[DMCForum] Re: Fuel Prices.

["therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Martin Gutkowski <martin@xxxx> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >The Honda Insight was just not as practical a car, as the Toyota
> >Prirus is. It got better worse economy, and couldn't haul as much. But
> >Insights are still pretty cheap as used cars, since they just can't
> >hold their value.
> >
> Hybrid cars are a total waste of time. They may be cleaner in the city 
> but they're less fuel efficient than a standard diesel, cc for cc. This 
> will never change.
<SNIP>

I agree on the hybrids. They're too costly to manufacture, and are not
really holding their resale value from what I've seen in the local
market here. They do better in the city on emissions, because they
stop consuming fuel. But even so, diesel technology is catching up so
rapidly, that they'll surpass hybrids in no time at all.

> 
> >HOWEVER, the oil industry is certainly doing what it can to crush
> >alternative fuel sources. Biodiesel, and straight grease have been
> >gaining ALLOT of popularity. And as a result, diesel vehicles are
> >becoming more and more in demand. However, the oil industry has
> >countered by raising Diesel prices. 
> >
> There's actually a reason for this and it has been discussed in the 
> media over here recently. The increased tax burden on diesel fuel was 
> actually relaxed because the proportion of diesel cars on the road is 
> approaching 40% (actually over 50% in France now) but the price is
still 
> higher. Why? It's simply because diesel fuel is refined from the 
> by-products of making petrol! So it's not just a case of turning on 
> another tap at the refinery and filling up your tanker with diesel 
> instead - you've got to have a refinery set up for making it in the 
> first place. Obviously Europe is quite further ahead in this, but 
> they're still moaning about not having the capacity. Diesel is
typically 
> 5 or 6p per litre more than petrol. Thankfully this now represents a 
> smaller proportion of the total (now typically 95p/litre!!!) than it 
> used to, so there're more incentives to buy a diesel now than ever. And 
> some of the modern engines really are getting very good from the likes 
> of Renault, Peugeot/Citroen, and VW/Audi. If only the government 
> actually looked more closely at Biodiesel...
> 
> Martin


True, it does take different distillation process to procure diesel
oil, from crude. But that doesn't change the fact that diesel fuel,
while in an unrefined form, is still prevalent and available for use.
After all, if they're not actively producing this, you've gotta ask
yourself just what in the world they're doing with all these disselints?

World reliance upon petroleum is getting to a point where it's less
and less, because of the opprotunities that are available for
alternative sources. We can make plastics out of Soy Beans, and
they're then biodegradable. We have LOTS of alternatives for heating
and motor fuels from sugar cane derrived Ehtyl alcohol, to vegetable &
fat-based oils. And Japan has already perfected a way to remove
pathogens from human excrement collected from sewage effluent. We can
use it as a replacement for chemical fertilizers. Hell, it can even be
refined to extract the proteins from the effluent, for a safe food
product that can be directly consumed by mammals. Safe enough for
humans to consume, but will most likely be used to directly feed
livestock supplies.

But big oil has the money to keep these technologies down long enough,
so that they can extract as much profit from consumers as possible.
It's like a squirrell packing away nuts in the summer time, preparing
for the next winter. That and investor fears account for the increased
price of crude, and why OPEC has openly stated their fears about
alternative fuels.

If you want the more biodiesels, don't talk to the government. You've
got to convince big business to convert their investments over from
petroleum, to agricultural.

-Robert

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