How do we avoid or use less of oil/petroleum?
I believe we should slow down our demand and use of this source, so how do we do so? Hybrid cars? Go Green products? Alternate energy? Can you give me any others? Please specify.
I believe we should slow down our demand and use of this source, so how do we do so? Hybrid cars? Go Green products? Alternate energy? Can you give me any others? Please specify.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:30 am
For American society at least, we need to find a replacement for crude oil products that is more sustainable, but will cause little impact on our current way of life.
For instance, we could immediately use less oil if every person started riding a bicycle to work, instead of driving. Despite being a solution, it’s unlikely to ever happen as too many Americans would feel inconvenienced by it.
Bio based fuels such as ethanol are, currently, one of the most efficient non-petroleum products available, but comes with it’s own set of problems: Expense, infrastructure and food supply competition (it’s usually made with corn which we eat and food prices are already rising in relation to raised demand.)
There is no easy answer on how to reduce our dependence on oil, but as technology develops, and oil industry influence is reduced more and more, more answers will be researched and the gradual change away from petroleum products will begin in earnest.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Walk where ever you go. Live in a house heated by wood or direct solar heat. Use wind or solar power for lighting. Give up TV, computers, movies, air conditioning, telephones, washing machines, dryers, powered lawn mowers, snow blowers, refrigerators, most fresh food………..
In other words, you need to revert to the 18th century with a few newer additions.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:30 am
First you need to show me that any of those will reduce hydrocarbon use. In each case listed more oil is used than saved; even more so for corn ethanol and some bio-diesels,
Continued research into alternate energy sources will slowly reduce the associated costs and one day, when oil costs move up again, better power storage is developed, costs are reduced for solar, wind, hydro, etc., and multiple other factors move it will start eating into oil use and the conversion will speed up.