"The reality is that [US] consumers are willing to pay high prices."

[Kendall69]

I think the term “prepared to pay up for gas” is a little misleading. We are not prepared, we just don’t have a choice.

I don’t know if it’s just my area, Southern Ca., but on Sat, and Sun mornings since the prices have gone up, my area looks Ike a ghost town. Absolutely no cars on the road, where before there were traffic jams. I know I’ve cut down just going away for the weekend by 90%. Instead of going to a local city for the weekend I stay home, and I do that more than not.

The government makes way too much money on taxes to do anything about the oil problems, they could cut or eliminate taxes and save us all $0.75 a gallon, by eliminating the taxes, but that will never happen.

Between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first crude electric carriage. A small-scale electric car was designed by Professor Stratingh of Groningen, Holland, and built by his assistant Christopher Becker in 1835. Practical and more successful electric road vehicles were invented by both American Thomas Davenport and Scotsmen Robert Davidson around 1842. Both inventors were the first to use non-rechargeable electric cells. Frenchmen Gaston Plante invented a better storage battery in 1865 and his fellow countrymen Camille Faure improved the storage battery in 1881. This improved-capacity storage battery paved the way for electric vehicles to flourish. The 20’s also brought the first Solar car.

And when have ewe seen them actually in production like in the 90’s, had we devoted science to electric from 1832, we would be sitting pretty.

What about all the street cars, from the 20’s did we really need buses, hmmmm, now all the cities with they had street cars.

 

[frank_f15]

IMHO corn ethanol is going nowhere fast. It will really screw up grain markets this year and next, but I think it will collapse in a few years. If - IF - cellulosic ethanol becomes practical, that could make a big difference for the US and a few other countries. That's a good hope. But corn ethanol is a dead-end.

excellent insight, and i agree 100% , just today there was an ariclr in the news paper about the cost of cheese affecting the price of a pizza, sounds like a silly thing, BUT the cost of corn will affect many food prices mosty due to the need for corn to produce the fuel ethanol. but in the mean time a lot of people will make big $$$$ and the consumer will loose in the long run!!!!!!!

 

[MikePA]

It wont just be the price of corn and the downstream products that are affected. As farmers convert fields that are currently growing other grains, hay, etc., the cost of those products will rise as well. Classic case of the law of unintended consequences. The rush to get ethanol from corn will go down as one of the dumbest and misguided policies ever.

 

[SkyPup]

The rush to get ethanol from corn will go down as one of the dumbest and misguided policies ever.

Agreed, and the Federal Tax Subsidy the farm lobbyists got to pay for it is a total waste......

 

[CDsdad]

I'll never believe we can grow enough corn for ethanol and to feed us, too. People will just complain about corn being $5/ear and ethanol $2.50/gallon.

Skypup, do those scooters come with a rain suit or a roll bar? You'd need the roll bar before the rain suit around here, but both would be handy.

 

[Sully2]

It wont just be the price of corn and the downstream products that are affected. As farmers convert fields that are currently growing other grains, hay, etc., the cost of those products will rise as well. Classic case of the law of unintended consequences. The rush to get ethanol from corn will go down as one of the dumbest and misguided policies ever.

But doesnt that fit hand in hand with the rest of the policys of the present "group in power"??....

 

[MikePA]

But doesnt that fit hand in hand with the rest of the policys of the present "group in power"??....

No.

There are idiots of various political persuasions pushing this lunacy and ethanol subsidies have been in place since 1978.

Nice try and, oh by the way, no political discussions.

 

[SkyPup]

The production of ethanol has even more dire consequences:

Because of the massive diversion of corn to ethanol production, the supply of corn for human consumption in Mexico has dropped considerably.

Consequently, the cost of tortillas—the mainstay of the Mexican diet—has nearly tripled, inflicting hardship on tens of millions of poor Mexicans.

At a time when Congress is dealing with a massive problem of illegal immigration from south of the Rio Grande, this would only increase the incentives for Mexicans to come north.

One thing is for sure though, the American taxpayers are footing the entire bill for this foolish folly........

 

[Sully2]

No.

There are idiots of various political persuasions pushing this lunacy and ethanol subsidies have been in place since 1978.

Nice try and, oh by the way, no political discussions.

THAT was the intent of my posting...but to your point about no political discussions..??...how can "ethanol" be logically discussed WITHOUT political "stuff" being tossed into the discussion.

Useage of ethanol wasnt "thought up" by the guy at the local Shell station!!

 

[Sully2]

The production of ethanol has even more dire consequences:

Because of the massive diversion of corn to ethanol production, the supply of corn for human consumption in Mexico has dropped considerably.

Consequently, the cost of tortillas—the mainstay of the Mexican diet—has nearly tripled, inflicting hardship on tens of millions of poor Mexicans.

At a time when Congress is dealing with a massive problem of illegal immigration from south of the Rio Grande, this would only increase the incentives for Mexicans to come north.

One thing is for sure though, the American taxpayers are footing the entire bill for this foolish folly........

Should that word be "bill" or "bull"...???

But your a "million percent right" about southern's crossing the borders. You can have no jobs; you can have no housing; you can have corrupt police and govt...but when someone has the CHOICE of crossing the border into the USA or STARVING...Look out "Leo" cause they will trample you like a herd of runaway cattle.