Mr. Tasich's Global Issues Forum

When will the battle begin again?

I guess we just came to an impasse (neither of us were going to budge) on the topics we discussed.  If someone's got a new one, I'm all for it!  

Any suggestions?

-Mr. Dobbie

Ditto!

hey lets start this up again Mr.D and Mr.T. Lets make the topic something good. Like oil or bird flu or something important like that. Nuclear power in the middle east anybody??? I wanna see a war of the words again.

Mr. Dobbie will have the pleasure of hosting the next one. But he like me, is probably busy and does not the have time and energy to do it. But there is time.

I'd certainly be glad to host the next debate...Here's my stances on Billy's issues, if one of them strikes a nerve, we'll take it outside (or at least to my site)

-Oil.  I love oil.  It gets made into gas that makes my cars run.  Its getting pricey now.  While I'd rather see it cheaper, expensive oil is the ONLY way that a new, better, cleaner, cheaper fuel will be developed on a wide scale.  So, for any that scream for lower oil prices, they must really not want alternatives to oil to get a chance.

-Bird Flu.  I love birds.  But, not when they've got the flu.  For now, fortunately, the scariest thing about Bird Flu is the media's reporting of it.  A similar phenomenon happened a couple years a go with SARS....the world was supposed to come to a screeching halt as millions contracted this disease.  In reality, the worst that happened was a few people canceled their trips to Toronto.  Notice that Bird Flu really only crashes into the news when there's nothing else really big or newsworthy going on.  Then, its paranoia city.  With that said, I might actually watch some of the paranoia tomorrow with that Bird Flu movie.

Nuclear Power in the Middle East.  I love nuclear power!  But not in the hands of Iranians.  Its odd that a nation with one of the largest reserves of oil in the world feels a need to develop nuclear capabilities.  They claim its for peaceful-energy purposes.  I don't buy that.  Plus, they're planning on "sharing" their nuclear know-how with other nations like Sudan....not a good idea.

Should we run with any of these?

I like the oil one. I guess I have to be the rational side of the argument...again:)

Wow.....that didnt go as planned.

I like the topic, I disagree with the increase in oil strongly.  Its not even helping the environment or even our country.  In fact, it is hurting both.
The increase is causing many debates, which we shouldnt have, we should have more of a protest for new forms of fuel instead of against the old fuel.
The problem is that the gas statioins must be able to have these fuels, which is almost like giving away money, just to help the environment.  
I am not saying I wouldnt help, I am just suggesting that they may not be interested in a drastic decrease in money any time soon.

                                -MaX-

Gouging. Thats what is going on. Raising prices to change people's minds on oil is not right. If there is going to be a change then do it, not raise prices to change habits/tastes. The government must step in and mandate ethanol 85 in all gas stations not provide tax incentives to those who "volunteer" like Michigan. Schools, businesses, and people are suffering. I do not love oil. I want change. The American people have every right to protest artificially high gas prices. It will take time to change over to ethanol, this does not give the oil companies the right to inflate their prices while the change (which has not begun around here as in other parts of the country) to ethanol. Its just plain wrong.

Mr. T.  Isn't it true that higher oil prices create more incentive for investments in alternative fuels?  Exxon, BP, or Citgo do not have complete control of the price of crude.  That's a price is based on world supply and world demand.  The higher that price goes, the more investement there will be in alternative fuels.  If oil-based gas were to remain at a low price-say around $1.50 a gallon, there would be no reason for businesses to invest in alternatives.  It is the high costs of crude that will drive companies to turn to oil alternatives.

It would be nice if we could convince everyone in the world to use the most environmentally friendly fuel in their cars, but the reality is that people will fuel their cars with the cheapest fuel available.  Right now, that's gasoline.  When that changes, the public will change as well.  

Hey Mr.T was wrong with ummmm hybrid cars?
Electricity we seem to use in everyday life and cutting down on gas will help a lot. We have been dependant on oil for years it's going to be hard to just change like this. Ethanol.....isn't that corn stuff? Won't that make a shortage of corn or whatever ethanol is made of? What ever we come to we will just end of running out of it in another 30-40 years.







                     

To answer both Billy and Mr. D...

I do not expect conversion to ethanol over night Billy. This will take time. The problem is no one is rushing to do it. Your teacher believes that $3 a gallon for gas is cheap and so people will not change their habits. I beg to differ...but this argument will take place on Mr. Dobbie's site, right? And Billy...do not worry about the corn. Brazil has 50% of their ethanol from sugar cane! The US overproduces corn so we will be just fine:)

Okay Mr.T and Mr.D.


Can we talk about immigrants???


Amnesty stinks.

Find the continuation of this at www.visitmyclass.com/blogs/wdobbie

Billy, oil is a non renewable resouyrce, this basiccally means that it doesnt replace itself like plants, flowers, trees,CORN, and other vegetation.  Although corn may be hard to grow, we pretty much have a never ending supply.
Same goes for sugar cane too, they both will always be here.

Comment back on Mr. D's site..

                             -MaX-

I think we shouldn't worry about saving oil cause im counting on some major breakthroughs in science and everything so that we could use something else besides ethonal and gasoline to fuel cars. Maybe garbage like in Back to the Future 2. Ethonal isn't a bad idea, but I think it will take way too much time to switch from gasoline to ethanol. Besides, I like the garbage idea better.

Check out the discussion on Mr. D's site for my thoughts and rants:)