Archive for Friday, July 18, 2008
Energy reality
July 18, 2008
Advertisement
To the editor:
Your July 13 reprint on the candidates' energy strategy included the poignant quote that the candidates "are just throwing stuff against the wall, seeing what sticks."
Today sufficient data exist proving that:
a) globally, discoveries of new oil have fallen behind extraction for almost three decades;
b) consumption is expanding faster than production; in fact, crude oil extraction has not increased for three years;
c) the minimum growth in liquid fuels is coming from natural gas liquids, with much less from tar sands and biofuels (the latter contributing to rising food prices);
d) excepting special vehicles, gas liquids cannot be used for cars;
e) improved extraction technology, such as horizontal drilling, is sucking out reserves faster than before, making the down slope of fields much steeper than before; in fact the decline rate of mature fields is accelerating;
f) the Saudi king declared that his nation must leave that precious resource for its own children;
g) ultra-deep water production is experiencing serious delays;
h) finally (though this list could continue), oil industry costs more than doubled in this decade.
An Arab proverb says: "My grandfather rode a camel, my father drove a car, I fly an airplane, my son will drive a car, his son will ride a camel."
What will our grandchildren ride if we fail to grasp the true state of energy affairs? Depletable resources do not flow from an economist's elasticity curve (Give me high prices, supplies will automatically follow!) nor from political rhetoric.
Leslie Dienes,
Lawrence
Top ads RSS
- Shawnee
- Medical Assistant program… Stretch your dollar and get quality education ...
- Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Looking for friendly, customer ...
- ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST The Center for Science Education at the University ...
- Maintenance Technician needed full time. HVAC preferred. Clean driving record. ...
Marketplace
Arts & Entertainment · Bars · Theatres · Restaurants · Coffeehouses · Libraries · Antiques · Services
- On the street: Which do you prefer, apple or pumpkin pie? November 22, 2008 · 6 comments
- Needless expense November 22, 2008 · 4 comments
- Drive responsibly November 22, 2008 · 5 comments
- Horrifying video November 22, 2008 · 1 comment
- Palin pardons turkey while birds killed in background November 22, 2008 · 5 comments
- Civic illiteracy is alarming November 21, 2008 · 59 comments
- Your house may be home sweet home, but it likely isn't worth as much as it used to be. 2 comments
- Questioning authorities November 22, 2008 · 8 comments
- Turnpike ramps to reopen Monday at West Lawrence interchange November 21, 2008 · 6 comments
- A threat to all November 21, 2008 · 71 comments
- Reflections on the 25th anniversary of “The Day After” November 21, 2008
- Johnson County funds to help improve K-10 Connector service between Lawrence and Overland Park November 20, 2008
- Dream drive November 22, 2008
- Two banks in Lawrence call off merger talks November 21, 2008
- Sebelius considered to be a top contender for three cabinet positions November 21, 2008
- Palin pardons turkey while birds killed in background November 22, 2008
- Needless expense November 22, 2008
- Raised in Kansas: Why I voted for Obama November 15, 2008
- Two Texas players de-commit from Kansas November 22, 2008
- Teacher accepts surprise award November 22, 2008
18 July 2008
at 4:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
DEDO (Anonymous) says…
Drive FASTER it uses more gas!
18 July 2008
at 8:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says…
We're 50 years away from peak oil. We're 150 years away from depleting global oil reserves. I guess if we haven't found an alternative in 100 years, it's possible we'll begin to have a problem. Until then, I love my SUV!
18 July 2008
at 8:40 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
jafs (Anonymous) says…
STRS illustrates the precise reason we need some serious environmental legislation.
18 July 2008
at 9:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says…
jafs,
We've got plenty of environmental legislation. What we don't need is more environmental legislation, regulation and litigation foisted upon us by the likes of the Earth Liberation Front, the Sierra Club, the National Resources Defense Council, and other enviornmentalist fringe organizations.
18 July 2008
at 9:26 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
devobrun (Anonymous) says…
STRS and jafs response to the letter are the reason that engineering solutions are so far away. We must fight the battle of economic power first. Jealousy and greed are the operating principles here, not entropy.
Dienes invokes “proof” of …. a through h. SRTS says different and that he loves his SUV. And jafs is jealous and wants the government to have more say in our lives.
Warnings are given, responsibility is ignored, and a totalitarian answers.
Evidence is fact, that is your first mistake, Dienes. The responses that follow are other “facts” followed by the “experts in the government know best” solution.
–––––––––––––-
This letter and the two responses represent, in a small but clear way, the reason that solutions to energy issues will not occur soon. We must be humans first and deal with fear, greed, jealousy, and other emotions before we sit down and form an energy budget for each new technology.
18 July 2008
at 9:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says…
devobrun,
The only “energy budget for each new technology” that I want to see will come out of private enterprise as they take advantage of market demand to meet a need. If you're referring to the government pouring more of your and my tax dollars into its bloated, wasteful and inefficient coffers, no thanks.
18 July 2008
at 10:03 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
devobrun (Anonymous) says…
No SRTS, energy budget is an accounting of the capital energy, the operating energy and the revenue energy of a technology.
Not dollars SRTS, joules.
Bio-fuel is bogus because it takes more joules to build, operate and produce energy in the form of diesel or ethanol than you get from these fuels. Don't bother.
Wind and solar must have backup. Gimme an energy budget, in joules. It must make sense. Engineering, not hype.
Move away from the money part and discuss the energy part first. Remove labels like “green” energy, or “clean” energy.
18 July 2008
at 11:09 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
XD40 (Anonymous) says…
We have huge reserves of uptapped oil in the shale sediments of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Their are also untapped reserves in ANWR and offshore that can help us bridge the gap to clean coal and nuclear power. Use it all.
Drill here. Drill now
18 July 2008
at 11:18 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
SettingTheRecordStraight (Anonymous) says…
devobrun,
I stand corrected. Thanks for the info.
18 July 2008
at 9:43 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
devobrun (Anonymous) says…
It has been a bonanza today for LJW crazies.
This article about scientific proof ( which is an oxymoron).
The article about an embittered old politician, Al Gore and his band of merry pranksters telling us of the evil of carbon.
The article about hydrogen fools, er fuels.
And finally, the highlight of the issue, hippies in the sticks.
Guess I'll have to break out my pyramids tonight and have a reconnection to my spiritual energy.
None of the entrants on any of these blogs today could find their rear end with both hands.
The hatred of Bush, the hatred of big oil, the disconnect between rational thought and the words spewed has been epic. Never better. Name calling is the sure sign that the chemicals are soaking in. Top notch argument, that's all there is to it.
I am disappointed that there weren't more punch lines tossed out on the hippie article.
“Depletable resources do not flow from an economist's elasticity curve (Give me high prices, supplies will automatically follow!) nor from political rhetoric.”
Right Dienes, it flows from the ground. Poke a hole in the ground and pump it out.
20 July 2008
at 10:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
gccs14r (Anonymous) says…
devobrun:
You speak of joules. How do you think all our coal, oil, and natural gas was made? What was the source of all the joules of energy stored in those resources? How many millenia did it take to make those resources? From where will we continue to receive joules after all underground resources are depleted? Shouldn't we try to live within the energy budget of our only real-time continuous source of energy?
20 July 2008
at 1:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
RomanNose (Anonymous) says…
devobrun:
Wow. I'm in complete awe of your knowledge and wisdom. The sheer beauty and eloquence of how you convey and validate your opinions!