
Stop using plastic! Everything we buy is wrapped in Plastic!
Drive fuel efficient cars and take public transportation. and simply drive less.
Unplug computers and appliances when not in use.
Make sure you buy the wind energy from our power plants when available. That is available NOW!
Educate ourselves! If we do not learn about our rights or our system of government we risk loosing the checks and balances that our founders put in place. And then demand that our elected officials do what is right for the many over the wealthy.

Let's aim high! We are in charge of our destiny and we owe it to our children to rise to the challenge.

Comment from Dave
August 11th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

What we need to do is put the oil companies out of business by turning our efforts to solar and wind powered energy (renewable energy not dependent on anyone other than ourselves). That is how you break the dependence on foreign oil (the majority of which we get from our big, friendly neighbor to the north, not the middle east or south america), and not by druilling for more oil. That is a concept developed by big oil and 2 oilmen who run this country right now to keep themselves rolling in money. For example, Jay Leno has a big garage for all his vehicles that is powered by a wind turbine (not a big 3 blade wind mill type, but a circular tube with holes and the slats are angled to catch wind from any direction). Daryl Hannah lives in a house off the energy grid, and her car is powered by the waste oil from fast food restaurants that help make Americans overweight. Americans need to consume less food, slim down, start using solar/wind power for houses, and develop cars that do not need electricity from a plug but get their energy from the sun and wind. I have a concept for a wind powered car that creates its own energy if you can get it moving, and would hopefully create enough energy to keep itself going.

Comment from Patty Rowen
August 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

I think that rebates and incentives for drivers to include $100 voucher for a car tune-up along with a "gas guzzler" retirement program are great ideas. Also speculation in oil markets is a real problem. It artificially inflates gas prices. We need to establish position limits, better define differences between real commercial oil users and speculators, and close loopholes.

Comment from Carol
August 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Every person (and that is not an exaggeration) I have spoken to regarding this topic is interested in seeing trains being used for transportation. We used to have them running everywhere. The wonderful thing about using trains is that train tracks already run through nearly every city and small town in this country.

As far as what I have done to cut back on gasoline consumption, I have cut back on driving a lot. I stupidly used to make separate trips to town for different things. Now, thanks to being educated about global warming by public television programs like NOVA and other documentaries as well as web sites like this one, I have really made an effort to cut back on wasteful driving. Now my husband stops at the grocery store on his way home from work to get meals, rather than making a special trip! Or, I will swing by the post office on my way home from work to get the mail, rather than going at a different time during the day. Also, I've been working to raise the awareness of family and friends — to extend to them that we should cut down on gas consumption because it's the RIGHT THING TO DO. It seems like a no-brainer to me.

If any of you are interested, maybe check out www.moveon.org regarding some of the big oil/offshore drilling political talk that's been going on. MoveOn is a group that believes that we all can work together & send a message to Big Oil that they are not going to scare us into voting for another Big Oil puppet like G.W. (Lord help me, I'm leaving this country if we do.) Check it out.

Comment from Deirdre Gill
August 11th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

Plastic bags are made from petroleum and natural gas and use up 12 million barrels of oil every year in the US. Always bring your own bag!

Comment from hemppatriot
August 11th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

If we are going to strive to lead the world in clean, annually renewable resources, what better way than to plant about 40% of our nations crops with industrial HEMP! It is one of the Earth and mankind’s most beneficial plants. Hemp actually helps the soil, instead of taking everything out of it. Plants will help to curtail the "green house gases," by means of photosynthesis, making oxygen out of the carbon dioxide. A similar process to the production of ethanol from corn can be utilized with hemp; making us an entire nation ran from its OWN resources. Think about it. HEMP FOR VICTORY!!!

Comment from donchild
August 11th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Years ago, I saw a bumper sticker, "Burn carbohydrates, not hydrocarbons." People need to take personal responsibility for their own carbon footprint ... live near where they work or vice versa, or be willing and able to do the commute without a personal car. Make kids walk to the local school again, as they did a generation ago. And scrap the notion that the economy has to continually expand. Learn to appreciate quality, not quantity and newness.

Comment from Robert D.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Today, many Americans, but also many residents of the "rich" countries get the point that oil will never be cheap again. There is also a limit : there will be a day that all the oil that we "spoiled" during years with big cars and other applications is just gone or too expensive to extract. Anyway, was it ethical to use all that oil and gas for our generation and left nothing for our children ? Oil could be absolutely necessary for many applications instead of giving the priority to traffic (road, air, marine).
It is my personal opinion that the politicians (in fact elected by all of us) are responsable to wait until today to "get the message". We should have think about using wind power, solar energy and all the other forms of energy long time ago and not in small power plants, but in bigger plants. But there was always the argument that it costed too much to build them and the costs of transport of that energy would be enormous. Those are just false arguments. In the 60's, we thought that nuclear power plants would be the answer for our energy problems because there was enough uranium all over the world and thus, it was quite cheap. Building a nuclear power plant was, even then, quite expensive, but we thought that, once it was installed, the costs would be quite low. Today, we must consider that those nuclear plants are not for ever. There will come a day that we have to shut down them. The costs of a shutdown is not really known exactly because we have not much experience in that item. Also "What to do with the nuclear waste" is not solved yet. The solutions that are in consideration all have many risks and just bury that waste deep in the ground, even with all the needed security controls, is not without risk. And again, is it ethical to gave such a legacy to the next generations if we don't find a solution to make that waste safe again. And transporting that waste over sea or on land is an unknown risk. What if a ship should sink near the land where many people are living. Also the risk of a terrorist attack is not to neglect.
Maybe (I don't know, because I am not in the energy business) it is not too late to stop using oil and gas as we do now. And maybe we should think about the shutdown in a near future of the nuclear power plants. I hope that there is enough time and political courage to take that turn and invest in new forms of energy which are safer and cheaper in the long run. But, people, let us be convinced that the quote "Après moi le déluge" is not my kind of thinking about the future.
Since years, I use a quote that I found somewhere and which is "The future is now" and another "We don't possess the Earth : we should use it in a sustainable way so that our children can go on with it like we did"

Comment from Judy D.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:10 pm

First and foremost, the government needs to stop wasting our tax dollars on things like off-shore drilling, and invest our money in developing clean, renewable, AFFORDABLE energy. The technology is there, they just need to promote it.
Then we can begin to tackle ways to reduce the use of petroleum products in the manufacturing of other every day items.

Comment from vegan
August 11th, 2008 at 2:10 pm

We have an all-electric car which we use for most errands etc. You can do a conversion with used parts or with a kit, or buy a new or used EV. Also some people will do conversions for you. We walk to places as much as possible too.

Also we've gone vegan which uses less fuel, and we switched to all-green electricity (solar, wind, hydro) and cut way back on appliance use. There's a lot individuals can do if you put your mind to it.

Comment from Joe
August 11th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

In America, the railroad infrastructure could be used to great advantage. Railroads as a way of distributing goods can be very efficient. Some trains are several miles long. Why could the cars not have interconnectable solar panels to supply new age batteries for the electric/biodiesel engines? THAT WAY, we could remove millions of grease spewing TRUCKS from the highways and move into using smaller hybrid trucks to locally distribute goods.

I am trying to think of BIG and productive ideas here...government SHOULD run things like the national goods distribution system (not for profit), as a part of it's SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS, which is what government is SUPPOSED to be in the first place.

Comment from Dave
August 11th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

1) Reduce consumption-this can be accomplished through mass transit systems, AmTRak, highrer fuel efficiency standards and city planning that brings residential neighborhoods closer to workplaces and eliminates the suburbs and exurbs.
2) Alternative fuel sources-These should be regional (i.e., Arizona's sunny, so use solar there; Kansas is windy, so wind power there; Coastal cities should use tidal power, Hawaii should use geothermal), environmentally sound (no excess dam construction or over-use of culverts which damage fish, windmills should have a means of keeping birds from flying into them, etc).

Comment from jgant4210
August 11th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Like anything else, before anything substantial will happen, there must be an economic incentive to build and support the new energy infrastructure. This is for both big money, utilities, distributers, and manufacturers; and for consumers as well. If the public can be educated and given incentive, that will create a market, and away we go. The technology has to be ready, the desire has to be there, and it must be affordable.

Comment from natureali
August 11th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

First - Only vote for those in Congress who push for higher CAFE standards and non destructive energy infrastructure.

Second - Solar and wind developments destroy huge tracts of native habitat. Better to have most solar installed in developed areas on rooftops. Give owners of roofs a discount on their energy bills. Infrastructure for powerlines already right at homes and businesses. Put energy developments in existing rights of way for powerlines and roadways. Make all parking structures coat the roof of the structure with solar panels.

Third - Only buy energy efficient vehicles. If Detroit doesn't bother to build cars that get as good or better mileage than vehicles from the 80's then their corporate structure deserves to dissolve. Hey Auto Workers Union, fight for the planet along with your employees, force GM, Ford, and Chrysler to build cars that get the highest fuel economy available.

Fourth - Charge at least a $10,000 penalty to all who buy off road vehicles for commuting unless they can prove their livelihood depends on such gas guzzlers.

Fifth - Realize we are all in this together in the short term and maybe the children of the highest consumers will actually have a planet to live on in 200 years. It is up to every single individual to be responsible and only elect responsible politicians from the dog catcher to president.

Comment from tachyon46
August 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

The latest political football has been the idea of proper tire inflation as a means of saving fuel. Even though the McCain know-nothings poke fun at it, it is a worthwhile habit for all of us.

The problem is that nobody will check their tires these days because virtually every gas station has put a coin slot on the tire inflation machines. "Fifty cents to check my tires? Maybe next time..." So long as it is pay to inflate nobody will do it on a regular basis.

We should all pester our state and federal legislators to make it mandatory that all filling stations provide tire pressure measurement and filling at no additional cost to their gasoline customers.

Comment from Kent Garry
August 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm

The wife and I are already limiting our trips, combining errands whenever possible. The wife is carpooling now 3 or 4 days a week, and I hope to be once school restarts this year (I teach high school economics, and so am off for the summer). When it’s not too hot, I'm riding a motorcycle when it makes sense to do so. Our summer getaways this year were to closer destinations, and we don’t anticipate traveling as much in the future either, even if the price of gas comes down substantially. When next it is time to buy or lease, we will make mileage the number-one priority. And we are going GREEN in many other ways too... we have switched our electric company to Green Mountain Energy, which generates 100% of its power from renewable sources. Their price per kwh is very competitive, by the way.

At local levels, where natural gas is plentiful like it is here in Texas, I would recommend public transit, and especially school buses, be converted to run on this fuel as an interim alternative to diesel until better, more environmentally friendly sources become available, such as electric fuel cell hybrids.

At state and national levels, every effort to support the development of alternative energy sources should be promoted as a priority over new drilling — anywhere, which just perpetuates our addiction to oil and continues pumping CO2 into the atmosphere. Wind and solar farms should definitely be in the mix, and I would not rule-out new nuclear power plants where demand it highest and real estate is limited. New coal-fired plants should be not be allowed, in my opinion, unless carbon sequestering technologies are incorporated. Discouraging the BIG OIL and COAL industries’ continuance of business as usual/high profit operations at the expense of the environment and the health of the nation, just might just motivate them to think more “out of the box” on energy alternatives. Finally, although it would be competing with the private sector I admit, i.e., the airlines, I believe that there should be government efforts to promote the return and update of passenger rail systems. Finally, I would advocate and support the idea of governments offering individual tax credits and other incentives for people and businesses to weatherize and upgrade to new, “made in the U.S.A.,” highly efficient, environmental systems .

Comment from Sandra
August 11th, 2008 at 2:20 pm

HERE ARE THE FACTS ON LAWN EQUIPMENT pollution that will definitely surprise you:

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a traditional gas powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars each being driven 12,000 miles.

And speaking of gas, the EPA states that 17 million gallons of fuel, mostly gasoline, are spilled each year while refueling lawn equipment. That's more than all the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez, in the Gulf of Alaska. In addition to groundwater contamination, spilled fuel that evaporates into the air and volatile organic compounds spit out by small engines make smog-forming ozone when cooked by heat and sunlight.

Palm Beach County Florida created a noise pollution law that caused all gas-driven lawn equipment owners to change to electric or battery operated equipment. The result is less noise, but also LESS polluted air.

A bill to change from gas to electric/battery operated lawn equipment was created in Washington years ago and one guy with a lot of money spent on lobbying stopped the action. No one person should have that kind of power. Start from the bottom up with lots of signatures that can't be stopped in your own city. Let it work its way up to the federal level.

Comment from Edward Craig
August 11th, 2008 at 2:20 pm

Tax the Hell out of fuel to reduce carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. End Global Warming before we melt glacers and flood most every coast.

Comment from dlodrini
August 11th, 2008 at 2:21 pm

1. Substantially increase incentives to homeowners to install solar panels. Make it not only affordable, but attractive as a source of income by being able to sell electricity to the power company.
2. Instead of 30 mpg required fuel economy on gasoline cars by 2020, how about 50 mpg required by 2010– and 60 or 70 by 2020.
3. Increase building standards and require that all new buildings, whether residential or commercial, and all maintenance be to "Green" standards. Instead of a new oil/gas burner, can we do something greener?
4. Have companies and citizens pay for their carbon footprint or get paid for green practices.
5. all of the above suggestions are great

Comment from Faith Moeller
August 11th, 2008 at 2:21 pm

There are several things we can do. Recycling as much as we can helps a lot; my son & I take out the trash twice a month. We carpool to church and shop for groceries for other people. We combine trips and use our bicycles to go shopping whenever possible. He bikes to school. We turn off the hot water heater until 15 minutes before a shower and shut it off after we are done. Unplug the microwave & computer when not in use. We need to develop windfarms, use existing rivers for hydropower and develop solar energy use to help keep power use to a minimum. Some states, like Alaska (where I live) need to develop geothermal use, too. Most of all, I teach my students to use all of the above since they are the future of this planet.

Comment from Matthew
August 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Car pooling has helped my family, buying locally produced food and growing some of our own has also helped us reduce our dependence of oil. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. We have pooled in together with our families and friends and are sharing clothing, especially for babies, so that we are cutting down on our addictive want want want ways. This cuts our addiction to oil, we are not driving to the store to buy new stuff constantly. I believe that cutting down on consuming un-necessary things helps curve our addiction to oil. The population is slowly waking up and soon the masses will make the choices just like early Americans did to gain independence from Great Britain. We need to stand up and demand that the politicians, the car industries, and the oil companies listen to what is best for us and the generations to come.

Comment from thodoba
August 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Elect politicians like our governor, Bill Richardson, who pushed through commuter rail service in the Rio Grande corridor of New Mexico. I ride the train to work everyday now. It also runs on a biodiesel fuel combination. Once in Albuquerque, I can take the Rapid Ride bus system for free using my rail pass. This is a bus that functions like light rail, but requires no track. The buses are hybrid electric vehicles as well. If a poor state like New Mexico can do these things, so can everyone else. We also have large wind farms in the eastern plains of our state with more being built. I just passed two of them last week and it is encouraging to watch them turning in the wind. And we have just begun to tap into solar. One of our cities, Gallup, has received a state grant to study the possibility of building a solar plant that would supply the entire city with electricity. They have two sites selected already. Things are happening, just seems it is at the local and state levels. Hopefully with the upcoming elections, progressives that support alternative energy will be taking office soon.

Comment from BlueGranite
August 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Encourage, increase and expand affordable public transportation.
More buses and trains from local to nationwide.
For example if there was a train from Central and Southern NH to Boston thousands of people would have the option NOT to drive to work.

Comment from Vickie Cardellini
August 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Transportation should be electric because it's so versitile. Utilities make power for electric cars sooo much cheaper & cleaner (even current methods) than gasoline motors can ever operate at. Our solar is cost effecient compared to the cost of future higher utility bills. When we get our electric car, the cost savings over gasoline will skyrocket! Also, passive solar has always been an EXCELLENT way (and very cost effectient) to boost hot water heaters, heat pools & home heat. Home wind elec. generation is cheaper than solar.
Different living conditions make multiple solutions necessary. Utilities & government will have to be involved. Government incentives can be paid for by cancelling gasoline subsidies ("Windfall" tax breaks) & taxing undesirable forms of vehicles and activites.

Unions should demand US car companies produce elecric vehicals so the US companies don't go under taking pensions with them.

Comment from walmond217
August 11th, 2008 at 2:24 pm

As oil prices began to drop recently, American's have returned to their prior bad habits of using too much to just drive around. It should have been obvious that conserving gasoline could bring prices down which could help in many other areas such as heating oil and oil-based consumer goods. I am almost sorry the price dropped because we proved we could conserve.

Watching "Presidential Speeches" on David Letterman I often see the scene when President Kennedy spoke to the nation and said that he wanted us to send a man to the moon and safely return him to earth all within a given time span, tossing the American "hat" into the ring of space exploration. We need another President to lead us away from fossil fuels and into the age of alternative energy sources. The country needs a challenge from the top. One that is NOT influenced by big oil lobbyists and campaign contributions. The answers are out there, the knowledge is out there, the motivation and the leadership are not. I would love to hear a leader say that by the end of X number of years, we will be independent of foreign oil, not when oil will be running out as a finite resource, but soon. Very soon. We could give no better gift to future generations.

I don't want to take my grandchildren to the Jersey Shoreor to the Outer Banks and see drilling platforms off of the shore. I don't want to see oil drilling in our wild areas, particularly in Alaska. These are the types of places we should be preserving for future generations.

Comment from Victor Preston
August 11th, 2008 at 2:25 pm

Cars are A LOT more convenient than public transportation, so public transportation needs every advantage it can get. If public transportation was free (i.e., payed for from taxes) ridership would increase, making it more economically sensible to build a more elaborate system, which would increase convenience and, hence, ridership. This would save in gas and road maintenance. Not to mention the savings of not having to administer & enforce the collection of fairs.
This is not so outrageous as it sounds when you consider that, for the most part, highways are maintained "free" by the taxpayers, giving cars a hidden competitve advantage.

Comment from osha
August 11th, 2008 at 2:26 pm

ELECTRIC BICYCLES!!!

I live in the SF Bay Area and I have a folding electric bike by ECOBIKE (though many other electric bike models - but few folding ones right now - are on the market). It is sturdy, comfortable and very easy to use.

