Comments on: Cheap Fuel and a New Economy http://www.adeoressi.com/2008/04/21/cheap-fuel-and-a-new-economy/ Entrepreneur, Environmentalist, and Founding Member of TheFunded.com Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:46:41 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Kevin http://www.adeoressi.com/2008/04/21/cheap-fuel-and-a-new-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-472 Kevin Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:49:05 +0000 http://www.adeoressi.com/?p=133#comment-472 Flex-Fuel Zubrin has the right ideas, but a more user-friendly spokesperson will have to step up before positive steps can be taken in this direction. Flex-Fuel

Zubrin has the right ideas, but a more user-friendly spokesperson will have to step up before positive steps can be taken in this direction.

]]> By: Jason http://www.adeoressi.com/2008/04/21/cheap-fuel-and-a-new-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-303 Jason Sun, 04 May 2008 04:53:44 +0000 http://www.adeoressi.com/?p=133#comment-303 As far as products, I would focus on heavy materials or highly perishable ones. The first is obvious. The second may be key as I would think that many products may have to sit around a bit longer rather than sending out less than completely full trucks. As far as products, I would focus on heavy materials or highly perishable ones. The first is obvious. The second may be key as I would think that many products may have to sit around a bit longer rather than sending out less than completely full trucks.

]]> By: Kevin http://www.adeoressi.com/2008/04/21/cheap-fuel-and-a-new-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-289 Kevin Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:02:23 +0000 http://www.adeoressi.com/?p=133#comment-289 Low cost fuel could be as simple as shutting down the monopoly of OPEC, and the 'Six Sisters'. That's a political solution though. Even simpler would be to build a new refinery, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN OVER 30 YEARS. The U.S. federal government condones that lack, justifying it with 'profit' margins. Does anyone reading this think that oil producers, refiners, or their corporate cronies are NOT making enough profit? Barring those reasonable solutions listed above, all shipping done over interstate or intercity distances should be done via rail, which is between 10 & 40 times cheaper than commercial trucking! Trains run on diesel too, but the infrastructure has been neglected to the point that current rail capacity is far below what would be needed. Over the years, lack of rail construction has been attributed to 'cost-effective' short-term thinking. We'd still have local trucking, but require less than a tenth of current capacity. Removing excessive plastic packaging on all processed goods would help also, as that drives up the cost of oil, and the weight of packaged shipments. Again... all things that should have, and CAN eventually be applied. In the meantime, short term solutions for locally produced goods may help. In the long view though, we have to improve long distance freight infrastructure to exclude 'cheap' petrochemical fuels. Low cost fuel could be as simple as shutting down the monopoly of OPEC, and the ‘Six Sisters’. That’s a political solution though.

Even simpler would be to build a new refinery, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN OVER 30 YEARS. The U.S. federal government condones that lack, justifying it with ‘profit’ margins.

Does anyone reading this think that oil producers, refiners, or their corporate cronies are NOT making enough profit?

Barring those reasonable solutions listed above, all shipping done over interstate or intercity distances should be done via rail, which is between 10 & 40 times cheaper than commercial trucking!
Trains run on diesel too, but the infrastructure has been neglected to the point that current rail capacity is far below what would be needed. Over the years, lack of rail construction has been attributed to ‘cost-effective’ short-term thinking.

We’d still have local trucking, but require less than a tenth of current capacity.

Removing excessive plastic packaging on all processed goods would help also, as that drives up the cost of oil, and the weight of packaged shipments.

Again… all things that should have, and CAN eventually be applied.

In the meantime, short term solutions for locally produced goods may help. In the long view though, we have to improve long distance freight infrastructure to exclude ‘cheap’ petrochemical fuels.

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