| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 9:50:10 AM | Folks, I (as a Mass Transit Enthusiast) wish to ask all this question:
Seeing that gas prices have basically turned into crack prices at this point, have any of ya'll decided or have thought about using public transit, or other transportation options in some form or fashion?
(Ex: Driving or bike-riding half-way to work, then taking the bus the rest of the way to/from work)
I ask this question because of the fact that gas prices are a hot button political issue (which is why I posted it here in the Politics thread), as well as the fact that I'd like to see how many folks are actually trying to do something to curb this whole "energy crisis" instead of complaining about it.
To be honest, I think that it's mostly our fault for continuing to guzzle the gasoline when there are other options available, seeing that we've become too "independent" to realize that we should be willing to be interdependant sometimes if it makes things better for all. But I digress....
Anywho, I only ask for honest answers/viewpoints to the topic/question, and feel free to respond intellegently folks....
BTW, I did say I am a Mass Transit Enthusiast....and I will say my bike is an awesome piece of equipement. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 9:55:22 AM | Bikes are fine until it's - 20C and two feet of snow on the ground ....Everybody can get lower gas prices right now by buying less stupid shit , Ipods , designer jeans , pizzas , cell phones ...etc  | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 10:07:29 AM | ^^^^Absolutely true. All of the I-P.O.S.'s, jeans, cell phones, etc. have to be shipped by either plane or truck, both requiring gas consumption.
To be honest, I find NASCAR in the Stupid Shit category; that needs to be put on hold for a moment. COMPLETE waste of gas if you ask me. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 10:16:53 AM | "Bikes are fine until it's - 20C and two feet of snow on the ground"
been there, done that. Healthiest winter of my life. All I got was a 3 day stomach flu. Although I did need to consume upwards of 3000 calories/day...
And trust me, gas is cheaper than food when it gets to that point. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 11:55:12 AM | ....great thread and great posts
... i tried to build a life that is as little dependent on oil as possible realizing a long time ago that we would be seeing this and much worse....so, i work from home and send my work out via the mail....we also grow much of our own food so we aren't being hurt so much by food prices, plus when i do but i buy bulk organic which saves on oil as well...kids walk to school...
...i can bike or walk wherever i need, for the most part....
....Missoula has good mass trans and some really cool bike programs including one where there were these green bikes that were distributed all over town and people could just hop on and take wherever they needed....
a lot of mass trans has been gutted though...take for instance New Orleans....didn't they used to have trollies? how would that have helped with evacuating people out of the town instead of having all the highways clogged with cars? | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 12:20:58 PM |
a lot of mass trans has been gutted though...take for instance New Orleans....didn't they used to have trollies? how would that have helped with evacuating people out of the town instead of having all the highways clogged with cars?
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (or NORTA for short) does operate a streetcar system which was restored to full service about a year after the hurricanes hit N'Orleans. Streetcars rely on overhead wires and steel track to run on, and in the case of hurricane Katrina, the streetcars could do very little to help.
The buses would've helped big time if they were utilized, as NORTA had about 398 buses, the majority of them being able to accomodate up to 61 people (43 seated, 18 standing). 24,278 people could've boarded those buses and evacuated safely in time before the hurricanes hit, and even more once you utilize the school buses. Also, other transit agencies could've supplied buses as well, including (but not limited to) the Houston METRO in Houston, TX (which has more than 1,000 buses). A good majority of the Lower 9th Ward could've been evacuated if Mass Transit was utilized. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 1:47:48 PM | | Streetcars would have been fine had the residents of the lower ninth ward wanted to see the mansions on St. Charles Ave., but would've done little to get them out of town. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 3:12:00 PM | General Motors Killed street cars......
They really didn't care where you wanted to go.... Make a buck.
NASCAR is the largest spectator sport in the USA...... | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 4:49:53 PM | | I'd be willing to open up the coast and Alaska for drilling to lower gas prices...and curb gas taxes until the price comes down. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 5:01:16 PM | When I was in France I would ride my bike to work as long as weather permitted. But here in Mississippi, I live 13 miles from work. Not in impossible distance to ride, but it's all highway, so it's illegal.
There is also no mass transportation here, and the only person I know who lives close enough to me to car pool, quite working there about 3 months ago.
