Peak oil...or not? (I'm expecting $3.50 gas by this spring and summer)

[shovel]

I tend not to worry or care about "the sky is falling!" concerns, there's never been a day in my life that we weren't in imminent danger of death, from the cold war or from aids or from the middle east or turrrrrirururuists or anthrax or energy crisis or pollution or... whatever the threat du juor is.

Peak oil or not, we simply need to explore and embrace petroleum replacements. This should be obvious to anyone. If not because of the fear of a shortage, then because of progress. Progress is why hardly anyone has polio anymore. Progress is why people in modern nations live >70 years on average. Progress is why all races and sexes can vote and pursue success equally in modern nations. Progress is why we can share ideas instantaneously with each other on opposite sides of the planet.

Sometimes the process of progress hurts, but it doesn't hurt as much as standing still doing nothing. My point is peak oil or not, the age of petroleum is no different from any other age and like the horse and buggy, one day it *will* be retired and what replaces it is overwhelmingly likely to be superior. Let's get on it!!

[tjts1]

Another problem with the whole peak oil chicken little story is that even if we run out of oil tomorrow, we have more natural gas in this country than saudi arabia has oil. Pretty much ALL the gasoline powered vehicles in this country could be converted to run on nat gas for less than $2000/each. Nat gas also has some big emissions benefits as well. Check out the Civic GX.

[shovel]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Another problem with the whole peak oil chicken little story is that even if we run out of oil tomorrow, we have more natural gas in this country than saudi arabia has oil. Pretty much ALL the gasoline powered vehicles in this country could be converted to run on nat gas for less than $2000/each. Nat gas also has some big emissions benefits as well. Check out the Civic GX.

Where are you finding tanks for that price?

I have a CNG Tempo and was looking to double the range, it has a 3.5gge 3600psi tank and I wanted to install a 2nd one, they're like $2k on their own not including the rest of the system under the hood..

Other than that sort of cost, I love CNG. The only two things I worry about with it are user training (filling is a different process, and let's face it there are people who can't figure out how to use a toilet without peeing on the seat - but have drivers' licenses) and at least on my Tempo there's WAY WAY less power available, like i'm talking half the horsepower. May have something wrong with mine though I'm taking it to a CNG mechanic as soon as my tax refund shows up.

[thatguitarguy]

Originally Posted by shovel

(filling is a different process, and let's face it there are people who can't figure out how to use a toilet without peeing on the seat - but have drivers' licenses)

As a professional driver, I've had to take pee tests in respect to my CDL, but it didn't include that...

[NeilBlanchard]

Electric cars are better still. Or, biodiesel serial hybrids.

If peak does occur, when the demand outstrips the supply, and the price starts to escalate -- this will be the best thing that ever happened to other technologies! And, for global climate change -- the sooner peak oil happens, the better.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by shovel

I have a CNG Tempo and was looking to double the range, it has a 3.5gge 3600psi tank and I wanted to install a 2nd one, they're like $2k on their own not including the rest of the system under the hood..

If millions of cars were being converted to nat gas, you can bet the price of high pressure tanks would drop precipitously. There is a bill in congress right now to create an incentive for car makers to build nat gas fueled vehicles.

[shovel]

Originally Posted by thatguitarguy

As a professional driver, I've had to take pee tests in respect to my CDL, but it didn't include that...

Heh, ditto... but it seems like almost every public toilet I visit has pee.... pretty much everywhere. Seat, walls, floor... some guys must spin around like a lawn sprinkler or play air guitar with their business while they're going... if someone can't figure out how to lift a seat before they pee they may not be able to figure out a high pressure CNG coupling either.

[Oval_Overload]

Come on peak oil, you know you want to come out and play!


...I work in the EV business :P

~Jimbo

[Dave's Civic Duty]

I was not sweating the peak oil prices, but being that my VX was just recently stolen & has not yet turned up, I feel I have no card to play at the moment.

Dave

[suspectnumber961]

These people....

Martin D. Weiss
CEO of Weiss Group, Inc.

Richard Mogey
Director of Foundation for the Study of Cycles

Monty Agarwal
Author of "The Future of Hedge Fund Investing"

...are predicting a double-dip recession and some coming dollar/market weakness down into 2012....where upon the Mayans will come out of the ground and take over. Just kidding about this part?

Basically they are saying that the expected commodity rally won't happen until sometime after 2012. If they are right...my guess is that it will TRY to happen and then fail later in 2010-11.

Gas prices have put in their low...fill your tanks...

Unleaded Gas Seasonal Chart