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So how many western States do we have to pave-over with solar panels to crack water to fuel ~220 million hydrogen cars? 5? 10?

One reference I saw, sorry I didn't find a link, said that 10% of the land of Nevada or Utah developed as a solar farm could electrify the US. Ah, here's one: Solar Energy Development on Public Lands [pdf] says "According to the DOE, the solar resources available in the southwest are more than sufficient to meet all U.S. electricity demand, even using currently available technologies and operating at 10 percent efficiency." And what about how much land coal takes? Nevada Solar one is a better and smaller neighbor than a coal mine.

Falcon

We have 100% of our total petroleum needs (20 million barrels a day) sitting right here, in the Continental US. And we have that supply rate for 270 YEARS. And at $40 per barrel.

.

It's called oil shale. In 10 years the US could not only produce every drop of oil it needs on a daily basis, but export over 8 million barrels a day to other countries. And do it for nearly 3 centuries.

What's stopping this? It's not the Governors or State Assemblies of Utah and Wyoming. It's the Democrats in Congress who insist on maintaining the prohibition on oil shale production.

You need to talk to Governor Bill Ritter of the Great State of Colorado.

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1216720881519

He has GONE ON THE record to say that Oil Shale mining is "Premature" simply because we don't have the slightest clue what type of environmental impact it will have.

I'm not talking about some possible Global Warming related impact a decade from now, I'm talking about a local disruption that might rob people of drinking water. This in a area that is already looking at droughts because of Snow droughts the last couple of years.

You see, there's a reason why this so called "Gold Mine" isn't being mined (despite what Fox/CNN/MSNBC might have told you). Because we don't have the SLIGHTEST F__CKING CLUE what the long term effects on the surrounding areas might be.

A lot of these areas depend on TOURISM to make money. Very few tourists want to see a pockmarked Mountain.

Maybe if you lived there, you would understand.

P.S. I might also draw your attention to:

http://www.wilderness.org/NewsRoom/Statement/20080610.cfm

So, let's see. It's okay to destroy a portion of a national forest for profit, but it's not okay for a couple of kids to pull off some branches from a tree?

I'm sure with a chainsaw, the kids could do some serious damage to the tree. We should definitely outlaw the selling of chainsaws to minors. Without a chainsaw, what're they going to do? I doubt they could do much real harm to the tree.

A "warning" would've been a cop saying, "Hey! You kids in that tree! What do you think you're doing? Well, get down from there and don't do it anymore!" That would've been a warning. What they got was harrassed, which is a form of intimidation, which is far beyond what the situation as described deserved.

There's no defense for the actions of the cops. There's no reason to teach our kids to be scared of any adventurous actions, except to satisfy the sense of power our law-enforcement officers enjoy.

Having trouble finding exact bills- but got loads of press about it in the last few days:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?co ntentid=2727
http://www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/BushRe cord.cfm
http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/mt_archives/000223.p hp
http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-99 537
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/120604G.shtml
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story .jsp?story=589884
http://bobwhitson.typepad.com/howlings/2004/12/bus h_sets_out_p.html

I live in Colorado, and I have to agree. I was only a few miles from the Hayman Fire and it never, ever produced anything even close to what was described. The fire consumed over 215 square miles, and burned for several weeks.

...like the one that started the Chediski fire Arizona last year, claiming 426 homes, 462,614 acres and cost about $153 million to put out?

Good thinkin'. This should be encouraged.

• Any oil revenues will be placed in a trust to be used only for the benefit of the Iraqi people.
  
• The primary problem with Iraq is the totalitarian regime in power.
  
• The US imports 3% of its oil from Iraq. In contrast over 8% comes from Venezuela.
  

• Any oil revenues will be placed in a trust to be used only for the benefit of the Iraqi people.
  
• The primary problem with Iraq is the totalitarian regime in power.
  
• The US imports 3% of its oil from Iraq. In contrast over 8% comes from Venezuela.
  

The US gets more oil from Alberta than it gets from Saudi Arabia ... yet watch the fascinating ass kissing ...