>From: "Vandergraaf, Chuck" <vandergraaft@aecl.ca>
>To: 'Kit Hildreth' <kithildreth@hotmail.com>
>CC: morgans@autox.team.net
>Subject: RE: PT revisited
>Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 16:59:14 -0500
>
>Kit et al.,
>
>I've been following this debate as much as I could, in between driving to
>Pennsylvania and flying back home again to Manitoba. When I left Manitoba
>on
>March 02, gas was 67.5 c/L, along the way it ranged from 1.449US$/gallon
>(Ohio Turnpike) to 1.569 US$/gallon (Eau Claire, WI). Last night, when I
>landed in Winnipeg, I noted that the price had crept up to 69.5 c/L, a less
>than warm welcome to go with the -8 C temperature and a stiff (40-60km) N
>wind.
******
I'm doing a winge about $US1.70 for regular! Should count my blessings I
know, but......
******
"I sense a general "holier than thou" attitude to which I may have
contributed with my comments about SUVs. It's always "the other guy" who is
responsible for the "excess" use of gasoline and who is to blame for the
current "short fall."
***
I've had it in for people trucks since they started cluttering up the roads
and my vision. I couldn't give a damn about the fuel costs, but the added
pollution due to having only truck emissions gear - no WONDER the Car makers
luv 'em! As for the "short fall", like all the others since the Suez crisis
in '56 it's ARTIFICIALLY generated. There's NEVER been a real lack of it
since WW2!
******
"Let's be realistic: public transport in the West is terrible because 1)land
is (was) cheap and 2)gasoline was cheap. Comparing the price of gas to that
of soft drinks is just that, a comparison between apples and oranges.
***
Granted!
******
"Public transport is only viable if the population density is high enough
and people can be "coerced" into using public transport. Unless we are
forced to, we don't want to be squeezed closer together and put up with
postage-sized lots with grass that can be cut with scissors rather than with
riding lawn mowers.
***
As always. But we soon breed ourselves into the former situation time after
time, don't we!
******
"I recall, back during the 1973(?) oil crisis, listening to somebody calling
in to a San Antonio. TX, radio station, complaining about the high cost of
gas and asking what he should do because he had to drive 20 miles to get to
work. The radio show host didn't give him the obvious answers: sell the
house and move closer to work, find a place of work closer to home, use a
bike, or car pool.
***
Ah! Those were the days! Drive from the Street to your Front door! Avoid
exercise at all costs! Smoke as many nasty substances as your lungs will
countenence, eat everything BAD for you......
******
"I have nothing against SUVs if they are used what they are intended to be
used for. Hauling a soccer team or a hockey team to a practice may make
good environmental sense. Using a 5000 lb SUV to drive a 110 pound person
to the corner store to buy a quart of milk, to me, does not, regardless of
the price of gas.
******
They are an abomination to the word of God - or somesuch!
******
"Maybe the price of gas will result in fewer SUVs; maybe it will lead to a
>higher population density and maybe it will lead to more car pooling.
***
Dream On Chuck, that's what I'm doing:
American decides it MUST run on High Octane gas again and bring back 101
leaded (Mogs favourite brew!)
******
"Let's face it, gasoline is probably being consumed faster than it is
created and it will just be a matter of time when it's gone.
***
Beg to differ! We continue to find new sources of oil and means of
extracting more from existing fields - although a 1000 feet under water plus
is rather pushing it, but if the technology is there....
******
"Good to hear your comment about nuclear power. The anti-nukes were falling
over themselves with glee when Ontario Hydro (temporarily) shut down some of
the nuclear generation stations two years ago. It didn't take them long to
realize that shutting down nuclear power plants didn't make much
environmental sense unless there is a accompanying reduction in electricity
consumption.
******
My father had a superb phrase for that lot:
"Brainless nincompoops!"
******
"However, we have become so used to air conditioning, that
Ontario Hydro had to press fossil fueled stations into service. Within a
months there were complaints about air quality (or the lack thereof) and
respiratory problems. Duh!!"
***
I can hardly believe it! How could that be so?
******
"As to diesels, can anybody explain to me the economics of truck transport?
On my two recent forays into the US by car, from Las Vegas, NV, to Pinawa
last December and last week from Pinawa to the Pittsburgh area, I was amazed
by the amount of truck traffic. Let's see, each truck needs a driver and
has its own diesel engine. I saw the odd train with piggy-backed truck
trailers, one (or two) train engineers and two to three diesel engines."
***
Beats me. But, there must be some economic factor in there somewhere - the
profit motive, ecetara. I do know breathing around all those deisel fumes is
a might trick
Keep on Moggin'(with Petrol!)
>Kit Hildreth
'77 +8
>'52+4
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