Comments on: And you thought that petrol was expensive http://bigpictureblog.com/and-you-thought-that-petrol-was-expensive.html For a Big World you need a Big Picture Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:17:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ben Kunz http://bigpictureblog.com/and-you-thought-that-petrol-was-expensive.html/comment-page-1#comment-114 Ben Kunz Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:47:37 +0000 http://bigpictureblog.com/and-you-thought-that-petrol-was-expensive.html#comment-114 Um. Two mistakes. Hey, it's still early. Um. Two mistakes. Hey, it’s still early.

]]> By: Ben Kunz http://bigpictureblog.com/and-you-thought-that-petrol-was-expensive.html/comment-page-1#comment-113 Ben Kunz Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:46:54 +0000 http://bigpictureblog.com/and-you-thought-that-petrol-was-expensive.html#comment-113 You are right. People make two mistakes, following a trend line too far, or not paying attention the trend line. Petro (gasoline) has been unusually cheap for the past 20 years in the U.S., when adjusted for inflation. You could say the current spike is a natural return to what energy should cost us. If the trend continues, and a casual read of "peak oil" on Google suggests it will, much more than auto usage will change -- big box stores and suburbs may go the way of the dinosaur. I so hope that someone starts a moon-launch-type initiative to build real new energy systems (hydrogen? solar power beamed from space?) but for now we Americans will just complain at the pump. It's too far to bike to work. You are right. People make two mistakes, following a trend line too far, or not paying attention the trend line.

Petro (gasoline) has been unusually cheap for the past 20 years in the U.S., when adjusted for inflation. You could say the current spike is a natural return to what energy should cost us. If the trend continues, and a casual read of “peak oil” on Google suggests it will, much more than auto usage will change — big box stores and suburbs may go the way of the dinosaur.

I so hope that someone starts a moon-launch-type initiative to build real new energy systems (hydrogen? solar power beamed from space?) but for now we Americans will just complain at the pump. It’s too far to bike to work.

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