We’re getting a little tired of the neverending news articles on skyrocketing fuel prices. Maybe we have as some commentators will point out enjoyed cheap fuel for too long. Lets stop talking about the problem and start looking for solutions. A few start at home such as walking or riding to the shops, work or your friend’s house or downsizing to a smaller more efficient vehicle. Improved driving techniques can save as much as 10% on fuel consumption also. Then there is mechanical improvements that can be made to allow your vehicle to burn the fuel more efficiently. All these measures will make a difference.
A few questions do still need to be answered:
Do we in fact export crude oil at a tenth of the price we pay for imported fuel and is it true that the amount exported is not much more than what we import for local use? And also, we keep hearing of all the natural gas reserves Australia controls so why aren’t we using them for our transportation and heating needs?
Its all very well for us to whine about rising costs due to fuel increases but if we don’t pressure our governments to ensure we’re getting the best value by perhaps utilising local resources, improving public transport and even taxing foreign companies on their incomes, the price of living will continue to rise indefinitely.
John Neve adds the following thoughts:
Peak or Trough (part 2).
The questions and comments posed by Bringbackstrewth (BBS),
allows us to delve a little deeper into the impacts of Peak Oil.
First, let’s address BBS’s questions:
Regarding diesel, my understanding is refineries get more litres
of diesel per barrel of crude, than petrol. Diesel gives more
kilometres per litre than petrol in a comparable engine. Diesel
engines will operate on all types of oil, while petrol engines are
very fussy about the fuels they will run on.
As to motorsports “embracing green technologies”, switching to
Ethanol does nothing for the fuel problem. If we produced
enough Ethanol to replace oil, we’d all starve to death. Added
to which the energy used to produce Ethanol is greater than
the energy value created, plus we will have denuded the planet.
While it is true motorsport has helped refine the internal
combustion engine, it has passed it’s use by date.
Motorsport cost us dearly, Melbourne Grand Prix $35 million of
ratepayers money, Gold Coast Indy about the same. As a
sport it does little for societies health and wellbeing, unless you
are a couch potato. As to growing popularity!! I don’t believe
so.
As to motorsport in the future, without knowing what type of
propulsion the vehicles will have, it’s hard to comment.
However, batteries are very heavy, Hydrogen is highly
explosive, nuclear very risky, sola very slow on a cloudy day.
Face it, motorsport is dying.
Conspiracy theory, We have all heard of the inventions the oil
companies have bought up and buried. Pills in tanks of water,
oil wells capped, fermented rats p*ss etc. Don’t you think by
now something would have leaked out? But no just wishful
thinking and rumours.
John A Neve
Ben Collingwood writes: John, Ethanol is not the most likely or viable solution to the world’s transportation needs. As you point out there are problems with ethanol reducing the amount of crop lands available for food. However, you underestimate the value of the motorsports industry in developing technologies for tomorrow. Yes the motorsports you mentioned are a huge drain on local economies as are the V8 Supercar races. What the motorpark guys are trying to do is bring the most sustainable forms of motorsport within reach of locals so they do not have to travel far to enjoy them or participate. There are many technologies and fuel sources that will become available in coming months and years and I for one am pushing to see the proposed facility embrace these. Further to this I have already suggested that there is a need for a research facility to investigate, develop and test potential alternatives and this proposed facility would be an excellent place to house such a facility.
As others have already said, it is time we stopped listening to the nay sayers and scaremongers in the community and take a proactive approach to the energy crisis of ‘08. If we don’t do it now it will be too late
