Oil at 92.35 a barrel.

[JWFITZ]

It looks to me that many of Hawaii's ecological problems are about to be self-solved.

[Rob Tucker]

Perhaps you could explain your logic.

Punaweb moderator

[JWFITZ]

Helicopter flights,
Airline tickets,
Super ferry rides,
Whale watch tour boats,
Casual tourist traffic,
Development in general--

All highly impacted by fuel costs.

With fuel prices 50 percent higher than a year ago there will be a lot less helicopter noise, I expect.

[JWFITZ]

oh, and if the Fed drops rates next week, does anyone want to bet we'll WON'T see over 100 dollars a barrel by Jan 1?

[tada]

The state of the art in solar:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/21477285

Others want to make friends- I just want to make money.
James Cramer

[JerryCarr]

JWFITZ makes a good point about the Fed lowering rates and the price of oil going up. When US interest rates drop, the value of the dollar usually drops, thus making imported commodities such as oil more expensive. A number of economists are concerned that the Fed is cutting rates to prop up the stock markets and to help banks, mortage lenders, and risky mortgage loan consumers not have to deal with the consequences of poor loan decisions. Others think the rate cuts are necessary to stave off a recession. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. As a stock investor, I have a personal interest in maintaining equity values, but I also wonder about the bigger picture.

Cheers,
Jerry

[Greg]

Escalating oil costs will encourage the use and development of alternative energy sources. Locally produced food and goods will become more economically viable than shipped goods. In other words, Hawaii's economy may become as sustainable, self relient and sophisticated as it was four hundred years ago.

[Hotzcatz]

The high electrical prices have already made use of alternate energy economical in Hawaii, but many folks don't go for it since it is unfamiliar to them. There will be an increased interest in it though as prices continue to go up.

One thing more expensive oil will do is cut way back on the tourists. They are paying higher fuel charges back on the mainland especially the many places that heat their homes with oil. With the oil crunch eating their current income they are less likely to go on expensive Hawaiian vacations. Add to that, the housing implosion and that means they can't re-mortgage their house to get equity out of it so there will be a lot less dollars (whether they are devalued or not)available for them to go on expensive vacations.

The ocean liner traffic may become the bulk of the tourists coming here if they aren't already. Those folks, though, sleep on the cruise ships and eat many of their meals there. I guess the displaced hotel workers can get agricultural jobs growing food to stock the cruise ships?

I would like to see a rail system put in place so when folks can't afford to drive and the County can't afford to run buses, there will still be a way for people and goods to move around the island. If you had to, the locomotive could be steam and maybe use wood to make the steam? There used to be a train from Pahoa to Hilo all the up to Paauilo along the Hamakua coast. It would be lovely to have it running again and extend the track all the way to Kona. It would seem light rail from Hilo to Pahoa, Keaau & Volcano would make sense. Maybe some sort of cable cars or trolleys downtown like Portland has with the light rail taking the people to town. We visited there over the summer and they seemed to have worked out the moving people around part pretty well. Loads of bike paths, too, which we could also use. And sidewalks! Pedestrians many times get the real short end of the stick when it comes to paths. How about a road for "alternate" vehicles? That might put horses next to ATV's and mopeds, though.

There will probably be a resurgence of the small general stores located in the community so folks will be able to get things without driving all the way to town. Perhaps even home delivery. Milk, bread and meat used to come directly to the houses.

We are already off the grid however we still use propane for cooking and the on-demand water heater. I can't think of any other viable alternative fuel for that except wood. If I see a wood stove at a garage sale, we will probably buy it and keep it in a garden shack just in case we need it to cook on at some point. This year we put in a large vegetable garden with open pollinated "heritage" seeds so we can save seeds for the next crop. We've also built a pig trap which not only keeps us supplied with pork, but keeps our neighbors lawns intact so they are happy too. There are a half dozen hens in the backyard so eggs appear, too. Don't know what else to do for increased food production other than get a small milking goat. Go fishing maybe?

[JWFITZ]

Make that 93.53 a barrel.

Remember, it takes a great deal of oil to make solar panels and manufacture any alternative energy contraption. And like all contraptions, they fink out and replacement costs may be prohibitive. Many skills can be had that eliminate or at least minimize the need for such devices. It seems we would do well to learn to live on less and change our expectations of standard of living while we can still do so more or less as a hobby. When the crunch really comes, and live-styles are compelled to change, it would be helpful to have one's preparations made.

[Bob Orts]

People will adapt to higher fuel cost and it’s unlikely they will change their ingrained habit of using fossil fuels. I doubt we'll see any radical changes except for higher prices for goods and services.