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Fuel oil prices

Started by mike_van, November 15, 2007, 07:37:20 PM

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Corley5

Autos powered by steam produced by solid bio fuels such as wood, wood or switch grass pellets, corn, cherry pits etc  These vehicles should also be capable of burning pelletized coal.  Fuel stations would carry whatever could be produced regionally.  That's my solution  ;) ;D
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

LeeB

Lots of very good debate here fellows. Perhaps a litle more heated than nessasary but good just the same. I'm enjoying all the different view points. I don't know the answer either. As I said, I work in the oil industry. I would love to see a viable alternative fuel come about. Even if one were to apear tommorow we still would be very much reliant on petroleum products. They are a part of nearly every aspect of our lives, and not just for fuel. Until something comes along and puts me out to pasture I'll keep on digging it out of the ground for us. I hope i get put out to pasture soon.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Ron Wenrich

Woodcarver

I saw it on PBS just a few weeks ago.  I'm pretty sure that's the number that they're trying to get to, and they said they were ahead of schedule.  They showed solar cells in lots of locations, like along highways, and had an interview with a farmer that has put in fields of solar panels.  The sheep were grazing underneath. 

The Germans have some sort of buy back program that lowers your electric bills pretty dramatically.  The incentive puts everyone into wanting to put them up. 

If Germany can have a program for motivating their people into solar, and Denmark can do it with wind, and Iceland can do it with geothermal; why can't the US do something?  We allow the oil companies to write off billions in tax money, and then throw millions at alternative fuels. 

Bottom line is that alternatives don't reap tax money.  You can't tax energy or energy making if the individual can make his own.  You can tax it, but you'll never collect it off of a bunch of small time operators.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

thecfarm

I try to keep out of thing like this.We can talk about this for days.As long as certain companies are making millions,this will keep going on.This country is run by oil not by solar or wind power.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Furby


Corley5

Offroad diesel was 3.439 here a couple hours ago.  Got orders for 12 more FC of firewood today
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Woodcarver

Just an old dog learning new tricks.......Woodcarver

Ron Wenrich

Thanks for the link.  The show I saw was NOVA.  I found the quote from the show where I got the 20% and the 30%.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3406_solar.html

It was the narrator talking to Herman Scheer, a member of the German Parliment. In 2000, Germany instituted a National Renewable Energy Act which requires Germany to produce 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.  The detractors said the goal is impossible, but Scheer says they are ahead of schedule and could reach 30% by 2020.

The program also stated that the Germans are producing about 1 million solar cells each week, and have created 170,000 jobs.


Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Brucer

A lot of petroleum provides feedstock for chemical and plastic companies. The amount of waste is huge.

Example: I happen to like Pental type automatic pencils. When these first came out, I could buy 30 leads in a small cardboard tube. Just recently I bought some at the local stationary store -- 12 leads in a thick plastic container that could easily hold 100 leads. I wasn't buying leads I was buying the container -- but there were no alternatives. Time to go back to wooden pencils and old fashioned pencil sharpeners.

A lot of items are sold in big, bulky plastic blister packs. You practically need a chainsaw to open some of those packages. Why do they package things that way instead of in a compact cardboard box? A retailer showed me some promotional material from his distributer. The blister packs are bulky and hard to open in order to discourage shoplifting.

Using plastic this way is a terrible waste of valuable liquid fuel. There are plenty of alternatives. Cardboard containers, cellophane bags and wrappers (it's made from cellulose doncha know), glass bottles for example.

This isn't going to change real soon unless the government(s) start restricting the inappropriate use of petrochemicals. We try to do our part. Barb's crocheted a bunch of string bags (out of cotton) to hold produce purchases (instead of using the store's plastic bags. We've been using canvas shopping bags for more than 20 years. Given a choice, I'll buy drinks in glass or aluminum containers rather than plastic. These are just a few ways to reduce indirect oil consumption.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

submarinesailor

Here is an article released by Reuters yesterday about the Canadain oil reserves.

Bruce

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN2022657220071120

brianJ

High fuel prices are not a new issue and the points of view are still the same.

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