On a full charge of the battery, I can get up to 21 miles of riding with a small motor that either assists my pedaling or, in throttle mode, moves the bike for me like a lightweight scooter. Mileage depends on weight on bike, wind, grade of street, etc. But I can commute in hilly San Francisco in combo pedal-assist/throttle 2 days before having to charge the battery - 10.5 miles roundtrip per day.

I am told that the mileage-per-charge will increase as the battery conditions with use.

I can take it on the city MUNI lightrail system or the BART train, which goes to the East Bay, or the CalTrain that goes to the South Bay.

Comes with front & rear LED lights, rack that you can put a side pannier on, battery charger, cover.

So I save $409/yr on bus fare I don't have to pay anymore and shave up to an 30-min to an hour off my daily commute. NO OIL NECESSARY!

It rules!

Comment from dennisleahy
August 11th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

We're talking about oil here, right? Lots of good ideas expressed here for general positive environmental impact, but not much on replacing oil. Technologies and strategies for using less oil are good short term band-aids. We need portable fuel. We need to make the switch to hydrogen. We need to do it right now, not in thirty or fifty years.

Back in the 1970's, I remember an announcement that a new cylinder/tank had been developed to hold hydrogen gas. The technological improvement was that the cylinder would not explode upon impact (no Hindenburg.) The cylinder was filled with a metallic sponge into which the hydrogen was 'adsorbed' (rather than 'absorbed'), and the cylinder passed all simulated crash tests. It was to be a key development in safe hydrogen cars. What happened to that patent and that research? The patent would have expired by now anyway - it should be public domain now.

Hydrogen is simple to make. Every kid who has taken high school chemistry has probably done it. Take a DC electricity source (we used a battery then; we need to switch that to massive arrays of photovoltaic cells now.) Attach a carbon rod at the end of the negative and positive wires. Stick the carbon rods into water. That's all there is to it. No great mystery, no new technological challenge to face. From one carbon rod bubbles hydrogen; form the other bubbles oxygen. Electrolysis of water, H2O. We don't need 'rocket scientists', we just need to say "Let's roll!", and make it happen now.

The oil companies will become even filthier richer when they deliver our hydrogen cylinders to our cars. They are the only ones with a distribution network (gas stations) already in-place. Oil will still be a valuable commodity in the future: lubricants and plastics. (Let's mandate recycling of ALL plastics, even if we have to add a deposit fee to ensure they will be recycled.)

Oh, I should mention, when hydrogen burns (oxidizes),water is formed. So, we won't run out of water by using water to extract hydrogen.

Comment from Nancy
August 11th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

We have hugh reserves of natural gas that have been discovered. If we change our transportation systems (cars, mass transit buses, trucks) to run on natural gas (being done in other countries and here to a lesser degree)it would provide some solution to our problems. Natural gas has much less pollution, is cheaper, and gets better gas mileage.

Wind is another idea to develop along with using the natural current in the Gulf Stream off of the east coast.

Nancy

Comment from neosapiens
August 11th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

Change the way we tax gasoline, diesel and home heating oil to slowly and automatically increase it, using the funds to help low-income people to adapt by: 1) paying generously to individuals to scrap old gas guzzling cars and trucks, 2) help people make their homes more energy-efficient, and 3) reward landlords for weatherizing, insulating and otherwise energy-improving their rental properties [this will provide energy cost relief to low-income renters].

Start a massive WPA-style program of making federal, state and local buildings energy-efficient. That will put people to work, save energy, and help promote energy efficiency product development.

Comment from Carel Two-Eagle
August 11th, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Conservation and recycling are the key, along with having fewer children, as it always has been. Americans behave like spoiled children; they waste everything as if there were no tomorrow, so of course, we're facing not having a future for humans on the earth. Solar ala John O'Donnell & Ausra's system, and wind, for electricity generation; NO nuclear; lots more diesel engines and lots fewer gasoline engines; plan ahead and making a route when doing errands; thinking LOTS MORE - do you REALLY need that widget? - walking more, especially the young ones.. Insulate your house or hang quilts and tapestry on the walls. Remodel or renovate - preferably using recycled materials; and don't build or buy big houses. It is backward not to do these thing. In short, waste not, want not. It was true hundreds of years ago, and this truth is coming home in spades now.

Comment from Tamara Mitchell
August 11th, 2008 at 2:31 pm

I bought a 20-year-old Daihatsu Charade car that gets over 40 mpg. I encourage others to dump their gas-guzzlers pronto!

Buy locally produced food and products to cut down on use of fuel for transportation.

Pay all bills online to reduce the fuel used for delivering mail.

Start a vegetable garden....take out your landscaping if necessary!

Comment from Bill Webber
August 11th, 2008 at 2:33 pm

Until our government becomes enlightened and out of the grasp of Big Oil, Big Coal, Big auto, Big lobbyists, we've got to do it ourselves. In 2000 we built a 1900 sq. foot solar house. It's super-insulated with double paned low-e windows and doors, all lights (51) are cfl's. We use solar hot water and 2.5kW grid-tied PV's plus a solar powered evaporative cooler (a desert thing) for cooling in the hot weather. We harvest rainwater in an upright culvert cistern with 7 auxiliary rain barrels (About 800 gal.), compost food scraps, use cloth shopping bags instead of plastic, drive a Honda Civic hybrid (40-45 mpg mostly city), use reclaimed water in our garden, walk and ride bikes as much as possible. Also have front loading clothes washer, use clothes lines for drying and recycling is a given in our town. Also have low-flow toilets and shower heads. Unfortunately, mass transit is not close to us here in Tucson. Love those electric buses they have in San Francisco. We all have the capacity to do at least some of this and should be leading the world instead of following the excellent examples of the Germans and other enlightened industrialized nations. Oh, forgot to mention, our electric bills have been running $5.00 to about $20.00/ month.

Comment from Matt Dernoga
August 11th, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Take the billions of dollars in subsidies that are going into coal, oil, and nuclear and throw them into wind, solar, geothermal, energy efficiency, and fuel economy. Triple the government tax credits on wind and solar. Invest 50 billion dollars a year into mass transit to electrify our rail system and connect cities all over the US.

At the same time, mandate that all cars that come out by 2010 have hybrid synergy drive technology, and by 2015 all cars coming out must be plug-in hybrids. If you're a consumer making less than $100,000 dollars the government covers 1/4 of the cost of the new car, under 75,000 2/4 of the cost, under 50,000 3/4s of the cost, and under $25,000 you have to do 500 hours of community service and you get the car free.

Invest 50 billion dollars a year in energy efficiency for 10 years. You'll get the money back easily.

By the way, tax carbon, start the tax small and increase the tax gradually each year for 20 years.

Comment from AJ Averett
August 11th, 2008 at 2:40 pm

A future generation will look back on this era and say, "You had this remarkable substance which took eons of time to create, from which can be derived so many useful materials and you did what - you burned it?"

In about an hour's time, the Earth receives from the Sun more energy than all humanity consumes in a year. There is no dearth of energy, only in the supplies that have become the commonplace due to factors of history and convenience (that is, a now-antiquated technology).

The entire world's demand for energy can be met with a combination of wind, photovoltaic, solar thermal, ocean tides and geothermal sources (the only safe means of harnessing the energy of nuclear decay).

With the recent announcement by MIT of a breakthrough in the electrolysis of water, which allows for the efficient storage of excess electricity and peak-demand production, as well as a ready source for portable energy needs, the discussion thus ends - or should.

An added coda: conservation. For we absolutely can - and must - do more with less.

Comment from Suzanne
August 11th, 2008 at 2:40 pm

Many great ideas here. We MUST change or our children and grandchildren will not be able to live. I'm tired of the entitlement mentality I hear from so many Americans.

Each of us can do small things that add up NOW. Make our homes more energy efficient by installing double pane windows and insulation, walk/bike/take public transportation whenever possible, work to get telecommuting and compressed workweeks instated at workplaces, turn up/down the thermostat a few degrees, drive more efficiently, plan errands to reduce the need for driving, reduce water usage by planting only native plants, reduce, reuse, recycle. Stop buying STUFF you don't need. Plant food gardens, try to buy local. Use reusable shopping bags. Instead of vacationing thousands of miles away, find activities and beautiful places to explore in your own state.

We also need to pressure our government representatives to improve tax incentives and subsidies for renewable energy. I priced out a TINY solar system for my home and it will cost $18,000. There are some incentives that take it down to about $11,000 but it still is too expensive. I live in Arizona. There is no excuse for us not to be using our most abundant natural resource, the sun!

Comment from Sarah
August 11th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

It is great to say that we need to get solar panels, drive less, stop using plastics and I am very happy for the people they say the own Prius's, drive Hybrid cars etc. The truth is we need some real investment, I am talking capital here, in new technologies. Making solar power, electric vehicles, public transportation accessible to EVERYONE.
Out here in the West, cities and whole counties were created and planned with the idea that people would be driving forever. Unfortunately that was the wrong path to take and now we have to pay the price. I will give you an example, I work about 8 miles from where I live, accross several freeways etc. If I drive it takes me 15-20 minutes, if I take public transportation it takes at the very least 1 hour and 40 minutes. There needs to be some REAL options for people. Not everyone can afford to buy a bike, let alone a hybrid car.
The only way to get the masses to change their lives and habits is if it is cheap and easy for them to do. It is completely unfair to ask those already struggling to get by to do even more. Thanks! By the way, I think this is kind of silly because we are just preaching to the choir.

Comment from Lea Padilla
August 11th, 2008 at 2:42 pm

Promote local food sources–especially organic. Every state would benefit from promoting it's own local economy, AND it would cut back on the huge cost of transporting "cheap" (i.e. processed, unhealthy) foods across the nation...which would help to fight our obesity epidemic as well. Eating fresh, local, organic fruits, vegetables, meats, etc., eliminates excess oil consumption, supports local farmers, markets and vendors, and fills us up with the right type of "fuel". We've got to have that so we can think straight and get ourselves out of this era of catastrophe!

Comment from Dave
August 11th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

We need better mass transit across most of the country. Where I wealthy enough, and allowed to tie in to the area power grid, I'd make our house a part of the solution through solar power. Utilities should be forced to accept co-generation. Florida does not offer any incentive as other states do, and Florida certainly should.

Xeriscaping is in process here, and we've reduced driving to a minimum.

Building codes and practices, and incentives need to be updated to help reduce the waste of fuel and materials.

Commercial recycling should be enforced and it isn't.

Work schedules should be reduced (NOT income as the working middle class and poor are falling way behind!)or replaced with more telecommuting wherever possible. There is tremendous waste in commercial properties and in the commute to them.

"Free trade" (really a misnomer anyway) should be replaced with FAIR TRADE. Even Henry Ford would understand that raising standards is needed as much now as it was for his employees.

Oh, and one last thing–kill the "consumer" label for people, we're citizens. Economics, finance and business should serve society rather than the way it is now.

Comment from Darrell Rader
August 11th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

We should have been investing heavily into hydrogen power long ago. We would no longer be dependant on oil but it would do wonders to eliminate greenhouse pollution as well.

Comment from Derek Tarrant
August 11th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

(a) Change the law regarding free-wheeling (Car moving, engine running but in neutral)
(b) Design auto gearboxes to allow free-wheeling in neutral without damage.
(c) Design retrofits for insertion into the driveshaft train to allow free-wheeling.

Any of the above (sometimes referred to as Hypermiling) can save significant gas on non hybrid cars.

Comment from kamal
August 11th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

Better public transportation. Marketing it, expanding it, making it more convenient, cheaper as well as provide incentives for employers to match/cover public transportation costs for their employees.

Comment from paul w harris
August 11th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

1. Every city has a neighborhood(s) where you can live, work, shop and play within walking, biking or transit distance. They are generally older, close in neighborhoods built before or just after WWII. Find that neighborhood and many transportation problems disappear overnight.
2. The houses tend to be smaller, so don't add on, learn to live in less space, and consume less.
3. The yards are generally big, so grow your own food. Build a 2nd dwelling unit and rent it out for extra income. Increased density will encourage better transit options.
4. Get involved in the city planning process to encourage new developments to work like the old ones, walking dependent rather than auto dependent. Use your own neighborhood as a working example for the skeptical types.

Comment from Melissa
August 11th, 2008 at 2:44 pm

whatever happened to windmills and water wheels? there must be some way to implement these on a large scale to generate clean power. especially with all the crazy storms happening lately, we should be able to harness some of their power for electricity or heating or something!

Comment from Dan Noel
August 11th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

The cheap oil surprise was not a surprise to everyone. In fact, there is no excuse for governments worldwide to not have warned "us the gullible people" about it. This misunderstanding is simply another symptom of an endemic problem that begs for a resolution: the failure of governments to prioritize public service over other activities. The phony war on terror, initiated by the 9/11 false flag, is used worldwide as a convenient excuse for public servants to curtail individual freedom, invest huge resources into war -consuming an ocean of oil in the process-, come up with new ways to spy on “us,” and ignore the common good. The oil surprise finds its source in entrenched government ineptitude spiced with corruption.
Love,

Comment from smokinbuck
August 11th, 2008 at 2:46 pm

Unfortunately, our side has already lost in the arena of public opinion. The Republican Party has framed the argument in terms favorable to the oil industry and the bought and paid for media has enabled them. This will result in the election of John McCain and continuation of the status quo. Sorry I can't be more optimistic. Barack Obama has been severly damaged by the offshore drilling argument. With Obama goes our hope for a future of renewable resources.

Comment from Michael Mullowney
August 11th, 2008 at 2:46 pm

I live in Chicago. Cities should do more to attract people to the public transportation option. Constant news of budget and service cuts will not convert a car person to public transit. City governments need to recognize that the time is ripe to invest in public transportation to make it faster and ore reliable.

In areas where public transportation is not an option, people ought to consider biking as a more realistic option and great way to exercise. In the long run, employers could help here by providing locker rooms so an employee could clean up after a potentially sweaty commute. More immediately, it seems ridiculous for a person to wine about gas prices while driving an SUV. I've seen numerous reports on nightly news where Joe Shmo is sharing is woes over his high gas prices, all the while standing in front of his Navigator or F-150.

We can all do much better!

Comment from D Lamont
August 11th, 2008 at 2:47 pm

Great suggestions here! They give me hope.

From the general public we hear too many objections to offshore wind power! These seem to be aesthetics-based complaints, but (in my observation) they come from people who will climb onto furniture to stare with envy at rather ugly "yachts" moored in the harbor. More writers and film makers should produce bodies of work that help tweak the public sense of values. That will build the political support necessary to make these changes and reforms. For instance, if we are made more aware of the carbon footprint of each item in our stores, one day there will be fewer 18 wheelers clogging our highways and belching filth into our air. And goods that are transported long distances might be brought to us via new improved railroad lines: trains use one fifth the amount of fuel per transported unit (passengers or goods)!

Comment from mareynolds
August 11th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Do whatever you can yourself now, and demand that local, state, and federal candidates address the issue, and support innovations from the private sector. Move toward renewable resources like wind and geothermal power. I'm looking forward to low-cost solar panels. I live in an older, smaller house that's close to my central-city work in Austin. We're fixing to get light rail here, for those who live farther out. I often bike or walk when the weather permits. I drive a Honda Civic hybrid (and yes, keeping the tires aired up makes a noticeable difference). I am growing more and more of my own food and buy local food as much as I can. I buy most of my clothing at thrift stores. This is sensible living, if you ask me.

Comment from David
August 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Meat production and transportation produces more green house gases than human transportation. Eat less of it. Or give it up all together.

Cities and towns should be planned better: South-facing roofs and windows, walking/biking distances between homes and stores/jobs, and local projects to bring in renewable energy.

Bring totes when getting groceries, no paper OR plastic.

Don't buy a truck or SUV to drive to work by yourself. Heck, don't buy one even if you do a moderate amount of construction; we just remodeled our house and were able to transport everything in our Prius (the back seats fold down.. it's really an amazing car).

Get rid of your lawn; let native species grow, or plan a native garden. This way you don't have to mow it, water it, or do anything else like that. Or start a vegetable garden to save you trips to the grocery store in the summer.

Call your congress reps and ask them to roll back the tax cuts for Big Oil, give incentives for small hybrid or electric cars, tax inefficient vehicles, reduce the highway limit to 60, etc.

Educate yourself about the issues, and teach your kids. If you HAVE to watch TV, watch the discovery channel; it'll show you lots of amazing creatures which we may loose soon due to our inability to restrict our own growth.

Comment from ebenbrooks
August 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Something that everyone can do, right now, with nothing more than an extra 10 minutes out of their day and a $5 tool: Keep your tired inflated.

Barak Obama caught a lot of flak for this, but he was ABSOLUTELY, 100% RIGHT! If everyone in America kept their tires inflated to the proper pressure, our oil consumption would drop 3-4%. That may not sound like a whole lot, but considering the total amount of oil consumed in America in ONE DAY*:

Daily U.S. Oil Consumption: 868,560,000 gallons
3% of daily U.S. oil consumption: 26,056,800 gallons
Cost of 3% DUSOC (today's price): $82,513,200
CO2 produced by burning 3% DUSOC**: 9,420,000 metric tons

This is not insigniicant!

—-

* Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_psup_dc_nus_mbblpd_a.htm
** Source: Environment News Service: U.S. Emits Nearly Half World's Automotive Carbon Dioxide, http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2006/2006-06-28-03.asp

Comment from Matthew Kubiak
August 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Aggressive and unmerciful legal prosecution of war profiteers and their political enablers.

Comment from f5mando
August 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

In addition to the HHO car systems (on which we plan to improve- using frequency in place of electricity), we also recycle, reuse shopping (canvas) bags, have gone vegan (mostly vegetarian, but we're very close to clearing that final hurdle to vegan)!
We drive smoothly - this is key, and something I learned many years ago during advanced driver training. We buy very little "stuff". Only things we need, not toys and other unnecessaries. Low draw light bulbs, rechargeable batteries, lights off everywhere we are not using them, and whenever there is sufficient light without it. Finding different ways to stay cool without A/C, only using one low-wattage electric fan when we need additional cooling.
Using environmentally-safe cleaning products, and reusing water wherever possible, and NOT running water unnecessarily: Most people I see (when visiting, etc) run the water contantly while they're shaving, showering, and brushing their teeth. Unless you're rinsing (body, teeth, razor) the tap has an 'off' position for these periods. Switching off appliances with LED readout when not in use reduces pollution, although I don't recall the figures - do you REALLY need them, to do the right thing?!

