It is the will of the people to continue using fossil fuel with relatively little care or regard to its detrimental effects here or in the Middle East
Also, what I am saying is that although I think we ought to stop drilling for oil everywhere now and RUN to alt. fuel sources that require NO oil (thus precluding hybrid cars) - but as long as we (and I mean the world here) use oil, that oil in Alaska is coming out of the ground. Thus, I say do it now and get it over with. I mean that way we the world will be forced into alt. fuel sources.
I was thinking about this on the plane - every single thing we do revolves around oil. Oil is used to power the facilities that make just about everything (shampoo, clothes, paint, asphalt, etc.) Thus, while conserving a good thing and I applaud the people, including myself, who conserve, I still think no one realy does it to any relevant extreme. I mean who here does not use store bought soap, shampoo, etc. For people that smoke, many gallons of oil went into making that luxury (the manufacturing, the butane, the power to refine the wood for paper or wood matches, the packaging, the advertisements, the shipping, etc.). I submit that other than the obvious health reasons for quitting smoking, that if everyone stopped now, it would conserve more power than turning the lights off
Yet, who has ever heard of anyone stopping smoking because it will protect the environment
I have not other than some tangential second hand smoke issue. Thus, this proves my point which once again is people may conserve here and there and some like Suze WAY more than others, but few are willing to do without their luxuries for it. I include myself in this BTW.
Also, solar power is available - how many of us have solar panels on our roofs? How many have a windmill in the front yard? Those are available to some degree. Yet, people opt for the so called cheaper method which is the local power company. Again, while some certainly cannot afford it, many could take their monthly power or heating bills and apply that to a pmt on an alt. fuel system. But, I agree the development of alt. fuel has been suppressed - ny point is no one gives a flying you know what because the easy way is to use oil created power. I believe the expression is "If you buils a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door" - it will happen, hopefully, one day.