about Rising Fuel Costs

[EBottema]

Over here in Caliberalfornia diesel has just topped over 3. 00 a gallon. The rest of the country is approaching that too. Now, can we completely stop buying fuel, no, but I do feel there is a way to lower operating costs. We all know about biodiesel and full veggie oil projects and such. Some more practical and easier than others. For most, full veggie oil conversions are not practical and making real biodiesel can be time consuming. I don't know if this idea has been brought up before. I don't know much about the biodiesel thing, know the basics but not as expert. My idea is to get used free veggie oil in drums from your local restaurant. Pump these drums through enough filters to clean it down for safe fuel system use and into one large 55 gal. drum. Next, fill your regular tank with 80% diesel and the other 30% or so pump into your truck from you veggie oil drum. Basically you would be mixing your veggie oil with diesel intank. From what it looks like there should be no problems doing this. Any ideas? Too far fetched? All opinions welcome!



Erik

 

[SHobbs]

I read an article about how Texas could free itself from OPEC. The idea was to eliminate the vehicle registration, which would save the state 60 mill a year. Next they would raise the price of fossil fuels, ie gas and diesel. After that make fuels such as propane, butane, natural gas and bio fuels cheaper and more readily available. They claim that in 5 years Texas would be free from OPEC. The article is at DFWbiodiesel.com. Sounds good but you have to remember that if you think that will happen you are wrong. The oil companies have us by the cahonies and are thriving because of it. I have been running B50 (cottonseed oil) for 3 months with no problem. I know where the cotton seed oil is coming from and I like the idea of my fuel dollars going to help our farmers and not OPEC.

Everything I have read from Cummins and Chrysler about bio fuels has been totally false so far. There was a thread about Cummins saying that they had engines clogging up on bio fuels. Not true but I can see why they say that. Plant oils have a natural detergent property to them and when you start running bio you need to change your fuel filter more often till you get the crud out of the system. My first 2 changes the filter and fuel were real dirty and now after three changes everything is back to normal. As far as Cummins saying there is more water in bio, nope. I think it depends on the refining process associated with bio. I have had no problems with additional water in the fuel, pretty much the same as diesel.

My truck really likes the bio, it is smoother, quieter, less smoke and actually feels more responsive, more pep. My mileage has not dropped in fact I think it has improved a little. Also it does smell diff coming out the pipe not like the smeel of diesel.

If fuel prices keep going up there will a turning point at some time when the general public will say enough afterall eveything in you day to day life depends on transportation and everything you buy will go up and the cost of living will go through the roof. Just a matter of time.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

And aint it amazing how they turned what a 28billion dollar profit last year?

 

[Mike Ellis]

It is very interesting to contemplate the effects of these high prices on transportation. Here are a couple of nifty government sites:



http://nationalatlas.gov/transportation.html



http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/quickfacts/quickoil.html



According to the information posted there, America consumes 20. 7 million barrels of oil per day, with 67% of it used on transportation. 9 million barrels of motor gasoline are consumed per day, equivalent to 382 million gallons of gas per day. If we throw diesel into the mix, we have around 500 million gallons of fuel per day being burned on the roads of our nation. (Interesting bit of trivia: The government says that Americans drive 2. 7 trillion vehicle miles per year - that's almost half a light year!)



At an average fuel cost of $2. 50 that is $1. 25 billion per day. Bump the price up 50 cents per gallon, and that's another $250 million per day. Doesn't sound like too much, but over the course of a year that 50 cent rise in price soaks up an additional $91 billion of American money that could have been saved or spent on something else.



So far the high prices don't seem to be bothering people too much, at least here in the DFW area the traffic density doesn't seem to be dropping, if anything it is getting worse. Will we hit a psychological "knee in the curve" where suddenly the American consumer is motivated to start cutting back? For CTD drivers, the prospect of $100 per tank fillups with diesel is not a happy thought. Many of the smaller cars will be looking at nearly $50 per tank fillups when gas hits $3/gallon, and that may be a real slap to Joe and Jane American.



Interestingly, our largest oil supplier isn't in the Middle East - it's Canada. Are the Canadians putting the squeeze on us and driving gas prices up??? I always knew they were up to no good way up there! :-laf :-laf :-laf