Jimbo

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

Ah yes, "party near the exits" great phrase and great advice.

Why Exxon Should Significantly Increase its Dividend

I owned Texaco prior to its'
merger with Chevron. In addition to Gulf, Chevron has acquired Unocal. I still own Chevron and have been accumulating. I share Fitzman's puzzlement over the neglect of natural gas by both the government and oil companies. Our continued dependence on imported oil makes us vulnerable to economic and petroleum blackmail. It also contributes to the destruction of our currency. The age of oil may end some day and we need to begin the deliberate steps to prepare for this. Given the enormous volume of liquid transportation fuels in a modern economy, I don't believe people in general, and environmentalists, realize the the gigantic scope of alternative liquid fuels. The same comment applies to using electricity for transportation.

Climate Change: How to Invest for the Possibility

Experienced: Doubtless you will dismiss my comments ,above, as the ravings of a coal burning fanatic. Please note that I rode a bicycle to and from work most days of the week for the last 19 years before retiring. We have composted our household garbage for more than 30 years, we installed a very efficient solar water heater several years ago. We "farm" our back yard with 15 fruit trees, a large garden, and about 100 pineapple plants.All our appliances are energy certified and we use a clothes line for most drying. I could go on but I not only talk the talk, but I walk the walk.

Climate Change: How to Invest for the Possibility

Biomedives: there are also a large number of trained scientists who are skeptics about AGW. Astronomers at a well known observatory (Lowell in Northern Arizona) told me several years ago that they believe the main driver of global temperature, and much long term wet/dry cycles, are due to solar activity. My fear is that the Utopian movement has emerged from the ashes of the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, Cambodia, etc. to seek to seize control of all human activity, in the name of "science" of course. There has always been a delay effect in the seasons: Summer warmth persists into the Fall and Winter cold persists into the Spring. The recently reported melting of glaciers could be reversed by the now observed significant drop in sunspot activity. We need more data and not breathless speculation. To access the scientists who are AGW skeptics, see the Heartland Institute.

Nibbling on Natural Gas, Concerned about Atlas Pipeline Partners

Sadly I bought APL at $25, based on its' supposedly favorable fundamentals. I rode it all the way down and finally sold at about $7.96.

Global Warming: Investment Implications

About 11,000 years ago, the world was in the grip of an ice age in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Ice was calculated to be 2,500 feet thick over most of New York and Long Island was a terminal moraine. Ice covered the midwest all the way to the north bank of the Ohio River. Then the world began to warm up dramatically and we are now in what geologists call an interglacial age. What caused this dramatic warming? It certainly can't be blamed on Peabody Coal or Exxon. The world has reportedly had much greater amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere in the past, but this has varied for reasons that seem implausible to blame on human activity. Several AGW advocates, including Al Gore and a professor at Stanford, have been quoted as saying that the problem has to be exaggerated to get the publics' attention and motivation. I submit this is very bad ethics and bad science. My cynical interpretation of all this is that, just like the French Revolution, The Soviet revolution, and others, the Utopian Impulse is irresistible to some people. The AGW folks want to seize the economy and control over society to achieve their "noble" goals. Aldous Huxley published "Brave New World" in 1932. If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend it. Huxley forecast a grim world, controlled by a World Government that used science and technology to strangle mankind. Having said that, I believe the age of oil is coming to a close. The economic, and energy, costs of producing a barrel of oil is going to become economically impossible. We must move to a variety of energy sources. I fear that many "alternative" energy sources are, at present, impractical. But we should persevere in research and development.

How Natural Gas Can Save the U.S. Economy

I think the main problem is in Washington. The current administration came into office on "Hope and Change". But the Nobel prize secretary of Energy says he is "agnostic" about natural gas. I am agnostic or, even atheist, about him and the rest of that gang. There are drawbacks to gas as a transportation fuel. We have had horrendous explosions of propane in tunnels, gas powered vehicles require more reinforced steel tanks, and ranges are shorter, compared especially to diesel vehicles. But we should be on a crash program to convert heavy trucks and buses to Natgas.

The Truth About Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy (Part II)

A provocative, stimulating and thoughtful essay. I can only hope that some of the commenters who submitted critical comments are correct themselves. We are going to need all the help we can get.

The Truth About Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy

A killer essay! I nominate Mr. Shaefer for Secretary of Energy.

Book Review: Robert Hefner's 'The Grand Energy Transition'

I am a former investor in Seven Seas Petroleum and lost my total stake. Nevertheless, I am interested in natural gas. If we simply converted heavy trucks and buses to NG, it would go a long way to relieving our dependence on oil from countries who hate our guts. It would also benefit the future of the Dollar.

The Current Stagnation of Natural Gas Vehicles in America

at least 15 years ago I rode in NG fueled taxis in the Netherlands. It seemed that all Shell gas stations had a natural gas dispensing pump.I have always wondered why we didn't at least convert Long haul trucks, buses, and heavy local trucks, such as garbage trucks to N.G.This would take the pressure off diesel, which has skyrocketed in price.One commenter raised a good point: we use motor fuel taxes to pay for highway construction and maintenance. How could the states and feds collect taxes from a home gas consumer. But I have confidence that our government honchos will figure out a way.

The Honeymoon Is Over: Gauging the Market with an Obama Presidency

I am with LongOil. I hope Obama! is successful, for all our sakes, but I fear he is a suntanned version of Jimmy Carter. Obama! is about to find that there is no longer a "present" button in the Oral, er Oval, Office. He will have to chose from among only Hobson's Choices. It is going to be an interesting four years. I only hope we survive it.

Oil Industry: Farewell, Good Old Days

I concur completely with Sponger. We are totally dependent on hydrocarbon fuels in the years ahead. Alternatives, such as electricity, hydrogen, or bio-fuels, have infrastructure and technical problems to be overcome. You can include political problems as well.

Will Automakers Switch to Natural Gas?

Those posters who state that NG supply is declining may not be considering the possibilities of Marcellus Shale in the Eastern U.S.,Bakken Shale in the upper midwest and Barnett shale in Texas. Also we made gas from coal in the first half of the 20th. Century. I have ridden in gas powered autos in the Netherlands and the logistics and safety issues seemed to be manageable. Of course we should never underestimate the power of trial lawyers to screw things up. They damn near destroyed the small aircraft industry in the U.S