Are fuel prices hampering your diving, especially if you live inland and must drive further?
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Are fuel prices hampering your diving, especially if you live inland and must drive further?
They're crunching everything! The Chinese are 68 miles of Miami stealing our oil, yet our own Dumocrats won't allow us to drill! We are supposed to save our selves into independence yet we don't drill, we don't build Nuclear plants, and we haven't built a refinery in 30 plus years! And the Dumocrats want to tax the oil companies! Really! Get a brain! Who is stupid enough not to figure out who will pay that tax? Come on! In 1994 Clinton closed Anware saying it would take 10 years to get the oil! Well 14 years later here we are! We have gone from 9 million barrels per day domestic production down to 5 million! And you wonder why it costs so much? Plus we are shipping our money to people who, no matter what Hussein Obama gives them, don't and won't like us! Whatever happened to "No blood for oil" now its "Wheres the oil for all we have paid"! We are a people that are easily fooled by our politicians and will give up all of our freedoms for "Our Children" and "The environment"! So shut up and pay the price or get educated and vote! This is not the 50's anymore and we can drill oil with destroying the Reindeer! Our you can follow Chicken Little Obama over the cliff! But whinnying about it makes no sense at all! If you think $5.00 is bad just wait, and it still beats walking!
Honestly NO.
Of course it costs more for me to drive to the dive boat, and the boat tacked on and additional $10 to cover the costs of fuel, but it does not stop or slow down my diving. Although the fuel prices are really high, it is something we are going to have to learn to live with. They have been like this in Europe for many years and they are doing very well.
No for me also. The Big Boss (read: Wife) doesn't really issue a kitchen pass except for about once per quarter for the long weekend out of state trips. So, I have three months to save up for the gas bill. Plus, we normally rent a van and split the gas cost amongst the group. But, that doesn't mean we don't bitch when it's our turn to pay. :D
As I live in San Diego, it has not really effected how much I dive but is certainly changing where I dive. I wanted to go to Cancun for vacation this summer but with the high cost of air travel, I will just stay home and spend the money on local dives. We need more oil rigs to dive. Drill, Drill, Drill!
Brian
Well no it hasn't changed my diving since I don't normally drive since most of my diving has been with my university. But to address the other issues, more drilling isn't the solution. It might be the quick fix but it's not the right answer. We need to get rid of our dependence on oil and find a better cleaner solution. The amount of oil isn't the issue it's the lack of atmosphere we have left to absorb the emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. I've ignored it for a while but this isn't a political forum the last I checked. All though it's great to bring up, but lets give up the dumocrats, unless you're willing to acknowledge the retardicans:)
I think it will mean the majority of my diving is closer to home this summer. We are paying $1.40/litre here and we haven't even entered the "Rip Off The Tourists" season yet ...
Wake up! We use oil! There is no alternative and we need to do it all! It always sounds like my wife when she tells me how much she saved me at the sale! You can't save yourself into a millionaire anymore than oil independence! We are 40 years behind on Nuclear plants, reduced production, and we are NOT running out of oil! Period! Carbon has nothing to do with warming anything! Water vapor is the biggest green house gas! Look at the percentage of CO2! I get Irate when divers buy that crap! Dumocrats are about doom and gloom and all that is bad with this country and ignorance is the highest price we pay in the world! You can't talk about Gas prices without politics since they are directly connected! This goes back to Peanut head Jimmy and Billy Boy!
We are not warming and if you would pay attention the ocean has dropped a 1/2 degree "C" in the last 5 years! It has nothing to do with US, but all to do with the SUN! Not one prediction of the Left and the ALGORE has come true! Great inconvenient truth! LOL
We drive our economy on oil, every good sold is delivered by a diesel truck and growth means the free flow of this commodity! Our air is the cleanest in 50 years, our water is safe, and we enjoy a life style that is the best in the world! Other countries would love to have it and are using the GW issue and the UN to get it!
So you go ahead and buy the party line and it will lead to another one and maybe you'll get free cheese!
Well we are obviously an oil driven country right now but it SHOULD, not saying that it will change. Change isn't going to happen tomorrow, or the next day, probably not even in the next 20yrs. But that doesn't mean that it shouldn't happen. When did I ever say we are running out of oil? Oh yea were just running out of an atmosphere it absorb the emissions. Which leads to global warming and ocean acidification, the second of which is probably a bigger short term problem, but that of course only if you believe in the overwhelming scientific data supporting those two issues. It's 100% correct that water vapor is the largest green house gas, but the the largest one that humans have a direct impact on is carbon. Our air might be the cleanest it's been but that's primarily due to emission laws, diesel got a lot cleaner than compared to the past. Take a look at this creditable website: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
If the Government is trying to use the "Sky falling" to control you then they would have the so called evidence! But nothing they have predicted has come to fruition, so where is GW? Where is it caused by man? As far as running out of atmosphere you need to take a class in that it is always being renewed. If science was about consensus then Columbus's ships would have sailed over the edge! If you were paying attention you know that 35000 scientists have said it was bunk! More Dumocrat propaganda to prop up ALGORE and gain control of the US government by scaring the "Un-informed electorate" into putting them in office! We are losing freedom in this country on a daily bases! Seattle just band fires on the beach because of GW! Really! People go okay, we don't need to do that! Well in a free country we should be able to!
