Carnegie Mellon's Lester Lave -- End Reliance on Foreign Oil

[HostingReviews1]

omg..

[marcbrands]

Lester you will be missed!

[thegreeensky]

nicely discussed though.. well said...

[agapitoflores001]

Go for atlernative renewable source of energy.

[soupcan7]

Sadly, far too much wisdom here for any notice to be taken by the average westerner.

[geilcourt]

Americans have been *more* than stupid over the last few decades in this respect. They reject fair taxation of fuel, ignoring the fact this waste will lead to the Middle East OWNING us (yes, WE are the ones who've financed the terrorists!).

Stupid? Of course... all you need to do is look around at all the fools who leave their lights on and engines running. The biggest contributors to terrorism in the USA are the selfish people who waste energy.

[mxstrand]

I've taken one of his classes - this guy is wicked smaaat.

[marcbrands]

Lester Lave is my biggest hero. He was my professor and is one of the smarted person I've ever met. He tells the truth!

[dpierce3]

Consumer choice on a break even chance to get rid of some income tax (in favor of a sin tax on gasoline) is the only way to sell this to we the gas-addicted American Public.

However previous comments are right - for 3 years every politician I present this to backs away as fast as possible

Spread the specifics as on my you tube discussion from this July...

[dpierce3]

Yes it must be grassroots and it must be break even for the Average American

$2000 rebate on income tax (minimum $500 for any filer)

$2 per gallon federal excise tax.

Walk to work - make $2000

Drive an average car 20000 miles break even

Drive a Hummer pay a few thousand

The consumer will decide and gasoline will no longer be squandered.

Diesel and jet fuel will be slightly cheaper and it is somewhat progressive as the wealthy have more gasoline toys.

[pegasus514]

this is just one of several ways in which to cut oil consumption. however, it must start with the public, as the politicians are in the pockets of the oil companies.  we need a grass roots movement. as the professor pointed out, we must voluntarily cut oil comsumption, we do not need more goverment intervention. forget the prius, get a bike. it would use NO gas & make everyone healthier.

[epcotfan23]

very insightful and right on-point

[selizaga]

I think the point that gas is still very cheap in the US is valid but I do not understand the math behind $7 per gallon or $400 per barrel of oil. Just because that is the price in Europe and Japan does not make it appropriate in the United States. The distances and transportation infrastructure of the US would not support these prices. It would actually destroy the economy.

[7h47guy]

What makes you think that we cannot change this. If WE, the people of the United States of America, decide to make a change it will happen and just to get this going I am sending this to my city mayor, the governor of WA and my local young democrats (mostly to get them to help me make this movement grow).

This is not the only area of change we can make. Invest 10 minutes and write your congressman or any other politician you care to every week.

[curiousjoe2007]

Will never works as long as Americans not giving up their SUV or 4x4 and other energy consumption habits. Better way is to shift begin buy oils only from neighbor countries, at the same time govt funding and push the technological revolution in this area to the limit.

[leafygirl]

It's up to 'we the people' to pressure the politicians to make these changes...that's the only way logical change will occur.