Two rare cars in my garage

[~tc~]

Maybe long term, but there is too much infrastructure to be built for either hydrogen or electric to be a viable short/mid term solution.

We need diesel. Reverse the tax structure to tax gasoline more heavily and diesel less - this will bring diesel to the same price or less than gasoline, and people will instantly want diesel cars for the better mileage and lower fuel cost. All manufacturers have nice, advanced diesels available for sale all over the world. This technology is proven beyond doubt and would instantly cut our oil consumption by almost half!

[jimmerz]

wondering how long it would take for someone to bring that up.

not long apparently.

But a much appreciative reminder! Obamunism at it's best...

[Moto]

I work in the energy/research sector(oil and gas research & other). I'm not a fan of what will happen if Romney wins.

Harold Hamm is Romney's energy adviser. He is a self made billionaire, and a cool guy to talk to, but there is no way in hell that he should be in a position to influence the rules on the oil & gas industry.

I'm pro drilling and fracking, but there needs to be oversight (not at the federal level). Alternative energy sources are not viable yet so the government really should be investing money in basic research into technologies that will work. (I don't Hydrogen is one of them) I work with hydrogen and other high pressure gasses regularly and most people are not going to be comfortable with with pressures required to run a car. Also, anything that is pressure rated over 2000PSI is crazy expensive for what it is.

Our energy problem is complex and I don't like the current energy adviser, but he probably has a better rounded view than Harold Hamm. (Early on Steven Chu was/is actually quite poor at understanding drilling reserves/technology)

I currently live in Minnesota so my presidential vote wouldn't really count even if I was on-board with Romney.

[Ronzuki]

Moto...you make many excellent points. Yeah, a $200 1/4" S.S. HP elbow is a bit salty, but it's a supply and demand thing as I'm sure you are aware. The dispenser nozzles are a closed loop connection...locked and sealed w/ a 2-way comm lik between vehicle and dispenser (most people don't have any appreciation for the kind of pressures we're talking about, the dispenssers we build are 5k min and run up to 10 and 12k). Can't say that about a gas pump nozzle, and everone's OK w/ rolling up to the pump smoking while filling their cars. The consumer would adapt as always.

Our energy problems are complex, and have been so nearly my entire life. Why do you suppose that is? Hmmm, maybe the politicians that have been fumbling around like idiots for decades should just step aside, get the hell out of the way and get thier noses out of things they have no business being involved in that they know nothing of. Regulation is tricky business I'll admit, but let the free market determine which technolgies are best and manufactureable. They have no business subsidizing the auto industry at all, pushing electric cars with my tax money that I don't believe in. Or say solar panels that w/o subsidy are not economically viable. I'm a fan of hydrogen for obvious reasons. And those reasons are no better, or worse, than the reasons of those who want to push batteries.

How many non-taxpayer funded companies could afford to sell an $80,000 volt at a 50% loss? GM should have been let alone to fail so free enterprise would have replaced it w/ a leaner more efficient entity. Survival of the fittest. I'm a huge proponent of the ole "You made your bed so lay in it" effect. You don't see a company like Suzuki doing that. I have an extremely large hard-on against bail-outs of any kind. Then to be spoon fed the wastefulness and lies associated them, as a tax payer, really pisses me off. It insults my intelligence. I don't like obama and he insults me everytime he opens his mouth with his condescending attitude and tone of voice. I don't appreciate funding the operation of his personal luxury liner so he fly across the country and back to sit with jay leno either. In fact I can't stand the smug campaigner-in-chief, and so far, anyone that carries out his biddings. So a volt represents all of these things to me. The republicans are no bunch of boy-scouts either, but that's my hopey-changey direction for the moment.

Your final comment above is the real problem with our wonderful system, and of course, is a whole other topic. Come on now...your constantly being brain-washed that your vote counts, so it must be true right?

btw, good discussion.....

[NiteRider]

Welcome to Corporate America where those who have the money have the most say regarding our energy practices. It's just a shame that America is in a position to make positive changes but squander it so that some fat cat can keep piling on his riches. To me, it really doesn't matter if Obama or Romney wins, they both play for the same team. I suppose Romney is the better player but still, the same team. Regarding drilling/fracking, we need regulations but regulations should exist to help facilitate not cripple an industry.

[Moto]

I'm currently conducting field work in Wyoming and I didn't get my paperwork in to vote in Minnesota so I get to miss out on this election.

I'm just waiting to see what happens out here when/if Romney loses. There is literally a guy with a rail car full of ammo, a tank, and other military vehicles down the road from where I am sampling. He also builds and sells sniper rifles to undisclosed customers.
Here is his legit business http://wyomingdinosaurs.com/
(There are spring loaded steel flip targets along the road to his house at 1000,2000,3000 yards that he uses to sight in his guns.)

As far as the energy stuff goes.... New topic here http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... f=8&t=1753 I would prefer an energy discussion rather than a political debate.

I'm actually going to crash for the night, but I will probably post some thoughts there at some point.

Should anyone care what I think about energy... You can probably figure out who I am through the following links as well.
http://energy.geothunder.com/
http://geothunder.com/page/3/
http://geothunder.com/page/4/
Feel free to disagree and ask questions. I have thick skin. If any of you would like to contribute a post to a section just let me know.

[JJfairway]

I side with Ronzuki. Get government out of the way. Obama and his administration are out of control and, like all politicians, are not transparent or telling the truth. Government should not be pushing and influencing industry outside of encouraging innovation and perfection of practices. Seems today government is consumed with feeding itself and growing. Why we can't reduce our government spending and size is beyond me. For starters, have real campaign finance reform, stop PAC's from advertising non-stop, and force our media to report without bias. Let candidates debate without rules and interference. Let us decide. Term limitations is next. If it takes several terms for our elected officials to learn the ropes then we have what we have. A monstrosity of inefficiency, complacency, graft, and deceit.

And you can bet my vote counts in Iowa. And anyone who doesn't vote should be ashamed. You become a part of the problem that perpetuates big government liars like Obama. Romney isn't perfect but he'll do a better job of keeping our government limited to the frame it was designed to reside.

[NiteRider]

Perhaps the discussion of politics should be banned on this forum. If never ends well.

[NiteRider]

For starters, have real campaign finance reform, stop PAC's from advertising non-stop, and force our media to report without bias.

That pretty much contradicts your post. In order to force our media to abide by a certain message, you're asking the government to intervene thereby creating a state owned media. I agree that the Media is a huge problem, has been since the birth of mass communication, but not sure how you can control it without government interference. It's quite a conundrum.

[Ronzuki]

Perhaps the discussion of politics should be banned on this forum. If never ends well.

oh come on....banning free speech now? I think the discussion has been fairly civil.....If the politicians would keep their noses and my tax $$$ out of the auto business, then I'd say that comment is warranted on an auto forum. But, that's the way the politics roll... on the sly, under the radar, not wanting you and me to know what they're really up to, and more importantly, the why.