Re: Samuelson on OIl Drilling

"Geo" <taxpayer779@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:96ce4123-59d3-4451-b806-7db1226d544f@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Apr 30, 4:40 pm, Joe Steel <JoeSt...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> "John Galt" <whoisjohng...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote 
>> innews:Nd1Sj.125814$fB7.88202@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>
>>
>> > "Joe Steel" <JoeSt...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>> >news:Xns9A90635628FA1JoeSteel@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> >> Killing ourselves by polluting our environment and, at the same
time,
>> >> making ourselves more dependent on a limited resource may be "common
>> >> sense" to some but it's not very smart.  The better choice is using
>> >> this op****tunity to solve a problem which will never go away; oil is
>> >> a limited, dirty resource and no amount of production enhancements
>> >> can make it clean and unlimited.  We have to find other ways to do
>> >> what we do with oil.
>>
>> > Joe, you're not wrong, but there are no serious economists or
>> > prognosticators that foresee alternatives being a substantial ****tion
>> > of overall energy production until the next century, assuming we
>> > prefer not reverting to a pre-Industral Revolution economy.
>>
>> > Part of Samuelson's point (also driven home by prior articles on the
>> > subject) is that we're stuck with the dirty, filthy energy source for
>> > the rest of our lifetimes and at least those of our kids, if not our
>> > grandkids as well. We can't shut off the spigot until we have a cost
>> > effective, viable alternative, and although various alternatives will
>> > be coming on line over the next few decades, critical m***** leading
>> > to economies of scale are even further off.
>>
>> > We need to develop fossil resources now whilst investing in a
>> > Manhattan Project for fuel alternatives. Would you not agree that
such
>> > is prudent?
>>
>> > JG
>>
>> I'm not sure I do.  While Samuelson may be advocating what seems to be
a
>> "common sense" solution to the oil problem, it probably will make the
>> problem worse.  An increased supply of oil removes the pressure to find
>> alternatives.  Without that, our progress toward the solution is less.
>
> Yeah, meanwhile, let's stand by while some experts call for $10/gal,
> all the while there are energy sources sitting right under your
> friggin' feet!!!  Get oil to the market now, where the infrastructure
> already exists.  Work on other solutions in the meantime.  Somehow, I
> don't think people that are struggling to fill up their tanks or buy
> ever increasing in cost groceries will seem to mind one bit.  Then
> again, wouldn't want to offend your local environmental goofnut would
> we?

You keep asserting this, yet the experts disagree with you.

What you advocate will work exactly like the gas tax holiday advocated by 
McCain and Clinton will do --- it will encourage increased consumption, 
which will put upward pressure on prices, which will increase oil company 
profits while providing little relief for consumers.

And, of course, you keep ignoring he financial side of the problem that is

responsible for as much as half the cost of a barrel of oil.

Larry