The REST of the Story

[PineNut]

I left a lot of trees around my house. As a result, I mow the yard once a year whether it needs it or not. It gets mowed in the early fall so I can blow the leaves away from the house. I don't like raking leaves either.

In Mississippi, the highway dept plants flowers on the right of way. That gives them an excuse to skip one mowing and planting flowers is cheaper than mowing one time.

[Radar67]

They still mow in my county....wish they would plant flowers over here, as long as it is not crown vetch.

Where you been keeping yourself Pinenut?

[KGNC]

I drive a lot of miles on the interstates. My idea would be to grow corn for fuel in the interstate medians. There are a lot of acres between the east and west bound lanes. That would save on grass mowing too.  And you could make a lot of places for the HP to hide.

[PineNut]

Where you been keeping yourself Pinenut?

With the good weather, there have been too many projects. I usually scan the forum every day or so but have not been posting very much.

[Ron Wenrich]

If I recall, I used to see them baling hay on the interstates either in the Midwest or the Rockies back in the '70s. 

[Furby]

Still do it in the plains states Ron.

[Handy Andy]

  If I could get the old lady to cut down on her mowing, I could bale more hay. 

[dnalley]

If you really don't want to mow grass just plant a few water oaks around the yard.  Don't know if it's the shade or something in the chemical make-up of the trees, but under mine even weeds hardly grow.  But man the leaves and acorns in the fall!

[Tom]

I've been tentatively studying the speculative market on Gold, silver, lead, uranium and copper.  Can somebody please tell me how much is left?

[ellmoe]

   So Tom, now I understand all those fresh dug holes in your backyard. I thought you were just burying skunks! :D


Mark

[Tom]

I've been doing some serious cojitating, Ellmoe.  These "running out of oil" threads have really been enlightening.  How they can tell how much is left is beyond me, but they use that information to control the price of what they offer us mortals to burn as fuel.   It's also used to determine the date at which the world is going to end and to describe the maladies that will befall the human race as it does.   These guys are really smart and determined to the point that they don't even have to listen to any other scenarios.  So, I figure that if I can get them to look at these minerals, and maybe even tell me where they are, I'll go dig some up and be a millionaire during the last few moments of world.

If you hear anything, let me know. As close as we are to one another, we could pool our findings and  buy a fishing boat. ;D

[DouginUtah]

These guys are really smart and determined to the point that they don't even have to listen to any other scenarios. 

Sarcasm noted.  ;D

Tom, I would be more than happy to listen to your scenario.  8)

[Tom]

I would be more than happy to listen to your scenario.

Probably not.

I'm not a believer in intimidation or governing with fear.  Failure isn't a word that I use until it's to describe a historical event. Most of these arguments are based on "oh woe is me".  They instill feelings of loss and anger with little or no reason to follow a path to success. 

I find it humorous that so many can put a date on the running out of oil, while there are so few who get excited about new fuels and transportation devices without mentioning the dark cloud overhead. 

Coaches giving a half-time talk, don't energize a defeated team by telling them that all is lost because they aren't any better than they were last week when they were beaten.  All people need hope and bright futures.  Saying we are out of oil will not be proven until a hole has been punched in every square foot of the USA and its territories.

This negative marketing scenario, used by so many of late, begets complacency and failure.  The bulk of the people on that side are just joiners, not doers.  If they can't generate a crisis of some sort, they find someone who has a good one going and join their bandwagon.  It reminds me of the mourners of old who tore their clothing, rolled in the dirt, wailed and threw ashes all over themselves.  They didn't' even know the guy who had died.  They could present a good show though.  You hired these guys the same as  people like Gore have "hired" their followings.  Payment is in acknowledgement.

What is my scenario?  It's not the doom and gloom of a failed race.   I have no defined and definite answers but to recognize that our society has lost its will to perform.  Fewer and fewer people are willing or able to explore new avenues.  I blame it directly on  the faction of the society that has been so negative and dark.  I blame it directly on those who want a bigger and bigger government.  I blame it on socialist who have gotten into our government a produced a society that is made up mostly of people with their hands out. I blame it on an educational system that has failed to incite interest. 

If peoples minds were in the right place, the value of the Dollar nor the price of fuel would have the impact that it has today.  This country needs to redefine success, acknowledge those who "do", cut back on spending, minimize government's size, quit taxing as if it were the citizens job to provide for the government what the government wants, shut down faulty litigation, return to a court system of fairness, honesty and truth and........ start drilling.

[pineywoods]

Tom's got it right......We'll NEVER run out of oil, no doubt the day may come when what's left will be too expensive to recover.....Go back to the 1800's, when everybody was crying What will we do when the world runs out of whale oil for our lamps......All I want is for the government to get off my back and leave me alone, the 3 of us, me, myself and I, will do just fine thank you.  So would most of the guys and gals on here...

[Paul_H]

I sure don't mind Doug's views and articles at all.I take what feels right and discard or file away what doesn't for later chewing(cud)All through history,people that tried to warn others were beaten,burned and even sawed in two,and often by the time they got to clothes ripping and ash throwing,it was too late.
I remember about 12 years ago,Carla took a couple of the kids to Soccer and just before she left,put a meatloaf in the oven.I wasn't feeling well so I lay down and had a nap.My daughter Jodi was around 7 then and she was playing in her room next to ours.
The smoke alarm woke me up but it had been going off for no good reason lately so I ignored it and tried to drift.Jodi came out of her room and I heard her yell "Fire".
I called to her to tell her it was alright but she ran out the back door and I could here her yelling right over to the neighbour's house.
I was pithed off pretty good by this time because I knew it was a false alarm and besides,I didn't want to wake from my slumber.I did get up and discovered the kitchen cupboards were on fire and it was heading for the ceiling.
Managed to put it out.

