Price of Gas - Page 3 - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum

Andrewl · #31 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve

Where in Alberta are you?

I'be been to the oil sands up near Ft. McMurray. That's some pretty impressive shit...

Im in Edmonton. Ft Mac is a both a disaster and a wonder of the world all at the same time... Most people here are quite worried about it.

Andrew

Steve · #32 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrewl

Im in Edmonton. Ft Mac is a both a disaster and a wonder of the world all at the same time... Most people here are quite worried about it.

Andrew

Really?

Why for?

A friend of mine is actually considering a run for Mayor of Ft. McMurray (he's on the City Council now)...

Andrewl · #33 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunz

This year it is roughly $1,600. Not to bad, the highest has been $1954. It comes to every man woman and child qualifying in the state. Qualifications is that someone in simply a resident of the state for the previous calendar year.
To call it the government isnt quite fair. The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation is its own corporation. %25 of resource revenue generated in the state goes to the fund. That is then invested in various ways, and a percentage of the interest only is paid to Alaskans. So it doesnt come at the expense of state government. It is totally aside, as set aside by Alaska constitution. There was talk of establishing something similar in Iraq. But that seems to be low on the priority level at this point.
What it boils down to is this. The resources of Alaska belong to its residents. This is dictated by its constitution. So when a resource extraction endeavour occurs, %25 of its value to the state are set aside to its residents. The rest falls to operating state government.

Alberta is currently in a fight with the oil companies to increase the royalty rate... and give more back to the people. The problem with the oil sands is it takes incredible amounts of water and natural gas just to produce one barrel of oil. So not only are we depleting the sticky tar sands, but we are depleting the water and natural gas at an alarming rate just to do this... right now the royalty rate to the provincial government is only about 1% and the oil companies are threatening to slow down and cancel projects if we increase it. Im all for that myself, but others with jobs in the sector are not... So far we all got 400 bucks and thats it.....

Andrew

Andrewl · #34 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve

Really?

Why for?

A friend of mine is actually considering a run for Mayor of Ft. McMurray (he's on the City Council now)...

Fresh water depletion, old growth forest depletion, emissions, natural gas depletion, urban sprawl, too heavy a load on the social and transportation infrastructure, enormous crime increases, huge increase in housing costs, massive influx of homeless people, and so on.... its not all bread and roses. And ultimately the feds will have to limit such growth in emissions anyway, leaving hundreds or thousands of people unemployed and a further drain on the system.

My quality of life was much higher before the economic boom. Id personally like to see the entire project slowed down and then eliminated altogether. Its not worth the ecological damage these things always result in.

Andrew

EricOKC · #35 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malvolio

12 miles per gallon ... do you drive a 747? How much du you drive? ... they will probably name a street in Riad after you or so.

Some of us happen to like, and will happily pay for, power in a vehicle.

The slowest of my 4 vehicles will run 0-60 in 6 seconds, the quickest in under 4. You dont get there by not using fuel.

HammerShot · #36 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

I broke down (no pun intended) and bought a rice burner. I got the toyota crolla s. 38 mpg... hell yes!!! Beats the hell out of my chevy silverado's 17mpg when the a/c and the radio is off with the windows rolled up with a tail wind. Toyota makes a high quality vehicle, too... for the price.

Anyway. I spend most of my time in MS and LA. Around here the price is anywhere from $2.50 - $2.85 depending on who you're willing to blow.

lostinacause · #37 (**permalink**) 10-20-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrewl

Alberta is currently in a fight with the oil companies to increase the royalty rate... and give more back to the people. The problem with the oil sands is it takes incredible amounts of water and natural gas just to produce one barrel of oil. So not only are we depleting the sticky tar sands, but we are depleting the water and natural gas at an alarming rate just to do this... right now the royalty rate to the provincial government is only about 1% and the oil companies are threatening to slow down and cancel projects if we increase it. Im all for that myself, but others with jobs in the sector are not... So far we all got 400 bucks and thats it.....

