Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Wondering about saving energy

No, not my energy; I don’t have much of that to save anymore. I mean all the hype I hear about the “energy crunch”. I, for one, do not see any energy crunch. We have plenty of fossil fuels left to last for many years. But I am not going to argue that point in this blog. Today I just want to say a few things about fuel for transportation. I just want to say that I have done my share to save on gasoline. No, I don’t drive an electric car or a hybrid, I always liked large vehicles. My claim is that for the last 25 years, I mostly worked for my self out of an office in my home. I didn’t have to commute to Houston every day and sit in the rush hour traffic jams like so many people do; maybe not in Houston, but in many cities across this country.



So, now I don’t feel guilty at all about the V-10 engine in my Class-C motor-home that serves me well even pulling my Jeep Liberty behind it. I have been over the Rocky Mountains and the Appellation Mountains and although I have had a couple of hard pulls, we always made it to the top in good shape. If I want to trade up to a bigger Class-A, I will still feel no guilt. I am just using all that gas that I saved for the last 25 years. It is sort of like a retirement fund, right?


Got to go get ready for one of those rare trips to Houston. The good thing about this new customer is that his location is on the north side of the city and very easy to get to. You all have a great mid week bog down, you hear?

6 comments:

  1. We mostly burn waste vegetable oil that the local restaurant had a hard time disposing of until we came along.

    That source is drying up for most people. Biodiesel plants are using most of it.

    Transportation fuels is the crunch point. Heating, cooling, electrical generation -all those things can be done pretty well with alternative energy. It's hard to beat the energy density of liquid fuels.

    Working from home is a huge energy saver.

    Of course, for recreational transportation, I'm now a big fan of sailing.

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  2. I'm with you Dizzy, no guilt. At 8.2 miles per gallon in "Sally da house" and 15 miles per gallon with "that jeep", I spend a hunk of change to refuel. That chunk of change comes from "earned" money, so why would I feel guilty of how much I spend? I use electric heaters that I pay for the electric to keep me warm....no guilt in stay'n warm. I don't believe in global warming...(PC climate change), so I have no guilt about burning fuel for all the above.
    Oh crap, I got to get to town, fill up "that jeep" an' go pay my electric bill.

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  3. 6bears, I didn't know that the bio-diesel plants used waste cooking oil. Are they paying for it or getting it free. That would really put a dent in people like you getting it.

    Yes, the liquid fuels have the best energy density. If I had to give that up, I would vote for hydrogen, it is safer than gasoline.

    Billy-Bob, dang, you get the same milage as I do and you are a lot bigger. Now not you, your RV. I have gotten as low as 4mpg and as high as 11mpg. The earth goes through her own cycles regardless what man does or doesn't do. Of course, we can aggravate Mother Nature and it ain't no good to piss her off.

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  4. Dizzy, bio diesel plants are paying real money for it. Last winter, it was going for $2.85/gallon in FL -if you could find it. I was lucky to find some filter WVO for about $1 gallon ans the person wanted to get rid of it in a hurry.

    At home, I still get it for free, but only because the restaurant had a horrible time getting rid of it in the past, and I'm reliable. When I'm gone for a long time, I have other people pick it up for me.

    I also get some from individuals. After people deep fry a turkey, they don't know what to do with the oil. Also pick up some from mom and pop places that don't have enough volume to interest the big players.

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  5. Sixbears....after you burn all this fuel to go pick up oil that turkeys pooped in, old pieces of french fries, filter it and what ever, what is the end product cost per gallon.

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  6. 6bears, sounds like your good thing is a thing of the past. Sorry to hear that.

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