Earth first and other friends embedded in the Dumocrat party wanted this years ago! "If we can only push up the cost of fuel, we can stop all the cars and trucks, and end all motor sports by the year 2000!" Well they are close! Next it will be Dive boats and supercilious trips to the beach where you will kill the reefs with your sun block and get skin cancer anyway! These people see us as a virus ojn the world and want us gone or controlled completely!
We are coming to a cross roads where you won't be able to own a dog or cat, they will tell you what to drive and when, how to heat and cool your home, and every other aspect of your life! Oh ya it's already here! All brought to you by the Dumocrats!
I have seen them close millions of acres to off road and family activities and the sea is next! Mark my words regulation is coming to the dive industry near you!
We have long ago started down the slippery slope and are on the way into a pit! Freedom and Environmentalism do not go together it has become the home of the communist ideologue and it is a said day!
Will prices effect your diving? Hell yes, it already has, and all things including a ferry ride to Avalon will cost a lot more! This could devastate the dive industry to the liking of all those environmentalist that will now call me a wacko nut job!
When you do a live a board dive boat and they charge you a fuel surcharge that is the same as raising the prices and will discourage some from booking!
You're equating environmentalists with communists? Yep, Papa, you are a wacko nut job, and your spelling is atrocious!!
As for the orginal post, fuel in the UK is now at between 1.10 and 1.30 a litre stirling, depending on what you are buying, having risen around 30% in the last 9 months. It's another squeeze on the economy that we don't need, and particularly annoying when we see the profits, share prices and associated executive bonuses of the oil companies go sky high....
But has it affected my diving? Absolutely not, no more then it does me living my day to day life. I just need to make adjustments to ensure the necessities get met, like food, shelter and a regular dose of underwater activity.
Hey bottlefish-
All thought I might have had the exact same thoughts, don't be surprised if your post vanishes. They don't like personal attacks of members:mad: Oh yea BTW if you use mozilla firefox there is an automatic spell check. I just got turned onto it, and there are a few other features that are nice but there are still times I have to use internet explorer.
Yep and your think is atrocious so what? I may have missed used a word, but none were miss spelled! And the attacks begin! Yes and I stand behind every word comrade! But leave it to liberals to put form over substance! Thank god I am a successful capitalist and really don't care what it goes to for myself! So please feel free to attack my facts and leave the personal attacks for a in person meeting! As far as the Republicans deflating the dollar, who had Congress for the last few years? Hum, Nancy took over oil was 58 a barrel now its 139! "We will bring down the cost of fuel in the first 100 days"! LOL!!!! Right! Liberals have had 60 years and they have destroyed freedom in this country!
Thanks for sharing your opinions Papa, insightful and educational as always.
But how about just sticking to the original question and leaving the political soap box behind? Has the increase in fuel prices affected your diving?
The question is will politicians, environmentalist, and the news media effect your diving and they are! Ask any LDS any where in the world! Many resorts are feeling the pinch from fuel prices and my point is it is not supply of oil it is the delivery of the supply effected by the above! BTW in the USA a person walking a mile creates more CO2 than an automobile driving the same mile! Hum! Although facts seem to be the real shortage!
Yea actual facts do seem pretty hard to come by, I take it you didn't look at the link because it's a govt. communist conspiracy....right?
How much carbon dioxide do humans contribute through breathing?
The average person, through the natural process of breathing, produces approximately 2.3 pounds of carbon dioxide per day. The actual amount depends strongly on the person's activity level. However, this carbon dioxide is part of a natural closed-loop cycle and does not contribute to the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Natural processes of photosynthesis (in plants) and respiration (in plants and animals) maintain a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Thus, the carbon dioxide from natural process is not included in greenhouse gas inventories.
In contrast, the burning of fossil fuels upsets this natural equilibrium by adding a surplus of carbon dioxide into the system. The carbon in fossil fuels has been stored underground for millions of years and thus is not part of the current natural carbon cycle. When those fuels are burned, the carbon dioxide generated is over and above the amount circulating from natural sources. Land use changes such as deforestation also upset the natural equilibrium by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by forests. Thus, both fossil fuel burning and deforestation are accounted for by scientists who develop greenhouse gas inventories to study how greenhouse gases contribute to climate change.
