about the gas situation...what can we do???

[Mr.Mafia]

Nope not even close.

[flvideo]

I didn't know that

Hey Boneman, you have enlightened me a little. I didn't reailze you could make gas out of coal. I don't know that they will ever do that. When I worked for FPL we petitioned to permit several Coal fired plants and the state wouldn't allow it. The company went to Ga and built a coal fired plant and built a 500 KV line into Fl to serve this state. Thats been years ago ane they may have built more. Coal is the cheapest way to generate power. Nukes are more expensive to build but in the long haul they will probably be the cheapest. As far as nukes killing towns, I don't think that will ever happen here. They take so many precautions its really highly unlikely, but I guess possible. The only one I know of is that one in PA and if I remember right they found that the contractor had not built the containment building to specs. A buddy of mine has a diesel truck and he makes bio-diesel. I think he said it cost him about $1.29 a gallon to make. His truck smells like french fries but I could deal with that. I try to drive my truck as little as I can but theres times that I have to. I can't pull my trailer with my wifes car and I only pull it to work. I sold my travel trailer long ago. I pull my golf cart to tracks for work. Like I said in a earlier post, this past weekend I left my cart at home and rode with the promoter to Alabama. It would have cost me close to $300 to drive my truck up and back. Somone was talking about oil wells being capped off, now thats just wrong. Some one else said that bussinesses have a right to make a profit. I agree they need to make a profit, but so much? I really feel sorry for those young people that are working for minumum wage. I don't see how they make it. Like Carol said in Port Charolette there is no mass transit so people have to drive to get to work. If they don't work they don't eat. At least I have the land to plant a garden and I have cattle all around me, so I guess I'll eat if I don't do any thing else. The folks that live in the city can't do that. Man its gona get bad. Carol you sure opened a can of worms, LOL! But its something we all can relate to. Our race tracks will see the decline of attendance in drivers and fans. I noticed on Desoto's board that they are trying to instigate a shuttle service to get people to the track. John and I don't see eye to eye on much but I've gotta give it to him, thats a bang up idea. Boy I wrote a book. Guess I'll shut up. Thanks Carol for givin me a place to vent. LOL! Bob....

[Boneman]

Hey Bob

The process is called coal gasification. It has been in continuous operation in some municipalities in the western US for many years. The fuel is used for city vehicles. I have to give credit to war time Germany. They were out of oil, and used coal gasification to fuel their war machine.

I just read some more discussion about this process. The data said this makes sense when oil is above $50/barrel. We are are double that, so where is the progress on coal gasification? Why aren't the feds pushing this, or anything else that is useful?

[carolwicks]

can of worms...

well this affects all of us. especially a business that deals specifically with motor vehicles.
with the internet as a means of communication, perhaps we can DO something instead of just jabber jawing.
there are about 4,000 racers in florida...that doesnt count all the other people involved...fans, crews, track employees, venders.... surely there are enough people that we could make a difference. even if it is small its better than sitting back and taking this crap...
so put on your thinking caps and lets whip their arses!
Feeling tough... im tired of being abused by the system... anyone else????
carolwicks (OZ)

[carolwicks]

hey boney maroney!!

inny or outy?
OZ

[john tenney]

I can make gas out of a lot of things.



Hot dogs, burgers, pepsi ....

[flvideo]

John you ain't right man!!!


Lets go to Kentucky and buy up some coal and gasify some for our race cars and tow rigs. We'll fox their jocks. I wonder why I never heard of that. I thought I was up on energy. At least I was before I retired. Now I gotta check my drivers license to see what my name is. I have CRS, Can't remember stuff. Is that coal gasification process expensive? I wouldn't put it past the oil companys to buy it out to keep it off the market. In the 70's a guy contacted me about assisting him with the testing of a fully electric car. I did help him some.I went for several test rides in his car. It was really strange. The loudest thing I heard was the tires on the road. I didn't hear from him for a while so I called him to see what had happened. He said he had sold the technology to an investor in Texas. I later found out that I think it was Exon that bought it and it never surfaced. He had developed batteries that were relativly cheap and an on board charging system. What I was helping him with was metering of the electricity it took to charge it. As I remember it was not much. I think he used about 10KWH in a month or something like that. Your AC unit kicks on and it'll probably cooling your house for a couple hours and burns that much. That coal stuff and the hydrogen engines from europe look good. I read something about methane Gas in making fuel. Now thats where Tenney comes in. LOL! His hamburgers and french fries. Cabbage works good for me. But seriously haven't they experimented with fuel from burning garbage? That'd be neat, get rid of the garbage and make fuel at the same time. Bob........

[ovalracer44]

I can make gas out of a lot of things.



Hot dogs, burgers, pepsi ....

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Finally tenney says something I can relate with.

[Winger]

While converting coal to gas may sound intriguing, it's not as simple or cheap as the coal producers would want you to think. The worse part is they want the taxpayers to subsidize the cost of building the plants, guarantee minimum prices for the new fuel, and guarantee big purchases by the government for the next 25 years. An informative article can be found at http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=...soline&colID=2

I think ethanol is a viable short term option BUT not ethanol from corn. That just doesn't make sense. We need to develop inexpensive technology to produce ethanol from grasses and waste products that are cellulose based. For instance, just look at what is left behind in logging operations.

