Alternate Fuel tango
Ethanol
It seems that we’ve been screwing around with ethanol as a possible gasoline additive since the 1970s. Actual usage on a commercial basis started around 1988. See ethanol for more information. That’s almost twenty years ago folks. It seems that if using ethanol will ever make practical sense, now is the time or in fact past time.
Substance X
Let’s assume that some gasoline alternative called “Substance X” is found to be a practical i.e. economical alternative to gasoline. There would be significant changes required to the engine system so that it would only be practical to put into new vehicles. Existing cars and trucks would still require existing fuel sources i.e. gasoline for the most part.
From a practical point of view it would take a number of years, say five to make a significant dent in the existing car population. Of course, the new fuel would have to become readily available across the country for people to start to buy these cars in quantities. Also, people with existing vehicles are not going to just go out and replace them until their current gas eaters go belly-up.
One also has to consider how such an event would impact the world’s oil supply. Of course oil is used for more than just gasoline, but there would still be some significant impact on the market. If the existing oil companies control the new alternative to gasoline, there will be less downward pressure on prices, but probably would foster more stability in the market place.
Other common products derived from petroleum:
Solvents used in paints and printing inks:
Lubricating oils and greases:
Used in making packaging, candles, matches and polishes:
Medical products such as petroleum jelly:
Asphalt:
Various liner products such as furnace electrodes, and the production of aluminum:
Used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber and a variety of plastics
And many other products.
Of course a lower need to use petroleum for gasoline should make more available for these and other products. However, the price of these items would probably increase significantly.
If “substance X” turns out to actually be several different, exclusive and thus competing alternates, then chaos control would definitely be needed – but how and from where?
I don’t here anybody talking about these types of issues, but I hope that serious minds are considering them seriously.
It seems that we’ve been screwing around with ethanol as a possible gasoline additive since the 1970s. Actual usage on a commercial basis started around 1988. See ethanol for more information. That’s almost twenty years ago folks. It seems that if using ethanol will ever make practical sense, now is the time or in fact past time.
Substance X
Let’s assume that some gasoline alternative called “Substance X” is found to be a practical i.e. economical alternative to gasoline. There would be significant changes required to the engine system so that it would only be practical to put into new vehicles. Existing cars and trucks would still require existing fuel sources i.e. gasoline for the most part.
From a practical point of view it would take a number of years, say five to make a significant dent in the existing car population. Of course, the new fuel would have to become readily available across the country for people to start to buy these cars in quantities. Also, people with existing vehicles are not going to just go out and replace them until their current gas eaters go belly-up.
One also has to consider how such an event would impact the world’s oil supply. Of course oil is used for more than just gasoline, but there would still be some significant impact on the market. If the existing oil companies control the new alternative to gasoline, there will be less downward pressure on prices, but probably would foster more stability in the market place.
Other common products derived from petroleum:
Solvents used in paints and printing inks:
Lubricating oils and greases:
Used in making packaging, candles, matches and polishes:
Medical products such as petroleum jelly:
Asphalt:
Various liner products such as furnace electrodes, and the production of aluminum:
Used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber and a variety of plastics
And many other products.
Of course a lower need to use petroleum for gasoline should make more available for these and other products. However, the price of these items would probably increase significantly.
If “substance X” turns out to actually be several different, exclusive and thus competing alternates, then chaos control would definitely be needed – but how and from where?
I don’t here anybody talking about these types of issues, but I hope that serious minds are considering them seriously.
posted by Robert Ball at 4:08 PM
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