Comment from lia7tris
August 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

It's time to re-emphasize rail passenger service, both long-distance and commuter. We need alternatives to commercial airline service, which is becoming increasingly expensive, overcrowded, not to mention greenhouse gas unfriendly. Rail passenger service is energy efficient and has the potential to take many personal autos off of our highways. As the Europeans have demonstrated, it is a civilized way to travel both long and short distances. Our government needs to take money and invest it in improving and expanding the rail passenger network as well as investing in the locomotives and rolling stock needed to increase capacity.

Comment from niknikkel
August 11th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

There is NO ONE SOLUTION! There are no silver bullets here. Bad news! Everything helps! Good news. Inflate your tires. 800,000 barrels year that we do not contribute to terrorists war chests. Drive less! Lower demand, lower prices. Make oil explorations expensive; offer incentive for developing other sources. Full price oil from any source owned by the U.S. citizens. Solar farms, windmills, solar satillites. Efficiency in transmitting electric power and pushing natural gas through the pipes.

Comment from Emily
August 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm

I have recently learned more about nuclear energy and believe converting to electric energy, particularly for automobiles, could be our best bet. Check out this book by Gwynth Cravens: Power to Save the World: The Truth About Nuclear Energy. It really opened my eyes to the safety of Nuclear energy and why it is more cost effective and enviornmentally sound than wind and solar energy.

Comment from Sandra
August 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

REQUIRE YOUR CITY TO BECOME INVOLVED

Go to the web page of your city to look for information about their proposals to cut their carbon footprint and their requirements for the businesses within the city. Bet you won't find a link on most sites.

Major shopping centers once recycled, then decided they couldn't make money from doing it and stopped.

Hundreds of apartments have no recycling plan because a couple of maintenance folks think it's too much trouble.

Grocery stores don't want to be bothered with cash bottle returns.

Stores selling large electronics don't want to take back their old equipment to recycle.

The citizens of cities should decide if they want to live in a garbage pit or not. Business should not be allowed to make that decision.

One of our founding fathers said that if all men were virtuous, we wouldn't need government. We need a GREEN Plan for all aspects of the cities in which we live, because cities and individuals will, eventually, follow laws if they are on the books.

Comment from Dave
August 11th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

Emily - Nuclear, or as Bush calls it nucular is no solution. We can and must do better than that.

Comment from likroper
August 11th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS: http://preignitioncc.com/water &
http://likroper.com/PICC.html

Comment from lambjams
August 11th, 2008 at 2:58 pm

Humans are social animals and act in ways to reinforce status and relationships. In many places public transit is considered low-status. This can change by having more private, corporate-sponsored train cars and buses, or first class, for an extra fee.

My brother and I joked that he was going to have to get gold rims on his gas-efficient car, so people wouldn't think he just couldn't afford gas.

Also, in this era of ultra-connected communications, it is unconscionable that dozens of buses are circling the city empty, meanwhile, someone is waiting a long time for a bus to arrive. We need better on-demand routing for bus systems.

Comment from Shaktikim
August 11th, 2008 at 2:58 pm

Firstly, the rest of the world has been paying much higher prices for oil than the US from the beginning. The US has over consumed and continues to do so, without expecting to pay the price. This is an illusion that cannot continue therefore the time is to wake up. I agree with the person who mentioned following the examples of other enlightened countries.

Secondly, there are a number of other energy sources available and being used by small rogue groups, of which the very best is magnetic. Magnetic energy means free energy for the entire world, and is a superconductor therefore limitless. However, this energy has been developed by the military and kept secret from the population because it would mean the oil profiteers losing their profits. A true revolution would be using taxpayer money to fund the development of generators and vehicles that run on magnetic. Solar power, wind and hydrogen are also very viable alternatives, however require sources.

Comment from mike fremont
August 11th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

Many sources say that 18% of global warming gas (methane) is generated by the 1.5 billion cows on the planet. Neither meat nor milk is necessary for our health. Some 70-80% of US cropland is dedicated to producing animals for the table. This is an enormous, unnecessary use of energy (plowing, fertilizer, pesticides, freezing, transportation). I am surprised ED doesn't mention this in Earth: the sequel. authorities are John MacDougal, MD, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. Neal Barnard M.D. (PCRM) Dean Ornish, John Robbins of EarthSave.

Comment from J. Spencer
August 11th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

Manufacturers and retailers need to return their businesses to more responsible models and start offering quality, durable goods that can be reused many times as opposed to flimsy disposables. Continuous growth based on disposables-generated revenue is not sustainable in the long-term; it burns vast quantities of oil in the production and transport of those disposable goods, creates a tremendous amount of unnecessary pollution, and is additionally unfair to loyal consumers who expect value for their dollar. I have already switched to reusable or longer-lasting products in several categories and measurably reduced the waste our family generates, in addition to saving money!

We also need to address the matter of population. It's a touchy subject, but simple common sense demands that we put the brakes on population growth to conserve resources for the children we do have. No one wants to see draconian government policies in Western countries like those we see elsewhere, but if we don't voluntarily control our birth rate, we will eventually reach the point where such measures will become absolutely necessary! Attempts by the religious right to limit access to birth control and outlaw abortion are the epitome of reproductive irresponsibility and need to be curtailed imediately.

Comment from Stefanie
August 11th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Have a better train system around cities and around the country for people and goods. This would significantly reduce the amount of semi-trucks on the road. Also using smaller cars (no SUV's) and reduce the speed limit. Better public transportation. Having a little government/public assistance for solar power and wind power. There is NO reason why EVERY house in Arizona or California doesn't have a solar panel on the roof!!

Comment from deuell
August 11th, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Urban landscapes like New York City desperately need to become more bicycle friendly in every regard- from streets to parks to residential & commercial buildings as well as small businesses. I am confident taking measures now would significantly reduce traffic (especially taxi usage) and the current stress on public transportation, which would in turn make NYC citizens more independent from oil. It also promotes a healthier lifestyle.

There are many pieces to this puzzle, but this is one I can identify as something requiring the city's immediate focus for both long term and short term benefits.

Comment from Lisa Petrie
August 11th, 2008 at 3:02 pm

Lots of you here talk about driving efficiently, and spreading the word is critical. But every campaign needs visibility (think "Live Strong" yellow wrist bands; AIDS ribbons; etc.).

How about:

www.cafepress.com/hypermileUS

I would love to see the Environmental Defense Fund and other environmental/consumer advocacy groups lead a campaign like this!

Lisa

Comment from bbowlin
August 11th, 2008 at 3:03 pm

We,consumers, MUST be more efficient in the AMOUNT of energy we use. The ATTITUDES of Americans must change...about conservation of energy. Most people simply do not care about conserving energy. Their attitudes are much like spending money; if they have it, they spend it!

For me conservation is a necessity; I am a one-income family. I simply cannot afford big utility bills. And it is not easy enduring Texas heat but I do. My ancestors did! ...I am heavily insulating, weather-stripping and caulking my house this year. I keep my thermostat set between 85 - 90 all the time! I have reduced the amount of grass in my lawn with native plants and use only a manual/non-powered lawn mower. I have large trees, which help to cool the house.

On a recent trip to E. Texas, I set my cruise control between 55-60 to conserve fuel. I was harassed for 200 miles... (Attitude) The worst drivers were the truck drivers, who constantly complain about "the price of gas" but CONTRIBUTE to the high price...

The Government needs to stop giving big incentives to their oil "buddies". Politics! There simply must be better oversight/regulation of big oil companies. There seems to be none. Reduce the amount of PROFIT big oil can make - reducing executives profits/bonuses - GREED!

Send a clear message to the auto industry and the public - NO MORE GAS GUZZLERS! Make guzzlers illegal! WE NEED FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES, STUPID!

Companies should be required to capture wind and solar energy in cities and TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT! Many companies leave their lights on 24-7! (The power companies don't care!)

Provide AFFORDABLE wind and solar energy so that residences can AFFORD to generate their own electricity. Make wind turbines and solar panels AFFORDABLE for everyone to install and provide tax breaks. ...Make it illegal for companies to OVERCHARGE for wind and solar energy. Presently, it is not economical enough for me to install solar and/or wind energy in my residence!

Cities should develop sophisticated public rail, et al transportation systems and give incentives for using them -rather than increasing highway systems that encourage auto use. Tax breaks for those who use public transportation!

We could go on and on and on!

Comment from Eric
August 11th, 2008 at 3:03 pm

1. We need public transportation, not only in metropolitan areas, but nationwide–every other industrialized country has it. During the '90's, when I was stationed in Japan with the Marines, I was able to take a train from Gotemba, at the foot of Mt. Fuji, to Tokyo, for 2,000 yen (roughly $20)–a 100-mile ride. We have the infrastructure (plenty of railroads), so there's no excuse. We have Amtrak, but I think local services can be cheaper.

2. Scale down–eat more veggies and less fast food. Don't buy as much junk; maintain shrubbery rather than lawns. Give the stuff you don't use to charity, and move into a smaller space. The less you buy, the less you have to work, and therefore the less oil you use. The less storage space you have, the less electricity you have to use.

3. Use birth control. A rapidly-expanding human population doth not a healthy ecosystem make.

Comment from Dave
August 11th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

Lisa,
And if we're lucky, maybe some of us posting here might volunteer.

Comment from shas1066
August 11th, 2008 at 3:05 pm

Recycle plastic - it's cheaper to make plastic from plastic than from petroleum.
Refuse to by products packaged in non-recyclable plastic. Tell the government to stop letting China package things in non-recyclable plastic.
Stop drinking water out of plastic bottles. If you absolutely must drink it, then reuse and recycle the bottle.

Comment from Walt Terrell
August 11th, 2008 at 3:08 pm

Nuclear where does the waste go - onto a poor Native American Indian reservation - they / we do not all have Casinos and do not all want them morally or otherwise. Thanks but this is not only a rude idea but what about the destiny of our other ethnic brothers and sisters?? nuclear waste is a waste of time and money rocket it all up to the sun and make believe it is a bunch sun spots. ?? I would think with all these other alternatives that we would be beyond nuclear totally — economically as well as environmentally.

nuclear - as a devout trained environmentalist it is appauling as an option . spent fuel rods etc. are around for millenium - get real - solar - no nuclear fall out shelters needed. Wind put em up on the ocean. Get more environmentalists that have a long term veiw of our Humanities' healthy existence to help design and implement environmentally sound ideas and alternatives.

Comment from Johnny Cleav
August 11th, 2008 at 3:08 pm

There was an oil crisis in the 1970s and Washington created a national speed limit of 55mph. For some - or maybe a lot - it would be a pain, but it would definitely save a lot of gas.

Comment from Justin Fischer
August 11th, 2008 at 3:09 pm

Eliminate the use of plastic bags in groceries and other establishments, as some countries in Europe are doing.

Comment from Lisa Petrie
August 11th, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Hi, Dave -

Are you asking if I volunteer, or would be willing to volunteer for EDF. Sure! And I'm completely willing to donate ALL proceeds from my hypermiling efforts to EDF, etc.

But if you want to know if what my current interests are, I volunteer for the Carbon Coalition in NH, the Obama campaign, and my local animal shelter. Also, I'm a life-long CCF and HSUS sponsor. Just in case you're wondering.

Lisa

Comment from Dave
August 11th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

We can learn a lot from Europe, and we should have listened to Jimmy Carter when he was President.

Comment from Lydia
August 11th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

While most 21 year olds have their own car, I have a "family car", a novel idea in my generation's age. We shuttle each other around and manage our trips to ensure efficiency. I have a bike, and though I live a few miles out of town, I ride it on short trips or when the car is out. Luckily in Springfield, MO where I'm from, there is a great initiative with the Greenways program. It's a network of trails around town with the centerpiece being a 30 + mile trail that can take you to the five or 6 nearest towns.

Another key aspect of the oil issue is more on a national or international stage. The fact that we have to use oil as a fuel is insane. We need to conserve it for things like plastics (which should always be recycled). There are so many alternatives that are not only free or much cheaper than oil, they are much better for the earth. Even the Pope knows we are giving our children a scared planet, sucked dry of her precious resources. We need to invest in infracstructure, and research and developement need to be put on the fast track. Governmental grants and support should be given and industry should be encouraged if not mandated to change and transition to more sustainable technologies. If we do not have foresight now, humanity as a civilization will not survive. It's not about us or our children or maybe even our grandchildren, it's about the long term survival of our species, other species we share this rock with and our planet as a whole.

Comment from kabiondi
August 11th, 2008 at 3:13 pm

Congress should make the oil companies take the profits over the last 2 years and give each family enough money to build their own windmill and solar power source for their own home. That would also eliminate the electric companies too which will eliminate the pollution they produce as well. It would also make more jobs making the solar panels and windmills. Installation and maintenance would be another job.

Comment from NativePlantGardener
August 11th, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Definitely reduce the size of your lawn and replace it with a garden of plants native to your area. Choose plants that provide fruits, nuts, pollen, nectar, and nesting places for wildlife. I have replaced approximately 1/2 of our 0.31 acre yard with garden. I leave the dead plants stand over winter to provide food and shelter for wildlife, then cut them down and leave them in place in early spring. Don't forget shrubs, which are even easier to maintain than perennials.

Also, I am now on my second year of freedom from power lawn mowers. A $150 push reel mower gives me great exercise, no noise pollution, no air pollution, no consumption of gasoline nor oil, and the best-looking lawn in my neighborhood.

Buy local produce. Shop at the Farmers' Market, produce stand, food co-op, or whatever your closest source may be. Freeze it, can it, or dry it for the winter, and just say no to tasteless unripe produce shipped an average of 1,500 miles to the grocery store.

Comment from Rachel
August 11th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

I think that any car that gets less than 25 mpg and that is not necessary for business - like a pick up truck - should have a tax levied on it quarterly. The tax should be based on the carbon footprint of the vehicle. So, the owner of a huge SUV that gets 8 mph would pay more than a sedan that gets 22 mph. The money from this tax would be used to make dedicated traffic lanes for motor bikes, motor scooters and bicycles. This way, people being more energy conscious would not be in constant danger of being wiped out by the cars. Hopefully this would eventually discourage people from buying such eco irresponsible transport in the long run.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

There's lots of simple things our government could be doing, but it won't because it's controlled by people who don't care about anything other than their own pocketbooks (both Dems and Reps), and we, the stupid people, keep electing them. I'll name some things to fix our problems, but they're never going to happen, because we're too stupid to elect leaders who will do these things, instead of electing leaders in the pockets of big business and foreign interests.

1) Eliminate subsidies for oil companies. Why are we subsidizing such a profitable industry? Supposedly, to encourage them to pursue less-profitable oil fields and such, but instead, they just pocket the money. This is about as smart as the Welfare program which encourages women to stay unmarried, not work, and have lots of kids.

2) Regulate the oil industry, the way many other countries do. We already regulate other utilities, such as electric power. Oil is at least as important as power and water, and it should be regulated the same way.

3) Start providing incentives to build passenger rail lines between major metro areas. Realistically, we will never have the level of public transit they have in Europe, simply because we're too spread out and not nearly as dense. However, high-speed rail lines between our many major metro areas would take away a lot of congestion in the skies, reduce pollution from jetliners greatly, and provide a much more comfortable alternative to planes. Done right, rail travel could be more comfortable, about half as fast (maybe more), and cheaper. We have passenger rail now, but it sucks, because it's horrendously overpriced (even more expensive than flying), doesn't go many places, and SLOW. First, however, we need to enact a national law that anyone stupid enough to get hit by a train is automatically at fault, and can't sue the train company, and that trains can travel as fast as they want. These slow speed limits for trains are stupid and will prevent them from ever being serious competition for planes.

4) Enact new laws treating SUVs as commercial vehicles, based on their weight. Any vehicle over 4000 pounds should require a special license to drive (a commercial vehicle license, class B), which is expensive and requires special training. Also raise the fuel economy standards of SUVs and trucks. Make it so they can only achieve those standards by going hybrid and/or diesel, which will give them great towing power (what trucks are supposed to be used for after all), but make them slow in traffic.

5) Incentives for all-electric vehicles. More funding for battery technology development. The missing link in EVs is batteries that can store enough power for a decent range; everything else is already solved.

6) Legalize industrial hemp, and start using that and switchgrass as sources for biodiesel. Eliminate stupid farm subsidies, so farmers stop growing corn for fuel, which is ridiculously inefficient.

7) Stop over-regulating nuclear power, and do it the way they do in France, where it's safe and efficient. The main thing here is to stop generating so much waste, and legalize reprocessing (instead of whining about terrorists getting it). By reprocessing used fuel, much less fuel will be needed, and the amount of waste will be miniscule, and won't be radioactive for millions of years. We'll need more clean power for our electric cars in the future, and nuclear is a decent source of power when it's done right (not the way we do it in the USA).

More research into solar power, and development of more efficient and less costly PV panels.

As for the rest of your suggestions, some of you here are complete wackos. The guy with the nutcase claims about "magnetic energy" needs to go back to his tinfoil hat. Will the vegans please shut up with the ideas about banning meat and milk; you morons are killing children through malnutrition, and being sent to jail when you're caught. You really think anyone takes you seriously?

Comment from Nick
August 11th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

Use those solar calculator panels...
and wire them in cars.

Comment from chick
August 11th, 2008 at 3:22 pm

The number 1 answer to the oil shortage is to make vehicles that get 100 mpg and better. The technology is there and there is no reason that we should be at the mercy of the oil companies and the auto manufacturers together. They have been in bed together for far too long and it is time to break this unholy alliance. I am sick of their lame excuses to act.
The regulation of oil speculation is also another place where the American people can find some relief from the gouging that has gone unabated for far too long.
Let's face it folks, we are being raped every day by greed and unscrupulous legislation that must change if we are to survive as a nation. The next time you hear a politician or CEO of an oil company make excuses instead of doing something about the crisis you are looking at someone who is part of the problem.

Comment from Bette Holmes
August 11th, 2008 at 3:23 pm

order groceries by phone and have them delivered at night when folks are home to recieve them. One truck in several neighborhoods could save a lot of trips to the store.

