Okay, enough already...

[Dragon21]

So, is anybody else around here ready to start riding their bikes to work?  ;D

I am so tired of these gas prices. It's time for alternative fuels to be at the pumps nationwide (worldwide). Why do we suffer so when the oil companies keep reporting their biggest earnings ever? I understand the issues behind it, but it still seems they are gouging us.

As much as I hate government regs(usually) I wish they would step in here. Oh well, not much this Gleeman can do about it.  ;D Just had to vent.

 

**Gets on his unicycle and peddles away to work, juggling 9 sharp knives as he rides**

[Guest tree-brother]

You do not here the whole story on the news sometimes. The gas alternative made from corn (can't think of name off top of head) Sure it only costs $1.50 per gallon. What you do not hear is that you only get half the mileage. So it works out to be the same in the end.

[Dragon21]

Yeah, that's not what I heard about Ethanol. (sp?)

But the point being there are numerous other fuel alternatives that we could produce in the USA that would take away our dependence on foreign oil. Just wish the big oil companies and their lobbyists would get out of the way. (wishful thinking) ;D

 

**I miss my horse and carriage**

[the dude]

i don't drive, period, myself.  walk to work every day.  back in the day, that made for about 2 hours of walking per day, up to 4 if i was doing other things aside from just going to work.  sorta miss that now; the 10 minute walk no longer counteracts my generous diet, and it's kinda starting to show....  ah well.

 

i remember reading that ethanol is still at a stage where production cost is almost prohibitively high for mass consumption, although that was about a year ago now i think, and could have changed.  from what i understood, the step they need to make is to be able to process the stalks of the plants, in addition to the kernels themselves.  obviously it's in the works, but no quite there, aside from changes since i last read anything about it.  by no means will i claim to be anything resembling an expert, that's just what i read...

[Alys Kinch]

not that that helps. in the end, it's just as bad if not worse for the environment. not only does it increase dependance on one or two main crops, but the emmission levels aren't that great either. it was way over hyped.

[Thorum]

the theory is that it takes away the CO2 it puts back in the environment.

 

Of course, the food crops which stood on the same fields did the same...

[Kalythase Breen]

When I was living in Wyoming, I used to walk to work every day. Now that I'm living back in the city, though... It's probably not a good idea to walk around downtown, unless you want to get mugged. So my friends and I have made efforts to carpool, or just take public transportation, and try to walk around the college campus as much as possible.

[Majsju]

Ah, it is so great to have two functioning legs, I walk everywhere. Except if I have to go to another city, then I take the train.

 

Regarding biofuel, they do create less emissions than gas. The problem with those are rather a moral one. Millions of people are starving in the world, and people in the west use crops to drive their bloody suvs! Also, a great deal of the production of these crops are in developing countries, so the fuel has to be shipped to the west, which obviously reduces the environmental benefit quite a bit.

[Thorum]

Regarding biofuel, they do create less emissions than gas.

 

Can you give a reference on that? I'm graduated in biology, and we've always seen they create just as much emission than normal fuels.

[Alys Kinch]

not to mention the razing of forest land by countries trying to get in on the deal.

[HoppyQ]

This is also starting to have a strong impact on the average consumer.  With more and more ethanol plants going up in the midwest, canning companies are having a harder time finding farmers that will contract to grow crops and are having to pay more per bushel.  This is starting to translate in higher costs to everyone.  While they are using primarily corn, farmers who have traditionally done crops like peas and beans are now growing corn.  Bulk sugar crops have also seen a big jump in costs over the last couple of years as well.  About a 40% increase.

[Alys Kinch]

again, that's why i pointed up the dependance on cash crops. it really sucks for several reasons.  we can't forget they are also depleting the soil of minerals...