Currently, gasoline is much more expensive in the USA than anyone would have foreseen 6 months ago. And yet the price seems to be stuck perpetually high. While this hurts my poor pocketbook, it raises an interesting question:
How high does the price of gas have to be before alternative fuels finally start to boom??

There are a lot of dynamics to that question, most important of which might well be the stranglehold that oil companies currently have on things. The ease of implementation/use of whichever alternative fuel you care to pick also plays a tremendous role. But where there is a price crunch, aspiring businessmen and women everywhere will find ways to make a profit from the situation. And since petrolium is a limited resource, eventually you have to concede defeat and switch to something else entirely. So whoever comes up with the most marketable alternate wins financial security for themselves and their business for a long time to come. So there is plenty of incentive to take a very big stab at it. But how bad do gas prices have to get before it forces this to happen?

people will get burnt if it gets more than this.

There are alternative fuels out there already. The problem is implementing them with the vehicles that are manufactured today. I have heard that you can take a diesel, maybe it is gasoline, fueled vehicle and power it by using filtered vegetable oil (frying oil used in fast food restaraunts). I know there are some engine modifications to do so but I am not sure how costly that is.

If this is an actual, viable, longterm source then the farmers of the world will have a heyday for sure.

Some have said hydrogen, but I am sure that is not yet feasible with today's technology.

Propane is another source, but then again it is a natural resource and can be used up fairly quickly.

Methane? Not likely as it is even more combustible than gasoline vapors.

Not sure what all else can be used. I can see a new fuel source coming, as more and more people drive less and less and the idea of getting a new vehicle is not as attractive as it once was.

The problem isn't implementing alternative fuels. It's OPEC and (yes once again) liberals. The USA shouldn't be needing to buy her oil from foriegn sources nor does she need to cripple her own production of it. The Eco-Terrorist of the USA have closed down our Oil Refineries for the last thiry years. And with in these last thiry years. We haven't built, upgraded, or opened one up. Also, known locations of oil in and around the USA aren't tapped. And that's also hurting the us. We, the people of America must stop dealing with the Commie Pinkos of the environment and the oil kings of the Middle East and produce our own Texas Gold.

Luis (5.56X45MM)

PS - There is Oil in Alaska, the cast of Florida, and the Gulf Coast of Mexico. It's just sitting there. Let's get it before the hippie commie scumbags ruin it for us.

I doubt there will be a alternate fuel boom anytime soon,since most cars around the world still operate on oil,and if there's still money to be made out of the oil wells,we'll still probably be using it.That's Capitalism for ya.

Originally Posted by 5.56X45mm

The problem isn't implementing alternative fuels. It's OPEC and (yes once again) liberals. The USA shouldn't be needing to buy her oil from foriegn sources nor does she need to cripple her own production of it. The Eco-Terrorist of the USA have closed down our Oil Refineries for the last thiry years. And with in these last thiry years. We haven't built, upgraded, or opened one up. Also, known locations of oil in and around the USA aren't tapped. And that's also hurting the us. We, the people of America must stop dealing with the Commie Pinkos of the environment and the oil kings of the Middle East and produce our own Texas Gold.

Luis (5.56X45MM)

PS - There is Oil in Alaska, the cast of Florida, and the Gulf Coast of Mexico. It's just sitting there. Let's get it before the hippie commie scumbags ruin it for us.

jeez you make me laugh sometimes.


once again, a liberal is someone who's politic's are in the middle, neither left nor right wing in their out look

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism

however, US usage of this word as an insult has twisted it to such an extent that there is now an off spin;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_liberalism

now really, the only reason i am getting pissy over this is that i would quite happily refer to my self as a liberal, as my personal politics are center-left.

cool?


now back to topic, the oil companies surely aren't going to let any nasty, profit eating alternative fuels out onto the market untill they have no choice left...thats why you see companies such as BP spending alot of money on solar research etc etc

and in a similar thread to this i posted links to "bio diesel" sites...thats the vegetable oil fuel alternative

http://www.military-quotes.com/forum...+diesel#138411

Well look at the US community - the bigger the better

It seems that all of you over there drive around in V8 3.5 litre Chevvy SUVs slurping a gallon per mile. Perhaps get a smaller car with a more effective engine, let us say a 1.6 litre 4D4?

Anyways since the US imports oil and gas from Europe to cover her own needs the overall fuel price rise. When the US get their own production up to date again things will change.

Originally Posted by sunblock

Well look at the US community - the bigger the better

It seems that all of you over there drive around in V8 3.5 litre Chevvy SUVs slurping a gallon per mile. Perhaps get a smaller car with a more effective engine, let us say a 1.6 litre 4D4?

Anyways since the US imports oil and gas from Europe to cover her own needs the overall fuel price rise. When the US get their own production up to date again things will change.

Some people think that way, fortunately for me I am not one of those people.


Ever since I got rid of my 1977 Dodge Monaco (which was a 318 V8 that got great gas mileage approximately 450miles to the tank) I have had little 4 cylinder vehicles. My question is why is it that my little 1990 Dodge Shadow had 80,000+ miles on it and still got appx 35 mpg and my 2000 dodge Neon with 80,000+ miles on it only gets appx 25 mpg? You would think they would improve in gas mileage eh? It is all a conspiracy I tell ya...a conspiracy!!

Gas has always been cheap in America and there has never been thought that it might go up in price, so you have stuck with over engined cars that love to guzzle the fuel. Over here gas is running at about $10.00 per gallon and has been hovering around this figure for a while. As gas is so much more expensive we have cars with five or six forward gears on a manual gear box to make the most out the fuel and this allows you to have a high speed for low fuel consumption

Gas will have to go up alot higher before Americans give up their love affair with the automobile as it is today.

No, Sunblock, we don't all drive SUVs and even those that do often drive something else more fuel efficient alot of the time.

I drive a V8 Dodge Magnum, however, it has builtin fuel savings in that it uses 4 cylinders most of the time and only kicks in to 8 cylinders when it needs to. It does it all on its own.

We're doing what we can to save on fuel here. We sold Molly's gas guzzler and she's now driving the Magnum while I get around on my motorcyle. It's working fine for us. What I'm really worried about is the cost of home heating this winter for those on oil systems. Molly and I won't have to worry about it quite so much as we'll be alot further south soon. However, I own this house and property and plan to keep it for some time yet. I'll be renting it out while we're away the next couple of years. During any time when the house is unoccupied I'll still be paying to heat it.