View Poll Results: What is Greatest Challenge Currently Facing the US
Disease-Aids, Cancer, Diabetes, Heart disease etc
9
16.67%
Economy and Employment
16
29.63%
Energy-Electrical Generation, Petroleum
11
20.37%
Environment-Air, Land and Water Pollution
5
9.26%
Illegal Immigration
21
38.89%
Iraq War and Terrorism
16
29.63%
Social Security and Tax Reform
15
27.78%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll
What is the Greatest Problem the US Faces
Large Member
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Bay Area, CA
Originally Posted by Kestrel
It is not bullshit. Whether the forecast is 40 years, or 100 years, we will run out of oil. Unfortunately, while there is a lot of shale in North America, the amount of energy required to process the shale into oil consumes a lot of the energy of the shale itself. Current oil allows gives 30 parts of energy for every 1 used to process it; with shale oil, this falls to 1.5 for every 1 used to process. Also, given the current rate of development of shale fields, we will only produce several million barrels of oil a day, significantly less than the several billion we consume right now.
Also, our economic collapse doesn't depend on running out of oil, only the perception that oil is becoming more more scarce. There is no doubt that we must wean ourselves of oil within the next half century, or our country faces economic collapse.
Also, our economic collapse doesn't depend on running out of oil, only the perception that oil is becoming more more scarce. There is no doubt that we must wean ourselves of oil within the next half century, or our country faces economic collapse.
When liquid crude becomes less available production of Shale oil will increase, and the infrastructures to extract the oil will become 1) more efficient and 2) more abundant.
You are right though, eventually we will run out. Perhaps not in our lifetime, but someday, sometime.
Hydrogen powered vehicles and nuclear power generation is where it's at!
Large Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,735
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From: Bay Area, CA
Originally Posted by HappySnatch
immigration & crime related to it
You hit the nail on the head.
Here's to hoping someone actually does something about it.
Whoever promises to close our borders to illegal aliens in the 2008 election will get my vote. Period.
Checking it twice
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 13,539
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From: Twixt Hell/Ann Arbor MI
The Ultra Right Conservative. The heart of the real problem.
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ...."WOW! What a ride!!!!!"
LUNCH with THEOLDMAN...On a break for now...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ...."WOW! What a ride!!!!!"
LUNCH with THEOLDMAN...On a break for now...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,925
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From: Sacramelto, home after 10 years in Texas
Where's the Bush button? I sort of hoped this would spark intelligent debate, I contemplated putting a "Democrats" and "Republicans" as a choice, but that would have been a little too silly(And if you were solely talking about California too obvious). Really should have had an education one(Though in California, that is very strongly linked to illegal immigration) and a Foreign Policy one. My bad. Truly, all the problems this country faces are interconnected. which is pretty clear, even without significant contemplation of the question.
The biggest problem facing the US IMHO is Illegal Immigration and the socioeconomic ills that follow from it. For example, California at one time had perhaps the finest education system in the country, perhaps the entire world. I believe that much of the problems with education here are related to the overloading of the system with individuals who have not fairly contributed to it.
The biggest problem facing the planet, once again IMHO, is overpopulation and the economic and environmental problems that follow from it. There will come a time where people will be concerned much more about adequate clean drinking water than they have every been about petroleum.
The biggest problem facing the US IMHO is Illegal Immigration and the socioeconomic ills that follow from it. For example, California at one time had perhaps the finest education system in the country, perhaps the entire world. I believe that much of the problems with education here are related to the overloading of the system with individuals who have not fairly contributed to it.
The biggest problem facing the planet, once again IMHO, is overpopulation and the economic and environmental problems that follow from it. There will come a time where people will be concerned much more about adequate clean drinking water than they have every been about petroleum.
Large Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,735
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From: Bay Area, CA
Originally Posted by RB
The sad thing is that the "ultra left liberal" tend to care more about issues that affect the masses.
The sad thing is that the "ultra left liberal" tend to care more about issues that affect the masses...at the expense of others.
Eagles > NFL
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,225
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From: nj
Originally Posted by RB
The sad thing is that the "ultra left liberal" tend to care more about issues that affect the masses.
Originally Posted by antarius
You forgot the last part of that sentance, I'll finish it for you.
The sad thing is that the "ultra left liberal" tend to care more about issues that affect the masses...at the expense of others.
The sad thing is that the "ultra left liberal" tend to care more about issues that affect the masses...at the expense of others.