[Rhodes22-list] Good News - Gas Prices Falling

[Tootle]

Brad:

Explain to the rest of us, " I build another house I'm going to take a
serious look at concrete floors and a green roof."  Do you mean poured
concrete from a mixer truck and a thached roof?

Ed K
Greenville, SC, USA



Brad Haslett-2 wrote:
> 
> Saroj,
> 
> GM has an Opel Astra diesel-electric hybrid that is supposed to appear in
> Europe in 07. The expected price increase is about $8000 so the breakeven
> point is a bit high. Volkswagon and Toyoto have both built prototypes but
> no
> info on when or if they will come to market.
> 
> I still favor concrete over SIP's but you're on the right path with SIP's
> and geothermal.  My favorite SIP is from a manufacturer in Florida that
> uses
> concrete board on both sides instead of OSB board.  SIP building lends a
> lot
> of flexibility to style but the biggest drawback is finding subcontractors
> who know how to work with them.
> 
> We've had our bamboo floors down for about a year now with no problems.
> Take a look at bamboo if you haven't already. I wanted to do a stained
> concrete floor in our addition but my builder gave me one of those 'RCA
> dog'
> looks so we didn't do it.  If I build another house I'm going to take a
> serious look at concrete floors and a green roof.
> 
> Good luck,
> 
> Brad
> 
> 
> On 9/15/06, Saroj Gilbert <saroj at pathfind.net> wrote:
>>
>> I've heard the deisel - electric cars are available in Europe now.. so
>> maybe
>> not so far away.
>>
>> I am planning on geothermal which should certainly help with the
>> cooling...
>> as it turns out I have to dig a well on this property even though it is
>> fairly Urban... a very old and small neighborhood where most have wells
>> already so no impetus to provide city water.  which is just fine with me.
>> The well drilling company I plan to use already has experience drilling
>> the
>> geothermal holes as well... so one-stop shopping.
>>
>> Also already planning on the SIP approach... trying to blend the
>> energy-efficiency with some interesting architecture aside from the
>> typical
>> Colonial or brick ranch that is common in this area.  Thought seriously
>> about doing a dome, but decided against it for this area for
>> asset-protection reasons.
>>
>> Thanks for the good info!
>>
>> Saroj
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 1:01 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Good News - Gas Prices Falling
>>
>>
>> Bill & Saroj,
>>
>> Bill, the Jetta will work for me.  I've owned a couple of early 80's
>> diesel
>> Rabbits and a diesel Audi 4000 (same drive train) The Rabbit hatchback is
>> coming back but I prefer a sedan.  I flew GDL, Mexico all last month
>> where
>> the Jetta is built.  They just settled their strike and hopefully the
>> quality will be good.
>>
>> Saroj, diesel-hybrids are off the shelf technology and my company did a
>> joint-venture with Eaton to produce diesel-hybrid delivery trucks.  Duh!
>> Think trains and WW2 submarines.  You should expect 80mpg+ when they come
>> but when will that be?  I'll move earlier and go with a straight diesel
>> and
>> hope for rapeseed biodiesel.  The only way to go with the home is
>> insulated
>> concrete forms and geo-thermal radiant heating.  Cooling is another
>> issue.
>> A nuke powerplant running A/C is the ticket.  You have no control where
>> your
>> electrons come from but they probably come from coal.
>>
>> Didn't we have this same discussion in the 70's?
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>
>> On 9/15/06, Saroj Gilbert <saroj at pathfind.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > I hear you on that... as for me... I'm looking to diesel hybrid for my
>> > next
>> > car... and currently doing intensive research on how to make my new
>> house
>> > (yet to be built) use as little non-renewable energy as possible...
>> quite
>> > an
>> > interesting exploration for me... refreshing information that I hadn't
>> > read
>> > too much about since I subscribed to Mother Earth News in the
>> > 70's.  Heating
>> > shouldn't be a problem but dealing with the hot, humid summers will be
>> > challenging.
>> >
>> > Its hard to balance the economics on electricity usage in this area
>> (S.E
>> .
>> > VA) since it is so very low... 6 cents a KW if I remember correctly;
>> > however
>> > I feel strongly about it and will do whatever I can... luckily I work
>> out
>> > of
>> > my home and the new house will be so close to a lot of services that I
>> > should be able to ride the bike a lot of places.
>> >
>> > Saroj
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> > To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> > Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 11:54 AM
>> > Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Good News - Gas Prices Falling
>> >
>> >
>> > Saroj,
>> >
>> > Maybe, I don't agree with all the premises of the article but
>> everything
>> > does line up for a fall, just not as far as the author suggested.  The
>> > unfortunate repercussion is that it will encourage us to go back to our
>> > foolish ways.  Peak Oil is coming!  The folks who have the most oil are
>> > still the same folks who hate us the most.  The two fastest growing oil
>> > consuming nations, China and India, aren't slowing down. China doesn't
>> > give
>> > a shit about anything but China, and they're cutting deals everywhere
>> for
>> > every commodity.  I can't make my jet or our equipment burn less fuel,
>> but
>> > my next car *will *get 50mpg+.  Hopefully it won't smell like shrimp.
>> >
>> > Brad
>> >
>> >
>> > On 9/15/06, Saroj Gilbert <saroj at pathfind.net> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > That would be good news...
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > From: "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com>
>> > > To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> > > Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 9:23 AM
>> > > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Good News - Gas Prices Falling
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/>
>> > >
>> > > Thursday, September 14, 2006 - 12:00 AM
>> > >
>> > > *.*
>> > >
>> > > **
>> > > *
>> > > **Analyst predicts plunge in gas prices*
>> > >
>> > > *By Kevin G. Hall*
>> > > *McClatchy Newspapers*
>> > >
>> > > WASHINGTON — The recent sharp drop in the global price of crude oil
>> > could
>> > > mark the start of a massive sell-off that returns gasoline prices to
>> > lows
>> > > not seen since the late 1990s — perhaps as low as $1.15 a gallon.
>> > >
>> > > "All the hurricane flags are flying" in oil markets, said Philip
>> > Verleger,
>> > > a
>> > > noted energy consultant who was a lone voice several years ago in
>> > warning
>> > > that oil prices would soar. Now, he says, they appear to be poised
>> for
>> a
>> > > dramatic plunge.
>> > >
>> > > Crude-oil prices have fallen about $14, or roughly 17 percent, from
>> > their
>> > > July 14 peak of $78.40. After falling seven straight days, they rose
>> > > slightly Wednesday in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, to
>> > > $63.97, partly in reaction to a government report showing fuel
>> > inventories
>> > > a
>> > > bit lower than expected. But the overall price drop is expected to
>> > > continue,
>> > > and prices could fall much more in the weeks and months ahead.
>> > >
>> > > Here's why:
>> > >
>> > > For most of the past two years, oil prices have risen because the
>> > world's
>> > > oil producers have struggled to keep pace with growing demand,
>> > > particularly
>> > > from China and India. Spare oil-production capacity grew so tight
>> that
>> > > market players feared that any disruption to oil production could
>> create
>> > > shortages.
>> > >
>> > > Fear of disruption focused on fighting in Nigeria, escalating
>> tensions
>> > > over
>> > > Iran's nuclear program, violence between Israel and Lebanon that
>> might
>> > > spread to oil-producing neighbors, and the prospect that hurricanes
>> > might
>> > > topple oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
>> > >
>> > > Oil traders bet that such worrisome developments would drive up the
>> > future
>> > > price of oil. Oil is traded in contracts for future delivery, and
>> > > companies
>> > > that take physical delivery of oil are just a small part of total
>> > trading.
>> > > Large pension and commodities funds are the big traders and they're
>> > > seeking
>> > > profits. They've sunk $105 billion or more into oil futures in recent
>> > > years,
>> > > according to Verleger. Their bets that oil prices would rise in the
>> > future
>> > > bid up the price of oil.
>> > >
>> > > That, in turn, led users of oil to create stockpiles as cushions
>> against
>> > > supply disruptions and even higher future prices. Now inventories of
>> oil
>> > > are
>> > > approaching 1990 levels.
>> > >
>> > > But many of the conditions that drove investors to bid up oil prices
>> are
>> > > ebbing. Tensions over Israel, Lebanon and Nigeria are easing. The
>> > > hurricane
>> > > season has presented no threat so far to the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S.
>> > peak
>> > > summer driving season is over, so gasoline demand is falling.
>> > >
>> > > With fear of supply disruptions ebbing, oil prices began sliding.
>> With
>> > oil
>> > > inventories high, refiners that turn oil into gasoline are expected
>> to
>> > cut
>> > > production. As refiners cut production, oil companies increasingly
>> risk
>> > > getting stuck with excess oil supplies. There's already anecdotal
>> > evidence
>> > > of oil companies chartering tankers to store excess oil.
>> > >
>> > > All this is turning financial markets increasingly bearish on oil.
>> > >
>> > > "If we continue to build inventories, and if we have a warm winter
>> like
>> > we
>> > > had last winter, you could see a large fall in the price of oil,"
>> said
>> > > Gary
>> > > Pokoik, who manages Hedge Ventures Energy in Los Angeles, an energy
>> > hedge
>> > > fund. "I think there is still a lot of risk in the market."
>> > >
>> > > As it stands now, the recent oil-price slump has brought the national
>> > > average for a gallon of unleaded gasoline down to $2.59, according to
>> > the
>> > > AAA motor club. In the Seattle area, prices per gallon have fallen to
>> > > $2.856
>> > > currently from $3.071 a month ago, a decline of 7 percent, according
>> to
>> > > AAA.
>> > >
>> > > Should oil traders fear that this downward price spiral will get
>> worse
>> > and
>> > > run for the exits by selling off their futures contracts, Verleger
>> said,
>> > > it's not unthinkable that oil prices could return to $15 or less a
>> > barrel,
>> > > at least temporarily. That could mean gasoline prices as low as $1.15
>> > per
>> > > gallon.
>> > >
>> > > Other experts won't guess at a floor price, but they agree that a
>> race
>> > to
>> > > the bottom could break out.
>> > >
>> > > "The market may test levels here that are too low to be sustained,"
>> said
>> > > Clay Seigle, an analyst at Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a
>> > > consultancy in Boston.
>> > >
>> > > On Monday, the oil-producing cartel OPEC hinted that if prices fall
>> > > precipitously, OPEC members would cut production to lift them. But
>> that
>> > > would take time.
>> > >
>> > > "That takes six to nine months. If we don't have a really cold winter
>> > here
>> > > [creating a demand for oil], prices will fall. Literally, you don't
>> know
>> > > where the floor is," Verleger said. "In a market like this, if things
>> > > start
>> > > falling ... prices could take you back to the 1999 levels. It has
>> > nothing
>> > > to
>> > > do with production."
>> > >
>> > > <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/general/copyright.html>
>> > > __________________________________________________
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