Comments on: Where the money is

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:27:23 +0000

Chrispy, we are not running out of oil and gas for the foreseeable future. When you say that we have reached peak oil, you are referring to the Hubbert Curve which is based upon proven reserves and known recovery methods. Fracking has changed that and dramatically increased the volume of proven recoverable reserves thus extending peak oil well into the future. The US has more oil than do the Saudi’s. The oil industry has been boom and bust since Drake drilled the first well. As soon as it looks like the peak is reached, new technologies come on the scene and change everything. So it is with fracking. To counter “Gasland” watch “FracNation”. With the increase in domestic natural gas production, there have been six new ethylene steam crackers announced in the this country. This was a stagnant or declining industry. We now have a cost advantage over the rest of the world including the ME in ethylene production. Ethylene is the precursor to polyethylene and other plastics. Valero has announced expansion of one of its refineries, the first such major expansion in decades. More announcements may be coming from other refiners. This is all good news and a direct result of fracking in both gas and oil. The MD editorial is correct. We are on the cusp of an energy boom in this country that if handled properly will go a long ways towards solving out economic problems. As for your alternate energy, consider this. We have been spending big $s on solar research for over 30 years. It was not economically viable then and remains uncompetitive now, hence the need for subsidies. If the Chinese want to waste there money on subsidizing the industry, let them. The history of fuel usage throughout the world has been from dirty to clean, expensive to cheap. Increased natural gas production is doing just that. Costs are down as is US CO2 production as a result of many power plants switching from coal to NG. What perverts this process is politicians forcing uneconomic solutions or technologies that are not yet ready for prime time. The net result is that we are impoverished as a nation.

By: chrispytahoe

chrispytahoe — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:11:03 +0000

And FRACKING? Check out ‘Gasland’, a documentary by Josh Fox. It will make you sick.

By: chrispytahoe

chrispytahoe — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:08:26 +0000

WRONG. The future of energy and prosperity in this country has nothing to do with fossil fuels. We need a plan that does expand tapping our own oil yes, but at the same time aggressively moves to alternative energy ASAP. The Chinese are all over this. Every year we are distracted by the irrelevant global warming debate is another year we fall behind the world. Fossil fuels are finite, and many say we reached peak oil years ago. We need to evolve and adapt. our childrens children need reliable, renuable energy sources, up to and including safe nuclear technologies.

By: Dink Lane

Dink Lane — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:47:22 +0000

Can you explain why Mr. ’395-Filibuster’ McConnell and ‘I-cry-a-river’ Boehner are not held responsible for the loss of TAX $$$$?….. The Democrats are not perfect….. but the Republicans are right in the middle of this mess! BUT YOUR opinion piece…gives them a full-pass…..