What To Do With The Gas?

[AriLea]

Exactly! Energy storage is the key. Even though Elon Musk has been improved Lithium battery tech, it still has a lot of issues. I like the idea of mechanical energy storage personally. http://blippee.com/images/toys/prameta-wind-up-car-mechanism-9.JPG

I like the idea of Gravity Rails. Steel on Steel wheels, low tech and efficient. Nothing on the car but steering to jump the rail (switch track actually).(well add some brakes and escape latter too) Think of what we would save on traffic cops and street lights!
One joint goes up while the other goes down. Some elastic expansion required in the rail. Don't have to move all ramps in unison. In Sync with the car.
Separation enforced by having only one car on a rail-ramp at a time.

 

[NSTG8R]

There are a couple of companies working with compressed air to power vehicles.

That concept is flat scary! I'd hate to be anywhere near a compressed air vehicle when it got in a collision that ruptured the tank/cylinder!

 

[Marshall]

My take... cars are becoming more and more efficient be they hybrids or just cars with smaller, more efficient engines. If the efficiencies of cars continues to rise, it should lessen the pressure on oil reserves.
1. Average efficiency of cars in 1980 was 18 mpg. In 2016, it was twice that.
2. Fuel prices, since 1980 have not risen. (Price adjusted for inflation).
3. Government mandates will require even higher efficiency by 2025.

If population doubled during the time when efficiency doubled, the gas usage would have remained constant, right? Now, if we could just control the population...

If a person was truly concerned about the environment and their own personal energy usage, wouldn't they live close enough to walk to work? Why would someone selfishly live too far to walk, drive an EV, and tell me I'm a bad guy? Glass houses...

Just a note. As efficiency went up in cars, many of those who used to drive cars now drive SUVs and Pick-ups so don't think we're using all that much less gas. Ignoring those changes distorts the effectiveness of the MANDATES.

 

[Marshall]

Nowadays, people tend to be very polarized on a number of issues. You either have to love the environment or you want to appear as if you don't care at all about it. You have to drive an F350 or a Prius. You have to toe the line on your political party or go find another one.

You can believe in global climate change and drive a gasoline powered car. You can spend a day cleaning local waterways and have a long commute to work. You can own guns and be for sensible gun control. You can believe strongly in the 2nd amendment and want clean air. We (humans) are complex beings.

For a number of reasons, I did move closer to work. One of those reasons was to use less gas. I like using less gas because it is better for the environment and my wallet. I like living closer to work because I can spend more time with my family.

Because I believe in climate change and want to useless gas, you might think that I am against someone living out in the country driving a big honkin' pickup truck. This is not true. It makes sense for them, because of their location and lifestyle.

Don't just assume that you are being persecuted by environmentalists.


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I believe in sensible environmental responsibility. But My definition of reasonable isn't anywhere close to the alarmists who lead the movement like Billionaire Al/No Carbon Credit for your Prius while I take my private jet to Environmental alarmist meetings. This is definitely getting too political.

By the way, very few people who own Pick-ups ever actually use it to carry large loads. It's a status symbol for most.

 

[Ty]

Just a note. As efficiency went up in cars, many of those who used to drive cars now drive SUVs and Pick-ups so don't think we're using all that much less gas. Ignoring those changes distorts the effectiveness of the MANDATES.

Good point.

 

[WilliamH]

Captain Obvious, is that you?
MOST people work in a stationary location and MOST people commute to work via something that requires an external energy source. I think overall fuel consumption on a world-wide basis will decline. Even though third-world countries will be driving more, others will be driving more efficiently. When "We" started driving around, we were getting pretty crappy mileage. They'll be starting at much higher efficiency if for no other reason, that's what kind of cars are available... even if they are used cars or low priced new ones.

As far as transportation/logistics is concerned, workers should live where they work and consumers should live where goods are made. Of course, we all choose to live far from work and far from food. But, that's our prerogative. If tomorrow, we all woke up to horses and buggies, how many of us could even get to and from work each day? That's hypothetical - no need to answer. I'm just saying that in a resource constrained society, we wouldn't set ourselves up for long commutes. If we ever were to colonize another planet, we'd damn sure live close to food/work. Same idea.

So I must be an exception.
Several years as microwave route maintenance.
Several years (on and off) hardened cable route maintenance.
Several years as Tier 2 technical support for computer systems sales.
Several years as trainer for a computer system I wrote that saved my company about $1 million per year.
Along with 4 job related moves in 35 years working for one company.
(Not all the job changes required moves, some jut changed direction of commute.)
As far as transportation logistics, sometimes you work where you are told to or find another job.

 

[WilliamH]

Good point.

An interesting note...
In the late sixties, early seventies, many cars were getting in the mid 20s.
And then came the smog pumps, catalytic converters, and other technologies that killed mileage.
Not to mention mileage destroying ethanol.
Now, 50 years later, technology is allowing us to have reasonable mileage again.

 

[Marshall]

So I must be an exception.
Several years as microwave route maintenance.
Several years (on and off) hardened cable route maintenance.
Several years as Tier 2 technical support for computer systems sales.
Several years as trainer for a computer system I wrote that saved my company about $1 million per year.
Along with 4 job related moves in 35 years working for one company.
(Not all the job changes required moves, some jut changed direction of commute.)
As far as transportation logistics, sometimes you work where you are told to or find another job.

As a former Right of Way Agent, I understand how some of us are less tied down to the typical desk job. But we really are exceptional.

 

[Muzhik]

For a number of reasons, I did move closer to work. One of those reasons was to use less gas. I like using less gas because it is better for the environment and my wallet. I like living closer to work because I can spend more time with my family.

A poster earlier made some comment about "horse and buggy will be around until mid 20th century" or some such. I want to point out that back in the "horse and buggy" (H&B) days, people lived closer to where they worked because they either had to hoof it to work or take what public transportation there was (horse-drawn trolleys). The reason was that owning a horse and buggy was a significant expense. There was the cost of the horse, the cost of maintaining the horse (feeding, shoeing, taking care of horse waste), and so on. It was not something the lower classes could buy and maintain. The idea that the H&B would be around so long was because ICE cars were a rich person's toys. It wasn't until Ford broke the car design monopoly (you had to get a license from a committee in order to start building cars -- kept the competition down) and started mass production that cars became ubiquitous and cities stopped stinking of horse shit all the time, esp. in the summer. It also meant that you weren't tied to a mass-transit system to get to work

 

[McBrew]

... cities stopped stinking of horse shit all the time, esp. in the summer. It also meant that you weren't tied to a mass-transit system to get to work

The stink didn't go away, it's just a different stink now. Especially in countries with diesels in the majority or places with fewer emissions standards.

It's funny, because I was behind an older truck that was belching fumes today in the way home, and it instantly reminded me of the last time I was in the Caribbean.

On the up side, at least you don't step in a big, steaming pile of exhaust fumes!


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