I guess 13 miles each way isn't bad, but I do wish I had other options. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 5:16:27 PM | Mass Transit - a great concept that has never been implemented in a useful manner:
1. Runs to limited places during limited hours.
2. Requires taxpayer support because the riders won't pay a fair share.
3. Very hard to figure out when going to an unknown area.
4. Usually equipment is not well maintained.
5. Often not safe for ridership.
We need to both find additional resources and encourage conservation. The price increases are helping to encourage conservation, now if congress would only start finding additional resources. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 6:22:51 PM | In response to Oldkid's message:
1. That's because they operate their buses based on the need/demand for service in certain areas, which also determines how often you see buses at certain stops or trains at certain stations.
2. True in most cases. Federal funding does account for and take care of most purchases of equipement, payroll, etc.
3. Transit agencies do provide schedules containg maps of where each bus/train route travels. Also, a good number of transit agencies have now incorporated the use of Automated Stop Annoucement Systems on the buses which inform riders where the bus is and the next stop that the bus is coming to. Same system has been on the trains for years.
4. Actually, the Federal Government has relaxed the requirements of bus longetivity from 20 years to 12 years. This has somewhat caused a drop in quality of bus manufactuers, compared to the early 90's (and before then) where a bus was built so good, it could last forever. Irregardless, the buses can still run well as long as the mechanics do good P.M.I.'s and regularly scheduled maintenence.
5. Actually, it's pretty damn safe. Very few accidents have occured in recent years (source citation forthcoming). | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 8:43:03 PM | To be honest, I find NASCAR in the Stupid Shit category; that needs to be put on hold for a moment.
Them are fighting words for some folks. lol
You would make more of a dent by reducing after school sports, than stopping NASCAR. I can't say I understand the sport, but it brings in millions of advertising dollars, and product exposure to those companies. That helps keep the economy going.
People can help by doing lots of little things.
1. Push mowing the grass.
2. If you need to go to the store, and it's within 4 blocks, then walk. To many people drive it.
3. Move closer to work or take the bus.
4. Larger and less frequent shopping trips to the grocery store. Try to buy locally grown food when possible.
5. support biofuels...
6. try to drive more efficient cars when able. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 10:05:16 PM | Pass a law that all democrats, liberals and enviormentalists can no longer have or possess driver licenses and must use mass transit or bicycles. That would end a need for more oil from further exploration on USA land or coastal areas and it would drop the use of gas and oil by at least 50% in the USA since that is what the above groups have always wanted.  | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/21/2008 11:05:50 PM | Some of us live where there is NO mass transit and a bicycle isn't practical nor safe.
To get to town, I'll coast down the hill at warp speed. I'll drop 3,000 feet in 8 miles.
Now, I'll have to walk the bike back up the mountain because it isn't likely that I can ride pulling 10 bags of groceries.
Uh, not!
Saudi is increasing their output in July to stabilize the prices.
However, if anyone in the USA, who is in charge, had a brain.....
Think about it !
The OPEC minister will look you in the eyes and state: ' We
are at war with you infidels...Have been since the embargo in the 1970s. You
are so arrogant you haven't even recognized it. You have more missiles,
bombs, and technology; so we are fighting with the best weapon we have and
extracting on a net basis about $700 billion/year out of your economy. We
will destroy you! Death to the infidels!
While I am here I would like to thank you for the following: Not developing
your 250-300 year supply of oil shale and tarsands. we know if you did this,
it would create millions of jobs for US citizens, expand your engineering
capabilities, and keep the wealth in the US instead of sending it to us to
finance our war against you infidels.
Thanks for limiting defense dept. purchases of oilsands from your neighbors
to the north. We love it when you confuse your allies.
Thanks for over regulating every segment of your economy and thus delaying,
by decades, the development of alternate fuel technologies.
Thanks for limiting drilling off your coasts, in Alaska , and anywhere there
is a bug, bird, fish, or plant that might be inconvenienced. Better that
your people suffer! Glad to see our lobbying efforts have been so effective.
Corn based Ethanol? Praise Allah for this sham program! Perhaps you will
destroy yourself from the inside with theses types of policies. This is a
gift from Allah, praise his name! We never would have thought of this one!
This is better than when you pay your farmers NOT TO GROW FOOD. Have them
use more energy to create less energy, and simultaneously drive food prices
through the roof. Thank you US Congress!!!!
And finally, we appreciate you letting us fleece you without end. You will
be glad to know we have been accumulating shares in your banks, real estate,
and publicly held companies. We also finance a good portion of your debt and
now manipulate your markets, currency, and economies to our benefit. THANK
YOU AMERICA !'
And it's ALL documented. You ought to read the English version of a foreign newspaper sometime. Try a Saudi paper.
