Reducing our dependence on foreign oil

from JoeUser Forums
I would like to hear some ideas on DRASTICALLY reducing our foreign dependence on oil. I feel that it is essential that we cut this dependence because it is true that eventually we will run out of oil, and more importantly our need for foreign oil leads to international relation problems. Because we rely on the middle east for oil, we can not defend ourselves against them in a situation, nor can we remove the terrible regimes (Iran and Saudi Arabia) from the global trade because we rely on their oil. Further, as tensions increase in the middle east, the price of oil will rise, and it is predicted by leading economists (I will post source on request) that the price of oil could easily double, crippling the world economy temporarily. What are your Ideas? I have some but I would like to hear from you.
sandy2
politics
2,322 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from PolMach Forums Top
Take hand, move hand in quick motion against face of Oil and Car Company CEOs of the U.S. until an audible slapping sound is heard.

My idea is to get the Congress under so much pressure from the populace that they rebuff the pressure from Oil and Car Companies, so that laws are passed that increase the either fuel efficiency or an alternative fuel source for vehicles, preferably the first than the second would probably be the easiest. Problem is how do you pressure the congress so much that they take action against the Oil and Car Companies. We can't eliminate cars, because there goes Semis, and there goes almost all overland shipping. So it has to be alternative fuels and greater fuel efficiency, no little 30 MPG but more like 120 MPG or the like, but than you run into the problem of bankrupting families who are in the oil business that are not corpartions, so it's quite a problem to deal with, which will take the effort from all sides to come to an exact plan to take care of this problem.

Of course once they got that situation figured out, I want my damn flying car like the Jetsons, where are the flying cars that were promised??
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
A combination of the following factors would help

a) Reduce oil needs by the motor industry
- increase fuel efficient car usage by linking taxes to fuel efficiency. People with hybrid cars and high fuel efficiency pay less. Gas guzzlers pay more
- increase tax on petrol and use it to encourage alternative fuels, better public transport, and increased fuel efficiency
- use bio-oil fuels.

b) Reduce oil needs by electricity industry
- increase tax on oil to encourage move to alternative energy sources
- increase funding for alternative fuel research
- increase electricity bills (not sure if this is government regulated or not), with lower tax on non oil/coal/gas energy

The question is whether government should be spending money making the change or changing the tax system to encourage energy companies and car companies to make changes. I favour the latter as it is the way I expect a government to operate. If the government for example doubled tax on energy generated from oil/coal and gas, but halved tax from re-newable and nuclear power then people would switch to suppliers from these sources and companies would invest in these sources to meet demand.

Paul.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Increased taxes would never pass, so we need a way to decrease our dependence with out directly hurting the customer and that isn't political suicide. Tough one we got here.
Reply #4 from PolMach Forums Top
The first step in reducing our dependence on foreign oil is to do what we each can to reduce consumption.

Link

Big change is made up of a lot of little changes, and each of us has a part to play.