Time To Drive 55 Again?

[sno_duc]

We have a winner!!!!

Do you think we can talk him into running for office ??

[hbliam]

Why don't we start looking and drilling for oil?  I am sick and tired of depending on other countries (Saudi Arabia) for fuel.
I heard today, Barack Obama said, "In fact, if we started drilling today, we wouldn't see a drop of oil for seven years, and even then it would have little if any impact on prices."

Thats not what America is about. It is about doing things that no other country can do.

Building the Suez Canal might take to long and cost to much. But we did it.

I think we have a bunch of idots running this country and it has to change.

We didn't build the Suez Canal.

[sno_duc]

We didn't build the Suez Canal.

True dat, the French did and then tried the same in Panama. Failed in Panama.  Then we went down and got it done.

[S4ROB]

We didn't build the Suez Canal.

I was just testing you guys

We Should own it I think

[Speedbag]

Do you think we can talk him into running for office ??

Who, me? 

I'm game. We better start campaigning one of these days though. Speedbag for President. 

[NeufUnSix]

Oil dependence?

Alberta tar sands, Alaskan oil reserves, Oil Shale shelf in the midwest, offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic (maybe Pacific too, I'm not sure what's out there). But wait a minute, all those sources are highly opposed by environmental groups. Whoops, we have to knuckle under and keep buying from elsewhere. Or get on the E85 boondoggle-wagon because are eyes are blinded by the green glare.

Lower = Better fuel economy 100% of the time?
Bzzzt, wrong. It's entirely dependent on the vehicle. Generally most passenger cars are geared to get optimum fuel economy around 60-65mph, sometimes as high as 70 mph (up here in Canerduh the limits are 110 kmh [70] and many cruise at 120-130 [75-80]. From my own anecdotal experience the difference between 60mph/100kmh and 75/120 is not negative, it's almost exactly the same if not better in  some cars. Going slower has little if any effect. Aerodynamics, gearing and torque in relation to gearing makes all the difference and you cannot generalize to the point of imposing arbitrary limits.
My bike gets a solid 50-55mpg (Imperial gallon, that's 40-45mpg to you Americans) at 100-110 mph. I've done that, steady, on a full tank of gas (under closed conditions of course). That's the same, if not better, than I get at 60mph. See my point? I'm not using myself as the rule, I'm just pointing out the flaws in the argument.

Speed is not the main factor
In fuel economy, that is. Rather, aerodynamics, vehicle weight, condition of the motor and driveline, tire pressure, air filter condition, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL driving style. You can stay under 55 all damn day but if you have a lead foot getting there, passing cars, or do any city driving then there is no benefit, in any vehicle. The only benefit would be if we all drove on the highway at a set speed 100% of the time - without passing, always in top gear, and without cruise control using only our feet to modulate speed very carefully (cruise control isn't optimal for fuel economy because it tends to overcompensate for gradients and doesn't let the engine coast as much). In other words, hippie commie pipedream utopia.

I'm done ranting. F*** ignorant neo-hippie greenhead Goreloving bastards ruining things for the rest of us.

[printman]

They just went and lowered a bunch of the local speed limits around here, in the name of fuel economy, but what it won't show is that now when the local air base lets out the stop and go traffic at 35 will be worse than at 45. The end result I'm sure of will be more wasted gas waiting at stop and go traffic.

They also lowered them, so people can use their new electric golf carts to cruise through town. 25 mph max is good for local 35 mph roads. 

One accident and fatality in those death traps, and game over in them.

