OUR OPINION: A world awash in oil
August 14, 2012 at 4:30 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Go ahead and worry about an economic downturn, a Persian Gulf war or other calamities. But a long-term worldwide oil shortage? Relax. It ain’t gonna happen. Continue Reading
Well said, well-done. FINALLY someone who’ll speak the truth about oil.
IF our own politicians weren’t more concerned about China’s economy than America’s economy, China wouldn’t be driving the price of oil upwards. China’s economic growth is largely due to American politicians allowing them to unfairly “compete” with–and DECIMATE–our own industrial base.
When our own economy is struggling, shipping billions of dollars to China seems like a poor solution to the problem.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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He you and Al moved into that cave yet?
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Dexter Perkins and his fellow travelers won’t like this editorial.
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Just like the misguided shallow thinking electric car fanatics.
They think everyone should drive an electric car…giving no thought of where electricity comes from, how it is porduced in coal burning plants. Not to mention the horrible toxicity of batteries.
Dennis’ point is perfect. When gas becomes too expensive… other energy sources will become more attractive.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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You don’t understand electricity for electric cars can come from gas plants, oil fired plants, windmills, solar cells, hydro dams?
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Yes…and I understand that pigs could fly….
if they had wings.
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Always, please enlighten us as to how electric cars are unable to use electricity from any source, not just coal fired plants.
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Oh, I forgot, the electric cars can be tied to the grid @ night and discharge themselves into the grid providing power for other needs. Get up to speed not alwayscorrect
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Ha! That’s a laugh. Everyone know that electricity comes from the wall outlet.
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Twenty years from now the Middle East could be about as important as it was at the turn of the previous century–before its oil was discovered–which was not very important at all. Not because the region will run out of oil–it will have found much more–but because the rest of the world will also be awash in oil.
New technologies have emerged to extract gas from shale and other rock formations. Because of these so-called unconventional technologies–fracking is the best known among them–proved cheaper than obtaining gas from the harder to find conventional sources, and because shale gas is plentiful, the conventional has become the norm. Thanks to fracking the US has suddenly become the world’s largest producer of natural gas, creating a massive glut that has more than halved the price of natural gas.
China, another importer, may also become another exporter, given that it has the world’s second-largest store of shale oil. All told, some 38 countries in every continent in the world have 4.8 trillion barrels of shale oil, making oil a ubiquitous commodity that gives every region of the world the wherewithal to be energy self-sufficient.
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Natural gas production was touted as a greener energy choice. Opponents argue that the production process spews serious pollutants into the air like VOCs and other toxins that may have serious health long-term health effects. One former EPA employee says the fracking industry has been given a pass on environmental laws.
Residents in the areas near this activity have complained about contaminated soil and water, bad smells, persistant headaches, sore throats, dizziness, nausea and nose bleeds, among other concerns.
Air quality tests in homes have shown the existence of toxic pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, benzene, toluene and formaldehyde. Health effects caused by long-term exposure to these substances (even low levels) have not been established officially–yet.
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And your point is?
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If you’re going to drive an electric car in Minnesota you’ld better put on your long underwear!!
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It is quite obvious that no one here including the write know the geological process that takes place to create the oil,coal and natural gas. Here the hint they all started as plants hundreds of thousands of year ago. It took that long to creat the products we use.
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They all know it. Do you really think this is the first conversation we have had about oil?
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Teri, why would you say I don’t understand?
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Teri, It was much longer than 100s of 1000s of yrs. ago & as much came from ocean organisms (diatoms) than from plants which were what coal came from.
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I agree with you, its everyone else. I was also trying to keep it as simple as possible due to the impression of everyone else’s lack of background.
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