Comments on: The Gas Buck Doesn't Stop Here

By: Da King

Da King — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:46:32 +0000

Roy,
You know I'm seldom critical of San Fran Nan (except when I speak or write), but I think it would be nice if one of the Dem plans to lower gas prices would at the very least not cause gas prices to go UP.

I guess I'm asking for too much. Every idea I hear that might lower the price of gas is OPPOSED by the Democrats, usually because the Dems are worried about an owl or a moose having to relocate.

By: Da King

Da King — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:37:52 +0000

2 cents says, "Riding bicycles is a good thing—all the fatso's will lose weight"

You have a point there, but I think we must refer to our obese brothers and sisters as "girth-challenged americans" rather than "fatsos".

One caveat, however. america has been city-planned around the automobile (suburbia). A transition will have to take place.

By: 2 cents

2 cents — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:36:08 +0000

I did it again—I get so frustrated with talking to Ghost, who I will never get through to, I forget to look at who I am responding to. Sorry.

By: 2 cents

2 cents — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:06:39 +0000

Ghost, People do need to change their ways—the planet will force the issue, so might as well get a head start, as I have.
I have less than 2 acres of which .75 is brush and woods–it does not take much land to grow stuff for a family of four.
As far as other people? I can only do my part. As far as having enough? Well, I had to do alot of soul-searching and crying to come to terms with the fact that I have to do more with less. We all will. It is not like this is how I wanted to have my second half of life turn out—but I do see the wisdom of My Maker working within my life. I am grateful for what I do have and I feel good about doing things in the most sustainable way I can.

Larry d.—not all people will be living off their land—lots will still run to Mickey D's for cheap eats—they will die younger and be a burden on the health care system as they eat themselves to great rolly fatness.

In the words of my late Mother: "If every one lit their own candle, the whole world would be lit".

By: larry d.

larry d. — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:44:53 +0000

If everyone started growing their own organic foods the entire continent would be a desert within a decade.

By: roysoldboy

roysoldboy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:06:57 +0000

2 cents, you are fortunate that your needs are so small. Now how do you plan to convince very many other people to live like you say you do? I don't mow until my grass will stand to be about 3 inches mowed, and could easily have three jobs closer than you do since i live in one of those small, backward towns but I know that few people in this nation live like that.

I think you are very fortunate to have all the land you seem to have for gardening and for fruit trees. Not many people are that fortunate. Look around you in any city in the region. Even out here in the real sticks what you have is found in very few situations.

My sons drive 40 miles one way to get to their jobs and can't get much closer since they are agriculture mechanics and there just aren't any facilities closer. One of them is one of those people who have enough property at home to live like you do but he is single and seldom gets home before dark and leaves home about 7:00 am to get to work. His main contribution to the fuel problem is his wood stove that he heats his home with but now and then he has to use gas to supplement with.

Lots of people are going to find themselves living more frugally in the near future but of the 300 million of us that can live as you say you do there just aren't many.

Good luck in your frugal living and rest assured that most of us will have to change our ways but most just can't live as you say you do for all kinds of reasons.

By: 2 cents

2 cents — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:21:21 +0000

Roy—I realize what I am saying is a bit "tongue in cheek", however, I did plan ahead with the future in mind. I planned that my three jobs are all within 2 miles of my home, so I actually could ride a bike to and fro—I also have planted numerous fruit trees in addition to the ones I already have—I am planting grapevines of all shades, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, all my vegetables for this summer and have a plan to can the surplus for the winter—I also have a chicken who bears me one egg a day—delicious! I wear my children's hand-me-downs now, and because I am always within ten miles of my home, filling my Honda with my Get-Go points from Giant Eagle, the tank lasts me at least three weeks and costs me roughly forty dollars. My electric bill is so low, the reader always does a double-take—my house has plenty of light, so lights on are really rare. Since I am an early to bed and early to rise sort, lights on aren't very necessary. I let my grass grow pretty high (say, up to 3 or 4 inches), until I am sure my fastidious neighbors are wondering when I will mow it—but I mow it much less often than they do.
I use no chemicals in my home—surprising how lemon juice and salt, or baking soda work just as well as harsh cleaners, or vinegar and water. No applications of chems or ferts on my lawn and I love dandelions and the little purple violets that are bountiful around me. My vacation is in my hammock under the old apple tree—reading is my pass-time as is skating outdoors, which costs me nothing. My glasses come from Marc's or the Dollar Store, even though I need a prescription, they do just fine. I rarely eat meat—perhaps once every two weeks or so, and usually I buy chicken on sale two for one—make home-made soup, then chicken salad, feed the rest to my dog and cat. I was raised by parents who grew up through the Depression, so frugality is second nature to me and is helpful for sustaining the earth that I love. I don't watch television, but when I do, I surf for about five minutes, then I'm done. This Internet is my addiction and I have a rough time for a day or two without it—but I manage.

