Simulated oil meltdown shows U.S. economy's vulnerability(CIA Game)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11979395.htm

Former CIA Director Robert Gates sighs deeply as he pores over reports of growing unrest in Nigeria. Many Americans can't find the African nation on a map, but Gates knows that it's America's fifth-largest oil supplier and one that provides the light, sweet crude that U.S. refiners prefer.

It's 11 days before Christmas 2005, and the turmoil is preventing about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from reaching the world oil market, which was already drum-tight. Gates, functioning as the top national security adviser to the president, convenes the Cabinet to discuss the implications of Nigeria's spreading religious and ethnic unrest for America's economy.

Should U.S. troops be sent to restore order? Should America draw down its strategic oil reserves to stabilize soaring gasoline prices? Cabinet officials agree that drawing down the reserves might signal weakness. They recommend that the president simply announce his willingness to do so if necessary.

The economic effects of unrest in faraway Nigeria are immediate. Crude oil prices soar above $80 a barrel. June's then-record $60 a barrel is a distant memory. A gallon of unleaded gas now costs $3.31. Americans shell out $75 to fill a midsized SUV.

If all this sounds like a Hollywood drama, it's not. These scenarios unfolded in a simulated oil shock wave held Thursday in Washington. Two former CIA directors and several other former top policy-makers participated to draw attention to America's need to reduce its dependence on oil, especially foreign oil.

[oblivious]

1. "Should U.S. troops be sent to restore order?" They are so arrogant.

Who but these republican maniacs would even consider this option.

I mean what gives them the right to discuss whether they should invade a country because they aren't getting their oil fast enough.

[NEOBuckeye]

2. $3.31 PER GALLON should take calls for Bush's impeachment up a notch.

A lot more people will surely be feeling the pinch when it comes to that. And you know it's only a matter of time.

Americans seem to want to live in denial of reality right now. But that's only possible so long as one can hold onto a decent job and pay the bills. $3.00 plus gas is going to make it awfully damn hard for a lot more people to do either.

[eleonora]

3. Whoever's buying an SUV on a tight budget today is a complete moron

It's obvious we're going to pay a lot more for gas and soon.

[Massachusetts]

10. ITS Unfortunate that there are many MORONS in OUR country

"Whoever's buying an SUV on a tight budget today is a complete moron"

[Occulus]

4. Two word helpful cog: thermal depolymerization.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,960689,00.html

This process was also featured in the Discover magazine article "Anything Into Oil".

I don't know why we're not pouring money into this.

[NickB79]

7. Thermal depolymerization is not an energy source

You have to have a ready supply of garbage to feed into the system to generate oil from. Currently that steady supply of garbage is dependent on us using massive amounts of naturally-occurring oil. Without petroleum from the ground, there would be less and less material to feed into a thermal depolymerization plant to produce synthetic oil. It is a valuable way to conserve and recycle our oil resources, but it can't fully replace them.

[Spinzonner]

11. The following caught my eye in the Guardian article

"Trials at the Philadelphia pilot project have given the engineers a good idea of what different feedstocks would produce. For instance, a 175lb (79kg) man could, theoretically, yield 38lb of oil, 7lb of gas, 7lb of minerals and carbon and 123lb of sterilised water. More practically, 100lb (45kg) of sewage becomes 26lb (11kg) of oil, 9lb of gas, 8lb of minerals and carbon and 57lb of water. Medical waste, generally regard as tricky to dispose of, is particularly valuable - its equivalent yields are 65, 10, 5 and 20."

I immediately thought of Soylent Green

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Later article, showing not everything is going right for TDP

though more research might be worth it, of course.

The answer: A resounding yes. In fact, a revolutionary plant is turning 270 tons of poultry waste into 300 barrels of crude oil every day.
...
But today, a barrel of the grade 2 to 6 diesel oil costs almost $80 to make, Appel said, while the company buying the experimental oil is paying only about $40 a barrel under its contract.

Appel and his colleagues had assumed turkey waste would cost nothing because they expected the federal government to put a ban on feeding animal waste to animals. They estimated that processing plants would pay them $24 a ton to take away the offal.

But that didn't happen, and Appel now is paying $52 a ton for animal waste, he said.

Appel also had high hopes that he would get a $1-a-gallon biofuel tax credit for production costs, or about $42 per barrel. Congress did pass the tax credit, but the definition of biofuel excluded Appel's technology.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/11370598.htm

So it looks like the basic process works, after the redesign, but the economics aren't ideal yet. I think it sounds as though it could be useful for disposing of waste, which would give a decent amount of fuel (but not all that society needs), but it might never be worth growing plants specifically to put into this.

[Melynn]

5. America would invade Nigeria

To me, it's so self evident what Bush would do that in that scenario that I don't see why anyone would waste time debating what the administration would do.

[oblivious]

6. Yes, I know you're right.

[oscar111]

8. Thermal Depolymerization: farm stalks? better term please also

as to a shortage of garbage, why not throw in the farm leavings, like corn stalks?

Also, we all need a shorter word so Joe sixpack can recall it.

How about

DEPO ? and

DEPO OIL

[oscar111]

9. Invade Nigeria as ineffective as calming Iraq

so that would happen but no help for oil supply