Comment from Rosie J
August 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

In this country we have many alternative ways to attend to our energy needs. Let's start utilizing them. Wind power, solar, electric inner-city transportation, better rail transportsation. Less use of plastics. Recycle, reuse, share. Most of all get our local, state and federal officials seriously involved in accomplishing whatever is needed to seriously reduce oil dependence. It's time for the country-folk to get their cummulative heads out of the sand and get crackin'!

Comment from David Gies
August 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

The only way change is going to happen is if people realize that if they make an effort for themselves, that they will be part of a collective effort that will make a major dent to reduce our impact on the planet.

Many areas of the US do not have adequate public transportation. One reason is that there isn't funds appropriated for the purpose. People need to get proposals on the ballet that would create a millage for public transportation. Also, citizens need to address their concerns to their local government. Petition drives are also effective when presented in a peaceful and goal oriented way.

Walking is one of the best exercises. If more people get out and walk, they will discover more about their neighborhood and community, and will have more money to spend in local businesses, therefore spurring the local economy.

Technology currently uses great amounts of energy. Technology can also be used to increase efficiency and reduce our dependence on nonrenewable resources. We must demand that more of our energy comes from renewable resources, therefore speeding up the process of bringing down the price of renewables.

It is apparent that the increase in oil prices has forces people to take action to save money. They've bought more efficient vehicles, they've canceled their vacation plans, and they've reduced their household spending.

The mindset to save money is creating a demand for higher efficiency in everything they buy. This trend needs to continue.

The more people talk about it and take action, the better the outcome will be. The more we voice our opinion, the more our legislators will listen.

Comment from clara
August 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

there are so many ways we can get away from oil,bio-diesel being just the start(why is it not available to the masses Mr.Bush....)Other countries are driving in air cars that are not available in the U.S. or Canada..(ummm hello exxon-mobil...Bush...Bin Laden family...)
Also as far as powering our homes,why do we not have wind power available?Especially in cities that have alot of wind,such as chicago?
The bigger problem I think is that there arent enough people who care,and in this country the only decisions that matter come from the grossly rich who could care less about our planet,they care about oil and the profits they get from destroying our planet.For example,I live in floridas beautiful gulf coast where we have the most beautiful white sand beaches,and now its very probible that they will start drilling offshore here,there goes our beaches,there goes alot of tourism and there goes our economy,and for what?3 years worth of oil,and a destroyed wildlife that is already in danger.
As far as a solution,instead of spending billions on drilling,spend it on wind power,solar power,bio-diesel plants,I think that all of us "little people"need to stand together and make change happen,in spite of what the overly rich want to put into their pockets,they surely arent going to do it for us,so why cant we as a bigger mass of people fight for what is not only better,but the right thing to do for the generations to come?Most of arent the "1 percent",but we are the other 99 percent!

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Rachel: Your idea about dedicated lanes for bikes is stupid. Unless the lane is physically separated from the car lanes by a barrier of some kinds, bicyclists will be getting hit left and right. We have those bike lanes all over here in Phoenix, and no one uses them because they're so dangerous. Bikes and cars/SUVs cannot be on the same roads, unless they're low-speed subdivision-type roads. What kind of reckless fool would want to ride his bicycle alongside moron drivers yakking on the cellphones while driving 60 mph?

A tax on heavy vehicles is a good idea though.

Comment from MIke
August 11th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

When it comes time to move, relocate to a high density environment, where you can walk to all your do most of your errands. I walk to the bank , supermarket, post-office, restaurants and alike.

Comment from Donna Turman
August 11th, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Hang insulating curtains on your windows. Paper your attic in reflective barrier paper. Buy a bike and attach a large basket to it and do your short-distance non heavy load errands on it. Also, take it to work if you're able, and leave the car at home. Compost your organic scraps, newspaper, leaves, kitty litter and amend your soil with it in the winter. A lawn full of organic matter does not dry out as quickly, so you'll use less water.

Comment from ryoung
August 11th, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Public transportation options need to be vastly improved. Only a few major urban areas have excellent options that make public transportation accessible to all people & local areas. Many places have only one, limited option (for example, only a few bus routes, or a subway system that only goes to a few areas).

We had an excellent railway system in this country that was short-sightedly dismantled by the end of the 20th century as we switched to a gas-intensive trucking distribution system, and focused on airplane transportation. Trolley systems and bus systems also declined as people got more cars–at some point, Americans need to re-train themselves to appreciate the benefits of using public transport, because increasing demand will improve the options and remove the issues we have now of limited use & accessibility.

Comment from joeeagle66
August 11th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

I was shocked last week when I learned that an MIT professor had figured out how to convert water to oxygen and hydrogen using electricity (from solar panels). Why didn't the world stop and rejoice and why didn't life as we know it cease? This was a pivotal moment as far as I can see and it went largely ignored. We should be going after this as quickly as we possibly can. Hydrogen is the storage device for energy that dreams are made of.

Why don't our leaders encourage us to turn our thermostats up in the summer and down in the winter? How many times have you been cold this summer in a movie theater or a mall? Do we need to be cold in the summer time?

Why don't we pay more attention to organizations like the Rocky Mountain Institute who have been instrumental in research on energy conservation?

Why do we even allow cars that get 10 mpg to travel on our highways without incredible surcharges? It's my understanding that Hummers still get a huge tax write off for people who drive them to and from their offices. I could see it on a Prius, but a Hummer?

How can we have Interstate highways full of diesel driven 18 wheelers yet we can't have diesel cars because they pollute too much? In Canada, the Smart car diesel gets 80 mpg but it's not legal here.

Why are our traffic signals not timed better to allow better traffic flow? The electronics that would do so already exist and most electronic watches are more complicated. Doesn't the gas we waste accelerating, the gas we waste stopping and the gas used idling at stop lights cost us dearly? What about the exhaust emitted during this inefficiency?

We have proved over the ages that we can accomplish Herculean tasks when the public will is bent in that direction. We need leaders who will do so, not leaders who rattle sabers and take us to war under false pretense.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

Mike: High density environments are extremely expensive, and not affordable by normal people. It's like this in most countries around the world, not just here. Asking people to pay $5000/month for rent in a tiny apartment is not realistic.

Comment from claude
August 11th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4dkx3_energie-libre-moteur-magnetique-gen_politics

Comment from Lorraine Ratkiewich`
August 11th, 2008 at 3:32 pm

LET US STOP BEING SO TRUSTING AND GULLIBLE! We have lots of oil! We have shipped oil out of this country for a long time to the highest bidder. Japan has been one of our best customers. We are like innocent little lambs trusting our current government, headed up by two greedy, ruthless, billionaire oilmen, believing their lies about energy shortages, while they give tax breaks to the oil industry, wage unnecessary wars on oil producing nations, and put the squeeze on our energy costs. We deserve better, don't you think?

Comment from Anais
August 11th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

In my family, we are starting to investigate rechargeable battery ran chassies. I'm from the Portland, Oregon area and all around I'm seeing people get more and more into this idea.
The car is set up with an engine that only runs on lithium batteries, and you can actually buy kits to make your own battery ran vehicle.
The only thing that is a burden about the batteries is the weight of them. And the more weight in the car, the more battery power is needed. What is needed now for this renewable source is lighter rechargeable batteries.

Comment from Jim Guess
August 11th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

Many of you will not like this. Please read to the very end before you react. What we need to do is fourfold.
1) Drill, drill, DRILL! Drill anywhere and everywhere in the US we can. That will bring the price down.
2) Build new and update all of the current refineries. Current refineries are working under 1950's technology. Current technology will create far cleaner air and will be far more efficient - in cost and extraction.
3) Build about 100 new Nuclear Power Plants RIGHT NOW! Current technology is very safe and clean. Witness that there are over 100 (count 'em, one hundred) nuclear powered ships in the US Navy without ONE nuclear incident.
4) Encourage VIABLE alternatives. STOP spending on dead ends. Encourage American ingenuity to create alternatives. Solar and wind have been pushed for over 30 years and both together comprise less than 1% of all generated power in the US.

We are going to need FAR MORE energy in the future, not less. There is a LOT of oil out there. By the time it is used up, American ingenuity will have come up with some awesome and inexpensive way to create energy. But, until that happens, ALL low income Americans need OIL!!!

Comment from Sarah Dubin-Vaughn
August 11th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

This is our nation's second opportunity to wean ourselves from foreign oil and possibly save our planet! I propose that a full scale effort be made to foster additional research in some of the innovative resources that sound flakey to some who don't know about them, specifically, I refer to zero-point energy. And more sophisticated systems for capturing wasted energy that's generated as a by-product of other efforts.

Comment from Meadow
August 11th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

While some people get their shorts in a wad when anyone suggests they eat less meat, it really does save money. Replace it with legumes including beans and nuts. Saves energy and reduces pollution too. Plus if Americans got a handle on our obesity epidemic, it would be like reducing our population biomass by over a third- the equivalent of nearly 100 million bodies we wouldn't have to fuel or move around!!!
We also need to diversify our energy sources and they should include using solar, wind and tides and changing the model of capture from one centralized utility to many many individual and site specific units.
I see making this change as being hugely beneficial to our economy and not the killer that many have proposed that getting off oil would be.

Comment from kingart
August 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Our leaders must support us. Must demonstrate common sense. Must show genuine respect for the environment, for public will, for climate science. The current administration has done virtually none of this. The few "conservative" voices raised in defense of a more efficient, less wasteful economy and energy policy were promptly silenced. This is disgraceful, at least, amoral and perhaps, by suppressing a crucial truth that could ultimately result in catastrophe, so that friends, associates and supporters may reap huge profits, may be its own form of evil. Not to mention that the U.S., once the envy of the world for its technological innovation, now possesses aging, outdated, inefficient and dirty energy generating systems and gas-sucking cars. Much of the developed world has passed us by. Germany, for instance, has a large and growing solar program. Denmark is a leader in wind technology. The U.S. has vast, virtually infinite potential for both — and does pitifully little. We have been in thrall to the headlock tactics of Big Energy. European tax breaks for non-fossil energy extend into the future. U.S. incentives for wind and solar will run out on December 31. This is MADNESS. Despite huge battery storage, solar panel and wind turbine advances, the U.S. government and energy corporations have done a miserable job of developing systems for home-growing this technology and linking it to the grid. And it doesn't take a wizard genius to see why. If Big Oil and Coal continue to call the shots, we'll all choke to death before they turn over their near-monopoly to alternative energies.

A trillion dollars for Iraq, but not $50 billion for solar and wind? Any objective mind would find that strategy both self-destructive and pathological.

One of the first steps is to demand and then hire (elect) leaders who express open-minded, innovative and courageous leadership, who will call on the best minds in environmental science, advanced materials applications, engineering and any, every other pertinent field. Not only is there vast money to be saved, but hundreds of thousands of jobs to be generated, billions made, and the world turned back from a precipice. And this current government is doing...?

If New Mexico alone has enough spare territory for solar panels that in theory would meet the energy needs of the entire 48 contiguous states — what are we doing? If requiring the CAFE standard of cars to meet a 40 mpg threshold that will more than save the oil we get from the Middle East — what are we waiting for? If making existing homes and buildings just a small percentage more thermally/energy efficient (and providing tax breaks for doing so) and requiring new building codes to be certifiably "green" — what is government doing to earn its keep?

We have the technology. Why are there not more 35 mpg cars? It should be clear that Americans now want far more efficient gas-powered cars. First, if more U.S. car companies were making them, the Big Three might not be sucking so much wind trying to stem their huge cash bleed-outs. But they didn't heed advice which came at them for so long and now their sales are down because their assembly lines generated large-margin SUVs for so long and must retool. Second, the foreign policy impact of lower demand for oil being converted to gas cannot be underestimated. Third, NO ONE can claim that consumer money is better off in the accounts of ExxonSunocoBP than at the grocery store or in college tuition funds. In the end, and I hope the lesson is LOUD AND CLEAR, by buying what the car makers were hawking instead of demanding a more gas-sipping drive, Americans screwed only themselves.

Require the "retirement" of gas-sucking, polluting cars (say, pre-1990). Offer cash. If Treasury can toss around tax rebates so that we can buy, say, a refrigerator to stimulate the economy, it can pay an average of $1,000 a house to get
a carbon spewing gas hog out of the driveway.

Give car corporations an incentive to build hybrids. And NOT SUV hybrids. Compact, space-saving cars. Slap a luxury tax on SUVs and light trucks.

Grease the market for battery powered cars.

Extend tax breaks for wind and solar power R&D indefinitely.

Encourage Americans to RIDE BICYCLES. Short trips to the store, post office, the dental office, can be done on two wheels.

Require that each state and energy authority, with federal assistance, evaluate its energy infrastructure for ways to link to a true national, integrated grid that each year incorporates less energy from coal/oil/natural gas and more from alternatives. No state is without sun, and most states get more than ample wind to drive turbines. We are talking about a vast aggregate of megawatts. This may be easier said than done but we are talking about hundreds of billions of dollars AND a cleaner world AND thousands of new jobs AND a major uptick in the world image of the U.S.

Carbon sequestration. It will be very expensive. But perhaps not as much as the powers that be want us to believe. If they want to burn the coal, then do it without adding to the mercury and greenhouse gas problems, among others. Otherwise, we should start training coal miners in another line of work.

The U.S. government might want to look into just simply buying out some vested interests.

Fossil fuel is becoming, in theory if not practice, an outdated and injurious means of generating electricity. It is ugly. It is a dinosaur. If the nation is so addicted to oil and oil money and oil politics that it cannot break the grip, then we are in for a painful decline, as a nation and a planet. No matter the cost of putting them out of business, it would be worth it to avoid the utter catastrophe of failing to act and make these people listen to science instead of the stockholders.

Comment from Martino Lazzareschi, Sr.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

Al Gore made the right statement of energy independance within the next 10 years.

I suggest a Nationwide Oil BOYCOTT

Not for one day, but at for least a whole week! Maybe an entire month!

War, global warming, USA and Russia fighting to gain control of oil sensitive areas within other countries borders....

Have we, the people had enough yet?

Well, have you?????

Let's stop them NOW.

Boycott all oil products for at least one week.

Comment from S.B. Lautner
August 11th, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Put pressure on auto manufacturers to mass produce electric cars now! Solar power and wind power incentives!
Decommission aging nuclear power plants. Reward innovative technology that produces more with less.

Comment from barryworwood
August 11th, 2008 at 3:52 pm

HOLD ON YOU LOT!
STOP SAYING AND START DOING! WE ASKED YOU TO JOIN US IN THE EUROPE TO MOVE FORWARD TECHNOLOGY AND SHARE WAYS TO SOLVE BUSINESS AND TRANSPORT PROBLEMS! YOU SAID NO TO ME!
YES, I'M THE ONE WHO STATED THESE PREDICTIONS BASED ON 27 YEARS OF WORLD TRADE AND YOU FELL INTO THE TRAP BECAUSE YOU GOT GREEDY!

1) IMPORTING OF PEOPLE TO DO JOBS!
YOU NEVER HAVE NEEDED TO!
HIGHLY EDUCATED DOES NOT MEAN FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO DO THE JOB AS 98% OF HIGH EDUCATED PEOPLE CAN NOT DO ANY OTHER JOB AS THEY HAVE NO FLEXIBILITY! YET A POOR MAN/WOMAN IN NEED OF JOB WILL LEARN ANYTHING ! FACT.

2)DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE AGAIN ON FOOD ! GOVERNMENTS LIKE INDIA SELL RICE,BUT THE KASHMERE HAS TO SMUGGLE THE RICE INTO INDIA TO SELL AS THEY KEEP THEM UNDER THERE THUMB?(INDIA) CLEAR SELLING FROM ALL COUNTRIES TO THE MARKET PLACE. FACT.

3) TWO MARKET SELLING INDIA SELLS RICE TO CHINA THEN BACK TO INDIA THREE OR FOUR TIMES, THE SAME HAPPENS WITH OIL AND GAS! NO MORE THIRD OR FOURTH PARTY SALES WOULD SAVE YOU UP TO A THIRD THE PRICE ON FUEL! FACT.

4) COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ALL OTHERS SHOULD MEET THREE TIMES A YEAR AS ONE COMMUNITY. NOT SEPARATED! FACT.

5)PEOPLE FROM THE THIRD WORLD HAVE WHAT IS KNOWN AS A HUNDRED YEAR DIFFERENCE SO MIXING UP THE COMMUNITIES BEFORE THEY BRIDGE THE GAP IS A WALKING TIME BOMB ENVIRONMENTALLY. FACT. THE RACE TO BE RICH AT ANY COST.

6) PRODUCE WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR AREA AND WHAT IS LEFT SELL WAS THE NORMAL THING! SO WHY DO WE PRODUCE MORE THAN WE NEED AS ALL WE DO IS PUT IT IN STORAGE - BILLIONS OF TONS TO KEEP - WHO HAPPY - FACT IS BUSINESS ONLY.

7) SINCE 1984 IT HAS NOT BEEN TO ANYONE INTEREST TO IMPORT FROM ABROAD BUT TO BUILD UP AND BY LOCALLY (YOUR OWN COUNTRY STARTING LOCALLY) MAKE LOCAL DEALS.

8)SOLAR CARS CAN BE DONE BUT THE FIGHT IS THEY WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT TO BUY AND NOT GIVE YOU THE BEST, AS WE HAVE CARS(SOLAR) THAT CAN DO 200 MILES AN HOUR, AND REFILL STATIONS - BUT NO COMMITMENT.

9) MOVING HYDRO-POWERSTATIONS TO RELEASE LAND TO REBUILD AMERICAN ECCONOMY, GIVING AMERICA BACK IT'S ECCONOMY AT LITTLE COST AND IMPROVING AMERICA'S AIR POLUTION AT THE SAME TIME! FACT.TRUE CURING THE DRY PERIODS IN AMERICA, FACT - BUT TOLD YOU DON'T WANT TO - YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY?
TWO YEARS ONLY AND THEN 200 YEARS OF STRONG GROWTH OR BETTER STILL STRONGER COMMUNITY - LESS IMPORT.

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW
WHY DOE'S ALL COMMENTS SURROUND MONEY NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEMS!
REMEMBER ONE THING YOU ARE STILL DEALING WITH COPIES OF PEOPLE IN BUSINESS FATHER,SON, SON ETC SO YOU HAVE NO ACTION AND REACTION IT HAS BEEN REMOVED! SO IT IS HARDER TO MOVE FORWARD AND EASIER TO COLLAPSE A BUSINESS.