No, the question most definitely was has the increase in fuel prices affected your diving.
You've chose chosen to hijack the thread, again, with your own political rants and lead it straight into another pointless discussion/debate/argument over environmental issues and beliefs.
I very much doubt that your facts and well informed comments are going to disuade me and people like me from what we believe, any more then our facts or well informed comments will be heard by you.
So really, why bother? It just gets ugly, personal, and I'm sure will put people off the site.
Just my humble opinion, of course.
Well maybe it will inform someone and educate those willing to keep an open mind! You, and many like you are sheep to slaughter and its all your choice! If I open the eyes of one person or give hope that all the dome and gloom is bogus then its worth my time! If you think I have hijacked anything I am not the one who attacks without fact my answer! All I ever offer is facts and food for thought! A starving brain is a terrible thing to see! BTW you spelled Dissuade wrong! Stones and glass houses, at least may facts still stand!
For those of us who don't want to read or realizes the effects of the carbon cycle and this conspiracy theory called "global warming" here's a graphic. The only problem is that the arrow from the burning of fossil fuels isn't nearly big enough.
Carbon Dioxide has gone up in the last ten years yet global temperatures have gone down! Water vapor is more important than 4thousands of one percent raise in CO2! Total CO2 in our atmosphere is .036% up from .032% and yet this amount 800 times less than in the Plasticine era is causing Global warming! Right and I have some swamp land you might be interested in! The sun and sun spots are responsible for all warming on the First through ninth planet in this solar system! Space minus 300 degrees plus surface of the earth -60* to 136* in Death valley and also in Africa in the 1930's! Thats right not 1998! Snow and Ice 1% above century average for the Arctic! Global Warming? Oceans down 1/2 degree Centigrade in the last 5 years! Ice pack in Antarctic 30% above normal! Sun activity 20 year cycle of sun spots is now quite for the last 5 years peaking in 2003! On and on and the sheep will always find a reason to follow regardless of the facts and lack of any of the so called signs of predicted GW! So whats the answer? Only one, control and the daily loss of your freedoms and raising fuel prices and a lot of money being made selling you green!
No simple 3rd grade model needed!
OK, kids, take it easy there. We all know stats can be used to show anything, 0.036% of anything is a very small proportion, but a rise in CO2 from 0.032% to 0.036% is a 12.5% increase. Sounds significant to me. Also, I hope the info referred to (Plasticine era etc.) didn't come from the acknowledged hoax distributed last year and broadcast by Rush Limbaugh.
http://adamant.typepad.com/seitz/200...o-judgeme.html
I am not taking sides, I agree that whatever the decisions they need to based on genuine scientific evidence. Research what you feel are accurate sources and then make your own decisions. At the end of the day, whatever your beliefs or political persuasions, conservation is not a bad thing whether it be to save a few bucks at the gas pump, a few gallons of water at home or a few kilowatt hours on your electricity bill.
OK, so back to the original question. ;) Is the price of gas/petrol having an impact on my diving? Answer, yes, but not much. I am being a little more careful due to economic factors, one of which is the price of fuel for the car. I choose to drive a relatively thirsty truck (15 mpg, US gallon), but I need it when going for a dive weekend, to carry all the gear. However, when planning the weekend, we get together and figure out who can ride with whom to share the costs and to make the journey more enjoyable.
I choose what activities I take part in based on a number of factors, as we all have choices. If I have an option to go on a diving trip somewhere but to do so would mean I couldn't pay the mortgage, I would choose not to go. :mad: However, if I have the choice between a new fridge or a new BCD, the answer is more likely to be "do I really need a new fridge, or will the old one rattle on for a few more months?" :rolleyes:
Whether you are a millionaire or an average Joe, you have choices as to what you do with your money.
OK, now back to the soap box derby!;)
I have to say I am not as "informed" about Global Warming and environmental issues as the rest of you. But I have made some observations based on my own personal experience over the years. It seems to me there are more violent weather storms than there was years ago. It also seems to me like the annual hurricanes start earlier in the year now than they did when I was younger. In fact, I find that in my area that spring starts later and the nicer weather lasts longer into the fall. We used to start swimming at the ol' swimming hole in May when I was a kid, now it is mid-June and the water is still frigid. And yet last summer I saw the warmest water temps I had ever seen by the end of the summer. Winters are far more milder than they were when I was a kid. We don't get anywhere near the snowfall that we used to when I was younger. So I wonder what all that means?