Maybe it's just the part of the world I live in but my parents and grandparents and other oldtimers lived through a time of no freezers or electricity and a time when horses and manpower were far more common than petroleum driven machinery so I just don't see the logic in thinking oil is our God given right and I honestly don't think that man is smart enough to solve all his own problems.My trust and fear is in God,not man.
Europe faced mass starvation during WWII because of petroleum shortages but countries like Sweden had the foresight to have a plan in place to keep the transportation and farming networks running smoothly.Problems can come when you rely solely on one system for energy.
I was born in 1962 and the petroleum industry was barely a 100 years old then.Do I think it's going to be around forever?Nope!

Bring it on Doug

[DouginUtah]

Thanks, Tom.

Reading between the lines of your previous posts that is pretty much what I anticipated.

As a peak oil doomer I find it interesting that you are also a doomer of sorts--as to what is happening in this country and to your view of society. I could agree with most of what you are saying, but I am also a pragmatist.

I hope I have never said we are running out of oil. All I have ever meant to say is oil is a finite resource and when demand exceeds supply there will be serious consequences. Can you argue that that is not true?

The one thing I can't get past though is that you and many others seem to have no consideration for future generations. No one seems to be able to explain that one to me.  ??? I wish someone would.

Mideast oil was discovered 100 years ago today.

(Paul posted while I was composing. Thanks Paul.)

[Warren]

First off "Tom for President" !

Second, Pineywoods is on the right track. We gotta look at what the real need is.  I worked for a small midwestern soap company for a number of years (P&G)  They originallly started out making candles. But they were not really in the candle business.  They were in the business of supplying a reliable cost effective means of providing light in peoples homes and businesses.  So when gas lights came along in the mid 1800's,  the gas light people put the candle people out of business. Fortunately, P&G had already diversified into soap making.  Later Mr. Edison put the gas light people out of business with the light bulb.

To bring it back around, for centuries, horses were the primary form of transportation for people and for raw materials and finished goods.  With the invention of the hydro carbon based internal combustion engine and automobile, Ford, GM,Toyota, et al, put the horse people out of business.  Not because they are in the automobile business.  But because automobiles provide a better, more cost effective way to transport people and goods.  As soon as someone comes up with a better way to transport people and goods, internal combustion based automobiles will slide into the "good ole days" just like horses have...

The whole reason the forward seeing Arab oil moguls are building up their infrastructure and diversifying is they also know that their days of generating huge profits based on an oil economy will quickly become a fond memory as soon as someone comes up with the next "great thing" in transportation. 

I have no idea what the next "great thing" in transprtation is.  But I would better dinner that "someone" is out there working on it even as we discuss this thread...

Food for thought.  Are we really in the "sawmill" business ?  Or, are we in the business of providing people with convenient, cost effective building materials ?  Or ???

Warren

[Tom]

Since we are dealing with opinions here, I've chosen to sit on my two page reply.  :D :D

[Paul_H]

That's what I usually do too

[GF]

Why would the govt get involved with the price of oil?  I look at it this way, the economy is not looking to good, oil is the highest its been and people simply are not spending money, but people are spending large amounts of money on newer fuel efficeint vehicles (ones that can afford them) to save money at the pump.  New vehicle sales results in large tax revenue for the govt, so why would the govt want to get involved?  They are still making tax revenue only its been redirected from auto sales. 

Why is diesel so high?  What I noticed is how is the average farmer going to afford off road diesel to farm?  My speculation is that the oil companies are driving the price of diesel up to put the farmers out of business, with farmers out of business crops will no longer be grown for ethanol production.  In reality the oil manufactures are driving their ethanol producers out of business by making it to expensive to farm to produce alternative fuels.

If we took the money that our govt wastes yearly and invested this money in alternative energy resources, we would probably have wind farms powering have the United States now, and numerous other energy resource alternatives.

This is my 2 cents worth for the day.

[SwampDonkey]

I've been tentatively studying the speculative market on Gold, silver, lead, uranium and copper.  Can somebody please tell me how much is left?

Seems the government is determined to start Uranium exploration here in NB. Most citizens don't want it, but apparently the government doesn't like to listen to it's citizens. And being voted into office has come to mean they can do as they please.

Of interest, they just discovered ,"yeah right", a document in government on the study of rayon gas in many homes in Harvey Station done back in 1980 and the findings were never released.  Seems to me radon gas is carcinogenic. :

[Tom]

There was a big media blitz on Radon gas here in the 1980's.   The fear of god was put into mobile home owners and owners of off-grade homes when it was declared that the still air beneath the home captured the radon gas.  New inspection businesses shot up everywhere.  Inspection kits were made available, for a fee, by the government.   People were even considering ceasing to use basements.   While I'm sure there is truth to some of the stories, most of it was hype.  It did fill the need of many to be alarmed and provided them with new isssues for their activism.

This is not said to discourage inspection of your home, it's probably a good idea. Just don't think the world is ending or the sky is falling. 

[Jeff]

Radon gas certainly isn't hype here in Michigan. Its reality.  In Florida you probably dont have near the issue with it as in states like Michigan where we have basements and crawls in a majority of homes.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Not to start a Pi$$ing contest, but, where I grew up, (NJ), ALL the old houses had basements, (cellars), and the inhabitants died off, of OLD AGE.  : :

  Maybe the soil composition has something to do with this ???  NJ is mostly sand, with a clay subsoil, maybe, where I grew up. ???

[Jeff]

Its got everything to do with the local geology