Since posting this thread I have come to several conclusions and changes to the way I perceive and think about things, because reality has changed.
The increase in the price of fuel and the sacrifices it creates for most of us. That means us poor folks, that are getting poorer because we feed another mouth, the OIL Companies. The vast price increases inherent to the cost of energy will tag along with us like a parasite, because it will reduce our buying power, with the inceased costs and values for everything.
The hybrids seem to be a working temporary solution, until the new tech small diesels, reach us here in the good ol'USA! The Solar Factor, needs to be introduced into the solution also. The Diesel-Hybrids, or the gas engined hybrids, like GM offers today, seems to be the best bet for hauling big and heavy things that we own like RV trailers, big boats, horses, race car and motorcycle trailers, farm and construction equipment, for the near term.
Transportation, urban and inter-urban, seems to be the question of busses or rail. The costs of infrastructure must be taken into account for these, as well as the costs of the new technologies. What are they?
The answer begins and ends with us personally and with our needs and wants. I haven't seen anything proposed by State and Local Govt's, other than traffic roundabouts, eliminating 4-way STOP signs, to conserve energy, by eliminating all vehicles, coming to a full-stop and the idling time needed to get through the intersection. This is going to be tried here in little ol'Alma. Sounds good, but I don't know the proper rules of the road, when it comes to one of these beasts, and neither do the other drivers. Lot's of body shops are gonna be busy around here! The Amish and the others who still use real horsepower, may have a jump on all of us, when it comes to transportation costs in the present and future. Those of us who live in the Snow-Belt, are really gonna get it in the head this Winter, when we can't use the warm weather methods of getting around. It will hurt us very much financially!
These are some ideas on how to cope with it at present. We need to think how we can reduce and replace it for the future, in an economic way for the people like us. Just a few thoughts...we need more!