BECOME A TRUE THINKER ! LOOK AT ALL THINGS AS A BLANK CANVAS ....... AND LET EVERYONE PUT IN WHAT THEY WANT FOR THE FUTURE AND CITIES CHANGE OVER NIGHT ALWAYS START AT THE BOTTOM IF THEY HAVE THE MOST TO GAIN AND WILL WORK THE HARDEST GIVEN THE CHANCE? DON'T DO HERE IS THE PLAN YOU CAN DO THE LITTLE BITS, CREATES MISTRUST AND HIGH CRIME.

THE LOWEST WORKER CAN TELL YOU HOW AND WHO IS HOLDING A COMPANY BACK AND WHY! FACT / TRUE

THE TECHNOLOGY IS HEAR AND NOW BUT YOU JUST SIT THERE AND ...............................................
TAKE CARE
BARRY WORWOOD.
REMEMBER ALL IS FIXIBLE!
YOU SHOW ME THE PROBLEM - I'LL SHOW YOU 10 ANSWERS TO THAT PROBLEM - BUSINESS - OR COMMUNITY - OR GOVERNMENT...
AND I'M NOT JOKING !!!!!
COME ON TRY ME !27 YEARS ENVIRONMENTALIST / BUSINESS / NEVER BEEN WITH OUT MONEY...... BUT DON'T CARE IF I AM BROKE AT ANY TIME , WHO CARES?

Comment from Steve Caldwell
August 11th, 2008 at 3:55 pm

I fully and completely agree with all the above comments regarding alternative sources of energy, conservation etc. The USA is way behind the power curve (no pun intended) on this one. BUT, and in addition...

Exxon just published their progit for the QUARTER: a record breaking $11.8 BILLION. That's for 3 months! Not everyone wants lower energy costs and of course Big Oil wants to drill wells off-shore...at profits like this, who wouldn't?

Price controls! unless BO executives and stockholders will agree to lower prices voluntarlily and be satisfied with reasonable profits on their investments.

Comment from J. Lowell
August 11th, 2008 at 3:55 pm

I agree that we can all immmediately decrease the gas we consume by properly inflating our tires, driving the speed limit, emptying out our cars so they weigh less, and downsizing the cars we drive. (SUVs are an obscenity that need to be obsolete asap.)

But looking past immediate small acts to large innovative ideas, here's one from the Brookings Institute: Pay-as-you-go car insurance.

More at: http://www.truthout.org/article/pay-as-you-drive-insurance-comes-brookings

Comment from J. Lowell
August 11th, 2008 at 3:57 pm

One more thought: here in California we have plenty of sunshine and way too much smog. I would love to drive a battery-powered car where the batteries could be solar-charged from solar panels on the car roof. Oil-free driving, plus NO air pollution!

Comment from David
August 11th, 2008 at 3:59 pm

On top of comprehensive traditional mass transit systems (bus, train, etc), an idea whose time has come is personal rapid transit: especially for downtown areas. Once these systems are in place, parking lots and ramps can be gotten rid of and more streets can be car-free, to transform downtowns from congested messes into the easiest and greenest areas to get around in.

Comment from Allan Sheldon
August 11th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

HYDROGEN We should have given big energy enough money by now so they can retool for Hydrogen.We all know there is no shortage of oil. It is just greed. Time again to show the world the way.

Comment from rodreifus
August 11th, 2008 at 4:01 pm

The oil dependency can be solved without the drill here and drill now that John McCain rants about daily. CNN just reported last week that the oil reserves recently discovered in North Dakota exceed the oil reserves in Saudi Arabia. The oil and gas industry in the US will never be satisfied until they destroy the environment of the entire nation and bankrupt it in the process.

There is a relatively simple solution that will create a green electric transportation system and put thousands of American back to work for a long time. The answer is a national monorail system based on the same system that Walt Disney has been operating for nearly forty years. They are now operating a fourth generation electric monorail system. The right of way is already in place nationwide thanks to Dwight Eisenhower who pushed the Interstate transportation system through the US Congress over forty years ago.

The center divide on the Interstate highway system has more than sufficent room to put a raised rail monorail system in place. The engineering is very straight forward. The verticle supports are prestressed concrete uprights that are "T's". The "T's" to be set at 75 foot intervales then place a hortizontial prestressed "I" beam upright to upright. A system of this type could run passengers service 12 hours a day and containerzized freight late at night. The average speed of such a system is 300 MPH and it produces no hydrocarbons. Te fcars have been buitg by Seamons AG of Germany for forty years. Boeing could be licensed to buid them here

How to pay for a nationsl system of this type? You let the willing pay for it. Issue tax exempt variable rate revenue bonds much like the war bonds that were issued during the second world war, and you issue them through federally chartered banks only. Wall Street and the investment bankers have already demonstrated they cannot be trusted by what has happened in this country over the past four years.

Congress has demonstarted the same lack of ethics and common sense. It truely is the culture of corrupt that is bought and paid for. This electric transportation system fits in with the T Boon Pickens idea of a national alternative energy eletrical grid.

Seven months ago I submitted this idea to Gene Taylor US Congress of Mississippi and Rober Wexler US Congress of Flordia both of whome are useless political hacks. They only know war and big business and screwing the voters while rewarding the same people who are destroying this very nation.

This project is quite doable and can be started in all 48 lower states at once and before completed would employ 250 thosand people coast to coast. You have to think outside the box and be involved in critical thinking to understand the benefit to the nation and the people. It does not require an MBA or an advanced degress in civil engineering or structial engineering to grasp the simplicity.

Do you want to know about a national healtcare plan that both the US Congress and Hillary Clinton would hate Click here and download it and read it. Itr is simple also download it at http://www.sssoa.com/american-healthcare-issues/The-American-Healthcare-System-2008.pdf. Memebers of the US congress hate this document because it tells the truth and offers simple solutions and they cannot stand the truth.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Kingart: Why must our leaders support us, or in fact do anything different from what they're doing now? What will happen? Why should they change?

We, the stupid people, keep electing these idiotic leaders like Pelosi, Obama, McCain, Bush, etc., and then complain about how badly they do as our "leaders". So why do we keep electing them?

I think you're all just wasting your time if you think this is going to make any difference. Nothing is going to change, until everything collapses, and then these worries about energy will seem pretty silly because we'll all be worried about simply surviving another day, while these "leaders" live luxurious lives in heavily guarded ranches in Paraguay.

To everyone here: do you vote for Democrat or Republican candidates? Then you're to blame for this mess.

barryworwood: I can't read anything you wrote. Stop screaming.

Comment from john daniels
August 11th, 2008 at 4:05 pm

(1)conservation...conservation...conservation
(2)pay attention to Al Gore's proposal

Comment from Stiv Whitman
August 11th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

My views have been well-represented here.

Instead, let's review what corporations want and will get with a vetted cast of corrupt politicians:

– Oil;
– War for Oil;
– Lies for Oil;
– Coal;
– More Coal;
– Lies for Coal;
– So-called "clean" coal;
– Nuke plants;
– Lies for nuke plants;
– More nuke waste;
– "Drill Anywhere" McCain;
– "Drill Anywhere" Media;
– All major politicians for BAU;
– All major media for BAU;
– More Global Warming, 4 degrees C;
– Short-term profits;
– Long-term extinction....

And so it goes. Power, money, energy. Corruption, vast, unaccountable madness. Sickness, disease, a blighted planet; a feeble, confused population taking orders, climbing ladders. Howl silently, waiting.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Jim Guess: Don't be stupid. 1) Drilling isn't going to help anything, unless we nationalize the oil industry. Otherwise, the oil companies will just sell the oil to the highest bidders, and it won't have any significant effect on the price of oil. Either nationalize the oil industry, or heavily regulate it so that American-produced oil is sold cheaply to Americans.

2) We can't build more refineries. Those are owned by the oil companies, and they're only going to build more if there's profit in it for them. By not building refineries, they can both save money, and charge more for oil products, which we Americans are happy to pay. So they profit greatly by not building any new refineries. The only way to fix this is to heavily regulate or nationalize the oil industry.

3) Navy ships use reprocessed, high-grade nuclear fuel, totally unlike the fuel used in commercial plants. Our stupid government won't let us use reprocessed fuel commercially, because of "terrorists", so we have to bury it in Yucca Mountain. No new nuclear until we allow reprocessing. They do it in France, and it works great.

Comment from Scott Wainner
August 11th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

Americans are wasteful. Plain and simple. We waste energy that we aren't even using. In Europe, they are very conscious about wasting energy. Most hotels have lights in common areas on a timer - it's not uncommon to step off of an elevator into a dark hallway, until you push a button on the wall to turn the lights on. Or bathroom lights that are off until you enter the room and a motion sensor turns them on. On a small scale, big deal - but multiply those things times thousands of buildings and there is some real energy savings.

More importantly, I think we need to rethink the automobile. When gas was cheap and oil plentiful, it was ok to move 50 miles from your work and just commute every day. Now, we need to rethink that and figure out how we can bring safe, comfortable public transportation to the masses, with an efficient network of both highspeed and low speed trains, for instance, which interconnect big cities with outlying subburbs, ensuring that someone that works in a big city need only drive 3-5mi to their local train terminal instead of 30-50 miles into the city.

We also need to make automobile travel more efficient. Ever wondered why you are stopping at a red light when there are no cars coming from the cross street? Me too. Traffic circles, used widely throughout Europe, make intersections safer and way more efficient, ensuring that cars never have to stop and start, they only have to slow down.

There are hundreds of big ideas that could slash our country's use of oil, but it isn't going to happen without strong leadership from our govt officials as well as private industry, engineers, scientists.

Pingback from Energy Saving Ideas — Big and Small « The World According to Opa
August 11th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

[...] Washington asking them to support earth-friendly legis- lation.  I got one from the Environmental Defense Fund today asking for energy saving ideas, big and small (something different this time) - on how I, my [...]

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

Allen Sheldon: Hydrogen isn't a fuel, it's an energy storage medium, and a very poor one at that. There's no natural reserves of hydrogen that can be mined, so it has to be artificially made, usually using electricity. It's so non-dense that it's hard to store effectively in vehicles. We'd be much better off developing better batteries for EVs.

Comment from Kristen
August 11th, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Change our homes and other buildings to use solar-thermal heating and cooling. This virtually unknown technology is proven and is a cost-saver in the long run. Installing them is the kind of "green jobs" we've been talking about, and getting the word out will make sure people are hearing something new, and not the "same old ideas!"

Comment from Kristen
August 11th, 2008 at 4:17 pm

Study and summarize how state and local zoning rules encourage sprawl and fossil-fuel dependence. Then, come up with recommendations on how to decrease sprawl and create beautiful communities where people can safely walk and bike and use mass-transit options that are FASTER than cars.

At the same time recognize that transportation by car has become a necessity in many cases, but we can start to shift our communities so that cars are not as attractive.

Comment from Marvin De Jong
August 11th, 2008 at 4:17 pm

First of all, the government should make efforts to get educate it's citizens as opposed to helping them be in denial. I am thinking of something like World War II publicity to mobilize the citizens in the war effort, victory gardens for example. Citizens need to believe that the problem is real and that the dangers are extremely significant. The planet Venus is an excellent and terrifying example of what can happen to Earth.

I believe the initial, but clearly not the only, step is conservation. This requires life-style changes, for example, smaller and much more fuel-efficient cars, smaller and greener homes and buildings, living close to your work, clothes lines for drying clothes, etc. Here again, the people on the planet need to be mobilized.

In terms of energy, coal and all carbon-based fuels should be eliminated as soon as possible. We should not start new nuclear plants unless there is a viable plan in place to store the waste is approved by state and federal governments. We need lots of research into alternative fuels and electric vehicles, remembering that it doesn't help if they are charged from coal-fired power plants. New ideas should be rewarded.

Tax gasoline with the requirement that the revenue go into alternative energy research.

Finally, every effort should be made to reduce the world's population. With far fewer people there is far less energy consumed.

Comment from Andy Singer
August 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pm

The transportation sector is the largest energy consumer in the country and is vastly less efficient than Europe's. It is entirely based on automobiles. There is a myth that if we just power cars with alternative fuels this will solve the problem. But more energy goes into building and disposing of a car than is actually used by the car during its lifetime on the road. Several studies (including one by the Environment and Forecasting Institute in Heidelberg, Germany) have examined how much fossil fuel energy is used (and carbon emitted) to forge a car's steel, and make the plastics in its body and petroleum in its tires, etc). If you include all the energy used to make asphalt and concrete and maintain highways, you quickly see that plug in hybrid cars or hydrogen aren't going to solve the climate change problem and get us to where we need to go. They are useful short-term "methadone treatment" (for our heroin-like addiction to cars) but, long term, we need to eliminate the need for private cars and stop the growth (world wide) in VMT (Vehicle miles traveled).

Because cars require vast quantities of space for maneuvering, parking and driving, they inherently create sprawl and inherently destroy the positive density of towns an cities. The sprawl and urban destruction caused by cars and highways has put people, jobs and essential services far away from each other. Therefore energy is wasted transporting people to and from these jobs and essential services. This is why the US spends twice as much per capita on transportation as Europe. Thus, We need a national transportation and land use policy that puts people, jobs and services closer together so people don't have to drive (and use energy) to get what they need.

Step number one, all major environmental groups including ED should sign onto a "National paving moratorium" that says "we oppose the building of any NEW roads or highways or highway lanes." Maintaining old ones is fine but any new transportation infrastructure money should be spent exclusively on public transit– buses, fixed rail or bicycle pedestrian– and revitalizing cities and inner suburbs to create affordable housing and improve quality of life. Right now most state DOTs are spending way too much money on new roads, lane widenings and expansions, even as they let their existing infrastructure rot.

Step number two, state constitutions that dedicate all fuel taxes, tolls and motor vehicle fees to highways must be amended to allow these monies to be flexibly spent on other transportation modes. We have been stuck in a car-oriented transportation model precisely because of financial structures (in state taxes) that were set up by General Motors and AAA in the 1920s and 30s. It's time they were amended or repealed.

Step number three, put in place state and national land use and zoning laws that are actually enforcable which prohibit exurban development and stop the growth of sprawl. Due to gas prices, sprawl is already becoming uneconomical, so this shouldn't be that hard.

Step number four, tax private vehicle use using things like the road pricing scheme put in place in London (and proposed for New York City), where fees generated by the tax are pumped into transit, brownfield cleanup and automobile alternatives. To soften the blow, tax exemptions can be allowed for some necessary deliveries/businesses or those with no alternatives who are unable to afford the charges.

Step number five, make bicycling and walking safer by forcing state DOTs and city public works departments to create "safe routes to schools", slow down vehicle traffic, add traffic lights for pedestrians and generally make our cities and towns easier to negotiate by foot or bicycle.

Step number six, give people financial incentives for not owning a car and walking or biking to work. Tax credits that were given to people for buying hybrid cars should be extended to people who buy NO car ...and mortgage assistance and other incentives should be given to people willing to locate in urban or denser suburban areas.

Lastly, we have to focus on making cities nicer places to live. Great density can be achieved with just 2-4 story walk up housing. We don't need skyscrapers or oversized buildings, out of scale with humans that block sunlight and require very energy-intensive materials and vast quantities of external energy to maintain and operate. "Green skyscrapers" is an oxymoron and they make cities less pleasant places. Same with noise and we should consider ways to eliminate car alarms, car horns, Harley and other intentionally loud motorcycles and after-hours construction noise. And we should encourage greenspace, community and pocket gardens and other urban amenities.

The skyrocketing price of oil and climate change should be viewed both as environmental wake-up calls and an opportunity for positive change, particularly when it comes to transportation and land use.

Comment from Ian Leslie
August 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pm

Building codes require insulation in the walls and ceiling. It would be criminal to sell a house without it. New regs would require 1kW of photovoltaic panels per 1000 square feet of new home construction. You would buy the house with the panels already installed. Conservatively, at $10,000/kW and $100/square-foot of house this means reducing a 2200 square-foot house to 2000 square feet. There may be some places that it does not make sense (Seattle perhaps), but most areas in the country have enough sunshine. Perhaps there could be regional tax breaks for lower sunshine areas.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pm

Scott Wainner: Traffic circles are the most incredibly stupid idea ever to come from Europe. They're not efficient, they're dangerous. People crash in them all the time. Every east-coast city that has tried them has regretted it, and for that reason they haven't built a new one in decades.

As for stopping at red lights, that's because cities are too cheap to use lights with sensors to only change when there's traffic present. As city leaders are elected, and raising taxes is never popular, this is not likely to change. However, lots of places do use sensor lights (because they can be worth it in many places), but then the traffic "engineers" are so incompetent that they don't set them up right, and one car on a cross street stops dozens of cars on the main street, instead of synchronizing the light with other lights on the main street. Many times, this is because city "leaders" want people to stop at red lights, because it's somehow "safer", because having a long line of green lights supposedly encourages speeding.

Comment from neosapiens
August 11th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

Building nuclear plants won't help us get off of oil, but the tens billions of dollars we would save by NOT building them could be used to fund biofuels, efficiency, wind power, solar, etc., all of which are much more cost effective ways to reduce oil use and to address global warming. Nuclear advocates either haven't thought through or aren't being completely candid about the dismal cost/benefit ratio of nuclear power plants. We need more efficient and more immediate approaches, like diversifying automotive fuels and increasing fuel economy. Big plants take too long to build and just divert funds from more effective approaches. Global warming and the massive bleeding off of America's wealth to pay for foreign oil can't wait.

Comment from Bill Becker
August 11th, 2008 at 4:25 pm

Next to sailboats and bicycles, trains are by far the most fuel efficient ways to transport cargo and people. It was discovered by early coal miners that steel wheels on steel tracks are almost frictionless. Moreover, trains have considerably less air resistance than the combined number of trucks needeed to carry equivalent loads.

There is a reason that GM and Standard Oil set out to destroy our rail system in the 1940's and 1950's. Let's bring our rail system back.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 4:26 pm

Marvin De Jong: Educating the people is not something our leaders would be interested in. An uneducated populace is much easier to control. Just look at how Americans happily voted for McCain (McSame, McBush, etc.), even though any idiot can see that Bush's policies are all based on lies and that McCain is going to be exactly the same, and Obama even though any idiot can see he just talks about "hope" and "change" even though he doesn't actually have any real substance, just style. Intelligent, educated people wouldn't vote for either of these buffoons.

