Gas prices

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I just saw a list of the "Top 10 Hybrids for 2008". Half of them didn't even hit 30 MPG!!! WTF?

 

1. passenger vehicles seem to average 16-24 mpg. No improvement in 20 years. Yes that sucks.

 

2. what proportion of US fuel consumption is caused by passenger vehicles? we move a lot of shit around... there are inefficiencies there. and whatever happened to *seasonal* availability of produce? do we really need to ship stuff in from all around the world 12 months a year for the sake of instant gratification and variety?

[StevenSeagal]

 

You're like the guy driving a hummer.

 

Do you know what the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon is? That's right -- cattle grazing. Nearly 2/3 of agricultural cropland in America is ultimately intended for animal consumption. Did you know that nearly 60% of U.S. grain is fed to animals?

 

That sure would be a lot of biofuel.

 

On the subject of relativism...

 

pPe1jhyf5sI

[kevbone]

they have issues b/c they are forcing up the price of wheat and other agricultural products. an increase in production of biofuels may lead to food shortage or continued destruction of eco sensitivity land such as rainforest

 

That is an interesting view point…..shortage of food? What about a shortage of US solders fighting in an occupation so the oil companies get rich and the contractors get rich? Which is worse?

 

This is what makes you so obnoxious. This thread has a pretty good topic going. Just b/c you’re obsessed w/some particular political topic does not make it mandatory that you try and convert every thread to that topic. We are not discussing the war or impact on oil prices/supplies

 

Minx……are you high? What is the name of this thread? GAS prices…..mmmm…..how does one obtain gas? Oil! If the show fits….wear it!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Minx……are you high? What is the name of this thread? GAS prices…..mmmm…..how does one obtain gas? Oil! If the show fits….wear it!

 

Minx high? You're the pothead.

 

STFU, boner.

[kevbone]

Minx….I see it as a trade off. What is more important? Food prices and people starving or price of oil and the military dying. I am not trying to “change” the subject. I am offering another view point that I believe to be pertinent. I believe oil prices to be were they are at because of the administration and there Iraq policies. There are all in bed together. The oil companies raise the price of gas simply because……they can! We can do nothing about it, except find another source of energy. Which the oil companies will stop at nothing to discourage from getting out there and being a force because they will loose money in the long run.

[MtnHigh]

Maybe this will help keep cars on the road for a while

 

Cultivating Algae

 

Gallons of Oil Per Acre per Year

Corn : 18

Soybeans : 48

Safflower : 83

Sunflower : 102

Rapeseed : 127

Oil Palm : 635

Micro Algae : 5000-15000

 

[grtmtnchic]

Maybe this will help keep cars on the road for a while

 

Cultivating Algae

 

Gallons of Oil Per Acre per Year

Corn : 18

Soybeans : 48

Safflower : 83

Sunflower : 102

Rapeseed : 127

Oil Palm : 635

Micro Algae : 5000-15000

 

Nice job! Makes a startling point about efficiency, doesn't it?!

 

[grtmtnchic]

I just saw a list of the "Top 10 Hybrids for 2008". Half of them didn't even hit 30 MPG!!! WTF?

 

There were cars in the 80's that got 40-60 mpg. Mention that to the car manufacturers and you hear BS like: "manufacturing those will sink the industry, too expensive". i.e. "our strings are pulled by the oil conglomerates".

My bro's VW Jetta wagon (w/2 adults n 2 kids and lots of stuff in it) gets 45 mpg running on biodiesel. And it smells good!

[kevbone]

My bro's VW Jetta wagon (w/2 adults n 2 kids and lots of stuff in it) gets 45 mpg running on biodiesel. And it smells good!

 

 

Sounds great....what does it cost to buy?

[MtnHigh]

I bought a '96 Passat TDI wagon 3 years ago for $6K. Put $3K of repair into the first year (it needed work). They sell for $7-10K depending on the condition. Mine gets over 40mpg. Great road trip car.

[tvashtarkatena]

$3.57. The eco-fascists dream has come true! Wait until labor day, it'll be well over $4.

 

Eco-fascists? What do they have to do with gas prices? My understanding is the recent increases were due to OPEC.

 

The people who think it's "good" for prices to go up. Way up. They should be happy. I didn't say there are to blame, but are certainly creaming their pants with delight. Yeah, this will show America! This is what America needs! F-k yeah!

 

It's good for the planet, which means it's good for us, which means it's good period.

 

You wanna burn more gas? STFU and get a better paying job, you whiny little bitch. Free market solutions, motherfucker.

[tvashtarkatena]

most people seem to completely ignore the huge ecological impact caused by the american obsession with animal protein.

 

Beef, chicken, pork, lamb - they are all yummy. All you vegans can starve yourselves and look all week and sickly, and I'll have a steak on your behalf.

 

 

You're like the guy driving a hummer.

 

Do you know what the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon is? That's right -- cattle grazing. Nearly 2/3 of agricultural cropland in America is ultimately intended for animal consumption. Did you know that nearly 60% of U.S. grain is fed to animals?

 

That sure would be a lot of biofuel.

 

It's fine to want to eat meat. Grass fed livestock, if done properly, is a sustainable way to raise meat. It's generally more expensive, however. The problem with the obese American consumer is the he/she feels entitled to LOTS of CHEAP meat (and cheap gas, for that matter). We need to ween our nation off of our twisted sense of consumer entitlement.

