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*waits for apology*
Suck it Pix:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13511_3-9896808-22.html
March 18, 2008 9:46 AM PDT
Oil consumption peaks for world's No. 3 consumer
Posted by John Addison 5 commentsShare
Digg Del.icio.us Reddit Facebook Email Print "Only the USA and China consume more oil than California," observes Jim Boyd, vice chairman of the California Energy Commission. With oil prices soaring, California must reduce its dependency on oil to sustain prosperity and achieve energy security.
As 38 million Californians deploy a range of solutions to reducing oil usage, the world will learn valuable lessons. In 2006, California consumption of gasoline peaked, even though population continues on the path of doubling over a 30 year period.
In California, more people are driving fewer miles; importantly, fewer solo miles. More efficient vehicles are being used, often benefiting from hybrid-electric drive systems. As an alternative to oil, there is a growing use of biofuel, natural gas, hydrogen, and renewable electricity.
Solutions to the state's, the nation's, and world's transportation needs were presented at the WestStart-CALSTART Clean Heavy Vehicle Conference 2008.
Many of the solutions were discussed by managers of large fleets. These people can save millions with improvements that passenger vehicle drivers often ignore, such as low-rolling resistance tires. Fleet managers can also install the infrastructure for their fleets; such as fast-charge stations, hydrogen fueling, and specific biofuel blends.
Fleets often pilot new technology years prior to commercialization. Large prototypes are later miniaturized for passenger vehicles. All successful fleets continually improve efficiency. In the transportation lifecycle, 80 percent of all energy is lost, estimates Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.
John Boesel, President of WestStart-CALSTART, observed that linked trips, public transit, hybrids, and improved mileage vehicles are all factors in peak oil demand in California. Boesel is in a good position to observe future transportation trends. His organization facilitates bringing together fleet managers, vehicle and fuel producers, researchers, and top government officials.
Boesel discussed a number of reasons to be optimistic when we talked over lunch. Investment in clean tech and clean transportation is exploding. New lightweight materials are allowing vehicles to travel further with less fuel. There is ongoing innovation in materials. Hybrid-electric drive systems allow heavy mechanical components to be replaced with lighter ones. Engines are being made more efficient. Heavy vehicles that formerly burned fuel during the 40 percent of the time that they idle, now idle off. Major corporations and venture capital backed start-ups are creating next-generation biofuels and synthetic fuels.
WestStart-CALSTART encourages public policy makers to set performance standards and not attempt to pick technology winners. Government is also critical in early funding of new fuels and efficient vehicles. "There are many paths to the future," noted Boesel.
Biofuels will play a major role in reducing California's oil dependency. By law, California AB 2076 requires 20 percent alternative fuels use in 2020 and 30 percent alternative fuels use in 2030. The bulk of alt fuels are likely to be biofuel. By law, 40 percent of that biofuel must be produced in California by 2020 and 75 percent by 2050. This creates a challenge and an opportunity. California is the nation's leading agricultural state. Droughts and reduced snow ac ulation are creating water scarcity for farmers. Corn ethanol and soy biodiesel generate tremendous greenhouse gases in their lifecycle of production and consumption.
New low-carbon fuels are being developed including next-generation biofuels. In pilot production, gasoline and diesel are being made from synthetic fuels.
To keep California's $1.5 trillion annual economy from running out of gas, the state is investing $200 million per year in clean transportation for the next 7.5 years. AB118 is the law that makes this possible. It was sponsored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The money is funded with vehicle fees.
CEC will fund $120 million per year for the commercialization of alternative fuels and efficient vehicle technologies. The California Air Resources Board will fund $80 million per year for enhanced fleet modernization and an air quality improvement program.
All these initiatives promise to create millions of jobs for a state that continues to grow. Despite a state budget crisis, no one is trying to remove AB118's $200 million annual investment in the future.
With intermodal transportation solutions, integrated freight movement, light materials, hybrid-electric drive systems, efficient vehicles, and new fuels, California is leading the way to control its own destiny without being dependent on foreign oil.
John Addison publishes the Clean Fleet Report.
*waits for apology*
apologize for what? I never challenged your claim that we consume a lot of oil, just your re ed assumption that we all fly around in private jets and about global warming. We have all types here - rich, poor, smart, dumb, hippies, rednecks, Democrats, Republicans...you name it, some part of California has it. The part of California I live is so rural and Republican, it might as well be Kansas with nicer weather.
I love it when people hate on California. It serves to remind me why I don't miss living in Texas, New Mexico or Florida.
I'd move to cali if it weren't so expensive and full of the ultra libs.
If I could hack it over there for 20 years... I could go from a 500k cali shack to a 500k mansion on the texas bay though
Full of ultra-libs? Really? With a recent governing history of Pete Wilson, the recall of Gray Davis, and the Govuhnatuh? Not all of the state is San Francisco.
Sadly.
