Comments on: Hawks and Tree Huggers Unite Against SUVs

By: Richard Delevan

Richard Delevan — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 07:29:20 +0000

You cannot overstate the impact that a shift in necon opinion on oil dependency would have. Why shouldn't the United States take the lead and throw its unmatched R&D resources into getting out of the oil trap? The strategic benefits, never mind the economic, political and environmental, are so obvious and overwhelming. Can anyone make a good case about why the status quo is so great?
US dollars spent on gas helped create Saudi oil wealth that financed madrassas across the Middle East that produce al-Qaeda's ground troops. I'm a bloody neocon and I can see that. Why on Earth wouldn't you want to do everthing possible to change the status quo?

By: davod

davod — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 01:10:56 +0000

Running out of oil is a crock. People have been saying the world's reserves are dwindling since the 70s. What happens, they either find more oil or, the deposits already found have far more oil than previously thought. The political will to explore locally and build more refineries is more important than catering to the Chicken Littles (Regardless of their other qualifications) of the world.

By: Meezer

Meezer — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:59:39 +0000

Almost exactly a year agao I was T-boned while driving a GEO Metro. Multiple life saving surgeries, weeks in the hopital, lame for life. I am now driving a SUV and will continue to do so if gas goes to $10. There's always a trade-off. I drove the GEO for 150,000 miles. I did my bit. It nearly killed me.

By: Stan Cotton

Stan Cotton — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:21:00 +0000

All these new coalitions wanting to save America from it's dependence on foreign oil are just another bunch of elitists talking to themselves instead of the public.

I would like you to look at http://www.joinfoil,org.

The answer is putting politicians feet to the fire and getting answers from them to tough questions.

By: Bithead

Bithead — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 19:43:53 +0000

Of course domestic drilling would be a move in that direction, too. But of course the move they chose is against the EVIL SUV....

What a load of cow poop.

By: Kappiy

Kappiy — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 19:28:25 +0000

The problem now, vis a vis oil is--unlike the oil embargo of the 70s--global demand is what is pushing up the prices rather than a politicized restriction of supply.

Unfortnately, oil is not a renewable resource and we are not finding new reserves at a rate that meets increasing demand. Hell, even the Arctic Nat. Wildlife Refuge, according to Gail Norton, only has enough oil to meet current levels for about a year and a half before it is exhausted.

Currenly, we spend about 42% of our oil consumption on transportation--the largest single sector. Reform in this area of policy could be significant, but, unfortunately we have no political leadership on national transportation ( and land use) policy.