Comments for The Holy Grail of Energy Independence at http://www.cepr.net , comment 1 to 14 out of 14 comments http://www.cepr.net Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:11:49 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19902 For "15% of our electrical use" substitute "9% of our electrical use." - Minor Heretic Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:42:22 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19900 One problem with our energy debate is that most people think in terms of production. How can we pump more oil out of the ground in a year? How many wind turbines can we put up to replace coal? We waste staggering quantities of energy. Your average European uses a little over the half the energy of your average American, and they aren't living in caves. Hard to believe case in point: If we replaced all our pre-1990 refrigerators and upgraded the controls on most of our industrial motors we could shut down half the nuclear plants in the country.[url]http://www.minorheresies.com/posts/2007/10/29/avoiding-a-nuclear-renaissance.html[/url] I'm not saying that we can swap out 100% of old refrigerators in a practical sense, but it gives an idea of scale. Two technologically available solutions and there goes 15% of our electrical use. For about a 1.5% cost premium we can build houses that use 50% less heating and cooling energy than a standard new home. It's mostly proper design, with a bit more insulation and sealant. Efficiency and conservation cost less than production, in both money and environmental damage. Also consider that the U.S. uses 25% of the world's oil. If we cut back 25% that would reduce worldwide demand by 6.25%, which would dump the price of oil. If we doubled the average efficiency of our vehicles (21 mpg to 42 mpg), which is eminently doable, we would cut worldwide oil demand by 5%. Corporations want money flow, so supply side solutions are what gets the press coverage. - Minor Heretic Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:36:17 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19891 Every thing tou write is correct. However, energy imports are a major source of our balance of payment imbalance. Reducing this would make achieving full employment easier. - Jack McManus Mon, 29 Oct 2012 05:16:04 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19884 Yet another economist that thinks economic factors are the only factors. - Invisible Backhand Sun, 28 Oct 2012 07:39:54 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19881 Oil production these days is controlled by a sufficiently small number of countries that they can exert monopoly control, if they are cohesive enough. They did just that in the 70's and 80's. Saudi Arabia alone has considerable power over oil price, and it is treated accordingly by US politicians. If the US and other major oil consumers were self-sufficient in energy things would be very different; it is very unlikely, for example, that our military involvement in the Middle East would be nearly as great as it is. Free-market economics is not the only concern regarding energy independence. Our entry into WW II came directly because the US withheld oil from Japan - the free market did not help Japan obtain the oil it needed. Apparently Dean is mainly attacking the idea that the US could be self-sufficient by more drilling for oil, which of course is a fantasy, even disregarding global warming. Becoming self-sufficient by finding alternate energy sources, or by CO2 sequestration (we have plenty of coal) is a different matter. If the US and other oil-dependent countries could become self sufficient world politics would be very different, though other resources would still be subjects for dispute. - skeptonomist Sun, 28 Oct 2012 04:26:02 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19878 Kicking environmentalists? On the contrary, it often seems to me that the environmentalists are the aggressors, and have given far too little thought to the impact that their policies have on jobs. Some, I imagine, are only too happy to take from the less-well-off. But others probably have very little understanding of how much their clumsy "climate-saving" policies can affect jobs, thanks to a real absence of critical intelligence on the part of the media. And now that I've discredited myself, I'd like to mention that Larry Kudlow has his good points. After all, he seems to like and respect Dean Baker. And sometimes, instead of promoting a Strong Dollar, he advocates a Stable Dollar instead (maybe the effect of Dean's reasoning). And he actually seems to appreciate the value of limited tax deductions. Instead of forcing poor renters to help pay for the million dollar mortgages of the rich. Good reasoning, against his own interests. - Rachel Sat, 27 Oct 2012 15:24:06 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19876 "... allow monetary distribution in these countries to normalize." Oh, you mean the way it's doing here in the U.S.? - Drew Kime Sat, 27 Oct 2012 14:05:25 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19872 Yes, it probably does very little for prices. There is an argument to be made that fir the US to be energy Independant that they would introduce enough new product into the market to significantly impact price. That argument is more nuanced, however. The larger scale arguments are related to breaking an oligarchy and better controlling funding to he Middle East. For one, it removes the substantial control that OPEC exerts over pricing with their production adjustments. More importantly, it decreases he incredible amount of money that the US is pouring into countries with immature governance systems. Hopefully, in time, this will stop propping up unpopular dictators and warlords and allow monetary distribution in these countries to normalize. Generally, it is thought that this will lead to a more peaceful Middle East. - Lstroud Sat, 27 Oct 2012 10:06:08 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19871 Sunshine, wind, geothermal, hydro are not tradable resources. You want to be energy independent you should at least look there before drill baby drill. - tom Sat, 27 Oct 2012 09:18:50 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19870 He's been wrong on everything else so what is new. Must be the right prescription for our ills - other than tax cuts for the rich which is his other rallying cry. - jumpinjezebel Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:22:40 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19868 @David J Michel, I too would love to stop funding countries that want us dead. How about this idea: enact foreign policy that doesn't make so many countries want us dead. - Drew Kime Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:09:22 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19867 [quote]Oil prices are determined on world market just like the prices of wheat and corn.[/quote] Which also means the huge subsidies received by Big Oil and Big Ag (including negative externalities) don't reduce the price received as global price takers, but do increase profit and output beyond efficient levels by artificially reducing unit cost at the margin. They already produce beyond optimal economic levels and still want more under the phony guise of "independence" and "more jobs". - Last Mover Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:05:25 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19866 I don't care if we pay $5.per.gal.,as long as we stop funding country's that want us dead. - david j michel jr Sat, 27 Oct 2012 08:01:26 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/the-holy-grail-of-energy-independence#comment-19865 It's worth pointing out that, despite producing more oil than it uses, Canada still imports about half the oil it needs (which primarily supplies the eastern part of Canada). - Michael Symes Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:16:52 +0100