[Rhodes22-list] Good News - Gas Prices Falling

[Slim]

What's SIP?

On 9/15/06 7:41 PM, "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com> 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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