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Go to first message Go back 20 messages Messages 3826 - 3845 out of 5155 Go forward 20 messages Go to most recent message
3826. alistairconnor - 5/24/2006 4:18:08 PM

And when the shale oil turns out to be snake oil, Adam will say : "Ah those pesky environmentalists."

Processing all that rock to get oil is incredibly energy-intensive, i.e. the net energy gain may be very slim or negative. It produces massive amounts of waste (that don't fit down the hole they came from).

Want to make a bet that there will be significant oil produced from shale in five years? Ten?

There is plenty of oil. It's light, sweet crude which is running out... for the moment. The point is, we are so geared to the cheap use of the easiest energy source, and wasting it, that it's far from clear that we can make the transition to a sustainable state while continuing economic growth and high standards of living.

3827. Adam Selene - 5/25/2006 1:22:54 AM

I'm agnostic regarding energy sources, which means everyone thinks I'm on the other side. I'm most likely going to buy a hybrid for my next car, despite the higher cost, because I happen to like my planet.

On the other hand, I think science and nature will find a way through our current problems and we'll muddle on through each crises just like we've always done.

Anyway - I never had a clue how much shale oil there was until I read The NPR Story on it.

A study by the Rand Corporation estimates the sedimentary rock in the corner where Utah borders Colorado and Wyoming holds about 800 billion barrels. That's three times the size of Saudi Arabia's oil reserves....

Bhattacharya figures the company can produce oil for about $33 a barrel in the early days, and that, over time, production costs will fall to less than $20 a barrel.


Yes, environmental problems will need to be solved. And new ones will appear... for example, it's time we started paying attention to pollution from ships.


"Ships were perceived as a small source that could be neglected," says James Corbett, who studies emissions at the University of Delaware's Graduate College of Marine Studies. "We've been regulating cars for 30 to 35 years. Ships have not been significantly regulated to date."

Part of the reason that boat and ship pollution is getting more attention is that cars and trucks are getting cleaner. That means ships account for an ever-larger share of the air pollution around port cities. Environmental officials estimate that in 25 years, marine vessels will account for nearly double the percentage of the USA's smog-forming pollution.

3828. robertjayb - 5/25/2006 2:18:47 AM

What about those drybacks with their mowers and leaf blowers? I read that those small engines spit out a lot of bad stuff.

3829. robertjayb - 5/25/2006 2:26:47 AM

Wouldn't you know? The Swedes are on top of it...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- The air pollution from cutting grass for an hour with a gasoline powered lawn mower is about the same as that from a 100 mile automobile ride, according to a new study from Sweden. The report, which the authors say is the first to compare lawn mower pollution with auto mileage, recommends using catalytic converters on mowers.

3830. Ronski - 5/29/2006 4:43:45 PM

Do catalytic converters still get very hot, or did they solved that problem? In cars, they used to start fires if the vehicle was idling over some dry grass.

3831. Ronski - 5/29/2006 4:48:57 PM

Well, I googled and it seems they solved that by a new design in 1981 and by using unleaded gas. Figures, since I haven't heard of fires for a long time.

3832. Ronski - 5/29/2006 4:57:33 PM

We went to the Presby Iris Garden in Montclair, NJ, yesterday:

3833. Ronski - 5/29/2006 4:59:18 PM

3834. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:00:22 PM

3835. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:01:32 PM

3836. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:02:38 PM

3837. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:03:32 PM

3838. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:04:48 PM

3839. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:05:56 PM

3840. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:07:12 PM

3841. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:08:09 PM

3842. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:10:51 PM

3843. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:12:01 PM

3844. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:13:07 PM

3845. Ronski - 5/29/2006 5:14:00 PM

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