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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tressa
What about heating your home, even electricity uses some form of fuel to keep their power plants going. To not use fuel at all is mostly impossible these days.
go "Off-Grid", and have a passive solar home. Use waste cooking oil for fuel.
One of my neighbor's has a 'micro-turbine' for power, that is really nice. A friend in CA heats his home off the radiator of his generator that runs on straight cooking oil. He gets a $70 check from the electrical company every month b'cuz he makes more power than he uses.
Lots of folks doing this and technology is making it more practical.
Car sharing makes it pretty ez to get by W/o a car in many cities.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreamofmonterey
No more. Over 90.00 a barrel; the last time oil was this high was in 1980.
I am looking towards living in a city again, and no longer will be buying gas, ever.
you don't have to buy any gas if you make your own (bio-diesel)
Biodiesel Appleseed Reactor Plans (http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/ - broken link)
~ $100 to make this "Home Brew system"
But you will need some methynol.... ends up costing you ~ $0.80/gal, and I get 52 mpg in my midsized VW diesel Passat. It has a 25 gal tank, so I don't need to fill too often, and you can readily buy Bio-Diesel in most states if you still want to boycott oil...
one of my bumper stickers says "50 mpg since 1976, Where have you been?" "no dinosaurs (or OPEC) required"
Everyone will have to make some changes , when , fuel cost rises to the point where the quality of life becomes effected. We are not there yet. It will be shortages of things , commodities , that will truly change the habits.
During the last big fuel shortage , in the seventy's, I went out and bought a econo-box car , not cause the price at the pump was a problem , but , because , I couldn't get the stuff !
Waiting in gas lines , will have more effect on our people , Governments, and the way of life as we have known it. Somehow , we always scrape up the money to fill the tank. 5.00 a gallon is not a real problem , but rationing , is.......
you don't have to buy any gas if you make your own (bio-diesel)
Biodiesel Appleseed Reactor Plans (http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/ - broken link)
~ $100 to make this "Home Brew system"
But you will need some methynol.... ends up costing you ~ $0.80/gal, and I get 52 mpg in my midsized VW diesel Passat. It has a 25 gal tank, so I don't need to fill too often, and you can readily buy Bio-Diesel in most states if you still want to boycott oil...
one of my bumper stickers says "50 mpg since 1976, Where have you been?" "no dinosaurs (or OPEC) required"
Diesel is the way to go. Detroit ( and others ) , will be coming out with more cars that will run on the stuff this next year. Mercedes had their first diesel car in 1936 , nothing new , and before that , there were several vehicles that were powered by lower volitle fuels../.....just coming around again , and again, but hopefully , with better engineering this time....
When I lived in Boston I only needed the heat in December, sometimes January. Also had a fireplace, so that helped a great deal. And my transport to work was less than 30.00 per month by the T......wow I was saving at least 200.00 a month on gas alone.
You also saved a $100 in car insurance and $400 on a car payment, plus registration, excise tax, and maintenance. It can add up to a bundle, for sure.
you don't have to buy any gas if you make your own (bio-diesel)
Biodiesel Appleseed Reactor Plans (http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/ - broken link)
~ $100 to make this "Home Brew system"
But you will need some methynol.... ends up costing you ~ $0.80/gal, and I get 52 mpg in my midsized VW diesel Passat. It has a 25 gal tank, so I don't need to fill too often, and you can readily buy Bio-Diesel in most states if you still want to boycott oil...
one of my bumper stickers says "50 mpg since 1976, Where have you been?" "no dinosaurs (or OPEC) required"
I am not clear from this if you are paying the required Highway Taxes -- and if not, do not say so on this forum -- but folks that do not pay the taxes, and then put such bumper stickers on their vehicles get busted HARD.
Do not forget the wise advice of keeping your mouth shut when you have a good deal going.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,690 posts, read 57,994,855 times
Reputation: 46166
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philip T
I am not clear from this if you are paying the required Highway Taxes -- and if not, do not say so on this forum -- but folks that do not pay the taxes, and then put such bumper stickers on their vehicles get busted HARD.
Do not forget the wise advice of keeping your mouth shut when you have a good deal going.
since I file a form F and C for businesses, I pay the tax on any fuel I make, it varies by state but not a big deal since I use the roads... And I like to be able to show "the man" (DOT guy) when he dips my tank to make sure I'm not running RED (off-road) dino diesel. I'm not into fines and jail and stuff for a few dollars...
I also do Bio-D education for the public and industry, so I'm more than happy to share the info. I am more interested in getting it mainstream, than protecting the knowledge. My main goal is to enhance the product and user experience (there are plenty of slime-balls in the industry at the moment).
I prefer to share my toys (coming from a volunteer nursery school worker)
We're looking for a place to move that is extremely walkable but doesn't cost a fortune (i.e., not NYC or San Francisco). Just got rid of one car, and can't wait to get rid of the other as soon as I can convince my husband. Just spent $50 filling the tank -- the most EVER!! I'm thinking of downtown Dallas, AUstin, maybe Gainesville or St. Augustine...Also, possibly cities that have zipcars or some equivalent (where you can pay a small monthly fee in exchange for the occasional use of a car). When I counted up all the ways in which I paid for my car, it came to about 7 (let's see, there's the AAA membership, insurance, gas, basic maintenance, inspections, monthly payment, taxes and registration). I think owning a car is a total ripoff, and we've been suckered into thinking we need them. My 17-year old son has shown no interest in taking driver's ed: at first, I was shocked and concerned, but now I figure he can find a great city to live in and still have more money left over than if he were spending half his earnings on a car.
We're looking for a place to move that is extremely walkable but doesn't cost a fortune (i.e., not NYC or San Francisco). Just got rid of one car, and can't wait to get rid of the other as soon as I can convince my husband. Just spent $50 filling the tank -- the most EVER!! I'm thinking of downtown Dallas, AUstin, maybe Gainesville or St. Augustine...Also, possibly cities that have zipcars or some equivalent (where you can pay a small monthly fee in exchange for the occasional use of a car). When I counted up all the ways in which I paid for my car, it came to about 7 (let's see, there's the AAA membership, insurance, gas, basic maintenance, inspections, monthly payment, taxes and registration). I think owning a car is a total ripoff, and we've been suckered into thinking we need them. My 17-year old son has shown no interest in taking driver's ed: at first, I was shocked and concerned, but now I figure he can find a great city to live in and still have more money left over than if he were spending half his earnings on a car.
The scenario you describe has lots of holes in it. Yes , you can move to a place where a car is not needed , like a very large city. Save money by not having a car ?.... Thats just a trade off . The cost of living in that big city is so much greater than in a rural area , that, it far out strips the cost of ownership of a motor vehicle in a less congested local......... Big City people pay lots for everything , knowing and unknowing. It is a choice , and , if you do not value automobile ownership , and , the freedom it affords you , go ahead , move to the big city , and , complain , about your apartment rent, the subway hassles,crime on the streets , neighbors , getting things fixed ,polluted air , and street noise......
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(coming from a volunteer nursery school worker)
