If I remember right top fuel dragsters run on alcohal. Ethanol isn't all that different. Still if cars could be run off of methanol then we would never have a shortage. As for electric battery tech is the main hold up. In an all electric car I can see how you could still have ac but what about heat?

 

Top fuel dragsters run on topfuel: Nitromethane an industrial cleaner that can burn in both oxygen and nitrogen (and makes really nasty exhaust that makes you want to die if you inhale it)

Ethanol, methanol -- I say no. Check out the LS9 project http://ls9.com/ -- use bacteria to decay plant matter into petroleum products of your choice. I consider that to be the holy grail.

Electric cars -- They get heat from blowing air over the battery pack, or by using electric heaters.

Alternative fuels IMHO are not to be worried about now. They will come in time, and in time they will be viable. Right now clean diesel is the best alt. fuel because diesel has more power per gallon chemically than gasoline, not less like alcohols. The electric car isn't very fast and doesn't go very far because it is in it's infancy. With more R&D there will likely be either a better electric car or a different method. I think the best would be to develop LS9 and go into mass production and just forget about carrying oil to the destination but rather "grow" it at the destination, and from waste! (By now you've guessed that my utopia is a world where everything, even your television is gas powered.)

Regards,

Thomas

 

Its actually too simple of a concept on why the US does it that it gets overlooked. We've been importing oil from other countries for decades, so its got nothing to do with our current war. Anyways, where does most of the world's oil come from? Middle eastern countries. What else does the middle east do to make money besides drill for oil? Not much.

Let everyone pay those countries for their oil and dry them up. Then when everyone goes "Oh crap, we're out of oil!" Guess who still has some and can set whatever price they want? Think back to elementary school. You come to lunch with candy. Other people want some and you're the only source of candy. You can charge them whatever you want. And they'll pay.

I learned this from my neighbor (God rest his soul) who retired as a one star general that had a major in political science. He could be wrong, but I see the logic behind what he said. Only time will tell. Sadly, this was one of my last conversations with him before he passed in '06. Had some amazing photos from D-Day in WWII when he was drafted, and the most tragic pictures I have seen to this day were his from 'Nam in 1969.

 

That sucks by my house gas is $2.90 a gallon, for premium.

 

That I have heard for a long time as well plus I understand that concept of the strategic oil reserves. Plus after doing some research China is not drilling 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Still if we won't drill it then somebody else will.
Right now all oil is traded in dollars. What happens when it's not?

 

I heard that Nationwide that gas prices will be up to $3.00 per gallon by spring.

 

I would like to hope that if another country was drilling that close to our shores, that we would make ourselves as a country both known and heard. Intents such as this from another nation would be known of before said country even started the voyage over to start building.

Very good question you pose. This is just my thought/speculation, as I remember discussing a similar topic with a history professor about 2 years ago. As he asked me, "Whats the one thing that has always had value, through 90% of written history?" Precious gems and metals, especially gold. When oil is no longer traded for actual currency, I expect it to be traded via said precious gems and metals. All forms of money have had their rise and fall, but gold has been valued since Egypt was top dog thousands of years ago. This is why I wish the US dollar was still based on something with hard value as it was in the past.

The American dollar will fall one day, and, sadly, as a result the country will probably fall also. Its a matter of time, but I hope its not within mine or my future children's or grandchildren's lifetimes. Every world power in human history has fallen at some point, and again I say America will as well. Its not like we picked the name "United States of America" and thusly we're the lucky nation to reign supreme for all of eternity. Saying this has gotten me blasted on more than one instance. But I love this nation, I will never leave this country on my own free will, and I would die for it and the people in her borders whom I love. Yet I'm also a realist and can see my country will fall one day.

I also would like to stress that I admit I don't know everything about the world or various economies within it, afterall I am only 20 and my experiences are limited at this point in my life. I can see where people would make the argument that with my youth considered, I really shouldn't be saying much on such topics as this one. But again, I'm not too stubborn to admit when I'm wrong. Once again I really liked that question you asked, as I didn't expect myself to come up with a reply like this.

 

I just paid $3.04US/gallon a few days ago for mid-grade here in California... Not too fun when my gas saver needs a new motor... Few months and it should be back up and running, ooo I can't wait.

 

"The American dollar will fall one day, and, sadly, as a result the country will probably fall also. Its a matter of time, but I hope its not within mine or my future children's or grandchildren's lifetimes. Every world power in human history has fallen at some point, and again I say America will as well. Its not like we picked the name "United States of America" and thusly we're the lucky nation to reign supreme for all of eternity. Saying this has gotten me blasted on more than one instance. But I love this nation, I will never leave this country on my own free will, and I would die for it and the people in her borders whom I love. Yet I'm also a realist and can see my country will fall one day.

I also would like to stress that I admit I don't know everything about the world or various economies within it, afterall I am only 20 and my experiences are limited at this point in my life. I can see where people would make the argument that with my youth considered, I really shouldn't be saying much on such topics as this one. But again, I'm not too stubborn to admit when I'm wrong. Once again I really liked that question you asked, as I didn't expect myself to come up with a reply like this."

If the nation under the 'lack of leadership from the community organizer in chief' keeps on going the way of cloward and piffen the dollar is unsustainable, will fall, oil will be traded in another currency and we will be in a depression worse than the 30's.

So what are the options when that happens?

 

See, I think that other nations will learn from the mistake of trading oil based on one country's currency. Thats just me though.