gas

Jimmy Carter in his Famous Cardigan Sweater

At least that is what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says, and they might have a bias. However they do point out that:

He was right in seeking to raise the fleet auto mileage standard to 48 miles per gallon by 1995. (Even U.S. automakers admitted at the time that they could easily achieve 30 mpg by 1985.) Carter was right in exhorting Americans to turn down their thermostats, even if he did look nerdy in a cardigan while urging us to do so. He was right to encourage fuel conservation by proposing a 50-cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline and a fee on imported oil —- in effect, a floor for fuel prices....

Beijing is "trying it's best to improve the environment" for the Olympics, largely by shutting down factories. But to really improve the environment in Beijing in the long term the government will need to focus on a much smaller but more prevalent carbon and particulate emitter: the car.
In the past, the city hasn't shown much interest in lowering the subsidy on gasoline or limiting cars, which, in a typically Chinese conflict of interest, are largely produced by state-owned companies. But last month, in a reflection o...

"Americans have seen the current oil crisis coming for 30 years. But analysts say chances to head it off were ignored, missed or blocked." - that is the subhead that says it all. Nelson Schwartz writes a long and thorough article in the New York Times about how we got into this mess, and how this may be "a fundamental repricing of the commodity responsible for much of modern American life, the impact of that change will affect everyone from home builders and homeowners in exurbs to corporate leaders, landlords and commuters in cities."

Unfortunately, the vision and action to fix things still seems lacking; for example, Newt Gingrich, who fought efforts to tighten fuel...

Why Fly When You Can Float? It has been more than 70 years since the giant Hindenburg zeppelin exploded in a spectacular fireball over Lakehurst, N.J., killing 36 crew members and passengers, abruptly ending an earlier age of airships. But because of new materials and sophisticated means of propulsion, a diverse cast of entrepreneurs is taking another look at the behemoths of the air. ::New York Times

See also Zeppelins are Back, Too

Image Credit: Peter Wynn Thompson for The New York Times

A Rite of Passage--Going, or Gone?
It's as American as apple pie--teenagers "driving around in a big loop, listening to music, waving at one another and wasting gasoline." It's called cruising, but unfortunately the high cost of gas, combined with a tough economy, has made this rite of passage too expensive for most teens and their parents. As a result, America's youth are being forced to seek out other forms of entertainment, such as "hanging out in parking lots, malls o...

From the lead editorial in today's New York Times:

Senators John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton have hit on a new way to pander to American voters: a temporary suspension of the federal gasoline tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The proposal may draw applause and votes from Americans feeling the pain of nearly $4-a-gallon gasoline. But it is an expensive and environmentally unsound policy that would do nothing to help American drivers. ::New York Times...

Time to buy a bike: Gasoline prices in North America will soar over the next four years to $7.00, causing a massive jolt to the continent's manufacturing base not seen since the oil shocks of the 1970s, a leading economist is warning. Jeff Rubin of CIBC World Markets was laughed at three years ago when he predicted $ 100 per barrel oil, and now thinks it will climb to $225 in four years. (Houston Chronicle quotes him as saying gas will cost $10 per gallon) From the National Post:

"Stripping out natural gas liquids, oil production has not grown for over two years, which certainly goes a long way to explaining why oil prices have doubled over that period," Rubin said. "It is increasingly...

Click Here for PollOnline Surveys | Web Polls | Email MarketingView MicroPoll...

Chavez opening gas pipeline

Here is one way to get elected president: give away gas. Hey, it works for Hugo Chavez, why not John McCain? When some suggest that perhaps subsidized gas distorts the entire system and discourages conservation, and others worry about the nation's failing infrastructure, Mr. McCain of the Party of Free Markets wants to s