[bdfinally]

Fixed it for ya

The people driving those trucks and SUV's are paying for the privellege of doing so. Your gas prices are not going up so much in response to people driving trucks and SUVs. Grab a WSJ, watch to see what market forces are the biggest influences on you fuel prices.
1)George Bush
2) Weak dollar, regulating SUV's won't effect that.
3) Global demand, inparticularly China. They are stockpiling HUGE amounts of fuel in anticipation of essentially gaining an entire city for the duration of the summer Olmpics.
4) and then the spectulators of course keep buying ahead and keeping the price high.
Those are the main causes of the fuel prices, limiting trucks and SUV's to 60mph would have very limited impact. You're really talking pennies. Now to the individuals driving them it would save them money, but that is their personal pocketbook. Them driving slower isn't gonna save YOU anything you'd notice.
THere is no abuse of any loop holes until you start looking at trucks like the International or F650, less than that it's just a dang pick-up. It may haul a gooseneck but it's not anywhere near the tonnage of a "truck".

[ducatiz]

Fixed it for ya

so George Bush is responsible for inflated oil prices in France and all the rest of the world?  Wow.  Now that's influence.

http://libcom.org/news/70000-spanish-truckers-strike-blockade-border-with-france-09062008

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/france-oil-prices-french-truckers-protest-gas-prices/1331674897

[bdfinally]

Well if you don't consider his policies to be destabilizing in the Middle East, if you think his general disdain for any kind of coherent energy conservation policy is stinking brillant and the lack of interest to at least investigate speculation in energy markets is a ballzy and principled,  then no he's not to blame.

I think, he's an oil man sitting in the grand poohbahs seat, in a country that consumes 25% of all the worlds energy, so yes I think what we do here does  affect what people all over are paying...color me jaded.

[Speedbag]

I quote Jamie Kitman from the August issue of Automobile magazine:

"George W. Bush: Friend, if you were hoping that the US government might turn a blind eye to profit and plunder in the oil game, this is your special time. An oil man and the son of oil men, the forty-third president is probably the last guy who'd stand in the way of other oil men exercising their God-given right to squeeze cash out of customers. But as second-term lame ducks who have gutted most federal regulatory agencies, Mr. Bush's outfit couldn't put the brakes on a runaway cheeseburger, much less the oil industry's extreme pricing policies - and that's assuming it wanted to, which it doesn't. Far from signaling a cool-down lap, the Bush team celebrates its final year in office by inviting the oil boys to put the hammer down and ride the wall one last time following seven go-go years on the free-market superspeedway. If that means consumers take it up the injector pump, so be it."

[factorPlayer]

anyone know what kind of Ferrari Sammy is driving in the video?

[Bick]

I think it is a 512i. 

[fwtcc]

pregnant doging about gas prices is ridiculous.  Welcome to America, by a house closer to work and get a different car.  Oh yeah, and shut the make the beast with two backs up about it.  If you aren't going to do one of those two things, then you have no room to talk.

I lived in the sticks and had an SUV.  Got too expensive and I got a MINI and moved 6 miles away from work.  Still pay far less in gas.  And I can take more pleasure trips. 

My anger at SUV's isn't that some one has them and "they're raising oil prices for the rest of us", its that they are the ones pregnant doging about it, but haven't put a for sale sign in the their kid carrier.  If you use your SUV for something, by all means complain away construction industry worker or some other job that requires it.  If you carry some kids or even worse just yourself in it.  Just STFU.  You have nothing to complain about.  Awww man.  I can no longer afford this LUXURY of having too big of a vehicle.  Life goes on.

[ducatiz]

I think, he's an oil man sitting in the grand poohbahs seat, in a country that consumes 25% of all the worlds energy, so yes I think what we do here does  affect what people all over are paying...color me jaded.

I think the fact (if it is true) that we consume 25% of the worlds energy is irrelevant.

What percentage of the world's wealth do we generate?  What percentage of high-tech development is here?  .. of manufacturing? 

Last I checked, the US was the world leader in intellectual property registrations.  People even come to the US to register patents rather than in their home country. 

People come from around the world to go to business and medical school here in the USA.  Some countries don't even have business or medical schools!

This country consumes energy?  Big deal.  We produce immense amounts of useful output, products and intellectual capital.  We produce more doctors than all of Europe and Asia combined.  Our developments have spurred industries in every sector. 

25%?    That's a piffle.