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oil producers taking advantage

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
when oil prices started going up we were led to believe this was due to unstable conditions in the producing countries and the wars - but now we hear on the news (BBC4 this morning) the oil producers basically said ooh lets cut production so the price goes up ! of course I'm yet to here of someone that couldn't get petrol because of less oil output but then who am I to argue with governments and oil companies

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Increasing production of oil wouldn't have much of an effect. The price of oil is likely to remain high for the foreseeable future regardless of what happened. In any case, many countries which are part of the OPEC cartel are already working at full capacity, and couldn't actually increase production if asked to do so.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No they're not. They've just voted to reduce oil production precisely because the price of oil has dropped dramatically in the last month or so. It's a cynical move to deliberately limit supply and keep the cost of oil high.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There are countries which could produce more, although in most cases it would mean greater investment.

    So a country would have to spend money to make less money per barrel than before hand, and people wonder why they want a high price?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I really can't wait until we have pushed enough money and time into developing better sources of energy, ending our reliance on a foreign cartel which is able to effectively hold ours to ransom economically, can only be a good thing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    there are a number of alternatives but no one wants to invest in it I know we don't get much sun here but hey if every supermarket roof, factory roof, carpark roof, shopping centre roof was covered in solar panels we would have some advantage, supermarkets (yea the ones that rekon they want to be green - tall story if eva I eard one) would be able to run autonomously like many factorys and ALL warehouses if not have some power to spare
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    there are a number of alternatives but no one wants to invest in it I know we don't get much sun here but hey if every supermarket roof, factory roof, carpark roof, shopping centre roof was covered in solar panels we would have some advantage, supermarkets (yea the ones that rekon they want to be green - tall story if eva I eard one) would be able to run autonomously like many factorys and ALL warehouses if not have some power to spare

    Solar cells are expensive to make and involve really nasty chemicals. If we are going to use solar we should get North Africa to invest (or invest ourselves) in solar furnances which are a lot simpler, cheaper and safer to build.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Why don't you ask the Queen for help?

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9504EEDD1239F93BA35751C1A962958260

    The estimated oil under Windsor Castle was valued at $1.5 Billion in 1994 - imagine today's price .. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    there are a number of alternatives but no one wants to invest in it I know we don't get much sun here but hey if every supermarket roof, factory roof, carpark roof, shopping centre roof was covered in solar panels we would have some advantage, supermarkets (yea the ones that rekon they want to be green - tall story if eva I eard one) would be able to run autonomously like many factorys and ALL warehouses if not have some power to spare

    The UK is probably the windiest country in Europe.

    Try wind or tidal
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    The UK is probably the windiest country in Europe.

    Try wind or tidal

    Wind should be part of the picture, but given its unreliability it also needs to go hand in hand with other forms.

    We should replace two nuclear and push on with the Seven tidal barrier as well as on shore and off shore wind farms.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Tidal really is the way to go. Tidal generators along our shore line and in our large rivers would provide Britain with limitless, reliable energy.

    A tidal barrage system across the Severn Estuary for instance would be capable of producing between 8640 and 15000 mega watts of electricity from one barrage and after the initial cost requires very little money to keep it going, building more than one barrage up the length of the river would provide huge amounts of energy.

    A nuclear plant by comparison generates approx 2,000 Mw, and sucks up cash in maintenance.
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