Posted on 02/27/2005 9:32:58 PM PST by ddtorque
Tomorrow, President Bush could make the following speech: "We are all concerned that the industrialized world, and increasingly the developing world, draw too much of their energy from one product, petroleum, which comes disproportionately from one volatile region, the Middle East. This dependence has significant political and environmental dangers for all of us. But there is now a solution, one that the United States will pursue actively. "It is now possible to build cars that are powered by a combination of electricity and alcohol-based fuels, with petroleum as only one element among many. My administration is going to put in place a series of policies that will ensure that in four years, the average new American car will get 300 miles per gallon of petroleum. And I fully expect in this period to see cars in the United States that get 500 miles per gallon. This revolution in energy use will reduce dramatically our dependence on foreign oil"
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Sounds good, hope it becomes a reality.
The future, for the next century, rests with oil. Not necessarily conventional oil -- we will pump the Alberta tar sands, make oil from turkey guts, etc. All are much cheaper than growing massive amounts of corn for burning.
A possibility is a car that runs on hot air. Just get the democrat senators and congress critters to give a lot of speeches. Then, there will be enoung hot air for the next millenium.
I like the story about the oil reserves off the coast of LA that MIGHT actually refill itself as you pump it out....
it say per gallon of pertoleum is that different than per gallon of gasoline
There would be greater concern for a road tax instead of fuel independance I am sad to say.
We've already seen the results of a car fueled by alcohol and Senatorial hot air.
I can get better than 500 mpg with a squirt gun, just lift a cats tail and squirt it with gasoline and measure how far it runs.
I like how this article talks about the "price" of a gallon of ethanol/methanol... yeah, but how much ENERGY does such a gallon contain? How far can a car run on it.
There's only so much energy in a gallon of gas or diesel fuel. Even if an engine were 100% efficient it would get nowhere near 300 MPG in a modern comfortable safe (therefore heavy) automobile that will carry several people and luggage.
Should read this guy's http://www.mikebrownsolutions.com/aeindex.htm articles re: alternative fuel, and high fuel economy.
IIRC, I believe my dad once told me 1 gallon of oil (depending on quality) usually yields like 2.5 gallons of gasoline.
Per gallon of what?
Are you proposing Congress repeal the Second Law of Thermodynamics?
I wish president bush could decree that every day, one billion dollars will be deposited in my bank account.
It sounds good and I hope it becomes a reality.
Oh, I want a pony, too.
All oil fields replenish themselves - it's not a story - it's just a reality.
We will never run out of oil. At least not until the core of the planet cools to the point of becoming a solid mass.
Once you stop believing the environmentalist's/oil industry's joint propaganda about oil (saying it will run out) and actually study geochemistry from an open point of view, the abundance of available oil is staggering.
The energy density of ethanol is 7.85 kilowatt hours per kilogram compared with gasoline at 12.2 kilowatt hours per kilogram.
"A possibility is a car that runs on hot air. Just get the democrat senators and congress critters to give a lot of speeches."
to make that work you would have to compress a lot them underneath the engine...
wait, that's a twofer!
Not enough farm land to grow the crops needed to fuel even the yearly US fuel consumption needs. Not to mention all the crops growing would cause a shortage of fresh water and an increase in fertilizer use.
"My administration is going to put in place a series of policies that will ensure that in four years, the average new American car will get 300 miles per gallon of petroleum. Not only that, but I'm the Queen of the Space Unicorns."
Why not, if Al Gore could bring in the internet why not have Bush bring in cars that don't burn fuel.
so, in other words -- if the efficiency of burning is the same -- you'd need 1.6 gallons or so of ethanol for every gallon of oil you replace. Any idea of how efficient an ethanol engine is compared to a gasoline engine?
I though part of the problem with methanol is that while it will run in present cars, it gets 1/2 the milage.
You would pay 1/2 as much but have to buy 2x the gass.
Imagine the nightmare local governments will have if you only had to buy ONE gallon for 500 miles. That is ONE gallon of tax dollars. (S)GASP! think of the children! how will the government provide the nanny state!!! (/s)
When Ted Kennedy dies, there'll be a surplus.
I believe current auto engines can also burn ethanol.
Would you want to be in the same car as Ted Kennedy?
" According to Mulhall, the convergence of several disciplines, including genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology will lead to revolutionary products that will transform the world. One such breakthrough, recently announced by Palo Alto start-up Nanosolar Inc., involves a new kind of solar photovoltaic cell. Mulhall reported that the company has used "quantum dots" (artificial atoms) to develop a photovoltaic material that can be printed onto flexible sheets, or as the University of Toronto has theorized, put into "solar paint" (expected in stores by 2006). The cheap production costs coupled with the greater efficiency of these nano solar cells could make solar power an attractive alternative to conventional electricity production
Some can -- the question is, can they burn ethanol with the same efficiency as gasoline?
Very fast, very clever of you. Thanks for an excellent post.
There is a building boom of ethanol plants underway in the Midwest to take advantage of the US gov't's 50+ cents/gallon subsidy for its production. I believe the subsidy has been recently garanteed through 2010, at which point most of these plants will go bankrupt.
s/ And the 500mpg technology is hidden in Ron Wyatt's basement guarded by Ethiopian and Pashtoon tribesmen. I'm pretty sure I saw that on the Discovery channel. /s
Please.. out of the dreamworld people
Imagine there's no OPEC,
It's easy if you try,
Open roads below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
driving for today...
Imagine there's no OPEC,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No fanatics too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...
Imagine a 67 GTO,
I wonder if you can,
Your need for speed will come true,
You'll be the fastest man,
Imagine all the people
Glaring in your dust...
You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will race as one.
Now this scares the hell out of me.
I really wish president Bush had not said this. The only way it is going to come to pass is for the government to pass a law against licensing any vehicle that WON'T get 300 mpg.
I don't think my dinky-assed Honda 50 scooter would get 300 miles per gallon.
Good One!
ethanol and methanol have the benefit of being made from resources we have in the US. methanol can be made from coal. much better in my book then buying oil from people who hate us.
"I can get better than 500 mpg with a squirt gun, just lift a cats tail and squirt it with gasoline and measure how far it runs."
"ROTFLMAOPIMP!"
PETA is watching you. Both of you. ;-)
Since they started a religious war against us, we should sterilize that nasty desert habitat with neutron bombs and then make the oil fields a new state.
The Germans just came out with a car that gets 238mpg (not a typo)... it's a city car, though, but hey it's a start.
And if Al Gore would have been president he would have told American's to "turn in your evil car!"
"Would you want to be in the same car as Ted Kennedy?"
No!
Yes, and it is very small, very light, won't haul your family around and you die if you crash at highway speeds (or anyone else hits you at nearly any speed).
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