 

We also need to decrease our population and that means, yes, in the U.S. This is the elephant in the room no one in our entitled nation is willing to talk about. Yes, that will mean greater restrictions on immigration; the primary source of our population growth.

 

Edited March 14, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[olyclimber]

BURN BABY BURN

 

9SxL5W8yxwo

[tvashtarkatena]

Was that an extra feature from Red Dawn?

[Bug]

No dinosuars were injured in the filming of this sequence.

[grtmtnchic]

My bro's VW Jetta wagon (w/2 adults n 2 kids and lots of stuff in it) gets 45 mpg running on biodiesel. And it smells good!

 

 

Sounds great....what does it cost to buy?

 

His is a 2003 and I think he bought it for around $18K in 2004, but that was before the demand for TDI's went up - now all the diesel VW's are sold at a premium.

 

[tvashtarkatena]

Something to consider: diesels contribute to global warming more than high mileage gasoline cars (Honda civics, etc), despite their slightly better mileage overall, due to very high particulates. Unfortunately, biodiesel, while it produces reduced greenhouse gases, still produces large amounts of these particulates. This is a big problem in Europe, which has switched a large portion of its vehicles to diesel.

[grtmtnchic]

they have issues b/c they are forcing up the price of wheat and other agricultural products. an increase in production of biofuels may lead to food shortage or continued destruction of eco sensitivity land such as rainforest

 

One more thing about this, just to clarify: wheat and corn are what is grown/used to make Ethanol, which is an energy NEGATIVE fuel - not efficient, and I'm not supporting it - those crops grown to make ethanol are in fact causing food shortages (corn in Latin America for example) and causing destruction of rainforests that are cleared to grow corn. It is possible in the future that Ethanol can be made from switchgrass, which can be grown on land unsuitable for any food crops, which would be great, but the technology isn't there yet.

 

The benefit of biodiesel is that it uses BY-PRODUCTS of food production or WASTE, like post-consumer oil. When soybeans are used to make biodiesel, only the oil is used, and the food part of the soybean is still used. As pointed out by someone else, the most efficient source of biodiesel by far is Algae.

 

Big difference between ethanol and biodiesel.

 

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now

 

[Bug]

But Bush said we could use weeds and grass to make bio-deisel.

 

[grtmtnchic]

Something to consider: diesels contribute to global warming more than high mileage gasoline cars (Honda civics, etc), despite their slightly better mileage overall, due to very high particulates. Unfortunately, biodiesel, while it produces reduced greenhouse gases, still produces large amounts of these particulates. This is a big problem in Europe, which has switched a large portion of its vehicles to diesel.

 

I hadn't heard that...but I'll look into it, as that would be an important factor. I was aware that Europe has really given biodiesel the push, far more so than the US.

 

[grtmtnchic]

But Bush said we could use weeds and grass to make bio-deisel.

 

He musta been smokin' it then...

[tvashtarkatena]

The whining about high gas price is ridiculous. It's mostly those who, seemingly devoid of any foresight whatsoever, bought gas guzzlers in the past few years. Well, tough toenails kids. These price increases have been predicted for a long time; you should have known they were coming. Welcome to the new age of personal responsibility.

 

'Oh, the poor will be hurt'. Bullshit. The poor are already on the bus or they drive economy cars. If 'the poor' are driving fat assed bling mobiles paid for with debt, well, then they deserve to suffer to for their irresponsible choices. As for the economy car poor, they can carpool or switch to the bus just as easily as anyone else.

 

This nation doesn't have a traffic problem, it has a cheap gas problem. Higher gas prices will solve our 'traffic problem' for us, the natural way, through the invisible hand of the market, without spending a dime on expanded 520 bridges or other unnecessary 'improvements'. Where improvements do need to be made (other than preventing our existing infrastructure from falling down) is a continued commitment to public transportation.

[kevbone]

The whining about high gas price is ridiculous. It's mostly those who, seemingly devoid of any foresight whatsoever, bought gas guzzlers in the past few years. Well, tough toenails kids. These price increases have been predicted for a long time; you should have known they were coming. Welcome to the new age of personal responsibility.

 

 

 

You make it sound like I have a choice of cars? Really……I am for the most part poor. I cannot afford to make payments on a car…..therefore was only able to throw down a couple grand on a 98. It gets about 25 to the gallon. I do not have the money to buy a hybrid Honda that costs 25 k. Do you?

[jmace]

Move out of the burbs closer to your work..you said you made the choice to move far away for space..you cant have everything

[KaskadskyjKozak]

The whining about high gas price is ridiculous. It's mostly those who, seemingly devoid of any foresight whatsoever, bought gas guzzlers in the past few years. Well, tough toenails kids. These price increases have been predicted for a long time; you should have known they were coming. Welcome to the new age of personal responsibility.

 

 

 

You make it sound like I have a choice of cars? Really……I am for the most part poor. I cannot afford to make payments on a car…..therefore was only able to throw down a couple grand on a 98. It gets about 25 to the gallon. I do not have the money to buy a hybrid Honda that costs 25 k. Do you?

 

Welcome to the world the eco-fascists have in store for you. Dance to their tune like a marionette on a string, or die.