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12-12-2014, 05:54 AM | #1 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Energy
Oil prices keep plummeting as OPEC starts a price war with the US
Seems Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Venezuela will suffer most. What the huge drop in gasoline prices means for America Bigger cars, with little cars a hybrids looking to expensive? Leaky gas wells — not fracking itself — are polluting water in Pennsylvania and Texas It seems faulty cementing of wells has raised it's ugly head again.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
12-12-2014, 07:22 AM | #2 |
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
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We have an old house with an old inefficient gas boiler. Every year as it gets cold I think about spending several grand to upgrade to a more energy efficient model. But the low natural gas prices are making the decision for me. At least for now. We can turn up the heat to be a little more comfortable without actually spending more.
I'm a little torn. I want to reduce my carbon footprint, but there are some economic realities. And one of them is you don't spend $10k if you don't have to. |
12-13-2014, 01:05 AM | #3 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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The people on Cape Cod, MA got a surprise. There's been a lot of talk about fracking giving us plentiful, cheap, natural gas for the next hundred years. So a lot of people who have to make a choice when building, remodeling, or replacing clapped out equipment, are choosing gas.
On the Cape, like most places, to build or change they get a permit from the town and submit a request to the gas supplier. As soon as the permit is issued the work begins and in about a month the request to the gas supplier is routinely approved. Until this past October. Suddenly every request was shot down, and the gas people announced a plan to divide the Cape into three zones, yes, no, and maybe. They decided to reduce the pressure in the mains for safety until they can be replaced which will take until 2019. By creating a shortage while demand is increasing, it's much easier to slide in rate increases to pay for all this new infrastructure. 'Hey, gas went up 20% but I'm just glad I can get it at all.' One guy in the paper was saying his company, which installs gas powered emergency power systems, employs five full time and four part time electricians. He's going to be put out of business as he has a franchised area so he can't just go elsewhere. I'm pretty sure there will be other tales from other areas, of curiouser and curiouser happenings.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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