Dirty little secret is out: We can't have alternative fuels and lower mileage

Houston Chronicle ^ | April 28, 2002 | TOM RANDALL

[syriacus]

Has anyone addressed the issue of the fuels being used by locomotives, airplanes and big rigs?

Do tractor trailers, boats, airplanes and locomotives currently run on fuels we get from Venezuela and the Middle East?

Can we get better mileage from any of those?

[visagoth]

The thing I am surprised by is that we don't purchase diesel passenger cars and trucks. I suspect because of the damage done to the reputation of such engines by the Oldsmobile fiasco of the 80's.

I have a VW Jetta TDI that gets 36 to 39mpg in the city and 49'ish on the highway. It goes as fast as just about anything I have driven in its category, and doesnt smoke or belch soot like the big rigs.

If people want them - the alternatives are there... but having the government force us to drive stuff we dont want to drive will seriously damage the economy and put tens of thousands out of work.

[demkicker]

We, here in Houston, are getting shafted starting Wednesday, May 1st, with new emissions standards. The hoops everyone will have to jump through to get our cars inspected are not only expensive, but will hopefully cause a huge backlash on the idiots who passed this stupid law.

Only 150 places in Houston are equipped to test cars, since the equipment they use is so expensive. The greenie elitists have managed to put more people out of work with this charade, but will fill their coffers by charging consumers nearly 400% more for a car inspection.

I'm praying for a backlash.... Let's see, 150 inspection places to 4 million people. Well, you do the math. I imagine the waiting line will take a 6 month minimum!

If you live in Harris County, call your state representative and Senator and bitch, bitch, bitch!

[Great Dane]

The bicycles works in Denmark it seems, the trick is to make the bikes so ugly and so identifiable that nobody want to steal them.

Alternative fuels are not going to be with us as long as there is oil in the ground........ The oil companies have spoken.

[Dog Gone]

It expands to surrounding counties 12 months from now. It's absolutely asinine.

[Willie Green]

Has anyone addressed the issue of the fuels being used by locomotives, airplanes and big rigs?
Do tractor trailers, boats, airplanes and locomotives currently run on fuels we get from Venezuela and the Middle East?
Can we get better mileage from any of those?

For the most part, all are also fueled from petroleum. The exception would be those trains that are electricly powered, primarily commuter lines.

There is major opportunity in this area by constructing more electricly-powered, high-speed mass-transportation systems in our nation's most densely populated regions and urban areas. The electricity could be generated utilizing clean-coal and nuclear technology, thus reducing our dependence on imported petroleum.

[GeorgeHL]

I will make a bet if the Wacko animal/earth loving liberals were around at the time of the cavemen they would have damned the use of fire!!

[saminfl]

Alternative fuels are not going to be with us as long as there is oil in the ground........ The oil companies have spoken.

Are you saying there is an alternative fuel out there that all the physicists and chemists in the world know about but haven't told anyone?

[Dog Gone]

Um, Bush isn't even mentioned in this story.

[jaz.357]

The bicycle trick was used last year in Charlotsville VA. The green wieners were giddy with pride at the roll out of the program. Last month it was called a failure as many of the bikes have DISAPPEARED!The MENTAL-environists never learn.

[Balding_Eagle]

That may be, but what does it have to do with this thread?

[texlok]

We, here in Houston, are getting shafted starting Wednesday, May 1st, with new emissions standards. The hoops everyone will have to jump through to get our cars inspected are not only expensive, but will hopefully cause a huge backlash on the idiots who passed this stupid law.

Being from Houston before I moved to Austin, I still frequently go there every few weeks for the weekend..I dread it, slowing down to 55 like an hour out is ridiculous.

It seemed to me that even though 55 is supposed to put out less pollution, it takes me longer to get some where, so I would think because I'm in the area longer I'm putting out more pollutants (don't have any concrete numbers on how that all works, if somebody else does, please post `em)

[davetex]

The lib wackos tried that free bike scam here in Austin a few years ago. As of today,none of the free yellow bikes they bought with our extracted wages are here anymore. They were all stolen or vandalized. This is a stupid "feel good" idea that will fail wherever it is tried. Drill ANWR now.

[texlok]

There is major opportunity in this area by constructing more electricly-powered, high-speed mass-transportation systems in our nation's most densely populated regions and urban areas. The electricity could be generated utilizing clean-coal and nuclear technology, thus reducing our dependence on imported petroleum.

I would love to have that where I live, because I live downtown and work in the north part of town, and traffic is just horrible. We had a vote on it and it barely failed, and there is an anti-rail contigent that would rather use the money to build more freeways/highways, which would not solve any of our problems, as we are growing too fast and because of our geographical layout are expanding primarily north and south, so you have this congestion. They would rather see neighborhoods and businesses torn down to make way for more highways (which would become congested just as quickly thanks to NAFTA among other things) than really address the problem. Not to mention because of the air guidlines, more highways in this area would force us to go through the hell that Houston is about to.

But the greenies in Austin would probably rebel against more nuclear or coal plants. So with morons on the same side, we can't win.

[ch.man]

The new Fox from Volkswagen has a brand new engine and produces about 70 miles for a gallon.

[Falcon4.0]

"and doesn’t smoke or belch soot like the big rigs. "

YET!

It is inevitable and unavoidable that it will.
As the rings wear. it will draw oil from the crank case and burn it. As the combustion chamber gets dirty, the carbon will reduce the efficiency of combustion.
It WILL happen. It does to all of them.

[roachie]

Which other surrounding counties? I sell high performance engines over there in the Houston area and some folks put them in their vehicles and register them in other counties to avoid that inspection crap.