Drilling for Oil in New York City

[Cassandra]

http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/30248

"Instead of looking in Alaska for a massive source of energy, look at New York City.

It doesn't look to most people like an oil geyser, but every day New York City residents consume just one-third of the gasoline used by other Americans and one-half of the residential energy use of a typical American. They drive fewer cars because of a well-developed mass transit system and their multi-unit buildings use less energy per household.

That adds up to the equivalent of between 221,000,000 to 296,000,000 barrels of oil saved per year by New York residents -- just a bit less than the 320,000,000 barrels per year that would be produced by the ANWR field in Alaska at its peak production. Just by its urban design, New York City is one of the most important energy sources in the country. "

I haven't owned a car in 25 years, I walk or take mass transit (usually the subway rather than a bus) and I live in a small building whose boiler serves 16 apartments. For longer trips, I take the train (the train network from here is awesome). I recently signed up for Con Ed Solutions Green Power, which will give me a fixed contract for a year directing my payments to pay for wind power and Niagra water power (why not solar, too?). I'm looking at what else I can do other than more energy efficient bulbs, since I don't have control over the thermostat in my building.

[PDJane]

1. It makes more sense........

I haven't found a car necessary either.

I live in downtown Toronto, in a low-rise apartment building. I walk, I take the TTC, I take the train. I rarely fly; flying is a very destructive habit. Winter temps are mild enough that heat is rarely needed. Heating is electric, and it's comfortable in the winter (yes, I have been accused of being related to polar bears). Summer, of course, is a different matter; at least a fan is a necessity.

We're a destructive species, and we will have to mend our ways for survival.

[robbedvoter]

2. It's not the New Yorkers who do most of the consumming

It's the tunnel&bridges people. Most of us don't own a car, some of those who do, only use it on weekends/occasionally.

[Cassandra]

3. Well, we do depend on the bridge and tunnel truckers...

to bring food in but we're an efficient market.

[iconoclastNYC]

4. It should be said that many people who come over on B&T

Do so on an energy efficient train.

[dcfirefighter]

5. Urban living much much more energy efficient than other forms

And I favor the urbanization of our suburbs. I even favor greenfield development of new urban forms.

Unfortunately, urban development is often stymied by the suboptimization of NIMBY anti-development groups, anti-gentrification groups, or land speculators.

All three are taken care of by publicly collecting and sharing 'Rent' the financial flow of money from the economy to the owners of Land. Rent is more than enough to pay for development costs and public goods, collecting Rent takes away the financial benefit of owning Land (but not buildings) and so makes housing MORE affordable.

Collecting rent means that public investments, such as in transit systems, is recovered publicly, rather then by private hands in the forms of increased land values.

[skids]

6. And here I thought...

...they were going to suggest scraping all the grease off the drug dealers and streetwalkers.

Or maybe a new process to convert "curb butter" into usable fuel.

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