Sound logic on gas prices

[Brucelee]

"China has very low emissions standards vs. the West.
And foreign automakers are only too happy to oblige."

Do you suggest that car makers not sell to the Chinese? Why not? If you were an investor in any car company, would you want them to not sell to China?

Do you suggest that the USA set emissions standard for the rest of the world?


"Imagine a country three times the US in population with cars three times more toxic to the environment? Zero effect on the planet? I don't think so."

What is the effect on the planet? Where is your science and what would you do about if you WERE correct?


"Even conservatives from industrial backgrounds like Paul O'Neill pressured the current adminstration to do SOMETHING about global warming. "

Paul O'Neill is an economist, not a chemist or biologist. What would you have the USA do about global warming when there is no agreement among the scientific community that there is such a thing?


"But like all other fiscal responsibilities we prefer to do nothing and continue on our merry way. We have become very short sighted. "

When was it that WE were not short sighted? Would you go back to the 60s when we had NO EMISSIONS standards at all? Were we long sighted then?

"Hopefully this gas situation will change some things."

Yes, it will. The market will adapt. Folks behavior will change as it is always changing. Do you think buying habits will remain the same if gas reaches $4.00 per gallon. I don't. Folks respond to prices and incentives. Likewise, at $70 a barrell, oil companies will start drilling more marginal fields, ASSUMING the government will allow them too!



"btw, I've been living up here in the Northeast my entire life and I and people much older than me can tell you we don't have winters consistently like we used to. In only 25 years things have changed from what they always used to be.[/QUOTE]"

This is total crap science. Two years ago, NE had it worst winter ON RECORD. Record cold and snow. If the planet were warming up, how did this happen? I lived in NE for 25 yrs too and the winters were all farily variable. Climate science does not rely on one's own memory.

Last winter, San Diego had awful weather. It means nothing from a climate perspective, which is measured in 100 years chunks.