The Price of Diesel

[Pu241]

Filled up in Kittery, Maine Saturday for $4.26 a gallon.....

Kittery main!!!!!!
My Place of birth!
Is the Sub base still there?

Keeping on topic, prices sliped from $4.29 to $4.20 two days ago!

[Pup Tentacle]

In the following I'm not voicing an opinion about right or wrong, just observations and possibilities.

Given that the US is in a war to facilitate the free flow of inexpensive oil.
Given that China has surpassed the US as the largest consumer of oil (and coal).
Given that China's rate of increase of consumption is increasing.
Given that China has the largest standing army on the planet (China has more active duty personnel than there are citizens of the US).
Given that China's population growth is positive.

If the US and other countries start to utilize other sources of energy in place of oil and this change happens rapidly. It will decrease demand and consequently decrease the cost per gallon. This could facilitate China's aggressively growing economy and military. China could become the next world's "superpower". Is this a good idea? The ability to wage war is (no pun intended) fueled by inexpensive oil. Many will remember the problems Rommel had in the North African Campaign and the defeat dealt the Nazi's by the Russians on the Eastern Front. Yes there were many factors that contributed to those defeats but if the fuel to fight the battle had been there most would not debate that the outcome would have been different. The high cost of fuel may actually be a stabilizing factor in the geopolitical arena. To think that the leaders of the civilized nations of North America haven't been advised of this is naieve. The increasing cost of energy may actually be curbing China's explosive growth. If this concept is a contributing factor to the increasing cost of fuel. Fuel will have to continue to increase in cost until China's growth rate is quenched. Fuel (internationally) will have to become VERY expensive for that to happen.

Just some thoughts with no concern for right or wrong.

Now the opinions, fuel will continue to increase in cost causing tramatic events on the North American continent. Those factors will continue to take it's toll on the economies of those countries with the possibility of an ensuing depressionary period. The change (and the pain) has just begun. It will get much worse before it gets better. There are no "magic pills".

Pup

[hagar]

So you Gals and Guys want hagar to explain ? --great -- BUT this time do not jump to conclusions.

First , remember hagar flunked English in school in Copenhagen.-------OK I shall do my best.

If you read my SAGA --EH ? did you ? ----- I said I like BIG Oil and Bigger is best. ----why ? Economics of scale.

Am I anti Amerikan ? --- NUTS ----- I am a yankee lover come and count the " Old glory " here.

Did I flunk Economics 101 ? ----NEVER --read my lips.

Further I said WE are ALL to blame. ---hagar more than most of you. ---How was that for a start ? EH ?

And my credentials are first rate -----I was in Copenhagen during "The BIG depression" --look up where it started ? EH. ----So I am Army ,Navy and Airforce --Nato EU . Am I a draft dodger from USAF class of 55-H or a deserter ? ----check me out All of you. ---I am here to avoid going to the Hanoi Hilton unkel Ho's best Hotel.------and I was proved right by history.

hagar..

PS : I have more in the works.-----buy the parts from Jack.

[Ziptar]

Filled up in Kittery, Maine Saturday for $4.26 a gallon.....

Kittery main!!!!!!
My Place of birth!
Is the Sub base still there?

Keeping on topic, prices sliped from $4.29 to $4.20 two days ago!

I was just passing through but, it looked like it was still there.

[hagar]

Op-Ivy your post was perfectly timed --EH ? "Price of Diesel" ----and you were right on your conclusion that hagar said ---- Greedy CEO's are PARTLY to blame , NO I did not single out Oil company's.------Pu 241 is way off base , to the point of INSULTING hagar. ----hagar will NEVER condemn a nation of 300 million ????????, BUT Pu 241 have no fear I can dish it out and take it. -----

AND I do like peole like Op-Ivy and all to speak for me ,,WHY ? --that is the way for me to find out , IF they understand hagar correctly out there.----I have been known to say the wrong thing at times.

hagar has his BUG under control "Greedious Maximus Amerikanus" --BUT I was infected with " DIY maximus Amerikanus" at an early age -----there is NO way to kill that BUG once WE are infected.

As a flyboy ---we called this a "Furball" oh if you check me out USAF class of 55-H look in class book there is my picture "Osmosis".

Why do I take all this time to write on this post ??? ---- I met Op-Ivy face to face , and I liked the kid..

