Topic for Final Paper

Thesis:

Global Warming may not be the main threat to humanity as we know it and humans may or may not be the cause. The main threat that is one hundred percent human-caused is the largely unacknowledged modern world’s wasteful activities that are not only harming the environment, but life on earth for animals and humans alike.

This paper will serve the purpose of debunking mainstream Global Warming zealots, and presenting the real issues we should be focusing on.

I will be presenting a slightly controversial view of Global Warming. I never really bought into it initially, because I didn't have enough information, so I didn't have an opinion yay or nay... however, after looking into certain things, my view is coming to a focus point: there are too many fallacies being presented, that any truth within is being obscured and pushed to the side. Environmentalism has become a religion that millions have bought into. Most have no idea what it is they stand for, just like in mainstream Christianity. The majority have the best intentions in the world and really want to help. I just wish their efforts and donations were aimed at something that could actually make a difference to living people suffering in the world instead of being misplaced.

Concerning the science of GloWarm, I have personally spoken to an Astro-Biologist, who quite frankly, has forgotten more about the different elements that make up this world than I will ever hope to know. He doesn't take something at face value because someone said it is so - he researches a topic to death, and then makes an informed decision. He understands the initial research done that was the forerunner of the GloWarm issue, and he has contacts around the world who are constantly sharing research back and forth. He was the first person who presented a logical, non-biased look at this issue. He loves facts, and he had hard research to back up his claims. (I'm currently in contact with him to try and get some of those statistics... he's a prof, so he's also really busy with his own research and classes. Thank heavens I'm "in" with his wife so she keeps reminding him.)

Through my own research I found that there are quite a few studies, and quite a few scientists from different fields who have conducted studies that also differ from Al Gore's religion of GloWarm. One set of scientists, for instance says that while they don't dispute the fact that the earth is warming, they don't believe humans have anything to do with the temperature rise, nor do they think that a rise in temperature would be so terrible in certain cases. They however, in antipode to the GloWarm enthusiasts, don't claim to have all the answers. Al Gore, (not a scientist), and environmental activists, (many of whom are also not trained scientists), have emphatically stated that the debate is over concerning the issues pertaining to the causes of GloWarm, and what needs to be done to fix it. This is simply not true, and many scientists refuse to be bulldozed by politicians and activists.

As seen in this class, humans are causing many problems to the environment, and we will eventually run out of oil, so changes need to be made. If they can be environmentally friendly, all the better. I believe we should protect the world we live in, and its inhabitants. The people in India, China and other developing countries are being directly affected by things humans are doing. I feel that the whole GloWarm debate is taking away from the real issues facing the citizens of the world. People in Africa are starving - yet crazy environmentalists decided that they needed thousand dollar solar panels so they could have 'clean energy'.... they can't afford FOOD... what are they going to do with electricity they can't use? To me, this is a real world example of the larger issues that are being shoved to the side so that GloWarm proponents can get their name in the paper.

For some reason I wasn't able to login to Ebsco from my computer, and I haven't been into the library recently, so my sources so far are online sources... At this stage, if I use more than 3 of these sources in my paper, it will be as a springboard to other more traditional resources, or to provide examples about what the general public is saying.

The first group contains slightly more credible sites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRaeEIN5Sh8&feature=related
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/sppi_originals/fallacies_about_global_warming.html
http://www.patsullivan.com/blog/2006/02/fallacy_of_glob.html
http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/Environment/debunking.htm
http://mclean.ch/climate/docs/SPPI_AGW_fallacies.pdf
http://wmbriggs.com/blog/2008/01/21/prominent-philosopher-commits-global-warming-fallacy/

The second group, if I use any of these at all, will be to show examples from the general public... in all honesty, if I use anything from these, I will be surprised. I always research a lot more sites/sources than I need, then whittle it down from a long list to the pertinent quotable ones.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/33680/global_warming_or_solar_warming.html?cat=58
http://www.i2i.org/main/author.php?author_id=84
http://www.rushonline.com/visitors/globalwarming.htm
http://www.robill.com/GlobalWarmingDVDFrameset.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/290441/an_inconvenient_fallacy_why_scientists.html?cat=58

Made to Break Chapter 2

The main theme for Chapter 2 was the inception of planned obsolescence in the automobile industry, which then moved into everyday life for the average American. Like any student who has gone through the biased and rather pathetically presented history classes of high school, I have heard of Henry Ford and his Model T. I also knew about the company General Motors, but in a modern sense, I had no idea that it has been around since the beginning. I also was never aware of the war that occurred between Alfred Sloan, (a new character to me), and Henry Ford. The fact that all of it was so well planned and orchestrated is amazing and alarming, poor Ford never knew what was coming. While the idea of planned obsolescence bothers me, at the same time, I’m a digital technology major, and digital technology is something that can change hourly in certain cases. I also like the idea of all the changes that were made at the time. The electric starter and the air cooled engine are amazing advances in technology that made it possible for women to drive as well, something I appreciate greatly. The world was changing, and as much as I admire Henry Ford, it was inevitable that we moved past the Model T to cars that would suit the needs of the changing economy.

