Quote:
Originally Posted by oil pan 4
No one is saying you cant make fuel at home, the point is people are not going to be able to make a meaning full amount that can power society with out large industrial complex.
In 2010 something like 14 quadrillion BTUs of oil were burned.
Best case scenario 0.001% was not a fossil liquid fuel, did not involve the oil companies and did not involve government.
So far the best way to provide traction power a vehicle with out the oil company is solar to a battery powered car, as long as the solar panels weren't made by BP, hahaha.
Even with bio diesel production one still relies heavily on the petrochemical industry.
Methanol used in the process comes from natural gas, the sodium hydroxide also made in a gigantic petrochemical facility where the bi-products of lye production (hydrogen and choline gas) can be utilized.
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I brought it up as an outlandish example to compare with battery vehicles.
I will say this, if you cannot control the primary electrical generators, or the hydrogen generators that run on them or the numerous carbon sources, you cannot control the production of synthetic hydrocarbons. And that is the beauty of this. The oil companies may have distribution resources, but they don't own the hydro-power, wind-power or nuclear power. And the carbon sources are far too diffuse to coral a controlling interest. Personal fuel production aside, there is nothing stopping entrepreneurial endeavors from making enough fuel and marketing in a locality if not nationally. One can purchase or contract with tanker truckers to move the hydrocarbons. Many are independents and not beholden to any single oil company. Sales can then go through the numerous independent fueling stations.
The staggering amount of energy used world wide is just another reason to take the first steps to economize and cut back where at all possible. And, I emphasize again, use the best energy source for the niche it is best suited for. A hydrogen pathway is not going to be the solution for every energy need.
You continually use the example of NOW and deride a very plausible future. Electric cars make up a very few percent of the current vehicular mix. The current low cost of fossil fuel has dampened growth. But even with high fuel costs, the battery electric car cannot fulfill the needs of every segment of the current transportation market.
And I stopped making biodiesel and run my personal car directly on waste vegetable oil. So, my BioBenz still trumps your electric car in range and carbon footprint.