<span>W</span>ell quite soon oil production levels will fall; it is reaching its peak.<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2008/5/14 Christopher Smith <<a href="mailto:x@xman.org">x@xman.org</a>>:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
I blogged about this phenomena a fair while back:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-NGG_XKMyebVXpbF6EpCU?p=193" target="_blank">http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-NGG_XKMyebVXpbF6EpCU?p=193</a><br>
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That said, oil production levels aren't growing too quickly these days, so energy conservation measures (particularly significant ones, like driving less and/or driving more fuel efficient vehicles) really are the most effective way for us to alter the supply/demand situation in the short term. In the long term, you need some other source of energy (see:<br>
<a href="http://google.org/rec.html" target="_blank">http://google.org/rec.html</a>) to become more cost effective than petrochemicals to really have a lasting impact.<br>
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--Chris<br>
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Dan Borne wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="Ih2E3d">
I would be willing to bet that that is so (especially in Los Angeles) but I mean does converting ever car into a hybrid really do much in terms of energy savings? I would be willing to bet that in a sort time the energy consumption of the world would soon reach pre-hybrid levels.<br>
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2008/5/14 Rae Yip <<a href="mailto:rae.yip@gmail.com" target="_blank">rae.yip@gmail.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:rae.yip@gmail.com" target="_blank">rae.yip@gmail.com</a>>>:<div class="Ih2E3d"><br>
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Don't forget regenerative braking; this is a big win for hybrid and<br>
electric vehicles because it saves wear and tear on the brake pads as<br>
well as improving mileage.<br>
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So even if the Prius loses 1/3 of the energy it stores in the<br>
batteries, much of that energy would simply have been discarded in a<br>
regular car - 100% loss!<br>
<br>
Naturally, you don't something for nothing. As people have said,<br>
there's added weight. But I doubt the auto makers would add a<br>
component that wasn't a net gain, and the real world data bears it<br>
out.<br>
<br>
In stop-and-go traffic (is there any other sort in LA?), I'm fairly<br>
certain hybrid vehicles are more efficient, no matter how well you<br>
follow your car's fuel consumption map.<br>
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-Rae.<br>
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