I would love the life from simpler times and I tend toward optimism, even though I'm poor—I made less than 7 grand last year, with three children—and they are all A/B students still. So, to me, life is good. I just want some darn health care, is all, and perhaps some savings for when I'm too old to matter much to anyone anymore. I want my children to have the America that I had growing up. That's all.

By: roysoldboy

roysoldboy — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:50:26 +0000

2 cents, I think you are living in a dream world and thinking we can get to it. You say we can all live off the food we grow in our gardens. Could you please explain to me where the people of New York City who live in high rise apartment buildings will have their gardens. Thousands of people in one building?

Your dream may well be a nice one but the chances of us riding bicycles instead of all the fossil fuel burning automobiles and at the same time working with things like stem cells is just a bit out of line with the way things in the real world are today. Taking all those steps backward won't work nearly as well as you think. An example, I live 55 miles from the nearest Walmart and 65 miles from the nearest city with all the shops and stores that I can buy the necessities of life from. Back in the day, my little town was the center of the world for people who drove their wagons to town once a month or less and hauled them back home that same day. For me to ride a bike 55 miles for the monthly trip to WalMart and then haul all those things back on the rear seat would be a bit too tough for me, an old man of 75.

I think 2 cents, that you need to look around at what you propose and give some real, serious thought to what you are saying. I don't mean to be nasty with you but what you propose can't possibly work, even though 1 billion people starve to get there.

By: roysoldboy

roysoldboy — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:42:03 +0000

Reality, what has Algore ever done to qualify him for President? He made a fortune off carbon credits, whatever those are, and he pushed global warming for years then changed the buzz word to climate change and all of a sudden we find qualified scientists talking about another ice age. I well remember them talking in the 1970s about the coming ice age, just before the warmers fooled Algore or he fooled them, whichever happened.

The oil is not gone although the speculators are having a ball acting like it is. This whole thing is politically driven from all sides. We all know, although most Dems don't want to admit it, that taxing oil companies heavier won't save any money at the pumps. We know that, but the Dem candidates are laughing at McCain for suggesting taking some federal taxes off oil products. Somehow people refuse to realize that a little bit is better than nothing. Cut taxes for oil companies or begin to build some cleanedup refineries and watch them come into line.

We need to have all of us come into line with some serious talk about alternative fuels and concentrate on something instead of just flying off in all directions.

By: Reality

Reality — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:10:39 +0000

We have reached Peak Oil in this world. Other than new discoveries that may yield easy to get oil, The oil remaining is costly to extract now and yields for the present oil fields ate diminishing. The major oil companies here have a margin of profit less than 15% surely not extravagant. The gas stations make less than that. Further taxation of the major oil companies will likely result in their inability to fund exploration and expansion. Perhaps they will even begin to buy back their own stock and just ride out the business until the oil is gone.

In reality the solution is reducing consumption. If anyone deserves government intervention it is the auto companies. We need more fuel efficent cars. Not Hemi Challengers or 600hp Corvettes.

Most driving is less than 100 miles a day, We need Electric Cars and Algae Bio-Diesel for the trucks.

Hillary and Obama are Power Mongers that will say and do anything to win. We need true leadership, Al Gore will be our next president because we need him !