The idea of the pride and shame of advertising was presented very well, and I have been aware of it all my life, as have most people, I just never brought it down to the basic level, pride and shame. It makes perfect sense, and what modern child on the playground or in the lunch room hasn’t experienced both feelings in regards to the latest prepackaged food in the cafeteria, clothing item, or school supplies. The idea of product addiction is rampant from the earliest ages of awareness to either the deathbed, the maturity of understanding, or past the age of caring.

The book set a very good foundation for the beginning of planned obsolescence. When referenced to the video clips we watched in class it is interesting and scary to see what planned obsolescence has become. I wonder what Alfred Sloan, despite not having the moral scruples of Henry Ford, would think if he had a chance to see what had become of America after his ideas went nation wide. I wonder if he would feel any guilt or remorse.

Probably not, but you never know, maybe later in life on his deathbed, he might have felt some twinge or regret.

Chapter 36 Review

Chapter 36 is the last chapter in the book before the Epilogue which brings us right up to the years between 1984 and 1989, predominantly.

At the beginning of the chapter, the year is 1984 and gas prices are fluctuating rather dramatically. The common phrase heard at this time is "How low can it go?" The Prize indicates that "oil power" was the main issue in the political arena, and that this was when everything was being established. High or low gas prices would favor certain countries, and allow them to emerge as leaders in global politics and economy.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Mexico, the Soviet Union and others, as big oil exporters, would stand to benefit from high prices. Oil-importing countries without their own oil resources, like Germany and Japan, were already established economic powers at this time, but they would stand to benefit immensely from low prices. The USA at this point, is the country the world once again is watching as they are still the world's largest consumer of oil, yet they were the second largest producers. Whichever side the US decided to support, then that side was virtually guaranteed "victory".

OPEC was trying to control pricing but outside sources continued to grow. As an organization their quote system was not working particularly well. Efforts to regulate the different members, and dissuade them from doing deals behind the scenes and selling more than their quota, were not extremely effective. OPEC was struggling to find secure footing in the industry, and had lost quite a bit of ground. West Texas Intermediate drove prices to a high in Nov. 1985 of $31.75. A week and a half later, at the end of 1985, Saudi Arabia brought together the other OPEC leaders, and increased production. Prices dropped dramatically from the high of $31.75 to $10 a barrel, and Gulf oil cargoes sold for as little as $6. This is referred to as the Third Oil Shock. Contrary to the previous two, the price of oil decreased as dramatically and quickly as it had spiked in 1973-’74 and ’79-’81.

In 1986, George Bush, then the Vice-President under the Reagan Administration, a long time oil man at this point, traveled to Saudi Arabia to discuss the low prices. He made a public announcement that the low prices were affecting US security. With the Cold War still in effect, and the Iran-Iraq war still raging, Saudi Arabia was very concerned with US security. They looked to the US as a protectorate and stabilizer in the world. The low prices were also starting to take a serious toll on the countries within OPEC. It was decided that a change had to happen; however, no one new how to set prices since there was no control system in place.

Alirio Parra, a Venezuelan OPEC veteran began to do research, and started to devise a way in which oil prices could be regulated, and standardized. He determined that the first step was to reduce production. Then, through his research, he also decided that $18 a barrel was just about right. Anything below that and things wouldn’t work properly. $18 a barrel became his magic number. When oil was predicted to call to around $5 a barrel, $18 looked quite enticing. So, Parra spent May 1986 in Kuwait with OPEC leaders, trying to persuade them that the old $20 a barrel had done more harm than good, for them, and that the $18 was perfect. After many discussions, and meetings, in Dec. 1986, the price of oil stabilized, and was to stay at or around $18 a barrel for the next several years.

The chapter ends with the year 1989 and talks about the end of the Iran/Iraq war, the end of the Cold War, the end of the Reagan Administration, and the beginning of the Bush administration. Earlier in the book, it mentioned that when George Bush was elected president, he said, “’I put it this way. They got a President of the United States that came out of the oil and gas industry that knows it and knows it well.’”

