Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihnss.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!ihnss!warren From: warren@ihnss.UUCP (Warren Montgomery) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: "The biggest farce ever" Message-ID: <2104@ihnss.UUCP> Date: Mon, 18-Jun-84 17:02:44 EDT Article-I.D.: ihnss.2104 Posted: Mon Jun 18 17:02:44 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 08:56:45 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 25 (Fuel for the flamethrowers) I beg to differ with a recent posting (on the 55mph limit) claiming the fuel shortage to be the biggest farce ever. It is still true that the world is using up ~40M barrels/day of oil. Virtually no new oil is being created, and the rate of use still exceeds the rate at which new deposits are being discovered. We may have pushed too hard on the panic button 11 years ago, but barring some unforseen scientific discovery, sooner or later the world will run out of gas. The dates for this remain about the same as were envisioned 11 years ago as well (some time early next century). Please don't confuse the factors that drive the short term panic/glut reaction cycle with the long term problem. I don't like the 55mph limit any better than you do, and I don't know if it saves gas in the country as a whole (It did make a significant difference in my Toyota, which did noticably better on tires as well as gas when I stopped driving at 70-75), but I wish people would stop trying to promote the view that there is no energy problem and no reason to conserve gas as an argument against the 55mph limit. -- Warren Montgomery ihnss!warren IH x2494