Andrew

I don’t know that you can really say that Alberta is currently taking up the fight. Last I heard Stelmach has yet to say where the Conservatives stand on the issue. I am expecting a “compromise” which, in my opinion, is quite disappointing. The oil companies have done an amazing job campaigning for lower royalties and it looks like they are going to be at least partially successful.

In my opinion slowing down projects would be a good idea. The resources will be available in future years. Infrastructure needs to catch up to the current demands placed on it.

In my opinion the natural gas being used for extraction is not problematic. There is a market for natural gas and it is priced appropriately therefore there must be some benefit to using it. Water on the other hand is problematic largely because the resource is not valued appropriately.

Andrewl · #38 (**permalink**) 10-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostinacause

I don’t know that you can really say that Alberta is currently taking up the fight. Last I heard Stelmach has yet to say where the Conservatives stand on the issue. I am expecting a “compromise” which, in my opinion, is quite disappointing. The oil companies have done an amazing job campaigning for lower royalties and it looks like they are going to be at least partially successful.

The fight is taking place in the media currently. But yes, the oil companies have essentially assured themselves that royalties will remain low.

Quote:

In my opinion slowing down projects would be a good idea. The resources will be available in future years. Infrastructure needs to catch up to the current demands placed on it.

Absolutely.

Quote:

In my opinion the natural gas being used for extraction is not problematic. There is a market for natural gas and it is priced appropriately therefore there must be some benefit to using it. Water on the other hand is problematic largely because the resource is not valued appropriately.

I guess i just worry about where the gas we use to heat ourselves in the winter will come from if we use it all to make oil. I think Albertans would be wise to conserve that resource for more important things.

Andrew

lostinacause · #39 (**permalink**) 10-21-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrewl

I guess i just worry about where the gas we use to heat ourselves in the winter will come from if we use it all to make oil. I think Albertans would be wise to conserve that resource for more important things.

My best guess is that the amount of gas used in the oil sands is negligible compared to the North American market. Likely what this means is a decrease in what Alberta exports to other provinces and to America. It is quite possible that this would not even negligibly affect the price of natural gas since gas is so heavily tied to the price of oil.

Denie · #40 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by White Rabbit

How do you propose to deal with the doubling of gasoline prices every few years now for the forseable future?

Would a doubling of the price of gas affect your behavior? Tripling? Quadrupling?

Damn!! Filling up the 700 gal tanks on the houseboat ia gonna sting a bit!!

Denie · #41 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by HammerShot

I broke down (no pun intended) and bought a rice burner. I got the toyota crolla s. 38 mpg... hell yes!!! Beats the hell out of my chevy silverado's 17mpg when the a/c and the radio is off with the windows rolled up with a tail wind. Toyota makes a high quality vehicle, too... for the price.

Anyway. I spend most of my time in MS and LA. Around here the price is anywhere from $2.50 - $2.85 depending on who you're willing to blow.

We bought a 2004 Scion for my wifes commuter...replacing the suburban!! The worse mileage I can get with this rollerskate is 30 mpg.

However, my 'busa gets 40 mpg...if i'm not in the thottle...

Bunz · #42 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007

Quote:

I guess i just worry about where the gas we use to heat ourselves in the winter will come from if we use it all to make oil. I think Albertans would be wise to conserve that resource for more important things.

Are you aware of the efforts to build a gasline from the north slope of Alaska down through and tying into a larger established pipeline system through Alberta and down into the midwest US for what I presume to be mostly home heating.

I ask this because this is cause for an exceptional political discussion here in AK. Like oil or not, this is a huge potential boon for all places.

Bunz · #43 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007

Andrewl, is there a system in place in Alberta where a certain amount of the revenue is set aside as a reserve fund?
For instance when it comes to Alaska's oil wealth, a very forward thinking governor set aside %25 of oil income away from the general fund and into a permanent fund. This is a tried and true, but often overlooked idea when it comes to large scale resource development.
It has paid considerable wealth to all Alaskan for the last 20 odd years.

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