Short Essay Thesis, sources and etcetera.

Okay... Glad I checked this before class... everything is gone... *sigh* serves me right for trying to do something whilst distracted by errant computers, other assignments, being very tired and fighting off some sort of renegade sinus fatwa that has been issued to cloud my mind and stuff my nose....


My topic is #2.
My Thesis is as follows:
Alternative fuels may occasionally be seen as off-the-wall and not practical in current society, but because of the inevitable, eventual decline of oil resources, any viable offerings must be analyzed. This topic is not so concerned with examining the topic of peak oil. Peak oil will occur sooner or later, preferably later for the world's peace of mind; however, regardless of when it occurs, the world needs to be prepared for this inevitability. The sooner reliable, feasible and practical methods are discovered or created, the smoother the transition away from oil.

Main points are:
After doing some research, I decided to focus my attention on alternative fuels, and save my resources about oil pricing, and they "why" questions for a portion of my final paper. My first portion of the paper is dealing with the overall picture of alternative fuels. What's out there? Where are they coming from? What have they powered? Are they useful? Can they be produced on a large scale over a long period of time?

I've found a 2 or 3 separate articles so far that praise hydrogen, and believe it is currently our main alternative to oil. Therefore, this will be my second topic of discussion... both the pros and cons known at this time about hydrocarbon.

The third part, right now, is concerning the cars of the future. What will they look like? What does it mean for a "PTD" to run on alternative fuel? What changes will have to occur before they really are more than just a novelty item, used by the odd wealthy/extremely clever enviro-friendly person? Work Cited: Like an idiot, I forgot to save the work cited page to a Word doc.... so, because of time, I will just post the links here for now... and hopefully later today, I will be able to put them into proper MLA documented form - in a saved word doc....

http://afdc.energy.gov/afdc/ http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/05/alternative_fuel.html

http://www.alternativefuelsources.com/eflp/alternative+fuel+sources/pid238191/D971542/C0

http://www.beyondfossilfuel.com/

Ebsco Host:

Beirne, Mike. "King of Beers Seeks Crown Among Asian Americans." Brandweek 46.37 (17 Oct. 2005): 15-15. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Sep. 2008 .

Reyes, Sonia. "The 'INVISIBLE' market." Brandweek 47.5 (30 Jan. 2006): 22-26. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Sep. 2008 .

Thomaselli, Rich. "Trends to watch in 2007. (Cover story)." Advertising Age 77.51 (18 Dec. 2006): 10-10. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Sep. 2008 .

Imada, Bill. "Who's Asian and what it means for marketers." Advertising Age 78.36 (10 Sep. 2007): 19-19. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Sep. 2008 .

"Asian Americans in the U.S." by Packaged Facts. M2PressWIRE (15 Aug. 2006). Newspaper Source. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Sep. 2008 .

Nguyen, Hang. "Asian market is not so niche anymore." Orange County Register, The (Santa Ana, CA) (08 June 2006). Newspaper Source. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Sep. 2008 .

I Just Do Not "Get It"

This isn't an official post, it's more of a reaction to Adam's post about ambition, that lead into something I've been thinking about.... read it or not... it's up to you :) Have a great day.

Hmm... Oddly enough, Adam answered part of a question that has been running through my mind. I know that Saudi Arabia, at the height of the recent summer inflation of gas prices was able to sell oil for almost $150 a barrel, what I didn't realize was that it only costs them around $1.50 to produce a barrel!!! That's just unreal. I know for other countries/companies, it's not that cheap, but they're still making buku bucks on each barrel.

I'm a relatively non-"Ambitious" person. I want to succeed, but I'm not Driven like the people described in his blog, and the people we are reading about in The Prize.... I didn't really understand WHY they felt they needed to sell each barrel for such a high price... they're already making obscene amounts of money.... Outside of KSA since it's mostly government driven, there is NO way that any of these men/companies could use all that money that they're making.... so, why be so greedy? I get the ambition thing now... but I don't think I will even be able truly understand what drives them. For the most part Pieces people just aren't wired that way, but more than that, I don't really "get" business... hence the reason I am no longer an Accounting major, but have switched to a more art related field.

