How we can help lower gas pump prices.

Uhh, maybe I'm missing something. Where does the energy to make electricity come from in general?

Hogwash. Foreign make vehicles have been making 30/40/sometimes 50mpg in the last two decades. EPA had little to mod on these, and they ran forever. Many double decade such vehicles are on the road. Not burning oil, getting almost the same mileage. Such are those you're tailgaiting cuz they can't accelerate as fast as you'd like. Nor do their driver's want to.

This is what I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

Vehicles were making over 30MPG well over two decades ago. And people are satisfied with that two decades later.

IIRC, most of it in the USA comes from coal fired plants. I don't remember what portion comes from petroleum.

There is a little hydroelectric, a little atomic, a little wind.

Well, not all people are satisfied with it. When you look at the cars on the market, there are not so many that will give you a true 30-35 mpg.

Hybrids can do it, but that technology is still not well accepted, and the costs and risks of buying are elevated.

Americans, in particular, still want their big cars with powerful engines,and that is what the car makers are going to offer...as long as they can. Only when Americans demand more efficient cars, and are willing to buy them, will we reduce our consumption of petroleum.

And why should we reduce it? Namely, because we are at a strategic disadvantage. We produce only a third to a half roughly of the petroleum we use...the rest is imported from foreign sources and that supply chain is stretching thinner and thinner.

Actually there is more than 'a little atomic' as you refer to nuclear generated electricity in the US. It is around 21%, too bad we are not like other counties that produce the majority, up to 90%, of their electricity with lower cost, safer nuclear power. Wing is around 2% in comparison

mike hunt

That's easy, American are not willing to buy little cars in great numbers, as their primary vehicles. They prefer the larger safer vehicles that why

mike hunt

The difference is, years ago if you wanted to get 30 MPG you had to buy a small car. Today mid-size vehicles are getting up to 30 MPG. Even my large RWD V8 luxury sedan can get 27 MPH on the highway and my 300 HP V8 convertible gets 25 on the highway For the sake of $500 I will not take the chance of riding in a little car ;) .

mike hunt

Let us assume your analysis is correct for a moment, that they did sell off the distillates from their lower cost crude at lower prices. Where would they get the money to replace that $50 a barrel crude with the current $70 a barrel crude?

Look at it this way. While inspecting the garage you just bought, the Fire Marshall discovers a 55 gallon drum of gasoline.. You are ordered to dispose of it within 24 hours or pay $500 a day fine. The 12 gallon tank in your car is full. Somebody offers you $1.50 a gallon for it, another offers you $2 a gallon. To whom will you sell the gas, considering to replace it you will need to pay $2.50 a gallon?

mike hunt

Amen.

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How are they safer if everyone else gets the same or similar SUV? Sounds like a programmed reply. You and alot of others seem that way here. And making the dominoes fall the way you want, but not making sense in the process (in my mind). Rather it sounds like a "moo" in the big cattle gathering. No cahoonas to stand your ground to save you some money. "Moo, moo, moo"

Think about it.

You're funny Jonny. Your's is the herd mentality. Likewise, it's the one with no thought put into the comment. Think hard through your initial comment above. Don't just jump on your anti-SUV wagon. The whole "herd mentality", "moo" thing has become a tired cliche of the little car folks. I'm not sure if it's really herd mentality at work within that group, or the annoying sound of a swarm of insects.

We are saying exactly the same thing, Mike.

You are correct in the figure of about 21% nuclear. No new plants have been contracted in a long time, I believe.

At one point, a number of them were running far below capacity. The South Texas nuclear facility was a real sore point, with enormous cost overruns which were passed directly to the taxpayers. When that thing came online it was fraught with problems and for a long time operated at no more than about 25% capacity, as I remember it. (and I'll admit that memory is sometimes a dirty liar!)

One can not defy the laws of physics. The larger the vehicle the less likely the changes that properly belted passengers will be injured or killed, even if one collides with one of the same type. The reason is simple, the larger the vehicles the more room there is to design in the crumple zones. The better the crumple zones, the better able to absorb the impact, the slower will be the terminal speed of the 'third collision,' when your organs strikes your skeleton.

mike hunt

Ergo.... we should all ride on a bus !

I guess if you set back far enough and do not get hit by a semi or a locomotive. ;)

Well said John. I'm in complete agreement.