Fuel pricing "Rip Off"?
August 2nd 2007 02:15
Back when I was a lad (during the 1950s) there where 3 types of fuel available, Super, standard and diesel and of course kerosene.
Comparatively speaking only marginally cheaper than today’s fuel prices. But there wasn’t the constant see- saw- pricing scam where the price of fuel mysteriously goes up in price in just a few hours, in Queensland when driving past a petrol station in the morning the price will say $1.10 by late afternoon it is not uncommon to see a 10- 12 cent price hike especially on Friday. (I know the fuel companies have the interest of road users at heart they are trying to keep the road toll down by jacking up the fuel price just before the week-end YEH RIGHT) So why are we as consumer being constantly ripped off” every week?
During the post war period fuel was still a relative “scarce” commodity however the price remained static. The search for alternative energy source was just beginning.
There where numerous vehicles that where using alternative energy sources besides fuel.
During the Second World War petrol was in short supply because of the shortage of fuel rationing was introduced thought Australia, this prompted lateral thinking which lead to the use of “charcoal burners” whereby charcoal or wood chips would burned and the gas produced fed into a conventional automobile engine in place of fuel. These engines where commonly used in rural areas and even the family car Building a “gasifier “ was a relative simple process most where home made from milk churns with a few pipes added and that basically to operate was a relatively simple process just fire it up and feed the gasses straight into the engine intake. Unfortunately “charcoal burners” and modern engine technology is not a good match.
I can still recall when my father had to stop by the roadside to fill up the burner with more charcoal a very unusual fuel stop, the engine worked although it did run a bit on the rough side. The 60s where better bigger cars bigger engines petrol was at a reasonable price.
Next the 70s and a world fuel shortage, a big wakeup call, fuel prices soared practically overnight the big American cars became less fashionable ( I sold my beloved H.K. Monaro V8) and a move to more fuel efficient cars began with a spate of Japanese imports … the rest is history so they say.
In today’s world dwindling reserves of crude oil and rising fuel prices what are we doing to encourage the use of alternative energy fuels?
Forget hydrogen and electric power for the moment Australia has a vast amount of subterranean gas deposits …OH wait what about the sugar industry why are cane farmers crying out for fuel subsidies when there is a abundance of sugar that can be converted to ethanol! Soya/canola beans to be used in diesel engines.
It is about time we as consumers thought a little smarter, why not make your own bio diesel fuel. I currently drive an old diesel Peugeot I fill it up with oil from fish and chips shop I just filter it and it goes into the tank runs beautifully and the exhaust smells so sweet that I have a lot of animals following me. Granted we all have different needs and with the abundance of conventional petrol engines now in use it is not convenient or practical to have a diesel powered vehicle but there are other choices so where is the problem?
Photos Carlcan Idaho Observer
Comparatively speaking only marginally cheaper than today’s fuel prices. But there wasn’t the constant see- saw- pricing scam where the price of fuel mysteriously goes up in price in just a few hours, in Queensland when driving past a petrol station in the morning the price will say $1.10 by late afternoon it is not uncommon to see a 10- 12 cent price hike especially on Friday. (I know the fuel companies have the interest of road users at heart they are trying to keep the road toll down by jacking up the fuel price just before the week-end YEH RIGHT) So why are we as consumer being constantly ripped off” every week?
During the post war period fuel was still a relative “scarce” commodity however the price remained static. The search for alternative energy source was just beginning.
There where numerous vehicles that where using alternative energy sources besides fuel.
During the Second World War petrol was in short supply because of the shortage of fuel rationing was introduced thought Australia, this prompted lateral thinking which lead to the use of “charcoal burners” whereby charcoal or wood chips would burned and the gas produced fed into a conventional automobile engine in place of fuel. These engines where commonly used in rural areas and even the family car Building a “gasifier “ was a relative simple process most where home made from milk churns with a few pipes added and that basically to operate was a relatively simple process just fire it up and feed the gasses straight into the engine intake. Unfortunately “charcoal burners” and modern engine technology is not a good match.
Ford Truck running on Wood
I can still recall when my father had to stop by the roadside to fill up the burner with more charcoal a very unusual fuel stop, the engine worked although it did run a bit on the rough side. The 60s where better bigger cars bigger engines petrol was at a reasonable price.
Next the 70s and a world fuel shortage, a big wakeup call, fuel prices soared practically overnight the big American cars became less fashionable ( I sold my beloved H.K. Monaro V8) and a move to more fuel efficient cars began with a spate of Japanese imports … the rest is history so they say.
In today’s world dwindling reserves of crude oil and rising fuel prices what are we doing to encourage the use of alternative energy fuels?
Forget hydrogen and electric power for the moment Australia has a vast amount of subterranean gas deposits …OH wait what about the sugar industry why are cane farmers crying out for fuel subsidies when there is a abundance of sugar that can be converted to ethanol! Soya/canola beans to be used in diesel engines.
It is about time we as consumers thought a little smarter, why not make your own bio diesel fuel. I currently drive an old diesel Peugeot I fill it up with oil from fish and chips shop I just filter it and it goes into the tank runs beautifully and the exhaust smells so sweet that I have a lot of animals following me. Granted we all have different needs and with the abundance of conventional petrol engines now in use it is not convenient or practical to have a diesel powered vehicle but there are other choices so where is the problem?
Photos Carlcan Idaho Observer
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Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
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Comment by Louie
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Hopefully the trend of money flow is moving towards alternative fuel investment here is a link to a WSJ Article Your CLICK HERE which talks about how the VC money is circling around alternative fuels because for the first time in history there is a need for them and the Oil companies can't push the alternative guys out of the market, which as you well know is the reason why no-one has the knowledge to do any of these things today.