A LOT more to come.

hagar.

[bvolks]

Price of diesel won't be getting me down for a while. Headgasket/ head finally gave out in the old Jetta at 756,948 kms and with Diesel as high as it is I'm in no real hurry to get it back on the road. (Especially since the TD I want to put in it is buried under 4 or 5 feet of snow).

[Op-Ivy]

Yea, I didn't think that was what you meant, but I didn't want to start some kind of fight.

And speaking of face to face, I will be up to Powell River this summer. I'll bring my car this time!

Oh, and I will bring your wine request... Or two...




Matt

[Op-Ivy]

I saw your post on the other forum Bvolks. Again, sorry to hear. Are you going to keep the odometer? Sounds like a nice desk paperweight!

[MPalm]

Over $8/gal but today the price of petrol (gas for you on the dark side of the puddle ) finally got higher than the price of diesel!
Now it´s cheaper to drive a diesel again, (compared to the same model car with a petrol engine) even when I include the road tax that´s 3 times as high on a diesel...

Do you have a annual road/vehicle tax in the US? Is a diesel powered car more expensive to drive/own than a gasser of the same model?

To me that´s what´s important, not the price of fuel alone, but the whole picture.

[82vdub]

In Wisconsin, we pay a yearly fee to register our vehicle, which we are assigned a license plate and an expiration sticker that's affixed to the license plate. It's a flat fee based on the type of vehicle, and for trucks, based on the weight class you want it registered for. For a common passenger car and regular pickup (excluding large trucks, buses, heavy duty trucks etc), there is no cost difference on a vehicle with a gas engine or diesel engine.

Wisconsin also has various styles of license plates. I have a collector plate on my 82 Rabbit (among others), since it is over 20 years old to fall under the collector plate classification. There is a one time fee for this plate, and the vehicle is registered for as long as I keep that plate assigned to this specific car. The plate number is a number that's been assigned to me, and for additional collector plates, there is an "A", "B" etc added after the number (and the second and next plates are slightly cheaper than the first plate for registration fees). The collector plate on my 82 rabbit cost $90.00 5 years ago. Sure beats the $55.00 yearly fee for most of my other plates.

Yes, it is pretty cheap to register a vehicle in Wisconsin (and likely the US).

[bvolks]

Here in New Brunswick they give anyone who drives non-commercial diesel vehicles a $40 rebate when we renew our registration because the diesel tax is higher than the tax on gasoline. Costs me $10 a year to license mine. However, I don't think it really makes up for the tax difference.

[tylernt]

Here in Idaho, we can also "permanently" register a >20 year old vehicle as a "Classic", but we can't drive it daily -- basically it becomes a show and parade car.

Diesel is $4.25 now and I've only got about 1 more week before I need to fill up... hopin' it either goes down in the next few days, or it gets warm enough to ride the motorcycle.

[tylernt]

Saw this in the paper today:

http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/ ... 43525.html

I don't think he made a wise decision... he should have just switched to Biodiesel and/or WVO. I redid my calculation with the new prices, and I'd still need a 31/35mpg gas car to just break even with my 40/45mpg diesel as far as costs per mile go. Even if diesel winds up being more expensive per mile, I'd still drive a diesel, though -- no electric fuel pumps to die, no ignition system to malfunction, no computers to go out, and the ability to run on veggie oil.

In other news, I expect sales of grease kits and veggie oil to increase.

[hagar]

Here is hagar's "Very , Very Inconvenient information" my book will be called "Lies the White House told us"

It is a horrible mess of Blarney ---Cod-waddle and SPIN . so why is hagar so qualified to judge ?------I heard the same nonsense from Berlin Germany for more than 5 years.

Does the spin affect the price of fuel here ? ---sure does. I had access to a NAFTA document stamped " Secret" ---a real eye opener . -------.

So in a mess like THAT --how can hagar still be an "OPTIMIST" call me crazy. Or is it that hagar survived a situation like that before. ?--EH ?

And to stay true to my NO charge EVER . ----- Op-Ivy is bringing me a bottle of ICE-WINE . and I am paying.----he offered to do it.

hagar.

[JRM]

I too have stopped driveing my VW until the prices go down, diesel here is $4.05 and unleaded is only $3.25 so this makes my 38MPG civic the only choice