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Energy_Gal - 15 Aug 2008 21:15 GMT

7 Ways to Declare Your Energy Independence!

The summer months are upon us. For most American families this means
family vacations, summer sports leagues and barbeques in the back yard
are in full swing. However, with high gas prices, many families are
being forced to cut back on some of these activities. In fact, the
latest trend is "staycations," or vacations taken in your hometown or
nearby. There is relief on the horizon though, if Americans are
willing to fight for it!

What can you do to help? Next time you go to buy a car, truck or SUV,
consider buying a hybrid or flex-fuel vehicle. You can also practice
fuel conservation. Here are some suggestions:

* Take your car in for regular engine tune ups.
* Install new air and fuel filters.
* If you car is renewable fuels compatible, use ethanol-blends like
E85 whenever and wherever possible.
* Drive slower. It's amazing how much fuel you can save just buy
slowing down a little.
* Consider starting a carpool at work. Fewer cars on the road to fight
in traffic!
* Consolidate trips. Before heading out for your weekly errands, plan
out your trip so you can hit as many places as possible in an
efficient manner.
* Use mass transportation if it's available. If your house and work
are close to a public transit line such as a bus or subway, consider
buying a monthly pass.
* Walk or ride a bike for short trips. Instead of driving four blocks
to the grocery store just to get a few things on a nice day, take a
walk.

Add it all up, and our country could fuel itself from January 1, 2009,
until July 4, 2009 — more than half the year. With all this talk about
dependence on foreign oil, isn't it nice to know that we could
potentially fuel our own country for seven months! And with
advancements and current research in the renewable fuels arena that
number could expand much further. Want to do you part in fighting
foreign oil? Sign the online petition in support of declaring our
Energy Independence today.

Get more information at: http://www.drivingethnol.org/news_events/energy_independence/

Reply to this Message

Floyd Rogers - 16 Aug 2008 00:13 GMT

> * If you car is renewable fuels compatible, use ethanol-blends like
> E85 whenever and wherever possible.

So nice of you to post this garbage in a newsgroup that is *OBVIOUSLY*,
to a person of even minimal intelligence, associated with automobiles
that are *NOT* E85 compliant.

Also, since the US currently uses 400 million gallons of gasoline a *DAY*,
if *everyone* converted to E85, the supply (assuming you could produce and
distribute all 1,000 million gallons of ethanol that 2007 produced and
imported)
we would be able to run about 20 days. That's a lot different than the July
figure you quote.

Please go spam somewhere else.

FloydR

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John Carrier - 16 Aug 2008 13:27 GMT

>> * If you car is renewable fuels compatible, use ethanol-blends like
>> E85 whenever and wherever possible.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> FloydR

Ethenol, the great energy scam. Produce more ethanol (with considerable
expenditure of fossil fuel in the effort) and run the price of everything
else corn-based (from cattle feed to mazola to corn flakes) through the
roof. No positive impact on greenhouse gases. Negative impact on mileage.
But if you're in the industry, you gotta love it.

R / John

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nopcbs - 20 Aug 2008 04:28 GMT

Yeah, it may suck as fuel, but try to have a good party without it.

>>> * If you car is renewable fuels compatible, use ethanol-blends like
>>> E85 whenever and wherever possible.
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> R / John

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Scott Dorsey - 23 Aug 2008 19:10 GMT

>Yeah, it may suck as fuel, but try to have a good party without it.

The problem with fuel alcohol is that the cheapest way to make it is by
oxidation of ethylene gas, derived from petroleum. So although ethanol
is still good stuff in fuels, and a great additive for increasing octane
ratings, the cheap way to make it is still starting with petroleum.

In Tijuana, you can buy gallon plastic milk bottles of "aguardiente"
which is 50% synthetic ethanol derived from petroleum. It tastes pretty
much like what you'd expect something that came from a petroleum refinery to
taste, but it is very popular among the brown bag park bench set. At
$3/gallon it seems inexpensive but since it's only 50% ethanol, it is still
effectively one and a half times the cost of gasoline today. When mixed
with grape kool-aid, it forms a "punch" known as "purple jesus." This
product is guaranteed to turn a good party into a bunch of semicoherent
and insensible floor-huggers.
--scott

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"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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