Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Fuck electric. Closed-circuit hydrogen engines. With a good condenser, you'll only have to tank up every 2 weeks or so. And the planet is like 70% fuel.
------------------ "Two parts slush...one part solid ice...one part hard-packed snow...a dash of assorted debris...sculpt into sphere, and serve at high velocity without warning." --Calvin
posted
Tora: Yes, I did over simplify that above post.
But the point is how much does it take to make NyQuil? I don't know, nor do I about gas, but it would be interesting to see the markup percentage on both.
What is the price of a barrel of crude oil, say $30.00 a barrel. What is a barrel, 50 gallons. Now at the pump I pay about $1.639 a gallon, or $81.95 a barrel. That is a markup of 2.732x. Hell, I used to sell vacuums that I bought for $142.00 for $599.00, or a 4.218x markup. So an oil companies refining and transportion costs and profits are tied to a rough 2.7x markup. This only makes people mad because we all use gas, in one form or another. If the oil industry used the same markup most businesses do the the price of gas would be about $2.40 a gallon.
Don't get me wrong, I hate the high prices and the money that they are able to spend on lobbying, and their ability to pay these fines that are cheaper than meeting EPA Standards. When I was a mech. infantryman in the older M106A2s as a mortar gunner the desiel exhaust would turn my face in to a sooty mess, so I can imagine what that was doing to my lungs. I now hear that desiel exhaust may get, or has gotten, to be labeled a carcinogen.
When I compare the markups of items I get more irate over other things than gas, my telephone bill, for example. I don't even call long distance, but since I make over 400 local calls they charge me..... Why? So they can rape me better than Exxon can.
------------------ Stupid bastards and religious freaks, so safe in their castle keeps...
posted
It really does cost a bit to refine oil into gasoline. Transportation is no small thing, either. This is compounded in the Midwest, where there's a broken pipeline, and area-specific regs that make the gas cost more to refine.
------------------ Pilot: You're sure they were Americans, eh? Fraser: They were all wearing new boots, they were driving a Jeep Wrangler, and they carried big guns. Pilot: Americans it is. - "due South"
posted
This seems to be a case of priorities. Theres the one side (Jay, me and few others) who say that it doesn't matter a rats arse what happens to a few shareholders as long as we protect the environment and get rid of a basically destructive force (pollution). The other side is more grounded in the here and now and concerned over (what appear to be) purely financial concerns and some oddball economic theories. Such as inelastic demand. News for you guys. Note how in the rest of the world the average engine size for a car is 2litres? Not 4 or 5 like in the USA. Any idea why that is? Higher prices. They effect demand drastically. People will still want to drive, because there really is no viable alternative that matches flexibility, speed and convenience. However they don't want to pay through the nose to do so.
BTW if I were dictator, I'd roll out a plan for forced conversions to non-pollutive power sources within 5 years. Thus is the power of a dictator.
posted
Unfortunately, there are no non-pollution generating energy sources. Why, the sun is filling up with dangerous fusion by-products at such a prodigious rate that one day it will swallow the Earth! I don't know about you, but millions and millions of tons of superheated hydrogen plasma invading my personal space and vaporizing my personal person counts as rather severe pollution to me.
posted
I know that this was said way, way, way back up there, but we had riots in England? You must have a strange definition of "riot".
If it's a group of people standing outside of petrol depots, drinking tea and saying to drivers "could you turn back please", then by all means, it was a riot.
BTW, people carriers (or whatever you call them in your country of origin), are just starting to become popular over here. The thing is, they are becoming popular as family cars. My mum has often has to fit 3 babies, and a few adults in them. A large number of people do have two cars, but it's usually one big car for when your taking large groups of people somewhere, and a little car for nipping around in. I've only got a 1.1 engine myself. I wouldn't actually like to own a BMW SUV, since it's hard enough parking at the moment. And our petrol's expensive. Cause our government's evil. And put's stuff in the water. That tangent was unrelated. Carry on.