Intellectually, I understand that businesses have to make money in order to survive - but I don't think I will ever be able to fully comprehend the greed that drives men like Rockefeller and Deterding to ignore anything outside of making money. They spend every waking hour amassing large amounts of money they will never be able to spend in their life time. Giving to charities is great, give as much as you can.... but even Televangelists, who are supposed to be really close to needy organizations, can't give away all the money they get fast enough, so they end up spending it on things like "gold toilets" and stuff like that. When there are so many really good organizations out there, desperately in need of funds.... the fact that this money can't get to them saddens me.

Even if these rich oil men hired out a company, to do nothing but donate money to worthy causes, they still would not be able to give the money away fast enough. This amount of money, boggles my mind when I think of all the people in the world who are starving to death.... it's unreal.

Short Essay Ideas

First of all... I just noticed that sometime between when I posted about There Will Be Blood and now.... I either didn't get it posted, and it floated into No-Mans Land.... or I somehow deleted it... Still looking into it. I really liked the movie, and I enjoyed writing about it... guess I get to write about it two times in a row. *sigh*

Concerning the Short Essay.

I like the idea of number 2. I'm a car person, so this one really appealed to me. Initially I thought about doing number 1 since I like the movie, and I had already started comparing some things in the movie to the book. (i.e. certain characters that could be clearly seen in Daniel Plainview.)

I think #2 is better in my case though as I like history, cars and I drive a lot; therefore, gas accounts for quite a large part of my budget. I really don't understand a whole lot about the workings of the lowering and increasing of gas prices. Since entering this class, I'm starting to get a bit better of an idea. Being the intensely curious person I am, I want to know why and how OPEC and other companies can suddenly decide to reduce production and drive up prices. I would like to use this information as a basis for discussing the need or apparent need for alternative methods to propel "personal transit devices".

I've been watching this field of energy efficient cars for quite a few years now, and it has been interesting to see how things have changed. I remember getting excited when hybrid cars started seriously hitting the market near the turn of this century... I believe I was in middle school... (I'm a first class techno nerd.) Now, major companies are offering them at very reasonable prices. I love new technology - my family consists of a bunch of techie-saps - therefore I'm willing to look at anything new and analyze the merits of it. I think it will be fun to take this essay and discover some of the different types of alternative methods for powering PTDs...

I've often thought about what I would like in a car. I'm not completely convinced that the carbon humans produce is as harmful as Global Warming enthusiasts would have us believe. (There is a study that I know of that breaks down the different types of carbon in the atmosphere, and their findings are quite interesting... that's for my final paper though.) Excluding the carbon element of vehicle emissions... the less we have to depend on oil as a whole, the happier I am. If something does happen down the road, we need to have a backup plan already in the process. Preferably one that has been in the process for a number of years at that time. For this reason, I'm actually kind of happy that people are making movies like Oil, Smoke and Mirrors. I don't agree with many things they said, but if it gets people thinking, and galvanizes the geniuses of the world to develop new and better ways to do the same thing as oil, who am I to complain?

As to the essay topic, I also have a family friend in the upper echelon of the government who has been talking to Condoleezza Rice about getting a grant to do a thorough 5 year study of alternative energy. Obviously, he already has great deal of information, and I would like to use him as a source, time permitting.

New technology is fascinating to me, so I'm excited about this topic.

Oil, Smoke and Mirrors

Usually, I do my best thinking and writing at night, but since school started, I haven't had a moments peace. And for some reason, even though I've been taking my pills, my sleep cycle has already gone haywire... *sigh* Welcome to a new semester at college.

I apologize for the lateness of this post.

The topic for today happens to be about the movie Oil, Smoke and Mirrors that we watched during our first session of Critical Perspectives.

I can't say I was particularly upset or moved by the movie since the opinions and views expressed in it are not new to me. I've heard them all before, and I know I'll hear them again and again. If I were to describe one emotion that I experience when I run into views like those expressed in the movie, it would be frustration. Everybody has an agenda, I understand that, but in my mind, there is not enough literature/media readily available and in the public view that examines both sides of an issue. Intellectually, I understand that sensationalism sells, and that you can't make a name for yourself, or get interview on CNN, David Letterman, etc... without having a topic that stands out. I just wish it didn't have to be that way. Go ahead, say something different, but back it up, and at least acknowledge the other side.

Give me a reason to believe you and not the other side. I don't have to believe a word you say, just because you made a movie, and got some people with degrees to support your claims. I'm a mathematical artist. I think outside the box, but I also want cold hard facts, and a fair and well balanced argument. I realize nobody is completely unbiased, everybody has their own slant. I know I do. But that doesn't mean I can't look at someone else's viewpoint.