Our nation's public school system has been carefully designed to prevent children from being properly educated, and indoctrinate them instead, and it has succeeded brilliantly.

Comment from eigenne
August 11th, 2008 at 4:27 pm

The nation need more public transportation like mini buses more frecuently running, olso smalls cars four cilynders y reinstale the electric trolleys, they are clean and not polute transportation, they was remove of the service for pressure of the general motors forcing to people to buy cars and the complicited of the state oficials corrupts.

Comment from rlpfamily
August 11th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

Other causes of wasted gas are:
1) Planes circling when they don't "need" to be:
http://transavion.com/transavion.com/Blog/Entries/2008/5/5_Cause_of_Global_Warming.html

2) Cars stuck behind railway tracks blocked by trains that are not supposed to stop or to be there during commuting hours. 1 1/2 hour wait happened in my desert community and how many drivers could stage the temperature without leaving their car running. (Probably close to zero.)

3) Cities that don't know how to time lights so drivers hit more red lights than green lights (Provo, Utah is especially bad for this travelling their main street, University Avenue). I loved living there a decade ago, but this is one of a handful of things I don't miss each time I return for a visit.

4) Stopped traffic in general. Have a crane drag wrecked cars (sans people) off the road and keep traffic flowing.

Comment from Judy Ewing
August 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm

(1) Invest in our railroads. They operate far more efficiently and inexpensively than trucks!
(2) Build windmills from North Dakota to Texas. The whole midwest plains area of the country has wind that blows ALL the time and could power the entire nation with electricity!
(3) Invest in the technology for electric cars, hydrogen cars, solar cars, whatever is best for the environment, and make it affordable now, not in 15 years!
(4) Make solar panels on residences affordable now.
All this takes a big investment, but it will pay for itself pretty quickly.

Comment from oscar v
August 11th, 2008 at 4:50 pm

When ever possible, ride, walk,get a ride with a friend,bus, skate board, what it takes to get to where you have to go. It all starts with yourself.In california when it's 100 degrees use a fan, keep your house well insulated, I do. When you do drive go slower,have a car that gets 25 mph at least. There is so much we can live out. It's time to humble ourselfs, and do not waste anything.

Comment from Max Robertson
August 11th, 2008 at 4:50 pm

Tax the hell out of oil imports and use that money for research, tax breaks and other things that will encourage the development of alternative energy. Drill in the many areas we ALREADY have designated for drilling and put a moratorium on adding any more places to this list.

Comment from Bonnie Lockwood
August 11th, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Promote alternative forms of transportation, e.g. bus, rail, rideshare, biking. Lower speed limit and provide concrete scenarios of rpms and fuel usage. Ban use of plastic bags, which is a two-fold win - less oil-based products produced and fewer plastics in the ocean.
Reformulate work weeks to lessen the driving footprint.

Comment from meeshy
August 11th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

Fuel is a problem and landfills are a problem. Why not make fuel out of garbage and deal with both problems?

Also, cars are the source of a huge amount of pollution, expense, and social concern (accidents, drunk driving, etc.)

We need more public transportation and we need to change our mind-set from the selfish car-using society we've become, back to the neighborhood-centered, walking/bus riding society we used to be and we should be.

Comment from neosapiens
August 11th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

Add a steep surcharge to vehicle registrations for polluting gas-hogs and use the revenue for public transportation or to buy-back and scrap old cars. This would help low-income people and accelerate the decomissioning of the worst vehicles now on the road. The scrapping bonus would have to be generous enough to keep the surcharge from becoming a burdensome regressive tax.

Second, find some way that won't violate our treaty obligations to effectively tax imported oil. If that isn't possible, then we would have to tax all uses of oil and find some way to cushion the pain for low-income people.

Comment from Ruth Walker
August 11th, 2008 at 5:07 pm

DON'T drive the highway speed limits. Go slower. There was a good reason for the 55 MPH limit. (The national limit was stopped because people didn't care!) It would save about 10% of the gasoline consumption if everybody did it. There doesn't have to be a law for you to slow down.

Comment from Cindy Schaller
August 11th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

My suggestions would be:
1. Switch to a four day work week. Workers could pick which days to work and businesses would lesson their energy costs.
2. Better public transportion. Right now most workers can not get to their jobs without vehicles.
3. We need to start walking or riding bikes to places nearby. No more jumping in the car because it is quicker.
4. Learn from the Amish. They certainly could teach us a great deal. They get by quite nicely without all the toys people now think they need.
5. Learn from the Native Americans. When they killed an animal nothing went to waste.
6. Make hybrid cars more affordable. I'm driving an old vehicle because I cannot afford a more fuel efficent vehicle.
7. Make landlords upgrade and maintain their apartments. Renters want more energy efficent appliances. I currently have to run the air conditioner becuse I have no screen to my glass sliding door. (They have known about this for 6 years and still have not corrected this. I am not a new tenent and therefore not a priority.)
These are just some quick thoughts.

Comment from Christine Sorenson
August 11th, 2008 at 5:14 pm

Companies should be given tax breaks for employees who telecommute and encouraged to allow telecommuting–it saves them real estate and energy expense and spreads the electrical costs throughout the grid.

Comment from Pamela Lau
August 11th, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Use Tupperware for food instead of plastic wrap, which is a petroleum product. Avoid plastic as much as possible. Buy plant-based cleaners instead of petroleum-based one. Buy laundry detergent that is concentrated rather than watered-down (so much gas is wasted in the transport and manufacture of such products, not to mention the containers they come in.)

This is a biggie that I've been doing for 10 years — bring your own reusable bags to the store!!!

Comment from Pamela Lau
August 11th, 2008 at 5:28 pm

Use Tupperware for food instead of plastic wrap, which is a petroleum product. Avoid plastic as much as possible. Buy plant-based cleaners instead of petroleum-based ones. Buy laundry detergent that is concentrated rather than watered-down (so much gas is wasted in the transport and manufacture of such products, not to mention the containers they come in.)

This is a biggie that I've been doing for 10 years — bring your own reusable bags to the store!!!

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 5:28 pm

Cindy Shaller: You're just like all the idiots that keep electing the same politicians and expecting different results. If you don't like your current apartment, why don't you move? If you're not willing to move, then you deserve poor treatment. Back when I lived in apartments, I moved every year or two because landlords raised rent so much, even though new tenants got lower rents. Now I own a house, and don't have to worry about mistreatment from landlords, and can feel free to upgrade my house as much as I want to be very energy-efficient. All these morons promoting high-density living always miss that part: if we all live in tiny apartments, we're going to have crappy, old appliances and poor insulation, and we're going to use just as much energy as we do now. You can't force landlords to upgrade their apartments. They're not making enough profit to do that anyway, since they're paying most of your rent to finance companies, like Freddie Mac, whose CEO just took home a $38 million paycheck even though his company is failing. But I'll bet he's a big contributor to the campaigns of all your favorite politicians, so they're certainly not going to do anything to annoy him.

Comment from RICK BADMAN
August 11th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

I have been a big supporter of flywheel storage units since the mid-70s. If a flywheel made from either rock quartz or one of my ultra-stressed crystalline molecular solid materials is placed atop a motor/generator and another is placed below the motor/generator and they are all sealed to keep in a vaccum and the motor/generator is either liquid cooled or air cooled, it may be possible to spin the flywheels fast enough to kinetically store 100 watt-hours of energy per cubic inch of flywheel material. If magnetic belts can be placed around the flywheels that face magnetic belts inside the vacuum canisters, it may be possible to produce a repulsive linear induction effect to increase the kinetic storage capacity. If the 100 watt-hour per cubic inch goal is met and the flywheels can be safely respun up to speed at least 3000 times, the vehicles that have flywheels may not need to have the flywheels changed for years because a sedan that uses two stacked units with a total storage capacity of 10,000 cubic inches may be able to be driven nonstop from New York City to Chicago.

Passenger planes could then use flywheels too and use either motor-driven turbine engines or compression field engines that will be able to power a plane from a conventional airport into space. Instead of paying tens of thousands of dollars to be flown up and down, passengers would pay maybe $3000 to fly to the International Space Station and to other destination around the world. For $30,000 they may be able to fly to the moon in the future, provided flywheels and my compression-field engine work.

We need to use the oil shale deposits we have out in the West. We have pockets of geothermal energy that can be used to liberate the oily substance from the shale for processing. We would have more oil than the Middle East if we were allowed to use the oil shale.

We could use plasma burners to burn coal more efficiently and cleaner. They would also break down water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce fuel and oxidizer. Plasma igniters instead of spark plugs may also burn water as a fuel.

If we had more plants to process dead animals, we could produce oil from them that could be used for Diesel engines and for heating oil. With so many tons of animals being disposed of instead of processed into oil, we are throwing away a valuable source of energy.

Scientists are experimenting with bacteria that can break down plants into fuel. We need to fund more of that research. If the public was able to buy cans of the bacteria and the processing units, they might be able to create their own fuel from lawn clippings, leaves, weeds, and garbage.

We need more nuclear energy. My injection reactor, provided it works, could produce more energy than standard reactors and with my Red Rover Reactor processing nuclear waste, nuclear power may become more attractive.

Ultimately we need to be able to tap the electromagnetic fields of the earth to use the abundant natural energy source to meet our electrical needs. I talked with a man who had a friend who was able to recharge his batteris by using the fields that flow by us all the time.

My solar stacks, both photovoltaic and steam, might be able to produce large amounts of electricity and the stack assemblies could be located in deserts and wildernesses where there aren't many people.

We also need to use the methane hydride deposits off of our coasts before they explode if the water becomes too warm and the deposits float toward the surface. We may not need to drill much for natural gas if we use the methane deposits.

We have more than enough energy to meet our needs. Much of it is all around us. We just need to develop the sources and before the middle of the century we could end our energy problems and prices will plunge.

Comment from Richard Cyr
August 11th, 2008 at 5:30 pm

When I was young the police would walk their beat and a car would drop them off and pick them up this was something to see a (police car) and no air I see now they have bikes and they tie them too the back of the police car and ride the bike around on the car with them in there air conditioned cars sit on the side of the road with the air on and the car running witch a camera could do to register speed take a picture of the speeder,this would save a lot of gas.And they could be on the street where the crime is,not in the donut shop,or sleeping on the side of the road,or shopping at Walmart or just riding around waisting gas,our gas.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 5:31 pm

Pamela Lau: Tupperware is made from plastic, you idiot! And unlike ultra-thin plastic wrap which is only used once, tupperware degrades and leaches into your food. Yum.

How many uses of plastic wrap equal the amount of plastic in one tupperware container? How many times can you reuse Tupperware before it gets too nasty and must be thrown away?

Christine's comment is one of the best I've seen here, while quite short. Telecommuting would save tons of fuel and energy.

Comment from Dick Badger
August 11th, 2008 at 5:36 pm

We need to stop thinking in terms of "fuel" to power our personal transportation vehicles and start realizing the benefits of all-electric cars, buses, scooters, etc. Then, we need to ensure the electricity to fill those electric vehicle batteries comes from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal.

Comment from Lisa Petrie
August 11th, 2008 at 5:44 pm

Daniel Wolstenholme:

Who made you the "blog police"...? You're blocking the creative flow. A little less agression, please.

Lisa

Comment from Andrew Koenig
August 11th, 2008 at 5:52 pm

Behavior: Reduce consumption. We have to be able to participate in a capitalistic society without the current practice of overconsumption. Thoughtfulness be a part of our everyday practice.

Technological: We must get away from the combustion engine. A non-polluting engine is necessary. Perhaps something along the lines of the theorized Bussard ramjet. Or perhaps something that utilizes the Earth's magnetic field.

I obviously don't know enough about this field to say how it should be done (or I would be a wealthy man right now), but I believe this is the future of earthbound and interstellar travel.

Comment from John Ulstrom
August 11th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

Remember the 1970's when we were requied to drive 55? I suggest we modify that a little. After 60 mph, the gas milage really decreases. Change the speed limit to 60 nationwaide. BUT instead of ticketing for speeding between 60 and 75, do as Montana did in the 70's gas crunch. Instead of adding points for each offense, they simply wrote a $10 ticket for "wasting fuel" no points. People would have complete control of wether they wanted to comply with the law. Maybe to discourage speeding a bit more, after ten "wasting fuel" tickets, give the offender one point on his license. Then one point for each additional ticket. Slowing down to 60 mph will save fuel and hopefully save lives.

Comment from Nick Hentschel
August 11th, 2008 at 6:05 pm

Here, are my own ideas, and I'm afraid that it's a long list:

1) Competitive economics must be laid aside in favor of cooperation, because we must COMPOUND fuel-saving technologies, not just rely on one, good idea, per machine. It's not enough to just have a hybrid car; we need it to be hybridized *in conjunction with* an already-efficient gas engine. We need to get the "plug-in" technology, AND that hot-stuff lithium-ion technology together in every hybrid or electric engine. And even in hybrids, we need to be cutting our gas with eco-fuels, or better yet, using flex-fuel technology. And this will only happen if the companies developing our technologies stop competing with each other to "corner the market,' and start to share ideas.

2) Radical changes need to be made to the structure and configuration of our vehicles, besides. No matter how efficient the power plant, we must have more sensibly designed frames to put it in, and any way to shave off bulk is worthwhile. In fact, some old ideas may be helpful: two-seater cars, four-seat cars with two doors, hatchback design, and so on, need to make up a greater portion of what we see on the roads. We don't have to use those dinky little cars that are no bigger than motorcycles. In fact, more motorcycles and scooters wouldn't kill us, since so many of us are 1-passenger drivers, anyway!
Some designs, of course, will just have to go, like the gas-guzzling SUV, and the poorly-designed, front-engine Sedan, with its inefficiently used space.

3) Cars an trucks need to be used when necessary, not just when convenient. We simply don't need them for the majority of trips taken in this country (5 miles or less), and they're less necessary in the city, than in the country. Car-share programs, cheaper, are ideal in many cases, and even being able to rent or borrow a car for short periods should be easier. At the very least, thinking in terms of, "one car per family" is better than "one car per person."

4) Lifestyle changes can, and should, be made, in order to reduce the need for a car, and this may mean shopping and working arrangements that require less driving. You know the old trap: "I hate driving, but I gotta get to work. And I hate my job, but I gotta make car payments." Well, without a car, maybe you won't need that awful job, or to drive so far to get to it!

5) Combine conventional and alternative transport: consider installing bike-carrying racks on the car, not only to take MTBs to the trail, but so that once you get to work, or to town, you can go the rest of the day by bike, instead of having to drive every few blocks, and look around for parking!

6) This may sound oddly out of place, but we need better, fairer law enforcement on the roads. For as a cyclist, i can attest to how little protection riders, pedestrians, and other non-drivers have, the way the law is currently enforced, because driving is perceived as such an inalienable right, that drivers are protected from liability, no matter how egregiously they maim or kill: investigative apathy, reduced charges, and slap-on-wrist penalties. As long as this is the case, people will avoid alternative transportation out of sheer fear.

7) Live on less. there's simply no getting around it and it's truer to the American experience anyway: our pioneer ancestors, the working Americans who built this country, and even our soldiers have all had to live frugally. Stop spending money, not just on gas, but on all luxuries, and pay only fair prices. As for energy, turn off the lights when you leave the room, don't install a row of lights when one fixture will do, use daylight instead of electricity, and learn to do things without machines! (You wouldn't believe how surprised people act when they hear that I make bread, but don't use a "bread machine.")

And while we're at it, no more disposable culture! Quit making stuff that's meant to be disposable, especially since most of it is petroleum-based plastic, anyway!

Lifestyle and cultural changes, folks: that's the only way through.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 6:06 pm

Lisa Petrie: "Creative flow"? WTF is that? Many of the comments here are stupid or even ludicrous. "Magnetic energy"? Zero point energy? Bussard ramjet? Are you f`in kidding me? This blog could use some police to keep the crackpots off.

I'm just injecting a little reality here. Go back to your tofu.

Comment from Mark Kraemer
August 11th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

I think a good ad campaign for fuel-efficient cars would be to show how roomy they really are. Many people still think hybrid sedans will be too cramped to be comfortable.
I've found when friends get into our Prius, they are surprised by how roomy it is.

Any ad that could graphically demonstrate this roominess and get people into a showroom to actually TRY a Prius, or other hybrid sedan would be beneficial. Many would find that these cars are more than roomy enough for their needs.

And there's really no other good reason not to buy them, in my opinion, other than price. And with the money you save by using less gas, that issue could be overcome, as well.

Comment from bob
August 11th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

the big oil companies claim billions in profits and they cant make oil products,so nationalize one big oil company
cordially, bob nace

Comment from Nick Hentschel
August 11th, 2008 at 6:12 pm

Oo! Darn! I forgot another one:

9) when it comes or more efficient cars, let's have some more effort put into retrofits and modifications, instead of demanding that people waste money on a whole, new car, in order to avoid waste! In this way, fuel-efficiency and frugal, "non disposable" living all come together!

Comment from Brian
August 11th, 2008 at 6:14 pm

Change public transit vehicles to accomodate all bicycles.
Some, such as the older trolley cars in San Diego, make it difficult to load your bicycle.
You must climb narrow vertical steps up and down to get from street level to car floor level. Holding the bicycle firmly your front wheel swings around wildly, banging on the sides. You may find things knocked off your backpack.
The newer cars permit a street-level entry.........
Road bikes are especially difficult to load, what to speak of mountain bikes.

Comment from Lisa Petrie
August 11th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

I approached the Supt. of Schools in my district a couple of years ago, and asked if teachers could ride the local school bus instead of driving our own cars. He loved the idea! I had to carry my school photo ID so that the bus drivers recognized me, but that's easy enough.

My schedule this past year prevented me from riding, but I plan to work around that this year.

Kids in my school call the bus the "loser cruiser". But when they see adults taking the bus, by choice, perhaps this could be a first postive lesson in mass transport for them...? Honestly, I've had great conversations with high school kids on the short ride to school. Nice.

