All this talking and appealing to the better half of our human nature will do nothing. People don't voluntarily lose comfort over some idea, unless they are forced or heavily motivated to do it. That's a fact.
When I bought my car, gasoline was about $1.50 a gallon. It is three times as much now, so the operating costs have jumped accordingly. Now I'm in the acknowledgment stages with the idea that in couple of years (if not sooner) I will probably have to quite driving it altogether, since it will become unpractical, as the gasoline hits a $10 mark for the gallon (and it will).
So, just to summarize, I bought something under the premise that it was practical to use. In three-four years it becomes unpractical, leaving me with about 60% of underutilized investment. Sounds like classic bait-n-switch. Can I sue? :)
HA !! This sounds like the difference between a girlfriend and a wife!
ExxonMobil just announced they will be drilling off the Philippines to put more crude oil on the world (commodities auction) market, but US customers will still have to "bid" on it in competition with India/China/Mexico/EU, etc.
Hyperion is starting the process to build the first US refinery in 30 years near the Canadian border. They also announced there are environmental impact surveys to be completed and endangered species contensions to resolve that will take years before they can even start building, much less producing fuel. However, they feel in 8 years or so, there will "still be an increased demand for fuel".
I'm all for increasing alternatives, but until alternatives scale up, and the wrinkles are ironed out, oil is the name of the game.
My point is "meybe" only ONE new refinery years from now? The supply and prices are going to get worse, much worse. The emerging industries in the third world don't care very much about pollution, and they will pay whatever it takes to get the oil that feeds the chemical and plastic industries that are creating jobs, profits, and taxes there.
If you are thinking about switching from a V8 to a V6, I'm suggesting you take it one or two steps further. Get a 4-cyl turbo-diesel that can be adapted to ocassionally run on vegetable oil. Get a 150cc scooter that can be converted to electric when the engine wears out. Get an E-Bike as soon as possible...
By the time they have the required permits to build this plant there won't be enough oil to supply it.
Grandpa Chas S.
Only if you bought your car from an oil company. :D