$1.96 was the cheapest I found in Cedar Rapids this morning.

Gentlefolk,

Although they are on the agenda (ethanol very much so - $2,000,000,000 annual subsidy), ethanol and other biomass fuels are not a panacea. dicksbro's point about reducing our reliance on imports of foreign oil is well taken, however …

The October issue of Consumer Reports, the article “The ethanol myth” debunks some of the unjustified claims made for this gasoline alternative. Basically, it will cost you more.


In the September issue of Scientific American, in the article “The Rise of Renewable Energy” by Daniel Kammen, even the promise of a reduction in greenhouse gases is called into question. His analysis of ethanol’s impact on greenhouse gas emission is ambiguous, to say the least. “If we use different assumptions about these [agricultural] practices, the results to switching to ethanol [produced from corn] range from a 36% drop in emissions to a 29% increase. Although corn-based ethanol may help the U.S. reduce its reliance on foreign oil, it will probably not do much to slow global warming unless the production of the biofuel becomes cleaner.”

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Eudaimonia

jseal, is global warming due to burning of fossil or the cutting down of the worlds forest to feed billions of humans, who breath out CO2. Or is it just a normal cycle of the planet?

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Scarecrow,

A reasonable question, and one asked by many.

The general consensus by scientists who study the subject is that global warming is substantiated by the evidence. Further, and this is the contentious issue, the general consensus is also that a significant amount - if not the majority - of the greenhouse gas emissions involved in this global warming are generated by human activity. Of that amount (whether or not that amount does indeed contribute to or augment the measured global warming) the overwhelming fraction or portion of the greenhouse gases produced by human activity is carbon dioxide, and that carbon dioxide is created primarily by internal combustion engines used by automobiles (or the transportation industry for the purists).

While the debate rages about the best way(s) to address this feature of human activity, global warming is not, and while the size of the fraction attributable to human activity might be, that human activity is a contributor is well established. This is not to say that humans are the only cause, or are solely responsible, as some of the unbalanced fruitcakes would have you believe.

If one accepts that the proposition that global warming has been substantiated, that it is driven primarily by the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, and we are responsible for the management of the portion of the greenhouse gas emissions which we produce, then it makes sense to focus our initial efforts on the one – carbon dioxide – we produce most.

What a change from June! Gas prices have fallen so far that the decrease is skewing the government statistics.

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Eudaimonia

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

It looks as if the price of oil, which is what the price of a gallon of gas/petrol is based upon, has not only stopped falling, but has started to go up again. It should not take long for any increase in the cost per barrel to show up at the pump.

Pity.

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Eudaimonia

... true ... of course, it doesn't help chopping down the world's forests without replenishing them, either.

Oh, yeah, $2.10 here today is the lowest I saw this morning ... up maybe 4 cents from our low.

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Did some travelling last week. Lowest price I saw was $1.95 / gal.

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Eudaimonia

$2.10 is the lowest I've seen in our town, but a bit below $2.00 in Peoria (or so I hear).

Well, the election is over for 4 days now and gas is over $2.25/gal. (USD$.59/L) in my area. Does anybody believe they will see anything near $2.00/gal. (USD$.52/L) again in the next 18 months?

How long do you think it will be until the price is back around $3.00/gal. (USD$.79/L) again?

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PantyFanatic,

Are you suggesting that the price of gas is increasing because the elections are in the past?

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Eudaimonia

I think it's inevitable no matter who's in power or who controls congress. The election maybe affected the timing to a small degree, but not the end result.

We need to reduce oil usage .... period.

Oh, yeah, $2.29 here today was as low as I saw it. High was $2.34 (I think).

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$2.19 to $2.28 here.

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Just be yourself. The rest will fall in line.