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POPSOil: $60/bbl. by next year (?) I agree that the oil market has been driven by speculation. I'd _love_ to see $60/bbl. if only to screw the world's oil-dictators. But should it go that low again? The best way to screw the world's oil-dictators is to find a successful alternative energy source and $60/bbl. oil will only dampen demand for alternatives. BTW, such wild price swings are a typical feature of an item whose supply is dwindling.
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POPSGrasslands as Alternative Energy Alternative energy can be made from grasslands with yields up to 238% higher than using farmed biofuels (e.g. corn). Grasslands are "carbon negative" meaning that, considering the full cycle of growth and burning, they remove carbon dioxide form the atmosphere. Lastly grasslands can be grown on marginal and degraded lands and thus do not need to displace food production.
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POPSChina's Environmental Blame Game The rapidly approaching Olympic Games have brought an unwelcome spotlight on China’s environmental situation.Beijingwon its Olympics bid with the promise of the world’s first “green” games. Five years later, there is no talk of a green Olympics, only of how extensive a shutdown of industry and transportation will be needed in Beijing and surrounding provinces just to ensure that the athletes can breathe.
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POPSElectric Cars: Is there enough power to power? If all the cars and light trucks in the nation switched from oil to electrons, idle capacity in the existing electric power system could generate most of the electricity consumed by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. A new study for the Department of Energy finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country's 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electrics. Yes there is enough power to power electric cars (at least in the East and Midwest).