Lisa P., Daniel's tofu-eating friend

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 6:19 pm

Nick Hentschel: Many of your points are good, but 4) doesn't make sense. People don't work to afford a car; they work to pay for housing and food, and then a car. Americans may spend a lot on transportation compared to other places, but it's nothing compared to what they spend for housing. And food is also a huge factor. If people don't have a job, how exactly are they going to afford to live?

Remember, the whole reason many people live so far from work is because housing is simply unaffordable near their workplace. This isn't a problem with resources or energy either, it's a purely economic problem. Cities with very high densities have much higher housing costs, despite the fact that less building materials are needed in high-density developments. Nothing is going to change this unless we bring in soviet-style socialism, which didn't exactly turn out too well.

As for 6), we can't have anything more than slap-on-wrist penalties for auto/truck drivers who kill cyclists through negligence. Remember, the liberals who want everyone to stop driving cars and ride bikes are also the same liberals who want to go soft on crime and never punish anyone (unless they're defending themselves from violent criminals using a gun, then they want to lock them up for life). Better bike routes (NOT along regular car roads) would be great, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

Oh yeah, on 5), installing a bike rack on your car greatly interferes with its aerodynamics, and reduces its fuel economy. At least the roof-mounted ones do. Get a tow hitch, and a hitch-mounted bike rack instead. That should have much less effect on fuel economy.

7) People don't have time to make their own bread and other such things. We're already too busy going to work to make money for our capitalist masters, so that we can afford to pay for our overpriced housing (which, as I pointed out before, is not a problem with energy at all). There's simply no cheap housing available in most places in the USA, unless you're willing to live in a ghetto and dodge bullets from turf wars between drug gangs.

Comment from lodonnel
August 11th, 2008 at 6:27 pm

I think we definately need to move away from oil(foreign or otherwise) and start utilizing wind and sun energy. Other countries have used these resources for generations. I also think that the trains need to be reinstituted and rebuilt and other forms of public transportation in all U.S. cities should be a major priority if we are going to move into a new way of life. Do we want to have to wear masks like they do in China because (the smog is so bad) it's unbreathable? Well that is where we are headed in this country if we do not get a handle on the green house gas problem and our dependance on oil. We need to be brave and embrace change.

Comment from E. Daniel Ayres
August 11th, 2008 at 6:33 pm

My pappy used to say, "there are too many f...ing people in the world." That is the fundamental issue. My wife and I decided (married in 1964) that the future for another generation was pretty bleak and that we would be better off not bringing any more hungry mouths to the table. More people need to do this! The main source of the amazing growth in China is their "one child" policy. It permits the society to invest in things they could not afford if there were more mouths to feed.

Comment from alan
August 11th, 2008 at 6:34 pm

THREE ITEMS. DESALINATION OF SEA WATER, WIND, AND PLUG IN ELECTRIC CARS. THAT'L DO IT. GAURAUNTEED. GOBAMA 08.

Comment from thegreendane
August 11th, 2008 at 6:40 pm

What goes around, comes around. I survived the OPEC assault of the '70's and now we're right back at square one. History repeats itself and I hope this time we recognize the need for real change. A few suggestions:

For Immediate Impact
1. Replace all your lightbulbs w/CFL's or LED's. Then, take one to a neighbor & offer to put it in one of their lamps. Then, wherever you shop, look around & make sure companies are doing the same; make suggestions if they aren't.
2. Unplug unused electronics (don't forget the toaster). Shutdown computers when not in use.
3. Insulate your home or add MORE to what you have. The biggest energy hog in this country, according to various sources, is in fact your home. If you can afford it, replace 20+ year old windows w/double or triple pane versions. Stop buying McMansions.
4. Replace outside landscaping lights w/solar; remove wasteful lawn watering systems or install special timers keyed to the weather (I saw this one on Living w/Ed). Replace lawn w/local plants/groundcovers. If you have a small lot, use a reel mower. Compost veggies & fruit. Plant your own veggies & fruit–even in pots–so you harvest organic & as close to home as you can get.
5. STOP BUYING more stuff! Watch the Story of Stuff at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9153550196656656736. Instead, shop at Resale Shops and donate to them. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
6. Buy the most energy efficient appliances available when you can. Do your laundry at night when rates are cheaper. Learn how to cross-ventilate your home so you use the AC less. Install a tankless water heater, esp. if you use alot of water.
7. Negotiate with your boss to do meetings online, vs. live. Work with corporate folks to reduce their footprint–from transportation, to energy, to waste disposal.
8. When you drive, cover as many needs in one trip as possible. Drive the speed limit or less. Check the air on your tires; this affects fuel economy. Drive w/out using the AC but DO use Cruise Control when you can. Carpool if possible. Urge local, state, & fed officials to reduce their transport footprint as well.

In the Short Run
1. Email your Congresspersons & urge them to support sustainable fuels.
2. Require all oil companies to invest 50% of their profits in sustainable replacements. If they don't, double their tax rate.
3. Put an immediate tax on all imports; it's time to return to a tariff-based economy.
4. Require all oil companies to "use it or lose it"–they have oil leases they could use but aren't doing so.
5. Close the Enron-loophole for oil speculation.
6. Rethink your voting positions. Energy plans have been stalled by Republicans in Congress or vetoed time and again by the current administration. Check your Congressperson's record & ignore what they say in their newsletters.

In the Long Run
1. Create Regional Sustainable Fuel projects. For instance, on the Coasts, invest in Hydro/Wave power. In the midwest, Wind Power. In the south, Solar. These projects must have board members where at least one person is a consumer/activist. Create an industry bonus plan based on how well they've serviced their customers, reduced fossil fuel usage, and reduced emissions.
2. Return Iraq to the Iraqis. Bring the troops home to help with maintaining democracy here. Offer a GI Training bill to educate them on sustainability, so they can be leaders in the field to help the new regional projects.
3. Remove tax subsidies (such as the one given to oil companies right now) and give them to US-made sustainable companies instead.
4. Contractualize the federal govt to install and use sustainable energy and products. Make this a requirement at the local level, as well.
5. Create a sustainable tax on corporations working in or dealing in the US (say any reporting income over $10 million a year). All funds would go to help low income families/neighborhoods on energy-related projects.

Comment from bricmpt
August 11th, 2008 at 6:41 pm

Educate as many republicans as possible. Suggest that those who think CO2 is okay go take a deep breath from a tailpipe. Overthrow the wealthy, elite global businessmen. Other than that, I don't know what will work.

Comment from Mara
August 11th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

In terms of long-term solutions, we can definitely make use of solar energy... that will solve most of our energy problems. Then I think we should develop a system where people are fined if they don't recycle (of course, it has to be made easy for them to do so) and all of our garbage is used for energy (already being done on a small scale with some biodiesel and ethanol). We should be set there.

Comment from Myrto Ashe
August 11th, 2008 at 6:45 pm

I agree with folks who mention that we have to drastically rethink our lives. Driving slower may save some oil, but eventually when the oil is gone, it will be no help.
We need to start by eating close to home, and generating our energy close to home (wind, solar, maybe with natural gas backup - to be used sparingly). Then we need to source other things we are dependent on close to home.
Cheap oil means that we are willing to run our machines cheaply, have cheap transportation, grow cheap corn to feed cheap meat-producing machines, and poison the Earth with cheap cotton crops. The end of cheap oil means these things acquire a different value, and we adapt by changing the way we do things. Less consumption, more handmade; things and people don't travel as much, less meat is consumed because less corn is grown, and less pesticides and fertilizers are used (since they come from petrochemicals).

Comment from Ann Morris Cockrell
August 11th, 2008 at 6:49 pm

SUGGESTION FOR BUSINESS PEOPLE SHIPPING GOODS
WHY TRANSPORT EMPTY SPACE????
Vitamin and medicine bottles are often shipped across the
United States 1/3 EMPTY
This is wasteful because this practice is :
l. Using more plastic (made from oil) than necessary
for "X" number of pills.
2. Using more cardboard (trees)for box around "X" pills
3. Using more space in the 18 wheelers that could be
used to ship MORE good in SAME SPACE
4. Using more fuel because it takes more 18 wheelers to
"X" pills
5. Using or wearing out more tires

Comment from Glenn Gill
August 11th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

What I have been doing for 25 years is:
I don't use my car for 2 to and as much as 4 months out of each year.
I take buses and trains instead of flying.
I've designed and built an off grid, with passive solar, solar electric, and I'll add wind soon house.
I've work as hard as possible to promote alternative energy usage (I live in NM).

Comment from robert
August 11th, 2008 at 7:00 pm

all those abover entries have great ideas. but they will not work for most people. those who choose not to participate. we have other sites to drill. DRILL! it is actually the cheapest way for a country of wasteful people. although those of us who subscribe to Environmental Defense Fund Action Network are not.
then we can work out the other sources that will take decades to be feasable.

Comment from Joe Thurston
August 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pm

I am a systems programmer at a large insurance company. I could easily do my job at home. Give employers incentives to re-think the need to have a body on site. Virtually everyone in my organization could work at home 2 days a week - think of all the commuter miles that would be saved! The biggest stumbling block is an old-fashioned attitude among management - they need to have a reason to think differently.

Comment from M. Addison
August 11th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Ethos Fuel Re-formulator increases your miles per gallon and it reduces your auto emissions to almost zero levels.
I own 2 new 2008 Honda Elements and we get 2 to 3+ more miles per gallon or 36 to 46+ more miles per tank!
We are saving between $500.00 and $700.00 per year after the cost of the Ethos we are using.
I am a firm believer in the product and I have documentation that it works!
Feel Free to look my website at www.forearthonline.com/markaddison

Comment from Elissa Steele
August 11th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

seriously improve public transportation, (look to Germany for a role model)

stop building cities out and start building UP

once everyone has total access to cheappublic transportation, slowly wean the country off of gas and only use it for the public transportation.

then invest into clean energy sources.

Comment from ron hankins
August 11th, 2008 at 7:17 pm

We need to quit feeding the corporate pig, their not going to lay down easy , 44 billion in profit every 3 months is hard to give up.

Comment from Elissa Steele
August 11th, 2008 at 7:18 pm

and make recycling free

Comment from Carolyn
August 11th, 2008 at 7:18 pm

Eating Less Meat and Junk Food Can Cut Fossil Fuel Use

Worried about global warming and dependence on foreign oil for fuel? There are many things you can do to reverse this!

A new study finds that a healthier diet and a return to traditional farming can help reduce energy consumption in US food system by 50 percent.

An estimated 19 percent of total energy used in the USA is taken up in the production and supply of food. Currently, this mostly comes from non-renewable energy sources which are in short supply. It is therefore of paramount importance that ways of reducing this significant fuel consumption in the US food system are found.

This is totally under control of us, the consumer!

What to do?

*Eat less. The average American consumes an estimated 3,747 calories a day, a staggering 1200-1500 calories over recommendations. Traditional American diets are high in animal products, and junk and processed foods in particular, which by their nature use more energy than that used to produce staple foods such as potatoes, rice, fruits and vegetables. By just reducing junk food intake and converting to diets lower in meat, you can have a massive impact on fuel consumption as well as improving your health.

*Move towards more traditional, organic farming methods by buying only organically produced foods. This would help because conventional meat and dairy production is extremely energy intensive. Similarly, in crop production, reduced pesticide use, increased use of manure, cover crops and crop rotations improve energy efficiency.

* The most dramatic reduction in energy used for food processing would come about if you reduced your demand for highly processed foods. This would also help cut down food miles and its related fuel cost as US food travels an average of 2,400 km before it is consumed.

This study argues strongly that the consumer is in the strongest position to contribute to a reduction in energy use. As individuals embrace a ‘greener’ lifestyle, an awareness of the influence their food choices have on energy resources might be added encouragement for them to buy good, local produce and avoid highly processed, heavily packaged and nutritionally inferior food. As well as leading to a cleaner environment, this would also lead to better health.

For more information on the study, click on:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723094838.htm

Comment from sckeller
August 11th, 2008 at 7:22 pm

Drilling for more oil is NOT the answer. Oil is no longer an option. It will always be an environmental hazard; it will always cause climate change, and pollute our water, land, and air. We can have viable alternate fuels within the 10 years if we just fund them and get to work. The way we get out of this mess is to:

Support the Picken’s plan and We Can Solve It.org – and, get them to work together so we can reach 100% renewable electric power in 10 years. We reached the moon in less than 8.5 years and our technologies are much better today.

Increase our density in our cities to preserve our farm/ag lands, our forests, and our public open spaces, and keep people from needing to drive so much.

Federal and State governments should implement congestion pricing/fees and use more funds for public transit and not creating more roadways. They should support new and improved rail systems both commuter and high speed.

Target a couple of large, but obtainable, projects (as listed above) and we can work on others as they come along (raising the CAFE/MPG, recycling/waste, and buying too much stuff). We need to take the really BIG step and STEP AWAY from oil, the NON-renewable energy.

Comment from Ray Benjamin
August 11th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

This isn't rocket science. There are lots of things everyone can do right now, that will help. Most have already been mentioned. Be smart, turn off lights, inflate your tires, carpool, talk to your employer about working from home.

Some that you might not have thought of.
1) Everyone plant a tree today. While a tree does eventually return it's carbon to the atmosphere, it can't hurt to give the Earth a bit of immediate help. Choose species that grow reasonably quickly, but live a long time. Keep that carbon bound up.

2) Promote the idea of a one year fishing ban on all commercial species that have been falling in number, especially predator species that take a long time to rebound, like sharks. As studies in Yellowstone have shown, the health of a prey species often depends on it's predators. The seas have been drastically depleted of fish, all of which bound up carbon, at least for a time. It's time we had policies that mandated the recovery of all fish species. A policy should only go in place if it will help the species recover.

3) Buy food from local producers. While the carbon generated by transporting food is tiny compared to the carbon produced making fertilizers, every little bit helps.

4) Raise hell about too much packaging material. It adds weight to package, increasing transportation costs. It's wasteful, since it must be carried to dump.

5) Insist on products that can be repaired, not ones that are disposable. Printers are a perfect example. This incredibly wasteful practice couldn't exist if not for abuse of patent laws and an unspoken collusion among printer vendors. They change printer models several times a year, constantly changing and patenting printer ink cartridges so they can charge enormous amounts of money for dirt cheap ink.

If you can't think of ten more examples, you aren't trying very hard.

Comment from Kathryn Elalouf
August 11th, 2008 at 7:26 pm

Live in community: know your neighbors, help raise their children, combine errands and limit them to certain days, and take turns cooking dinners at each other's houses.

Comment from Ron Sprycha
August 11th, 2008 at 7:27 pm

1) "All" internal combustion engines must be flwx fueled !
2) "All" internal engines need to outfitted with polution controls! ie..lawnmowers,chain saws,water craft,air craft etc.
3) Quit talking and start doing!
4) Solar power in the deserts!
5)Wind power in the plains!
6) Outfit every high voltage transmission tower with wind or solar power!
7) Use waves and tides on both coasts to generate electricity!
Nuclear power is out until you know what to do with the waste!

Comment from jasmith4
August 11th, 2008 at 7:31 pm

We need to grow more plants that produce oil and/or ethanol. We also need to curb global warming. How about this: build pipelines from rivers that flood all the time to the deserts to irrigate them! Not all of them — we can use some for solar panels. We can also replace about half the tobacco that's growing right now, since smoking is at an all-time low. All that land can produce lots of corn, sugar cane, and Nader's favorite, industrial hemp.

Comment from Dennis Oberholtzer
August 11th, 2008 at 7:32 pm

There are two very important changes that can greatly enhance transportation: 1) Develop electric cars with rear hatches and quick-change battery trays. Replace fueling stations, (or add to), places for batteries to be exchanged and recharged for a low-cost "refill".
2) The world needs fast mass transit. By building magnetic high speed trains above the 13 foot road level, from city to city, high speed trains could be run in "circle routes" avoiding collisions. "Loops" another level higher within the city, with access to ground floor by elevator and escalator, would eliminate stopping hold-ups. In the past some engineers said it cannot be done. Phooey! Get it done!

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 7:33 pm

Ray Benjamin: I disagree with 5). The problem here is that consumers are too stupid, and keep buying inkjets. To anyone here that owns an inkjet: you're part of the problem. An intelligent person would buy a laser printer, which last for ages, cost far less per page to print, and don't use overpriced inks which dry out in a month.

The inkjet scam is entirely the fault of the consumers, who would rather buy a dirt-cheap POS printer and buy overpriced ink cartridges every month afterwards instead of spending a little more on a laser and not buying new toner cartidges for over a year. My HP 2300 cost about $100 on Ebay, and uses $30 cartridges that last a couple years each, for 6000 pages.

I think they should double the prices of inkjet cartridges. People who use them are stupid and deserve to lose their money.

Comment from Elissa Steele
August 11th, 2008 at 7:37 pm

also promote vegetarianism!!!

more than a third of the fossil fuels produced in the Unites States in 2002 went to the transportation for the large amounts of meat we consume. Meat is what makes us sick and Americans eat over three times more than they should.

http://www.goveg.com/environment-wastedResources-energy.asp

simply reducing the meat industry by 10% would feed more than 60 million starving people.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 7:39 pm

Kathryn Elalouf: Neighbors suck. Americans are generally a bunch of self-absorbed a$$holes. We tried to be nice to our neighbors in our ghetto subdivision (the houses only cost $250k each). They insist on letting their dogs stay outside for hours, barking their heads off, preventing us from enjoying any peace and quiet. Other neighbors insist on having their friends drive up to their house at 1AM, honk their horn, and wait for the young woman inside to come out.

We ended up having one of our neighbors convicted as a criminal for disturbing the peace with his dog, and we're about to do the same to the morons right next to them.

If I can't enjoy a little peace and quiet in a subdivision, without being woken up at all hours by barking dogs and honking horns, how do all these pro-high-density-housing people think anyone is going to tolerate the noise in dense developments? We need less density, with more space between houses, not more.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 7:41 pm

Elissa Steele: What starving people? Making more food doesn't feed starving people, because the warlords in their backwards countries steal the food and won't let the starving people have it. How do you suggest to solve that problem?

Comment from bronwyn1937
August 11th, 2008 at 7:41 pm

First, no matter how we "conserve at this late date, the six billion of us will drain the earth of petroleum. Second the earth's hungry need food. Using it to make energy to run junior to the basketball game is pretty silly.
We have wind and solar and landfills full of crap. Somebody smarter than I am could surely find ways to use that stuff.
And finally, The atom can be our friend. Cheap, clean efficient energy can be produced if people stop thinking of it as the boogy man. Anyway, if you want to compare, think of all the pollution oil spills have caused, not to mention the wars.