Very good points! All it matters is how you interpret the data. Global warming might not be as bad as some portray but there is data to suggest it's happening. All though the changes might seem insignificant, and have little or no effects in our lifetime, change is occurring. The pH of the ocean is changing even less(becoming acidic) but that may have significant changes. No it doesn't mean it will burn us, but species will become extinct due to the change. At first I was extremely skeptical of global warming but with time and knowledge it's impossible to ignore. At the last world conference on global warming I believe it was that 93% of all the worlds scientists recognized global warming. Scientists NEVER agree, so something must be happening. To what extent, who knows! I could care less if you agree or not but we can all do our part! Fossil fuels aren't sustainable or renewable, so do your best to conserve. Remember it's all about sustainability! That's all I'm trying to get at. So who's it hurting if we monitor our uses, and try to conserver? Oh yea no one! It's the people who are fixed in their views, and won't change that will cause the most problems. Remember denial won't solve anything and is one of the first symptoms of DCS:) So agian just be proactive and do your best! But back to the origional question, I forgot that it has changed my diving because I sold my boat due to the increasing costs of fuel and the cheap wads not wanting to chip in:mad: But looking back, I really didn't use it much so it's money in my pocket, plus I didn't lose anyting on the sale:) Take this to heart, take this with a grain of sand, I really don't care but I'm done with the political/environmental bitching at one another!:)
So we have sheep on the one side and ostriches on the other. Perhaps that's why we find it so difficult to communicate, we're talking completely different languages from a completely different perspective.
Anyway, how about answering the original question eh Papa, everyone else has managed without breaking down into a political fervour. Go on, treat us all, take a deep breath and try and ignore this self bidden urge to show us all the light, mend the err of our ways. ;-)
Not only do I believe it, I have the facts to back everything I have said! And it is NOT GETTING WARMER since 1998 and those figures were suspect because Siberia stations did not report for 1993 to 1999 and data was interpolated! A little thing called the fall of the Soviet Union! Add Clinton shutting down a third of all the NOAA stations and you get false readings! Storms don't start any earlier or end any later and there intensity is still not what it was in the 1930's so your weather is just that, your weather, and not a trend! The storms seem stronger because of reporting and population! Sure they become more devastating when three times or more people live in the storm areas! Same with tornadoes, more of them or more people living in tornado country? Science has been ignored and put aside to push an agenda! All the concrete comes from limestone from eras when CO2 was much higher than it is now, but 4 thousands of a % is nothing! The ocean can absorb up to 800 times as much CO2 as currently in the atmosphere! This is a man made crises that we have brought on ourselves by relaying on Government to take care of us! 1934 is still on record for the highest temperatures recorded in modern times! Wow our records go back to the 1880's please thats not even a tick of the world clock, yet we will let some politician run your life for fear!
This line is part and parcel of any fuel or gas discussion and it will and already has effected many divers! Diving is a very "Carbon rich" activity from the power to fill tanks to the fuel to get you to the dive site, including air travel, and all the CO2 exhaled in all those bubbles! So look for the target on your back, mark my words it's coming!
I believe you mean climate:) Weather is only the short term conditions, while climate is the long term prevailing conditions/weather. Again I'm over the whole debate but I sure hope you're just off your meds again:) about the whole diving thing. Maybe we'll only be allowed to dive in kelp forests to allow the CO2 to absorb directly into the kelp:) so we better start killing off those urchin barrens. I always enjoy cracking a few open because they make great fish food.:)
I know the difference and I was responding to his weather as being just that and not climate change that does not express the ever changing event as static! We have always had and always will have climate change! The only thing constant in the universe is change! So to say it is changing compared to what? BTW I just turned 57 and take only vitamins, my BP is 130/72 my HDL/LDL total is 167. I have passed my treadmill and take no "Meds" so what you see and hear is all me!
Don't try dangerous jokes without professional training! Good jokes always have a bases in truth with a twist, bad jokes just have no bases in reality or fact!
Today the Dumocrats are trying to pass a Winfall tax on oil companies and really believe that will bring down prices! Ever heard of Jimmy Carter? So if something that stupid passes get ready for odd and even days again and the joke will be on us! Again they think people are stupid enough to go with the mob and not understand that we will pay and the government will collect!
Who owns oil companies? 47% owned by pension plans and a total of 67% by small investors all around the world! The rest by institutional corperate investment! All monies earned at point of sale paid by you and I!
With the Million dollars I have in dive equipment...
A few bucks at the pump won't put a dent in my diving...
I can't stop now...
Got to dive...
Wait till the first time someone drills a hole in your car while your diving to steal your $125.00 of gas sitting in your tank! It's happening here in California, after all we are trend setters! The guy who invented the portable drill never thought of this! Drill $39.95, Gas $125.00 per tank, Lost dive Priceless!