Do you think global warming should be a top priority for world governments?
Yes and No, yes it needs to be looked at, but no it is not a topic that demands we do it right now
Have you read any news articles or heard/watched any TV programs on global warming in the past 6 months? If so, do you remember the exact topic (i.e. Kyoto treaty, fossil fuel consumption)
Yes, Alternative fuels, Kyoto Treaty, A couple on sea and land based oil drilling.
Do you recycle? (recycling reduces the amount of debris in landfills and therefore reduces methane emissions)
Only cans and we make our own compost (but you only need so much of that)
How do you feel about Nuclear power as an energy source? Against or For
If against, why?
It's not too bad, but not to great either. Regulating and enforcing is usually decent, the problem is disposal of the left-over waste. The only real solution is one that is cost prohibitive, blasting it up to the moon or into the sun, all other disposal are short term fixes.
How much more would you be willing to pay for a car that used an alternative power source to gasoline?
As much as I payed for my Jeep
3000 us dollars and a bottle of Jack.
Seriously, I will consider and alternative power source when it is as cheap to buy and operate as a conventional (gas/diesel) truck (I can't use a car where I'm at) You have to think that not all of us live in a city and can always hope a bus somewhere or would like to drive some underpowered electric toy.
Would you be willing to pay more for electricity if your power company used alternative energy sources (i.e. wind/water generation, solar power)?
No, non-renewable sources of energy are there for us to use up, and when we use them up, we get a diffrent source. There is no reason to let the oil sit in the ground unused.
Who do you think is the main culprit of global warming
Consumers for their unwillingness to use ‘cleaner’ products because they cost more and are less available
Automotive and Oil companies for their unwillingness to change to alternative energy
Governments for their unwillingness to introduce and enforce stricter emissions laws
Well for a while there they thought is was all the dang cows farting that was causing it.
Its a combination of what you said and a little more.
Consumers want convience and performance, giving me a piece of shit dressed up to perform like something of substance, and saying it is better, but sucks worse in performance isn't what I want to pay for. Also, unless everyone and I mean everyone is limited in choice you can't force the consumer to buy the expensive and cleaner one. Joe and Janey six-pack (like me
), don't give a rats ass about how you the intelectual are sooooo conserned about the environment. We see you living in the city, when were out in the sticks spending more time in the dirt than most environmentalist will ever spend, and you telling us what you want us to do. That is a good way to alienate the consumers.
Automobile and engine builders-- they will get on the band wagon once there is a real increase in the price of oil and switch to another method. They do have in the works of using alternative power, and want to do it right so it ain't rejected as some piece of crap being legislated into the consumer. Oil companies want to get as much of it as they can, and don't want to loose believe it or not. They aren't out there trying to cause an accident, as accidents spill there product, and loose there money. Oil industy has turned into a big political mess as alot of the countries that have clout and money, will loose out if there is a big switch, thus they either diversify or die.
Regulations-- sheesh... more of what we need. If you are going to regulate it needs to be done fair, not hey US you guys will have to cut in half your emmisions, and other countries (producing more emisions) won't have to cut back at all and can actually increase. That is what sucks about treaties is that sometimes they get turned into ways to hamper one country and help another.
Things to overcome to get "The Not In My Back Yard" into "It Is In Everyone's Back Yard", you have to implement local recycling everywhere, not just in one area. Making it fair and not alienateing people will be the main goals.
Also, more research needs to be done, as there are alot of stories coming out on both sides, and unfortunetly money has intered in on both the environmentals and the poluters, sorry no one is corrupt from greed, and it has tainted alot of reports. Good luck to you on your report. BTW, the grain-alcohol to hydrogen powered car sounds like it might be the one to catch on, as it's engine won't be drastically diffrent from current Hydrocarbon using ones, and its performance is close, and its means of distrubution of fuel (gas stations) can be modified for this fuel.