Comment from K Hall
August 11th, 2008 at 7:45 pm

I, myself, am saving up to buy an electric street-legal scooter and a solar charger. I see little reason to continue relying on gas/oil when there are better options. I hope that eventually the country, in general, will wake up to the realm of hydropower(wave based), wind power, geothermal and solar options.

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

bronwyn1937: As I was just saying to Elissa, the earth's hungry do NOT need food. They need guns instead. Giving them food will never work, because their warlords won't allow it. We need to send them guns instead, so they can overthrow their warlords, and then grow their own food.

There's nothing wrong with using energy for things which you enjoy. The fact that people somewhere else are suffering is not your problem. If you think it's such a problem, go do something about it instead of complaining. I won't cry for you when you go over there with peace signs and the warlords shoot you, and I'm sure you're not going to do anything to get rid of the warlords.

Comment from John Hill
August 11th, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Our military is the greatest consumer of petroleum products. I feel our nation, our government can make a complete switch to the use of alternative energies very easily. Recall that Mr. Bush toured a solar energy provider company before the Iraq War.

As a nation, we can make Peace in lands such as Iraq and Iran, as well as many other places, by supporting their renewal with alternative energy and efficiency programs. Each set up to provide education and work for their populaces.

Tom Bender offers a good look at giving in his work, Building with the Breath of Life.

The work going on with The Disclosure Project should also be given attention. Peace is our direction, we need only realize that Peace already is alive and well in ourselves.

Choosing to seek answers away from military solutions, will not only directly aleviate our dependence on fossil fuels, but will also rekindle the peaceful art of talking and problem solving.

The Peace and Equality of all our lives here can affect change in other nations. May we welcome the change widely.

Best,
John Hill
www.littlemeteorcircle.net

Comment from Karen Miller
August 11th, 2008 at 7:59 pm

We need reliable fast public transportation. I'm not talking buses! Look at other countries where this works. Americans need to get over the 'mine' complex and learn to share. We need to implement renewable environmentally sound energy resources and technologies right NOW! We need to ban products that use petroleum bases where other ingredients can be substituted. We also need to place laws on consumption and waste of such products. I'm sick of everyone thinking that fossil fuels will be around forever as long as we can find a place to drill! Where will anyone need to drive when everything on the planet is dead?

Comment from Daniel Wolstenholme
August 11th, 2008 at 8:08 pm

John Hill: You sound clueless. Iraq and Iran have plenty of energy, especially Iraq. Remember, they're oil exporters. They don't need alternative energy, as it's not going to do anything for them to effect positive change. The only way they're going to improve is to demand better government, and that's not going to happen because they still all have a tribal mindset and are too busy fighting each other.

The only thing we should do there is simply pull out, and leave them to their own devices. They're adults, and are responsible for themselves; we can't save them from themselves, and we've already shown that we certainly aren't any type of moral authority with our own atrocious actions there, plus the utter lies we used to justify our involvement there.

Peace sounds nice and all, but talking doesn't work with people who want you dead, BTW. That's why we need a military, set up to defend our borders (not to subjugate other people and steal their resources for multinational corporations, however).

Comment from Edith Bockian
August 11th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

I am old enough to have worked at Lockheed during WW 2. To conserve gasoline, Lockheed requested names of volunteer drivers and provided them with lists of nearby workers making for full cars where convenient. All major industries should be providing this service. (Riders would pay a reasonable fee.)
Most all of the suggestions offered are desirable. But your lengthy lists are like preaching to the choir. It's the general public that needs to be educated! Why not advertize some of the best thinking in full page newspaper ads and, to the extent possible, provide a cost. When people feel informed, they are more likely to understand and be supportive regardless of cost.
Why not start with the inventive genius in your videos "Unleash the Future"? Then, instead of promoting corn as a source of renewable energy, whatever happened to the possibility of using switch grass which doesn't require the fertile soil corn needs?
Also there's been publicity about the creative use of used restaurant oil, once discarded, to power automobiles without any pollution. Where has that gone?

Again, major publicity of best ideas may hasten some solutions.

Comment from Jeannine Mead
August 11th, 2008 at 8:13 pm

I believe public transportation is of vital importance...not only in cities, but between cities, small and large. Amtrak should be upgraded in all parts of the country and have regular schedules starting in early morning and run until at late in the evening. I live 40 miles from a large city and trying to get into it for anything is impossible with the traffic. We are not commuters, but we do enjoy going into our large city for concerts and other activities although town has turned into a commuter town and this is happening all over the country.

Comment from Haris Ali
August 11th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

"in a time when oil doesn't come cheaply."

TRUE!

It comes with the cost of lives which are bombed by the United States for false and misleading reasons.

therefore we should make everyone ride bicycles [and im being serious] or raise the MPG requirement for every car like crazy.

because everytime u step on that gas pedal, u just stepped on an iraqi child's neck and killed him through suffocation.

feel the guilt on your foot yet?

Comment from Adam O
August 11th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

Currently all the solutions you see in the news for energy independence are focused on fuel efficiency and energy conservation which affects the RATE at which people consume energy. The TOTAL NUMBER of people consuming the energy is the other half of the equation, yet this seems lost in the media. The number of people consuming fuel is just as important as the rate each person consumes fuel. If you only focus on fuel efficiency, any gains on that will be offset by a steadily increasing population. A solution to the energy crisis is not complete without addressing BOTH overpopulation and fuel efficiency.

Comment from Dave Massen
August 11th, 2008 at 8:18 pm

Fund and expand intercity rail service. Subsidize rail on par with highways and airports, if not more. Electrify as much as possible, for less ghg, more speed and quiet. People like trains!

Comment from Larry Sanazaro
August 11th, 2008 at 8:20 pm

LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT AND ENFORCE IT.
THEN
Change the laws so that cars that can go faster than 55mph can no longer be sold in the USA. If auto makers did not have to design an auto that unrealistically gets extremely good mileage and at the same time be capable of speeds greater than any legal limit or that accelerate like a rocket, we might see some real progress in reducing our dependency on oil. Even electric cars would be easier to build if silly rocket acceleration and high speed were not a design parameter.

This is a paradigm MUST if we expect to avoid future complications such as global conflicts over oil or the really scary prospect of having to cope WITHOUT the most energy packed nonrenewable resource.

For the last 90 years people have used this resource like there was no end to it. People have become so accustomed to the convenience and availability of oil that they have taken it for granted thinking that there will always be oil. People have not had to consider life without it and many still probably think that can never happen.

As for myself, I rather be limited to driving no faster than 10mph if that means I can still have the use of a personal vehicle. I would prefer slower driving to mile long gas station lines or gas stations that run out of gas.

The party is over. Fast cars are is the most ridiculous aspirations of Americans and sadly the auto industry has catered to this wasteful behavior. Wake up Americans, China and India are putting thousands of cars per day on the road. How much more can we expect the planet to bear?

check out this scary website:
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

Comment from Patty Haley
August 11th, 2008 at 8:30 pm

For one, the Middle East has us "over a barrel". There is no reason why gas prices should be this high in the US when gas was 25 cents/gal just a few years ago over there. The combination of political corruption with the Middle East greed is the reason gas prices are as high as they are. There are a lot of people in the US who are forced to drive quite a distance to and from work due to lack of affordable housing in the local communities. Areas around military installations are especially bad. There should be some type of shuttle or bus for those areas to go at least the last stretch. More people should be allowed to work at home if at all possible. There should be areas set up in communities where people can take a substitute means of transportation such as bicycles, scooters, or even a horse without having to worry about it being stolen, etc. If people can car pool even one or two days a week, they should. Offer tax breaks for those that are selecting other viable options.

Comment from Chris Barrow
August 11th, 2008 at 8:32 pm

Electric cars. With today's technologies electric cars could easily meet the needs of most families for their second vehicle. I would buy one tomorrow if there were affordable ones available.

Comment from John C. Twombly
August 11th, 2008 at 8:43 pm

The idea of "feebates" should be pursued vigorously. Urged by Rocky Mounain Institute for years, this scheme would reward the party that gives up a gas-guzzler and purchases a more fuel-efficient auto. The rebates would be funded by a fee charged the purchasers of gas-guzzlers. Obviously, the amount of the fees/rebates would be governed by the size of the difference — which ever way it goes — between the MPG of the car given up and the MPG of the car acquired. The objective: make it advantageous financially to get guzzlers off the road and replaced with fuel-sippers. Lots of guzzler owners would really like to replace their guzzlers with sippers but simply cannot afford to do so. Support legislation which would make this affordable.

Comment from Ernesto L. Keller
August 11th, 2008 at 8:50 pm

Subject: THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING READ.

Petroleum

(This is really an eye opener. I think it is important that we know something about petroleum. I sure didn't know much about what is revealed in this article.)
Petroleum
by John David Powell

Here we are with a new week and another round of posturing, politicking, and punditry regarding the price of petroleum. As happens when folks do a lot of talking, very little is said.

I hang around educated and talented people. Each individual has at least one university degree. Most read, watch, or listen to more than one news source every day. They span generations with ages ranging from the 20s to the 70s.

Yet, not a single person among them knew the answers to some basic questions pertinent to the growing discourse regarding the rising price of oil. A few knew some of the answers, and some knew a few of the answers. To be fair, I had to look up the answers, or else I would have been among the shoulder shruggers.

For instance, how big is a barrel? Answer: 42 gallons. So, now you know that when the price for a barrel of crude oil hits $140, that's the same as $3.33 a gallon.

What nation supplies the most crude oil and petroleum products to the United States? Answer: The United States. According to the Energy Information Agency ( http://www.eia.doe.gov/ ), our country supplied 41 percent of the oil we consumed in March of this year.

What nation, other than the U.S. , supplies the most crude oil and petroleum products to our country? Answer: Canada . Our northern neighbor accounts for 12 percent of our nation's oil and 20 percent of all the oil we import. The rest of the top five include Saudi Arabia (7 percent and 13 percent); Venezuela (6 percent and 11 percent); Nigeria (6 percent and 10 percent); and Mexico (5 percent and 8 percent).

How much oil do we import from Persian Gulf countries? I'm glad you asked. Persian Gulf countries accounted for only 16 percent of our foreign oil imports each year from 2005 to 2007. In fact, our Persian Gulf imports declined most of this decade, from a 15-year high of a little more than 1 billion barrels in 2001 to 791.9 million barrels in 2007.

What's the difference between crude oil and petroleum products? Answer: Crude oil provides, among other products, gasoline, diesel and jet fuels, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas, lubricants, asphalt, plastics, synthetic fibers, detergents, fertilizers, ink, crayons, bubble gum, deodorant, tires, and heart valves.

One barrel of crude oil (which is 42 gallons, remember?), yields about 19.6 gallons of gasoline. The other 22.4 gallons go into the products just mentioned.

How much of the cost of oil goes into the price of gasoline. Answer: A bunch. We consumed about 390 million gallons of gas a day last year in our cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, boats, farm implements, and construction and landscaping equipment. Back when crude was $68 a barrel (that was just last year), it accounted for about 58 percent of the price of a gallon of gasoline. The rest of the price came from refining costs (17 percent), federal and state taxes (15 percent), and distribution and marketing (10 percent).

By the way, the price of crude accounts for about 77 percent of the cost of gas at $4 a gallon.

Here's a little something you may not have considered. What products that you buy on a regular basis are sold with tax included? Answer: Gasoline. For everything else, you add the tax at checkout.

The folks in California pay 63.9 cents a gallon in state and federal fuel taxes, the most in the nation. That's just the base, though. Motorists there also pay an additional 6-percent state sales tax, with some paying another 1.25-percent county sales tax plus applicable local sales taxes. Same in Illinois , where Chicago motorists pay 12.75 cents per gallon on top of the 57.9 cents per gallon in state and federal taxes. Some Illinois motorists also pay a 6.25-percent sales tax.

Politicians, pundits, and other TV talking heads don't like to provide these answers, because facts get in the way of positions that pander to the mob. We don't point fingers at Canada , because it's de rigueur to paint the Saudis with the broad brush of blame. Folks float the idea of a moratorium on state and federal gasoline taxes without explaining its minimal impact on gas prices, or without mentioning the $3 sales tax some motorists pay on top of a $50 fill up. Policymakers don't explain that oil trades in the dollar, which is weak vis-Ã-vis the Euro, because that would require solutions for strengthening the greenback.

And, it's easier for simple minds to convince simpler minds to impose windfall-profit taxes on pension funds and owners of Individual Retirement Accounts who invest in oil companies than to take on credit card issuers charging double and triple-digit interest rates to the millions of people using plastic to pay for food and fuel. Talk about irony!

And, we sure wouldn't want to impose a windfall-profit tax on someone who goes from making $56,000 a year as, say, an Illinois legislator, to $165,000 a year as, say, a U.S. senator, an increase of nearly 200 percent (not counting book deals or real-estate related loans).

John David Powell is an award-winning writer and Internet columnist. He may be reached at johndavidpowell@yahoo.com

Comment from Pat from CT
August 11th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

I believe that the key to reducing our reliance on oil is consumer education. Overweight people often don't realized how they gained so much weight until they start listing everything they eat. Environmental groups have to be the front line in educating the general public about their energy "eating" habits. So many people that I know have literally no clue about how much energy they are consuming through their lifestyle.

Comment from Laura Lester
August 11th, 2008 at 8:58 pm

Why not harness all of the incredible energy being generated in gyms and health clubs across the country? There are tons of these places, and they open at 6:00am and close at 10:00pm, there are people churning all day long - treadmills, stairmasters, spinning classes etc. Let's hook 'em up and use that energy!

Comment from Jameela
August 11th, 2008 at 9:00 pm

Improve public transport. offer tax incentives for those who choose to utilize public transport. Encourage governments to improve road conditions for those who choose to ride their bicycle to work. I live in a major city where cycling is become popular as a transportation choice, but drivers and buses are not keen on sharing the road; offer bicycle lanes, large enough to fit 2 bicycles side by side.

Comment from Gloria Picchetti
August 11th, 2008 at 9:08 pm

Forget oil. Solar and wind are the way to go.

Comment from mooxer50
August 11th, 2008 at 9:18 pm

We should take back our country!Since 1973(when gas went away)it was a simple tactic,hold us hostage!I checked the years,we never had a shortage,only greedy men who got together"lets make em pay through their noses!"All the big companies did was buy up all the shares,control the oil!Thats exactly what the companies are doing now!Buying up all their shares with all their $30 billion in excess funds they got from us!They laugh all the way to the bank,I overheard 3 guys(obviously rich)who were laughing up a storm
in an expensive bar(sure I evesdropped)

Comment from walt christensen
August 11th, 2008 at 9:19 pm

I have three suggestions. One, continue development of syn-gas. Three of the gas products of a FEMA stratified gasifier are: hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. All three are combustible and can, together, run an engine and can produce a flame. The gasifier uses wood chips for fuel and is a net carbon capture system. The engine can run a generator and the heat from the process can heat your house. This is old technology that is now getting a second look. To see a gasifier in action you can go to my website: www.trustywrench.com and in the gasifier page you can link to a video. You will love it, guaranteed. Second idea is to enact outdoor lighting ordinances that reduce wasteful nighttime lighting. To see the ordinance I wrote for my township here in Wisconsin go to www.koshkonongwi.com . Third, run for local office so you can have a say in your local government's environmental decisions. Thanks all, I have read many good ideas here. walt

Comment from A T
August 11th, 2008 at 9:25 pm

Increase train service and light rail service by having light rail systems/connections like the one found in Minneapolis available to all cities

Lower cost electric cars

Solar energy

Comment from Daniel van Schooneveld
August 11th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

Tax oil! Tax gasoline and diesel fuel more!

Comment from David Leithauser
August 11th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

The country should declare a "man-on-the-moon" type program to develop, within 5 years:
1) an affordable plug-in hybrid that gets 100 MPG (exact figure of 100 MPG not critical)
2) wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources that are cheaper than coal or other fossil fuels, even without government subsidies. Target is under $1 per watt.
These should be developed by the government providing research grants to a wide range of promising potential technologies. Once developed, these techniologies should be made available worldwide so that any nation will naturally use these cheaper technologies instead of fossil fuels. This will drastically reduce use of fossile fuels, reducing both pollution and the shortage of oil.

Comment from Joseph Hardin
August 11th, 2008 at 9:35 pm

Construct a mag-lev train system in the center strip of interstate 5 from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C...?

Comment from b.a. hannon
August 11th, 2008 at 9:37 pm

My daughter helped me to consider this idea again - intentional communities in towns and cities. Instead of individual houses and institution-like apartment buildings or condos, why not encourage the building of intentional community units, with a nice common kitchen and baths, and different sized private rooms, say 8 to 10 units to a building. this would allow residents to share less used facilities like kitchens and baths, yet still have a private place of their own. It would be more efficient as far as heating/cooling, and provide a much needed place for lower income or super environmentally conscious folks to live.

Comment from Geoff
August 11th, 2008 at 9:40 pm

Public transit in this country needs a massive overhaul. To do it though we need to research other countries with successful systems so as to make our system successful. Places such as Vienna should be looked at as models for a system in large urban spaces in this country, as well as France's "bullet" trains for commuting around the country.

Comment from Lindsey
August 11th, 2008 at 9:41 pm

Limit the amount of disposable products that are allowed to be sold. We have way too many disposable products, from cleaning supplies to cameras and even disposable cutting boards. Limiting what we produce will ultimately use less energy/fuels.

Comment from allan g young
August 11th, 2008 at 9:43 pm

At a times of great nedd, I saw my government mobililize to crreate an atomic bomb and a space program. I find it difficult to accept our inability to mount a concerted and intense program to further develop proven and less expensive solar energy - at the reasonable costs that will
evolve from mass production. Probably my faith in the richest and most powerful nation on the planet is sadly
misplaced - we cannot do it.

Comment from rob hartzell
August 11th, 2008 at 9:47 pm

Some answers are there but we don't take them seriously. Passive solar homes work, I live in one that is 28 years old. It has active solar hot water heating, another old school energy saving technique. My electric bills have stayed about the same for 25 years. I do still use gas for driving, felt guity, tried to get