LPG-electric Cars in Korea . . .

This is very good news. Korea seems to be waking up to the fact that it needs to make dramatic improvements fast in energy efficiency. To that end something like %75 of the stimulus was put toward “green” projects. It’s going to be money well spent I believe, because of the climate but also because the world is going to have a hell of a time substantially increasing oil production from here, at least until there’s some technological breakthrough.

I’m all for energy efficiency. It’s basically like found money. Korea, in particular, is not at all energy-efficient — an attitude which is somewhat shocking when one considers nearly all Korea’s energy is imported.

Korea’s energy intensity per unit of GDP (i.e., how much energy is consumed to produce Korea’s output) ranks Korea near the very bottom of the OECD 30. According to a paper I found, in 2004 the bottom five were: Turkey, Canada (so much for liberal utopia!), Korea, Poland and Czech Republic. If you’re paying attention, you might notice a certain tendency for, shall we say, dirigiste economies among that laggards’ club.

Making the same economic output with less energy input will improve everyone’s life here in Korea, even though the global warming hysteria is a complete scam. If I were in charge of Korea’s energy policy, I’d commence a massive expansion of the nuclear power-generation industry — nuclear is by far the cheapest input into the Korean power grid, at 39 won per kW/h (compare to coal at 54 won per kW/h). Korea gets 40% of its electricity from nuclear; compare to France’s 75% and we’ve got room to grow.

But as for the world having “a hell of a time” increasing oil production, Mr. Hedge, it’s interesting to note that oil supplies are quoted based on proven reserves. If you can’t explore for oil, whether due to environmental regulations (i.e., in the United States), lack of money for exploration because your kleptocratic government stole all the money (i.e., everywhere with a state-owned oil monopoly), or lack of technology, then the reserves seem to be shrinking.

But we keep finding more and more energy every day, as “what we know” (i.e., the so-called settled science) about petrochemicals and how to extract them becomes surpassed by technological advances. There are the recent Brazilian finds, and now we have discovered there’s a 90-year supply of natural gas under our feet in America, on top of America’s already rich reserves of coal (check out the name “Sasol” to find out what can be done with coal if we need to) and even oil.

I am an optimist. There is a lot of oil waiting to be discovered in the United States, if Americans would only listen to dumb ol’ Sarah Palin.

wookinponub — I don’t have oil production expertise, and neither do you.

I do read, however, fairly widely — and also have clients in the petroleum and alternative energy industries (mostly solar, but also wave power). Through this, I have a client who is a driller. Drills for all kinds of things, using skills and techniques developed for the extraction of oil and natural gas. Been drillin’ for 40 years, he has, and according to this client, thanks to computers, and composites, and improved hydraulics, we can go get gas and oil from all kinds of places we couldn’t before. And that means more gas and oil for us.

I believe him. Since the gloom ‘n doomers have been proved liars, I wonder why we wouldn’t give the optimists a fair hearing?

Because so much of the oil & gas that’s left is under the ground of hostile regimes, and extracting it embroils the West in needless wars. (See, Gulf War; see also Iraq War.)

Can’t argue with this — that’s why I favor exploring for energy we can get from friendly regimes like California, Texas, and Alaska.

Because so much of the oil & gas that’s left is under environmentally sensitive areas such as the Alaskan wilderness or the California coast.

Oops — what about the nasty regimes? Are you saying it’s better to deal with them than the spotted owl?

Because drill baby, drill keeps the West dependent on a handful of oil companies and ultimately only postpones the day of reckoning when Earth reaches peak oil and then runs out of nonrenewable fossil fuels.

Earth has encountered a peak oil event once before. You probably don’t know this, but one of the leading sources of energy once was the oil from whale blubber. The whaling industry waned as the whales got all fished out toward the end of the 19th century, and the search for alternatives found us the black gold in use today.

Peak oil will come. And it will lead us to something else. But I don’t suggest that we ought to jump there too early.

Because a real commitment to clean renewable energy right now is the right thing to do. And deep down, even those persons who make livings directly or (like Brendon) indirectly from drilling know this.

You say alternative energy is “the right thing to do”. Why? It costs much more than all our current sources of energy, and thus the alternative-energy choice must offer some pretty compelling benefits to offset the horrendous cost. What’s the benefit, exactly? It makes you feel good? Why is your good feeling of higher priority than the empty stomachs of the folks who will have to take food money and spend it on higher-cost energy?

Don’t just offer the tautology of “it’s right because it’s right”. That’s a nonsense argument. Many of the energy advocates you dismiss, including Sarah Palin, say that investment in alternative energy must be accompanied by investment in the sources we already have — like improving our use of coal (“clean coal”), searching for more oil domestically, and investing in nuclear power (our best clean energy source).

I love the implication that because I have some energy-industry clients (which includes, I note, solar guys) and know a driller, that means I’ve been bought by some conspiracy and therefore any arguments I offer must be dismissed. The whole world is not in some conspiracy against you, Gov. Ventura.

Lawyers are fairly promiscuous. Too promiscuous to be bought off by any conspiracy. I’ll take the driller’s money just as I’ll take the solar-panel utopian’s money. As long as they’re respectful to my associates, bring us interesting legal questions, and aren’t dour prigs, I’m game to do their work. But joining some “team” to promote evil? Come on.

On a personal note: woo hoo! for the past several weekends I’ve been unable to get into The Hole. Something to do with a spammer using certain IP’s. But today, here I are!

Congratulations to you. Now answer my questions.