Gasoline Prices - Ouch.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I was raised poor, and now that I had to take an early retirement due to health I still am, but I have always looked at vehicles a little differently than most people. To me they are transportation, nothing more, where to many they are a staus symbol. My vehicles have ranged form a 59 Renault that got 41mpg at a time when average gas mileage was 12 (middle to late 60s) to a Dodge Cargo Van (14mpg) that I set up a mobil radio shop in. I even once owned a Ford Pinto. I have always been very conservative in the vehicles I owned, as far as gas mileage. I presntly own a 4wd Ranger, that gets 20mpg, but only gets driven when I need to haul something. I only bought 4wd because our road is so difficult to get out when it snows. The rig I drive mostly is a 93 Caravan (my old work truck). it gets 25 mpg, but when considering it you also have to take into consideration how much it costs in petroleum products to make a new one. Our main family vehicles are a Ford Focus wagon (32mpg), and my daugters Focus sedan (33mpg). A lot of the SUVs and 4wd pickups I see on the road are status symbols. 75% of the 4wds I see neveer leave pavement.

[Eugene]

http://www.redherring.com/article.aspx?a=17842 A short interesting article on ethanol/cellulosic ethanol production figures.

The US Department of Energy estimates that the US will produce 60 billion gallons of ethanol by the year 2030. 12 billion gallons from starch based materials and 48 billion gallons from cellulosic or other technologies. 60 billion gallons of ethanol is only 30 percent of the 2030 estimated transportation fuels consumption.

OK. Now the question. Since I can't do anything about fuel prices, how am I going to make some money on ethanol. Companies are building ethanol plants in the US and world wide at a feverish pace. Just thinking. The construction companies building ethanol plants deserve a bit of research. Appears that the major construction companies should have a backlog of ethanol plant construction projects extending out as far as 10 or 15 years.

Eugene

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

A prime example of status symbol. Note, it is stuck.

http://www.redpowermagazine.com/forums/ ... t&id=31309

[Jeff Silvey]

Great John How many does it take to remove off hill I don't think the driver had their head on their shoulder
Jeff

[Jack fowler]

Eugene wrote:

OK. Now the question. Since I can't do anything about fuel prices, how am I going to make some money on ethanol. Companies are building ethanol plants in the US and world wide at a feverish pace. Just thinking. The construction companies building ethanol plants

You may be too late. Big money and politics are already spending your money on such projects. If you don’t believe me what is our governor’s brother spending money on. The question is whose money? The reason I say this is because politicians and big business never spend their money; it’s someone else’s money…. Special interest….. Stock holders ECT. But it takes money to make money supposedly for the good of the commonwealth.

In cowboy’s case it takes bravery, intelligence and a lot of sweat in his ethanol plant adventure. I hope he does well!!!

John wrote:

A lot of the SUVs and 4wd pickups I see on the road are status symbols. 75% of the 4wds I see never leave the pavement.
A prime example of status symbol. Note, it is stuck.

You’re correct John. It seems more and more now days people want to be what they really aren’t. It seems the attitude is I’m cool and you’re not.

When the people from the city started moving to the area I live, the first thing they got together on was to; a sign partition to pave a gravel road on one side of my property so their $40,000 SUV’s wouldn’t get dirty. The county paved the road and now they drive their 4WD SUV’s on a nice pave road about 70 to 80 mph in a 35 mph zone.

Back in 1980 my wife and I went on a vacation in Arkansas. We stopped at an old gas station / grocery store to get gas and a soda. As I was putting gas in my truck I noticed an old Hound Dog in the back of a truck trying to get my attention just wagging his tail and leaning over with his head between the gas pumps. I was afraid he was going to jump out of the truck if I didn’t start petting him so, I carefully put my hand out and he started licking it. I started petting his ears and the owner came out of the store wearing an old hat and coveralls, laughing and said it looks like you found a friend. We talked a couple of minutes and the man got in his ’73 Ford PU truck stick shift 2 WD and off he went with the dog looking at me just wagging his tail. The reason I got into detail about the truck and ect.is because when I went into the store to pay for the gas and the soda the lady mentioned the person I was talking to was Sam Walton.

The last couple of years I have been fixing up late‘60’s muscle cars. The people that are buying them are in their mid thirty’s and early forty’s. I just really can’t understand where the money is coming from. I’m not complaining but it mystifies me.

I guess its time to get off my soap box…just my 5¢ worth

[Eugene]

Another ouch in the personal pocket book.

Drudge just reported, 2245 hours local time, that the BP Alaskan pipe line will be closed down for some time due to corrosion. Reaction was an immediate jump to $77.00 a barrel for oil in overseas trade.

The price of stock in companies making pipe for pipe lines is going to jump first thing tomorrow morning. My guess is that we are going to see an immediate rise in the price of stock in companies with existing ethanol facilities. To bad I don't own stock in any of these types of companies.

Eugene

[Little Indy]

I notice that at one time one could get a small pickup with a diesel motor and which would get great fuel milage. (gas milage?). For many a small pickup fits their needs especially if they don't worry about hauling a 16 ft trailer. My brother in law who has a family trucking business uses a chase vehicle with a mazda diesel. My mechicanic is sweet on small Isuzu diesel pickups (he doesn't like the gas engine models except they do pay his rent). I had a VW rabbit (1st sold in state of NE) whose diesel engine I rebuilt after 400K miles gave the rabbit to daughter at 500K, she drove it another 200K; it got 50 mpg + rural and 40+ city. But can I get a newer one now? My son loves his hybrids (which are worth more now used than what he paid) but my ability to work on a hybrid is next to zero. My point is where are these vehicles now being built when we need them.

[Jim Reid]

I am like John i grew up poor and had to work for everything i have most of the SUV's are status symbols even back in the seventy's i was driving four cylinder IH scouts my last one was a 1980 four banger and it had over two hundred thousand miles on it when i sold it i replaced it with an S10 blazer that would get 20-22 mpg i now have a GMC sonoma that is about the same as the S10.i am sure that i am not the only one that notices the way a lot of people drive getting on the interstates the first thing they do is wide open in the passing lane i guess they don't realize or care what this does to their MPG.
Jim

[FarmLadyWannaB]

My pet peeve about wasted energy is the way cities and shopping centers are all completely lit up 24-7--in those high-rise buildings, why are the office floors completely illuminated long after working hours, and way past the time when the cleaners come through? I can understand one light on inside shops to deter burglars, but entire malls, factory floors and gigantic office buildings, all night long, when they are CLOSED? In Hawaii, believe it or not, electricity is produced from.... OIL

Meanwhile "we" (ordinary people, "consumers") are encouraged to save energy, turn off lights, limit A/C, etc. Excuse me, but the electricity we use is nothing compared to the energy wasted by large businesses illuminating huge buildings all night long in every U.S. city. You and I can turn off lights 'til the cows come home and it won't make a dent until Chicago's Loop is DIM at 4am.

Just my .02.

Jocelyn