What we should do is drill offshore and in Anwar, Alaska. The caribou will just have to adjust.
The USA has enough oil for the next 300 years. And "peak oil" is a scam.
Don't you read International newspapers? | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 5:26:04 AM | | I think algae fuel sounds really interesting. Probably the single best replacement for oil. And fuel cells are promising. If they are hard to use in cars maybe they can be used in charging stations for electrics. Electric mopeds are also good since they are lightweight and save on the power needed for electric cars. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 6:55:37 AM | I wouldn't do a thing.
We have to change the way we create and use energy. The only way to do that is to make the current methods we use too expensive to be practical. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 7:29:06 AM | | Excellent idea...make it too expensive for the average joe and wealthier people can have more for themselves. Fewer can afford it...less usage and pollution...win win! | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 10:59:56 AM |
.
Excellent idea...make it too expensive for the average joe and wealthier people can have more for themselves. Fewer can afford it...less usage and pollution...win win!
Or quit buying 300 hp cars......
In the 90's a 200 hp car was a hot rod.....
Don't you believe in free market.... a Smart car sells and a 375 Hp mustang won't ......
you want an E ticket you have to PAY...
Algae and hemp... grow our way out.....
A LOT FASTER it would be 10 years before Alaska oil would come online..
There are not enough drilling rigs.... China will need to Build more.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2008/06/17/algenol-mexico-factory-to-produce-ethanol-from-algae-by-2009/
Henry Ford...........Not a fan of EXXON. (Standard Oil)
.in 1925, he was expressing an opinion that was widely shared in the automotive industry. "The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumach out by the road, or from apples, weeds, awdust -- almost anything," he said. "There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There's enough alcohol in one year's yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years."
http://www.radford.edu/~wkovarik/papers/fuel.html | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 5:28:21 PM | There were carberators in the early 1960's that gave the muscle cars of that day 70 mpg. Nothing came of them because of the government. Just think about it for a second...... the government takes about 60 cents out of the $4.00 that gas costs in taxes.
A car that gets 20 mpg verses 80 mpg is 4 times less revenue generated by the tax on gasoline.
There is also a way to run vehicles on hydrogen that you can pull from regular water. You can separate the hydrogen from the oxygen by using electrolysis. Hydrogen burns more efficiently than gasoline . I saw a video of a guy named Stan Meyers that converted his dune buggy to run on water alone.... there wasnt even a gas tank on it. He went from New York to LA on 22 gallons of water.
There are smaller units that you can retro-fit your present vehicle with for a very low cost. This unit generates a small amount of hydrogen that mixes with the gas. This gives you anywhere from a 20 % to 100% boost in your miles per gallon.
There are things that can be done however DO NOT WAIT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE THEM. You have to take the inititive and do it yourself. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 7:14:06 PM | In a perfect world, I would:
1) undo the deregulation of energy markets Congress did in Dec 2000 for Enron, which allows today's hedge funds to try to recoup what was lost in mortgage bundling, by selling energy. After 9/11 this administration wanted to follow stock trades that could suggest another terrorist attack...gee, doesn't this fall under that?
2) invest in better infrastructure. Moving electricity from one end of the country to another, to avoid NIMBY, via ancient powerlines loses 20% of the energy we make.
3) reconfigure powerplants and factories so instead of losing energy in the form of steam coming out of smokestacks, they power a turbine instead. more lost power to be found there.
4) tell single people who claim they can't meet anyone, get your ass on public transport so you can :)
5)buy sugar from Cuba for biofuel. it'll lose votes in Miami, but oh well. beats putting more $$ in corporate criminal ArcherDanielsMidlands fat pocket to grow corn for gasahol (remember that stuff?) and make food cost more. | |
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| What would YOU do for lower gas prices?
Posted: 6/22/2008 7:34:01 PM | I live out in the country on the outskirts of the city. I've been cutting my trips into town down to once a week to twice a week max. During those trips I have a list of things to get and people to see that I've compiled into these twice-weekly trips. I, too, have a business that runs off of my property; still I'm involved in beginning a second career that I've been interning for and soon I'll have to venture into town five days a week. My little truck gets about 20 mpg. That won't help me at all if gas prices keep rising. If they do, I want to look into mass transit. I don't see any other way, though I'm not at all enthused about busing it, but I've dealt with other more inconvenient things in my life. I'm also considering an attempt to carpool and if that can't be done, welcome to the bus, scooter, or even a motorcycle if need be -- in the future.
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