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[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
One thing I really can’t get my arms around is the Left’s siren call about how we need to conserve oil while developing alternative fuel sources. Those directives seem to work at cross purposes. I can only assume ignorance and fundamentalist-left wing thought underpins that illogic.

Isn’t the specter of running out of oil the greatest catalyst for production of alternative fuel sources? Doesn’t conserving it necessarily delay the market forces which would naturally cause the production of alternative sources? It seems to me that stretching smaller reserves for longer periods of time via conservation would simply raise oil prices for a longer periods, hurting consumers by creating an unnaturally extended period of insanely high oil prices. Wouldn’t it be better to advise people to keep consuming oil at their customary rate while at the same time developing alternative fuel sources? If we keep using oil at our customary rate, we won’t deplete reserves to a dangerously low level globally until the mid to end of the next century. Certainly, by then, we will have an alternative source developed. At a minimum, the electric car will be a standard item.

I think the “conserve” plank of the environmentalist message is knee-jerk reactionary nonsense. Its shrill fear that we’ll somehow all die or devolve into cannibalistic savages in some oil-hoarding post-Apocalyptic Mad Max world if we run out the world’s oil supply. But that’s not going to happen. As oil prices rise, entrepreneurs will develop smart new fuel sources and we’ll move on to another source of energy which we’ll deplete over a few centuries. But that's not going to happen if we keeping consserving oil. The market will respond short term by making more oil efficient vehicles, putting off what ultimately needs to be done - developing vehicles which use an energy source other than oil.

Next time a college sophomore starts telling you how we’re dooming ourselves with our oil dependence, ask him “What will happen when the oil actually begins to run out?” Ask him what the doomsday scenario will look like. And most importantly, ask him why he’s so sure nothing will come along and take oil’s place in the meantime. And ask him how conserving the resource he claims we need to stop using helps to force us to use other energy sources.

I’m fairly certain he’ll swicth gears at that point and you’ll be discussing The Strokes’ new record in no time (which is very good, BTW).

I still think that Brazil's model isn't something that should be discounted, no matter how much you love your SUV.