Inflation?

[Z-Michigan]

Trains are incredibly efficient relative to heavy trucks (which, in turn, are much more efficient than cars and light trucks). Lower rolling friction is a big part of it, helped by much fewer speed changes and less aerodynamic drag due to the extreme length of a train. A large train may use 5000-10,000hp to pull something like 5000 tons of freight (excluding tare), and with the type of motors the trains run, they have somewhat better thermal efficiency than trucks. In comparison a semi may use 450hp to pull 30 tons.

 

[milkman]

When the $ gets low enough, we'll have the Amero to compete with the Euro, and Voila, all the sheepies will be screaming to switch...

 

[mahlers]

Unfortunately, things won't get better until the economy in the US really gets worse. When our economy bottoms out, it will drastically affect the economies in India and China - as well as many other nations. The crazy dot-com-like growth in emerging nations will stall and their use of commodities like diesel will slow down quite a bit. By then, we'll have been hurting for long enough that the way we use fuels will likely have changed quite a bit. As our economy gets rebuilt and strengthened (as it always has in the past and likely always will in the future), the dollar will get stronger relative to other currencies, the supply/demand curve of fossil fuels will favor cheaper prices, and we'll have hopefully learned how to get by with less reliance on foreign oil...

It's going to hurt, folks - but at least there is a bright side to it. I'd rather see something like this come at us slowly enough for us to react. Just think how messed up things would be if our friends in the Middle East just decided to turn off the oil tap all at once? It would be utter chaos and panic. This gives us a heads-up that we need to start thinking differently about national security. It is never a good thing to be dependent on anyone else.

 

[ihookem]

I hate to say it but these high prices are the only thing that is going to change americans way of thinking. I know so many people that drive so much more than they need to. They drive huge trucks that get 10-15 mpg. when they could easily just drive a good size car that gets twice the mileage. Opec seems to know that they can spike prices for a little while and get away with it. So the higher oil gets the more it's going to wake people up and start buying sensible size cars. We see it all the time parents with two kids think they need a full size suv. If it stays high for a year or so people will get tired of 4-5 bucks a gallon and drive less and smaller cars. With a slow down in th e economy it will go down too. Trains will help too cause it will get some of the semis off the road. Diesel was cheap when we used trains. Now train tracks are bike trails. It will also force better and more efficient engines and people will be willing to pay for them. We need to make diesel out of coal too. It cost 1.25 to make real clean synthetic diesel out of oil instead of stupid ethonal from corn. For now we have to ride out our own storm.Later, ihookem.