Gas prices

[cricket]

Shane, the word, "foreign" isn't spelled f-o-r-i-e-g-n. Spelling lesson: foreign is a foreign word and doesn't follow the regular "i before e" rule.

[Dr. Shane]

You know if Bill Gates were running C/A that wouldn't be a problem <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[cricket]

You're absolutely right.

But, if you're at all like me (and sometimes, we're very much alike), you wouldn't be here if Bill Gates were running Club A!

[Stan]

The bigger problem with oil is that the US$ has been devluated so much, 2-3 years ago, $100.00 US bought 5 barrels of oil, now $100.00 US purchases just about 2 barrels.

At the same time a US$1.00 used to get 1.30 euros, now my last purchase only got me about .78 euros, about 60% of what it did 2-3 years ago.

The price of a liter of petrol in Canada still runs around 69-95 cents liter, (it can actually vary that much every day).

[GreatLakesGramma]

Shane, I didn't say anything about Congress controlling gas prices. That has nothing to do with what I said. I'm talking about making it difficult for individual entrepeneurs to market alternatives to use instead of petroleum products. Congress is expert at passing laws restricting and red-taping small business ventures to death.

[GreatLakesGramma]

In case you didn't get it, I don't consider the solution to dependence on foreign oil to be increasing domestic sources. The best solution is switching over to renewable, non-polluting energy sources, like solar and wind power, soy diesel and other plant-based fuels, etc.

[Dr. Shane]

From what I understood oil is sold in US$ so the devaluation of the US$ doesn't affect the quanity we can buy. I heard that Russia was considering selling their oil in Euros and if they did they would be the first to be selling oil in a currency other than US$.

Could it be the reason $100 use to buy 5 barrels is becuase the price was $20/barrel and the reason a $100 only buys 2 barrels now is that the price is $50/barrel?

I don't know, perhaps I was misinformed. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Dr. Shane]

Sister Christine, alternative fuels will not be made by profit-based, small businesses. They will be made by government-subsidized businesses and that is going forward. In fact high gas prices is good for those seeking grants to develope alternative fuels.

[Peter]

There are huge pockets of methane gas out in the Bermuda triangle that are responsible for sinking ships and can cause aircraft to expode as their engines can set up an explosion that can down the plane. If we could mine that methane we could have a vast reserve of power.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/22/1066631498889.html?from=storyrhs

[GreatLakesGramma]

Quote:

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Wow! A 42 gallon tank. Lucky you for not having to go to the gas station but once a month. Now, for people who drive vehicles like you, I can truly understand watching the prices and trying to get the best price.

For me, it's just pointless. When I run out of gas, I have to fill up the tank or I'll be stuck at home. (And for me, only serious illness will keep me home for more than 2 days straight.)

---

Chrys, I don't watch prices either. I just don't go anywhere unless I have to. Being a homebody, that doesn't bother me. I've missed quite a few special programs I would have liked to attend at the library and nature center due to fuel budget considerations, but in the long run it's no great loss.

My Suburban actually gets the best mileage of any vehicle I've ever owned, because it's diesel. It pollutes less than a gasoline engine too.

[GreatLakesGramma]

Here in Michigan, there is a farmer's co-op making and using soy diesel. They are not being subsidized by the government. If they decide to expand their operation, they could get it on the market a lot faster and more efficiently than any government operation ever will. And we wouldn't have to make any expensive adaptations to our vehicles in order to use it.

[Dr. Shane]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

The best solution is switching over to renewable, non-polluting energy sources, like solar and wind power, soy diesel and other plant-based fuels, etc.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I am very much in favor of such alternative fuels too. My wife and I were looking into buying a wind turbine to make our own electricity since our average wind speed here is 11 mph. However once I investigated it I learned the wind turbine would cost about $5,000 and save us about $65 a year <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> It would make enough power to run our refrigerator. Now someday in the future they will make more effecient turbines that will generate more power with less wind but we are not there yet.

If you are honestly in favor of developing alternative fuels, like I am, you have to be a little happy to see the price of gas go up. As long as gas is cheap we will never spend the money needed to develope alternative forms of energy. The best we have now are the hybred cars.

[GreatLakesGramma]

Shane, when I was a high school student, and Earth Day was first observed, I planned to use solar and/or wind power to meet all my electrical needs. I'm still as much of an environmentalist as I was then, but more realistic now. As an adult I found out that the cost was way more than I could ever hope to come up with. If money were no object, I'd do it anyway, even at a higher cost.

And by the way, you should look into solar panels. There is a man near us who uses them to provide 100% of the electricity he needs to run his machine shop, plus part of the power for his home. He also has a fully electric car he adapted himself. There is another family I've heard of in our area who use solar power for all of their needs, with a surplus they sell to the electic company.

But I cannot be happy about soaring fuel costs. My home state, Michigan, has always had a manufacturing- and tourism-based economy. With so many Michigan factories being moved to foreign countries, we now have the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Too many people in Michigan are already struggling to survive. Then they got hit with huge increases in heating fuel prices, and many more than ever before have sought assistance during this past winter, with less money available due to decreases in state tax revenues.

Like I said before, it's the ones who are least able to do anything about it that suffer the most.

[Amelia]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

My wife and I were looking into buying a wind turbine to make our own electricity

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Shane, thats too bad that your wind speed is so low. Here in Oregon many have wind turbines and wind up selling power back to the electricity company. How about solar?

[Dr. Shane]

Wind turbines are made to generate power from winds starting at 9 mph. Much of the year our winds are much more than that. However the overall average is 11 mph. West Texas is filled with wind turbines. Bush passed a law when he was governor requiring so many to be built each year. In Texas we have electric choice and can choose to buy power from an electric provider that uses only wind power. However in some areas, like mine, we belong to an electrical coop so we do not have that choice.

Solar power, is as Christine mentioned, expensive to start up with. It is more efficent at heating a house than generating electricity, from what I understand. And in south Texas we don't need more heat.

However it has been said that pain is the touchstone of all progress. Often we as society don't make progress unless we feel pain. So as gas prices go up, so does the pain factor, which should result in progress in alternative fuels.

Yes, they make electric meters that go backwards. So if you use power from the electrical grid it goes forward and if your electrical producing capablity exceeds what you are using the power you are producing will go into the electrical grid and your meter will go backwards. Few people produce enough to get a check for their utility company but many produce enough to reduce their electric bill.

[aka]

Do you know anyone driving an electric-driven motor vehicle?

Or a transport vehicle driven by bio-gas?

Turmeric

[Stan]

GOOD THOUGHTS BUT....

<img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/129933-offtopic2.gif" alt="" />

[Stan]

Welome back... Turmeric you have been missed

[aka]

LOL....ROFLOL.....

...... the guy thinks my alternative energy transport comment is

when a slew of messages in threads are currently proclaiming the moaning and groaning of high prices of gas the members here are having to get used to..

Turmeric

(imagine that...I've was missed.

Now that's a warm thought against cold mental drafts of inferior thinking if they were to arise. Thank you)