JET1C

Oil Will Peak at $150-200 - Barron's Interview

bearfund: I agree with much of what you say but, considering nuclear power, we are done with that in this country. France has done very well with it but after the debacle with WPPS (Washington Public Power System) in the 70's, nuclear is dead in this country. Because of the tree huggers and NIMBY's there is no way that this nation will ever produce a cost effective nuclear power plant any time soon.
There is more vacant, potentially available land in the west and southwest that could be available to produce solar power, both PV and Thermal, than we could use. All we have to do is start the build out and stop trying to make fuel out of Corn. We're wasting our time on the Bush Boondoggle and costing ourselves years of delay at the same time. Let's get to work on cellulose ethanol.

We need to figure out the most efficient and "possible" fuel for each application. We can drive our cars on electricity, unless we're driving cross country. We can heat our homes with electricty and natural gas. We can cook our food with natural gas or electricity. BUT, we probably can't fly from LA to anywhere with electricty or natural gas (well, maybe natural gas, I don't know. I've never heard of trying to run natural gas in a jet engine). We will need Kerosine or ethanol or some other fuel to run jet engines.

We need a lot of electricty to make steel and Aluminum. We also need a lot of metalergical coal to make steel and so we will need a way to capture the CO2 and put it away somewhere or make something out of it. There must be a way that doesn't cost more that we save.

The point is that there is not one solution to all of our energy needs, and oil will certainly be one of them for a long time to come. But the first thing we need is a rational energy plan with the goal of weening ourselves off of foriegn oil. A plan similar to the one JFK proposed back in '61 that got us to the moon. It has to be total dedication to that goal. No more head in the sand, bite the bullet, get everyone involved. If we do this we will become the greatest, richest nation in the world because we will be able to control our own destiny and to sell the technolgy developed to the world.

If we don't we may all descend into anarchy.