------------------ "Why do you want to spend time with a deer? They're so stupid, they get hypnotized by headlights!" - Guido Anchovy
"it doesn't matter a rats arse what happens to a few shareholders as long as we protect the environment and get rid of a basically destructive force."
Who said anything about the shareholders? I'm worried about the consumer. They eventually foot the bill, after all.
Of course, I probably SHOULD be worried about the shareholders, since without them, we don't get oil AT ALL. I'd imagine that you'd like the prices then, too.
"People will still want to drive, because there really is no viable alternative that matches flexibility, speed and convenience."
We're talking about speed in a unilitre vehicle, here? IIRC, some places are so desperate as to go to decilitres.
Sol:
I must add that to my list of quotes. Priceless...
------------------ Pilot: You're sure they were Americans, eh? Fraser: They were all wearing new boots, they were driving a Jeep Wrangler, and they carried big guns. Pilot: Americans it is. - "due South"
How do you know there was more summer driving than usual? Did you pass out a survey? I really want to know how you came to that conclusion, because to me, I think thats BS you drew out of yer ass.
Jeff
------------------ Jeff's Webcam *** Gore/Lieberman 2000 *** "The Eiffel Tower ... the worlds' largest lightening rod!" MacLeod to Kalas before taking his head atop the Paris landmark
posted
Radio news segment. Give me a bit to come up with an online source...
------------------ Pilot: You're sure they were Americans, eh? Fraser: They were all wearing new boots, they were driving a Jeep Wrangler, and they carried big guns. Pilot: Americans it is. - "due South"
quote:And this is the REAL KICKER...... Evian water 9oz for $1.49 equals $21.19 per gallon ..... $21.19 FOR WATER!!
Except you wouldn't be paying $21.19 for water, you'd be paying for the brand name.
------------------ Calvin: "Isn't that weird?? If computers can think, what will people be better at than machines?" Hobbes: "Irrational behavior." This post sponsored in part by the Federation Starship Datalink
posted
Hobbes, your right there. Although that can open a whole new can of worms.
A new thread.... Buying name brand items made in near slave like conditions in China and Korea....
I guess the price of gas doesn't bother me all that much since I am a low end user, running back and forth to work, say 2.5 mi/4km one way. The pollution sucks, I have three kids to worry about getting a world I have helped turn to shit. So, while I can't come up with a decent process that will take over for an IC engine, I do support those that have the education to do so.
------------------ Stupid bastards and religious freaks, so safe in their castle keeps...
posted
Screw the slaves, I get to wear Nikes. I got the status that makes me the fucking baddest. I'm walking with a limp, but I'm not hanging with Gladys, Baddest, oh, Baddest, Humplik is the baddest. Smokin' more crack cocaine than Robert Downey.
------------------ "...Well, we're about to witness All-in Wrestling, brought to you tonight, ladies and gentlemen, by the makers of Scum�, the world's first combined hair oil, foot ointment, and salad dressing; and by the makers of Titan�, the novelty nuclear missile. You never know when it'll go off!" - Monty Python, Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
posted
There are cars like the Audi A2, and Toyota Prius that do 60-70 miles per gallon.Using cars like these won't make the problems go away but it's a start.
Also, I'm interested in how much of a factor non-gasoline products are in oil consumption, such as plastics and stuff, which a lot of people seem to overlook. But if you look around any room in any building you'll find loads of plastic, in pcs and other appliances, food packaging, and also less obvious ones like carpets, upholstery, and our clothes. Very few of which are recycled after their lifetime, and very few of which are biodegradable.
It is generally agreed that the oil supply is going to be practically exhausted in the next 50 years or so. I have a feeling Shell, Exxon etc have their strategies planned out already, when the oil supply is dwindling they'll shift towards alternative energy, pour huge amounts of money into researching wind and solar technology, and broker these technologies to power companies. But not until they've squeezed the planet dry of oil. Quite possibly, they already have these technologies but are withholding them. I think it would be in our best interests to conserve the oil we have left for valuable polymer applications instead of burning it in big, inefficient vehicles, destroying the environment.
------------------ "Unleash the armageddon, So all the children go to heaven"
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