Gas Prices - give me a break!

[David Ilvedson, RPT]

I feel guilty that we, USA, use a large percentage of the world's resources.
What if the rest of the world consumed like we did?

David I.

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Goodale <rrg@nevada.edu>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 4:54 PM
Subject: Gas Prices - give me a break!


>So are we supposed to feel guilty because because of prosperity?  Will
paying
>high gas prices somehow make us feel better about ourselves?  Should we go
back
>to the stone age?  Will becoming a third world country somehow make the
planet
>a better place to live?  I'll take cheep gas in exchange for prosperity,
thank
>you.
>
>___________________________________________________________
>Sorry, I couldn't help it.  I have a low tolerance for junk science.
>___________________________________________________________
>
>Rob Goodale, RPT
>Las Vegas, NV
>
>
>
>
>
>Delwin D Fandrich wrote:
>
>> You are right, $1.49 per gallon of gasoline is cheap.  So is $1.58 per
>> gallon.
>>
>> The US pumps approximately 22% of the worldwide carbon dioxide
('greenhouse
>> gases') emissions into the atmosphere, in large part because of the
>> extremely low energy prices that we pay.  (At least in terms of the
direct
>> purchase price.  There is a much higher price down the road, but since it
is
>> not paid at the pump it tends to be overlooked.)
>>
>> There is no longer any serious debate as to whether or not these
emissions
>> are damaging the planet.  The debate is now simply one of determining how
>> extensive the damage will be and whether or not humanity can survive the
>> damage.
>>
>> The world of the near future will be quite different from the one we live
in
>> today.  It will be much warmer -- eleven of the hottest years in recorded
>> history have occurred since 1983.  The five hottest consecutive years in
>> history were 1991 to 1995.  1998 was the hottest year ever.  The planet
is
>> heating up at faster rate than any time in its history.
>>
>> If you don't think this is a serious problem, check with the insurance
>> industry.  During the 1980's insurance losses due to weather-related
>> damage -- droughts, floods, storm surges, sea level rise, etc. --
averaged
>> about $2 billion a year.  In 1998 alone the tab was $89 billion.  And
it's
>> going to get much worse.  Remember last year's record-setting drought in
the
>> mid-Atlantic states (six states were declared disaster areas).  The
heatwave
>> through the Midwest and northeastern U.S. cost 271 lives.  Hurricane
Floyd
>> alone resulted in over $1 billion worth of damage in North Carolina
alone.
>> And we got off easy.  A cyclone in India killed over 10,000 people.  The
>> mud-slides in Venezuela killed 15,000 people.  In December of last year
wind
>> storms through northern Europe resulted in over $4 billion of damage.
>>
>> And the list goes on.
>>
>> No, we don't pay nearly enough for the energy we use so wastefully.  Not
by
>> half.  But we're going to.
>>
>> Del
>
>