Gas Prices - give me a break!

[Kevin E. Ramsey RPT]

Greenhouse gases lead to greater crop yields, that's about it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Goodale" <rrg@nevada.edu>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: 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
>