The Republican Nomination For President: The Race For The Race For The White House

why use coal? why not hydroelectricity? why not nuclear?

why do you ask about using coal?

looks like you're trying to set parados up there

Sounds to me like a proportionality argument.

Actually, it is technically feasible to use renewable energy for all those cars.

Thank you Parados, you're always good for a laugh!

There is a difference between technically feasible and economically feasible which is the point I am making to MM.

It is technically feasible to provide all our electricity from renewable sources. If you want to argue that we can't do so with current technology, by all means make that argument.

You're getting funnier by the minute. Please explain in terms of actual technologies (not costs!) on both total and per capita consumption numbers:

Why dont you post the facts and drop the got you BS.

One point of contention about your graph. Coal is on the increase, but almost 50% of coal production is in China, and the US mines about 15%. Per capita consumption doesn't mean much when one country dominates in the usage of one energy source, but is mixed in with all the other sources of energy. The use of coal as the second highest energy source per capita is misleading.

Perhaps you don't understand the meaning of the phrase "technically feasible."
It in no way means "what we are currently doing."

Another point that needs to be made about the price of oil/gas. The level of production has been increasing, but the demand by China and other developing countries have created a greater demand on the supply. All of the GOP candidates talk about $2.50/gallon gas, because they don't know what they are talking about. The price of gas is based on supply and demand, and world demand dictates what most people will pay for gas.

Those GOP candidates who are promising $2.50/gallon gas or are blaming Obama for the high gas prices are too stupid to become president of this country.

The US pays one of the lowest gas prices in the developed countries. Ignorance knows no shame. In the US, taxes on gasoline can cost anywhere between 67.4c/gallon to 35.2c/gallon. I don't know of anyone in the US who can produce and deliver gasoline at $2/gallon - like those GOP candidates claim they can provide.

What you say about per capita is true, there's a lot of dispersion in the statistical distribution, but the point is to show that, given the numbers for each source and the history of each number, it makes no sense to say we have some technologically feasible way to suddenly assume everyone on the planet drives an electric car - and that's regardless of cost. Such nonsense leads to farcical policies like the new CO2 tax the EU is trying to impose on airlines.

How can it be a farcical policy when it raises tax revenue?

Again, you don't seem to understand the meaning of the term.

It is technically feasible to send everyone to the moon. Whether it would be practical is something else entirely.
Are you disagreeing with MM that it is technically feasible to get all the oil from ND shale?

Well... let's see 6,000,000,000 people, at about 180 lbs each, plus (say) 70 lbs of baggage ... thats a total payload of 1,500,000,000,000 lbs. or 750,000,000 tons. Just achieving escape velocity willl require an amount of rocket fuel slightly greater than the payload and getting to the moon and landing a roughly equal amount ..... that's 1,500,000,000 tons of rocket fuel.


What, praytell, is your definition of "feasible"????

It's what the traffic will bear George. Fancy a bloody Limey having to instruct a Yank in such a simple matter.

Well, we can take all the oil from the shale deposits since it's technically feasible to do that.

And that will ensure that all Americans get $2.50/gallon gas. LOL

I thought the keystone pipeline was to guarantee $2.50 a gallon gas.

now I'm confused...

And that's going to take effect....in how many years? Maybe the GOP has a magic way to layout those pipelines in a couple of weeks, and the oil flowing in from Canada will be almost free. I wonder who's paying for the pipeline? It's not part of that $2.50/gallon gas is it?

it's all smoke.

the pipeline isn't even to supply oil to us. it's to leave and be shipped from the gulf...