This has got to tick someone off!

All this talk of making new fuels, using technology to better cars, and finding new ways to extract oil frm the Earth- the last time we had an energy crisis we all slowed down. Well, at least we were told to slow down.

Why no talk of a new National Speed Limit of 65 or 70 MPH? Is that few minutes going to make that much of an impact on our lives? How about this- commercial delivery vehicles and semis can go 75; everyone else slow down to 65? That way we won't interfere with commerce and the Bush clan should be happy.

Interesting question. I wonder why we haven't heard more stuff urging people to drive slower. From what I've seen the slower you go the better your fuel economy which makes perfect sense.

Most semi's these days are already governed at around 63 mph so a 65 or even 60 speed limit wouldn't effect trucks much at all.

When I bought my car to go to college in the first trip I took it on was to Bozeman to go camping for a week. I drove behind my Dad at 55 the whole way (he was pulling an old junky camper but generally drives really slow anyway) and the car got 30 miles per gallon. I was pretty excited about how great the gas mileage was on my car but without Dad in front of me, the car never got that kind of mileage again

[This message has been edited by Levi Forman (edited 1/31/2007).]

Wow - you're right, but I'm totally opposed.

Hey, if most semis are governed at 63 or 65 does that mean they just coast really well when they pass me downhill at almost 80?

"Why no talk of a new National Speed Limit of 65 or 70 MPH?"

Because we decided that states should have the right to govern their own affairs without interference from the Federal government. Any "crisis" is of our own making because we can't produce our own oil, thanks to a few obstructionists.

Richard, if you have a way to 'produce' oil, I sure would like to invest in it. Only oil I know of was 'produced' by dinosaurs.

The best means to control consumption is price. You could make a case for increasing the amount of fines levied against speeders, but the national speed limit was more poorly enforced than was prohibition. The most effective way to influence behavior is through price at the pump.

Just a personal opinion, but I find the notion of taking food out of the food supply to burn in our cars as fuel objectionable on moral grounds.

"Only oil I know of was 'produced' by dinosaurs".

3 or 4 years ago I was in Canada at a tradeshow and saw some samples of oil that had been produced by rendered animals(beef). It looks like some of that technology is being tested and used here in the US now.


http://www.discover.com/i...-into-oil/

http://www.discover.com/i...il/?page=2

Biodiesel - you can make it from french fry grease and animal parts (among other things). I think you can convert almost any normal diesel engine into one that will run on biodiesel. Cuts down on emissions as well.

I don't think raising the price will help - it will just cause more complaining. Improving the public transportation system would help quite a bit - and yes, I know this would be tough in rural Western states, but it would definitely help save gas (and also reduce emissions!).

I think higher prices have already helped. For any of this alternative fuel to take off, it needs to be profitable, and not just because it's heavily subsidized by the government. The more expensive gasoline is, the more realistic alternative fuel becomes, and the more people are willing to spend money on research on developing them. If biodiesel or Ethanol costs $3 a gallon there's no reason to develop it when gasoline is $2.50 a gallon and doesn't take any research or infrastructure investment. If gasoline costs $5 a gallon though, it's worth looking into. Aside from the complaining, $3 gas didn't seem to do much damage to our economy but it did cause a lot of people to rethink buying a house 50 miles from work or buying a new Escalade. It also caused a lot of companies to spend money doing research on alternative fuel.

"Why no talk of a new National Speed Limit of 65 or 70 MPH?"

Because we decided that states should have the right to govern their own affairs without interference from the Federal government.......

It seems to me that the Feds told Montana to have a 75 MPH speed limit or we'd lose our Federal Highway funding. The same is true for seat belt laws.

Yes, and MT caved in, just to keep the puny allocation of federal funds. Just once I would like to see a state stand up to the feds. If they cut off highway funding then don't send them the gas tax money. Maybe we don't need states anymore.

There's only a marginal difference in some cars between 55 and 75 MPH. I know at least in mine, I get the SAME gas mileage. Now, if I go above 75, that's where the difference kicks me in the butt. I get the same mileage at 55 than I do at 75 ... or less, mainly because where you drive 55 around here would be dirt roads or deer crossings! I do know that the larger the usual comsumption of gas to operate (a truck or SUV, or an 8-cyl. car that doesn't get good mileage to begin with), the more the difference would be with speeds.

Not that I am an expert, by any means ... I just remembered when I ran my 450 4-barrel Olds Cutlass Supreme full bore when I was a kid, I used up more gas than if my grandma was with me in the passenger seat, and I was doing the speed limit.

One of the biggest problems I see, is that the fed's allow auto makers to build suv's, and classify them as trucks when it comes to required fuel standards, because they are all built on truck frames. I can go to the gravel pit and come home with 1/2 ton of rock in my truck. Pretty tough to do that in your suv, unless you actually enjoy working with a shovel for many hours. If it's a 4 - wheel drive station wagon, then it should get the same mileage required from any other car. If it has a bed, then it's a truck, and I can live with the relaxed mileage standards. Pretty simple. And has any car ever made lived up to the mileage claims on the new car sticker? Maybe on a test track, under ideal conditions, for an hour out of many hundreds of hours of testing. Hard to believe anything coming out of a car company when they intentionally lie to us everyday. Anybody bought a vehicle from a dealership lately? I was forced to last fall, and would rather pull teeth out of a pissed off grizzly. I wanted to fall on a sword. Why do the bastards have to make it so damn painful? The sales manager and I had a handshake deal, and the finance dude insisted on torturing me for hours on end. The extended warranty? It's only $90 a month more! I know you like to save money. I can't let you walk out of here without that warranty. I won't be able to sleep at night knowing that you are out on the road un-protected. I would have really enjoyed watching the life drain out of his body, following his long gone soul to that very special place in hell reserved for bastards like him. Ok. I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent. Oh ya. I like to go fast, and don't care if it is torque, horsepower, or freaking soybean soup that allow me to do it, so long as I can still fly down the road.

I get 20-24 mpg with my Sequoia. What more should I want?

Richard,
Pretty good mileage for a tree.

"Confessions Of A Prius Snob"
By Liane Bonin
LOS ANGELES TIMES
February 2, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/ne...&cset=true