Grr, oil and gas prices

[Lady's Human]

Any LOGICAL discussion about oil/gas prices will ultimately get around to a discussion about energy. The two are completely intertwined. If you can cut back on usage in any area, it lowers the cost of petrol across the board.

Wind farms have the smallest eco-footprint and energy potential, but "spoil the pristine landscape". Well, I'll take some towers on a ridgeline any day.

Solar has a relatively small footprint (once you get past the production of the PV cells) but isn't really feasible for power generation in most areas. In 10 years we may have a solar array on top of our house, as we have a large south facing roof area currently going unused.

Nuclear plants have great potential, but waste is an issue. Much of the tons of waste, however is relatively benign, as it is low level waste. The way it is discussed in the media, however, you would think that there are hundreds of reactor cores being generated. Not true.

Are we sure that waste has no use? My biggest issue with the current discussions about nuke waste is that everyone wants to process it in such a manner that it is absolutely unrecoverable. We might want to use it for something someday.

[Catty1]

A second windfarm opened in Alberta, not far from where NicoleJ lives.

It produces enough power to supply 75% of Calgary's needs - and we are over 800,000 in population right now.

Along with that announcement, we citizens were reminded that we still needed to look at our energy consumption.

Our LRT (in-city commuter train) has run on wind-powered electricity for years now.

Scooter's Mom - is there no train or bus to take to work? Time to bug the politicians, if they really want to get Green.

Maybe there is a car-pooling group near you. Take turns driving, and the rest get to sleep! And you pay less for gas.

Smart Cars? I would LOVE one - but for in-city commuting only. I shudder when I see one on the highway, as there can be nasty winds that make my much -larger Corolla vibrate!

[Catlady711]

Wind farms have the smallest eco-footprint and energy potential, but "spoil the pristine landscape". Well, I'll take some towers on a ridgeline any day.

I think wind farms are very photogenic myself. I'd take one of them in my view anyday over a neuclear power plant.

[cassiesmom]

I heard on news radio over the weekend about an Illinois school district that's looking into using wind power for its school expansion. The school needs more space and they think it would be good for teaching about natural resources and also forward-thinking as far as energy consumption. I think that would be very cool. Other parts of the world can do it, why should they not do it here.

The state of Illinois bailed out the Chicago Transit Authority again. I wish they would come up with more public transportation between suburbs because I am pretty tired of paying $3.19 a gallon for gasoline and sitting in rush hour traffic. It would be helpful for getting the 2016 Olympics if we had good public transportation.

[smokey the elder]

If the world (read: US) weren't so worried about proliferation, there are loads of good isotopes in spent nuclear fuel. These can be used in nuclear medicine or radiation cancer treatment. Spent fuel is (relatively) chock-full of iodine-131 (thyroid), radioactive gold (used in PET scan, I think) and cobalt-60 (cancer treatment.) I think there are bright people out there working out the engineering of all sorts of alternative energy sources, and it may end up being like the computer age meets Manhattan Project.

[Randi]

These are the prices in Europe: http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/eupetrolprices/

Currency conversion: http://www.xe.com/ucc/

[Hellow]

I heard on the morning news this morning that the price of oil is $98. All because of problems with the oil pipelines in the east. Gas prices here for 1 gallon of regular are almost at $3.00, my dad said.

[critter crazy]

This morning, I had to pay 3.18 a gallon!!! I just about passed out!!

[CathyBogart]

I heard on the morning news this morning that the price of oil is $98.

$98 per what?