Fuel Prices

[Rockford35]

AMEN - but who owns the water? How are we going to make money off hydrogen power? Oh yeah, we need electricity (lots of it) to make hydrogen. So we'll still need coal, or nuclear, or whatever. Eventually, the world might figure out that there are some things (things that are ESSENTIAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES) that should not be profitable - financially or politically. Things that should be built by and for the people of the planet. Fusion plants making hydrogen. Yeah - that's the ticket..

We all own the water. Hydrogen is a by product of nuclear power in Can-Do reactors. The uranium isn't enriched in a Can-Do, which is why they sell them to places like China, Hungary and France.

And no, enriched uranium would be no different buried back in the ground from which it came. Northern Saskatchewan (which mines 30% of the world's uranium, and the best variety) is incredibly unactive seismically and protected from watersheds. It's been housing the very same uranium for millions of years with zero impact environmentally. It's a win/win all around. Now if we could just get the public to realize that nuclear power isn't the same as a mushroom cloud....

You said:

Uranium, which is radioactive when it is mined, could be placed in the very mine it came from after power production with ZERO chance of environmental issue.

Isn't the depleted uranium that comes out of a power plant still thousands of times more radioactive than the uranium ore in a mine? And what about the radioactive isotopes (with the 50,000 year half-lives) produced during fission? Don't get me wrong - I think we absolutely need to ramp up nuclear power production in the world. You know geology. I'm just curious about the veracity of your statement..

I've pretty much answered this above. Uranium is radioactive right out of the ground. I actually have some pitchblende in my office at work. Worried? Maybe if I carried it in my pocket for the next 40 years, MAYBE...And again, Can-Do reactors don't enrich uranium to weapons grade or anything close to it...

You said:

Status symbols. If gas was $5 a gallon, you'd bet your ass that 90% of people would think twice about owning one if it was costing them $1600 a month in gas to run it.

How about this - An RFID implanted in every vehicle that tells the gas pump what your MPG rating is (the RFID is updated by the computer in your car). If it's 50 MPG you pay $2.00 per gallon. If it's 15 MPG, you pay $20.00 per gallon.

I like this idea. But I think theft and fakes would run rampant. I really think you should nail people at the license desk for this. Put the extra charge into an alternative fuel fund.

I hope this answers some questions, or creates new ones...

R35

 

[SiberianDVM]

I think the USA should just buy Mexico; that would get us some more petroleum reserves and it would solve the illegal immigration problem as well.

 

[DouginGA]

when the CEO of Exxon/Mobil makes how much? And the shareholders of big oil made how much last year? And that Arab (oops - Middle Eastern) Prince's yacht is how big? Let's point the fingers where they belong. Squarely at the all the profiteering greed that has driven us into this situation.

Eracer, decadent living is all a matter of perspective. A $400 scotty putter? To someone in the third world thats a years wages or more, all for a stick to hit a ball in game, when they could eat all year on that. What must they think of us? And how do we see our own lifestyles and rationalize that. Probably the same way the saudi prince does. Should the prince give up his lifestyle so we can have cheap oil? Will you give up golf so others can eat?
life is tough, tougher for some than others. But even at $10/gallon we got it good.

 

[Eracer]

Jeez, a Titan only gets 12 mpg? My old 1985 K5 Blazer (may it rust in peace) did better than that!

My 3.5l V6 4x4 Montero Sport does 14mpg city and 22-25mpg highway. In my defence, its the first auto I ever bought brand new, in 2001, and I just made the last payment on it in February. I have only put 28,000 miles on it in 5 years, so my fuel consumption has not been outrageous.

I plan on replacing it with a horse.

Nissan advertises it as 18 MPG with it's 5.6L V8. User reviews complain about one thing - the fuel economy SUCKS (12 mpg reported). Too bad, cuz' me thinks it's a pretty nice truck.

Interesting split on your Montero. My Mazda B4000 4x4 (4.0L V6) gets 15 in the city and 19 on the highway. I average 18. I've put 136K miles on it since I bought it in 1998. Let's see 136,000/18= 7,555 gallons x $2.20 (avg. cost of fuel) = $16,622 in GAS ALONE! OUCH!

That horse is looking better all the time. LOL.

 

[Eracer]

Eracer, decadent living is all a matter of perspective. A $400 scotty putter? To someone in the third world thats a years wages or more, all for a stick to hit a ball in game, when they could eat all year on that. What must they think of us? And how do we see our own lifestyles and rationalize that. Probably the same way the saudi prince does. Should the prince give up his lifestyle so we can have cheap oil? Will you give up golf so others can eat?
life is tough, tougher for some than others. But even at $10/gallon we got it good.

You make an excellent point. Guilty as charged.

 

[SiberianDVM]

That horse is looking better all the time

Yeah, and if you buy a mare it can produce it's own replacement! Or, in Rock's place, it can be companionship.

 

[Rockford35]

Yeah, and if you buy a mare it can produce it's own replacement! Or, in Rock's place, it can be companionship.

Doc, you know my feeling about mares vs sheep.

R35

 

[SiberianDVM]

Doc, you know my feeling about mares vs sheep.

R35

Sheep are for pussies. You have to be a real man to satisfy a mare.

 

[Slingblade61]

Sheep are for pussies. You have to be a real man to satisfy a mare.

Ever see that particular episode of "dirty jobs"?
apparently it's really not that "hard"

 

[SiberianDVM]

Ever see that particular episode of "dirty jobs"?
apparently it's really not that "hard"

No, I don't watch much TV. But in vet school I had to hold the artificial vagina (calm down, Rock) to collect a jack that was attempting to breed a Belgian mare. Damn thing almost knocked me down. Talk about rough sex.

 

[mont86]

Animals and sex? Have I missed something here? And of coarse R35's name
comes up..So to speak....

 

[Rockford35]

Animals and sex? Have I missed something here? And of coarse R35's name
comes up..So to speak....

Are you calling me an artificial vagina?

:biglol:

R35

 

[IrishGolfer]

Are you calling me an artificial vagina?

:biglol:

R35

Nothing artificial about you Rock!

 

[SiberianDVM]

The sucker punch is coming! Gas prices went down $0.08 last night. They will stay that way a couple of weeks to get us off our guard, then they will go up $0.50!

How am I supposed to drive to the golf course when gas is so expensive?

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Prices are up about 5 cents here. NJ, where my wife works, is cheaper and they are thinking of going to Self Serve stations finally, to lower the costs 5 cents.

Fortunately, I only live about 3 tenths of a mile from the club house, so the gauge on my SUV doesn't even budge. I guess I could walk it if my bag were not so big and heavy and loaded down with beer. The cart guy always complains because I don't go to the bag drop. Should I tell him it is to save on gas? :biglol:

I figure he makes $5 to walk 20 yards, grab my bags, and throw them on a cart. If I have to drive the 20 yards, open the car while it is running and then drive around, I would only tip him a couple bucks. What to do, What to do?