I also think the car companies have to keep developing energy efficient vehicles. I think there are ways to make vehicles more efficient. How about using the wind created by a car traveling down the road to turn a generator to charge the batteries of a hybrid car. Or even figuring out a way to harness the static electricity that is generated when a vehicle moves through the air. I'm not smart enough to do it but I'm sure it could be done, if the right people set their minds to it.

As for the current situation, I'm at a loss. There's the economics of supply and demand, and as long as we keep demanding it the price will rise. I do almost no extra traveling now. I don't go to races, or the beach, or even the movies often. I can't afford it. I think the government could help if they chose to. I don't know what the figures are but, I think a significant portion of the price of a gallon of fuel is taxes. I believe that's why diesel is more than gasoline but I could be wrong. I live in Citrus county but I try to buy my gas in neighboring counties where they don't have as high a tax rate on the gas. (Sure the county gets more income from the sale of a gallon of gasoline but how much income are they losing because of customers like me.) I think the greed of the oil companies, that are lying in bed with the politicians, are the problem right now. I think we need to try to use less by using more efficient vehicles and changing our driving habits. Ultimately, I think it's up to the vehicle manufactures to develop alternative fuel vehicles. And it's up to the consumer to demand energy that is not dependent on hydrocarbons. There is plenty of nearly free energy in the winds, sun, and sea. Let's develop it and screw the view of the Kennedy compound.
OK, I've rambled on too much. I've been trying to restrict my posting so I don't offend anyone, but I had to reply to this.

[Stgbean54]

Here's a few tips

Don't fill up, just put about a 1/4 tank, you may find it cheaper down the road. Don't fill up before you go home, easy pickens for siphon hose or as some say Ga. credit card. Shell, Chevron, Texaco, Exxon, Mobil, Marthon, Amoco, and Citgo come from over seas. Try to buy Sunoco, Conoco, Hess, ARCO, BP-Phillips, Sinclair, Pilot, Flying J's, Love's, Racetrac, or Valero, these may be a little higher and are American made.

[hanley_72]

Hey up here in Ontario, Canada we pay around $1.25 per litre of gas. There are roughly 4 litres in a gallon so do the math. We pay around $5 for a gallon of gas. I am right on the border (Detroit/Windsor) so going over to the states is actually cheaper to fill up even with the toll $.
Was over in Michigan this past weekend and paid $3.60 a gallon so about .90 cents a litre. I got 40 litres (10 gallons) and paid $36. Back home that would have cost me $50 ($1.25 x 40). Even with toll which is about $4 each way I still came out ahead. Not that I want or can do this all the time but when you go over to the states for whatever, it is always better to go over near empty and fill up.
Just my 2 cents on the topic. Ours is so high because our government puts so much tax on gas. Guess they know what they are doing. HAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Makes everything cost more now. Not only gas but now food and all other things are costing more because of cost to truck things anywhere.

Wish we could all go back to horse and buggy. Might make some races more interesting.

THANKS FOR LISTENING.
RON

[andre]

Same thing here in Trois Rivières, Québec, $1.28 liter

Montréal this morning: $1.35 liter

Here in Québec, we have been at $1.00+ for close to 2 years now.

I guess we'll have to get use to it. I would be very surprise it would ever go back to 50//60 cents a liter. Would be way too nice.

André

[carolwicks]

Andre...

thats what im having a problem with..."we just have to get used to it"... i dont think we have to be controlled by oil barons or politicians... we made them and we should be able to find a way to control THEM... i know they need to make a profit but having a trillion dollar debt and oil ompanies making zillions in profit in 2008 doesnt make sense. before bush came along we had reserve funds (our debts were paid too) and gas was about $2.00...somethings wrong and we need to do something.
i wonder if we sent out a country wide email to stop buying gas for a week if people would give up a week of comfort and stop buying if that would help. i just dont know. maybe that would make things worse.
bush sure has screwed up this country in a few short years.
i just know if we submit, we will pay!
carolwicks aka OZ

[roundtracker]

The solution for high gas prices

Since I have been called "The One Who Know Everything" by the wonder boy of all karnacians I will answer the question!
We need to start drilling all our own oil tommorow. Start building refineries like there is no tommorow. This should have been done a long time ago. It will take time but would get us independent of foreign oil even quicker! Once the rest of the world saw how serious we were about it the prices would start going down right away to discourage us from doing all this!
To say we wouldn't have any nature without environmentalist is very nieve. Boneman is right they have done more harm to the environment than anyone else!
Also to answer the diesel question. When they stop the refining on a gallon of diesel they could continue cutting it and make two gallons of gas!


The one who knows everything

[Rick Williamson]

I work at a coal fired power plant. And you all need to call the Gov. and tell him to stop his ban on NEW COAL PLANTS in Fla. That only leaves gas and oil or nukes to make the steam that powers the turbines. And we all know what the prices for natural gas and oil are doing now a days.