Porter
Junior Member
I think it has to get worse if there is any chance of waking people up. And that is if they WILL wake up.
All the fuel regulations/boutique gas mixes, "health care reform", subsidies etc are all just another tax. How much more can be absorbed by the private sector?
Sometimes I think that fuel at $9 a gallon wouldn't make people angry if they raised it $1 a year for 9 years. Between fuel taxes, energy taxes, sales tax, state tax, fed tax, alcohol tax, property tax....over 60% of your money goes to the gubbermint. Now it is already being spoken of if 1/6 of the GDP (Health Care) is under big brother: 401K/IRA's will forced into government funds.
20% Oxygenated fuel is a joke, as far as actual impact on the environment, just liek emissions testing is a joke and a tax. Even adding alcohol causs all kinds of problems 1) simply in production of alcohol 2) alcohol will only stay at 95% withiout additives. It naturally wants to pull in moisture form the air (or from a tank at the station) to go back to 95%.
(I know the argument that every little bit can help and we should all do our part, but if you see the other end of the equation, as in what are the waste products from making E-85 or 20%O2 + gas: THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH.
That's why dust to dust, a Hummer uses less energy than a Hybrid. One burns more gas but is almost completely recycleable. Resins, polymer, chemicals, plastics, batteries in a hybrid require a tremendous amount of energy to make them safe. Again, no free lunch. You have to balance the equation)