There are definitely large pockets of hippies, but I've lived all over this state and we've got more than our share of rural redneck extremists. , there's active klan five minutes up the road from me, despite the fact that I live in a city known for its liberal leanings.
From the US Department of Energy -
U.S. Department of Energy
Also, isn't that entire article you cite discussing the fact that California is leading the way in reducing our dependence on oil....?
How does that support your assertion that the people of California are hypocrites...?
Because Leonardo DiCaprio, that's why!
/Thread
Asshats 1 and 2, what part of:
Don't you get?"Only the USA and China consume more oil than California," observes Jim Boyd, vice chairman of the California Energy Commission.
For saying I was making up.
I never made that claim...you're just an asshat.I never challenged your claim that we consume a lot of oil, just your re ed assumption that we all fly around in private jets and about global warming.
We have all types here - rich, poor, smart, dumb, hippies, rednecks, Democrats, Republicans...you name it, some part of California has it. The part of California I live is so rural and Republican, it might as well be Kansas with nicer weather.
I challenge you to find me one Cali Liberal who owns a private jet that doesn't about global warming...
In order to make this forum more 'work friendly' please refrain from putting obscenities in your post les...
I said I wouldn't be suprised what you said is true, that's not the same as saying you made it up, although your cred in this particular area is pretty ty.
and as for this...
...I don't know anyone here who owns a private jet because...well...because most people here in California don't own private jets. I don't know where you get the idea that everyone in California is a liberal elite jetsetter, but take from someone who actually lives here, this isn't the case.
Pixel Pusher...
IF you got that I was saying everyone in California owned a private jet from that statement...it's because you're an idiot with no common sense.
California has 36+ million people, which is by far the largest population of any state in the USA. Any statement that starts with something like "the typical Californian..." or "People in California always...." is simply ridiculous. Their population runs a much wider than average spectrum, from millionaires in Hollywood with private jets to hippies in S.F. who use vegetable oil in old diesel cars to engineers who are working on viable alternative energy sources to athletes who drive 8 mpg Hummers... I would say there are more people there wasting oil than in most states and more people obsessed with conservation than in most states. There's more of everything there than in most states. The argument being used in this anti-California thread is exactly the same argument that most Europeans, Asians, South Americans, Russians, Africans, and Middle Easterners use when pointing out that the US uses far more oil than any other country on the planet. Do you think that any of them also have a good point?
BFD..I am talking about the loudmouthed mother ing Hollywood alarmists that are the face of your state. How hard is this to figure out?
No...obviously, the only things there's more of in California is talking.
... I would say there are more people there wasting oil than in most states and more people obsessed with conservation than in most states. There's more of everything there than in most states.
The argument being used in this anti-California@ you acting like it happens enough to deserve a label.
thread is exactly the same argument that most Europeans, Asians, South Americans, Russians, Africans, and Middle Easterners use when pointing out that the US uses far more oil than any other country on the planet. Do you think that any of them also have a good point?
Yeah...they do have a point and I've never said they didn't...difference is, the rest of American isn't whining and ing about it while simultaneously being the biggest part of the problem.
I don't live in California, and never have. I don't know why you would assume that. I wasn't defending my home state, I was pointing out problems with your argument.
I still don't see why you find it newsworthy that the state with the most people also uses the most oil, even though per capita, states like Texas use much more.
Perhaps whottt's dumbest thread to date. Maybe it is his casually ignoring the fact that California is the most populated state in the country. Maybe it is his casually ignoring the fact that California is our leading contributor to GDP. Maybe it is his casually ignoring that citizens of California don't personally chose where their oil is imported from (might it be the oil companies located there? I wonder...). Maybe it is just that whottt is an asshat who knows how to get people riled up.
Or maybe it's just whottt heard something on CNN...
You don't ing get it...Scott. It's not that about the size of their population, it's not about their GDP...it's about the amount of hysterical ing and fingerpointing they do about the envionment. It's really not that hard to understand.
The people in the most populated state in the country use oil? You don't say! They complain about oil usage? Interesting, what a bunch of hypocrites! They use less per person than almost every other state in the country? Hmmmm... errrr... HYPOCRITES, YEAH!
There, do I get it now?
No...you aren't even close. I suggest pulling your head out and re-reading the thread. Start with the first post.
I don't speak, read or write in moron which fortunately prevents me from reading 90% of your posts. I guess I'll just have to never "get" whatever stupid point you are trying to make. I'm sure it will make fantastic blog fodder for someone though.
And you think that's a sign of intelligence?
Sucks to be you.I guess I'll just have to never "get" whatever stupid point you are trying to make.
I give aI'm sure it will make fantastic blog fodder for someone though.
Will you at least admit it was wrong of you to assume I lived in Cali just because I didn't agree with your opinion? That's the problem with having an ax to grind as opposed to actually being interested in dialogue-- it makes people ignore anything to win the fight, rather than simply admitting they'd jumped to an incorrect conclusion.
To ask whottt to do that, is to ask whottt to renounce the very core of his SpursTalk message board iden y.
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