Fuel Prices.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Do you live under a rock?

No, it’s not going to be global, it’s some of the developing world that will suffer, us fat Americans will be fine. It’s not because of fuel prices though, it’s because of climate change and uncontrolled population growth.


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[MagnificentUnicorn]

Is gretch the guy who thought he didn’t need a shingles vaccination because he’d had chickenpox?


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[DBdude]

chuckles

[Mani_UT]

Hey, cool to see your name pop up. I picked up a bike messenger bag from you years ago in SLC. I passed it on to another mag this winter, so it should still be kicking around and being used.

Nice. I mostly lurk and don't post.

(Living in Hood River the last 6 years.)

[XXX-er]

You're kidding right? They are literally the go to train in most civilized nations.

are you inferring America is not civilized ?

[gretch6364]

You're kidding right? They are literally the go to train in most civilized nations.

Sounds pretty simple then and an easy decision to electrify the US rail system. The US power grid is ready to go! Piece of cake.

[gretch6364]

It’s not because of fuel prices though, it’s because of climate change and uncontrolled population growth.


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COVID + Famine = problem solved [/sarcasm}

[skaredshtles]

Sounds pretty simple then and an easy decision to electrify the US rail system. The US power grid is ready to go! Piece of cake.

Naw - we'd rather just subsidize cheap gas.

[liv2ski]

Naw - we'd rather just subsidize cheap gas.

Naw, the US is all about subsidies regardless of price.

[Mani_UT]

are you inferring America is not civilized ?

In many ways it's quite backward, starting with healthcare.
I love the West and wouldn't want to be anywhere else because of the limited population (also why I did not want to be in the Wasatch Front anymore, it's overrun) but the infrastructure is shit. Our main bridge in town got its speed lowered to 15 mph because it's so obsolete it will age too fast otherwise!! So yeah, not so civilized (not even getting into our third world level murder rate).

https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/ho...862cb7830.html

[gravitylover]

don't you claim expenses on income and write some of it off ?

Some yes. I'm waiting on something to happen (or not) that would make it almost necessary for my biz to buy me a car. That would make it a whole lot easier. Fingers crossed.

[gretch6364]

Naw - we'd rather just subsidize cheap gas.

In all seriousness...I was obviously not read up on electrical train use for freight around the world. After reading a bit more, it is obvious that we should prioritize a government sponsored grid upgrade specifically for rail. Not sure how the rest of the infrastructure would need to work due to the privately owned rail network...but would be a MUCH better use of the billions proposed for student loan forgiveness. Also, it appears some changes in local tax codes and how that interplays with rail upgrades need to be addressed.

Not a fan of the proposed battery powered trains...but the catenary systems or third rail look like great tech. The trucking industry and its inefficiency versus rail has always felt suboptimal.

[Mani_UT]

Not a fan of the proposed battery powered trains...

Certainly agree on that unless for some super remote line not worth electrifying. I haven't read up on the numbers though.

[gretch6364]

Certainly agree on that unless for some super remote line not worth electrifying. I haven't read up on the numbers though.

The environmental impact all of the batteries for the cars...let alone adding freight trains and large trucks...just not sure how we get around that one.

Not using batteries for some mass store of electricity within the grid is a good start. Not sure how viable it actually is at scale, but love the ideas of pulling a heavy train (or whatever you want to call it) up a steep hill during the day when solar and wind are running, then let it generate power coming back down in the evenings.

It is becoming painfully obvious hydro is not a long term solution for the western US...but maybe a sealed system to offset water loss and pumps that push water uphill to a covered storage during the day?

Aspen Ski Co's methane generator is also awesome tech that needs a boost of funding and expanded to other leaking mines. Two birds...one stone there.

[abraham]

The environmental impact all of the batteries for the cars...let alone adding freight trains and large trucks...just not sure how we get around that one.

Not using batteries for some mass store of electricity within the grid is a good start. Not sure how viable it actually is at scale, but love the ideas of pulling a heavy train (or whatever you want to call it) up a steep hill during the day when solar and wind are running, then let it generate power coming back down in the evenings.

It is becoming painfully obvious hydro is not a long term solution for the western US...but maybe a sealed system to offset water loss and pumps that push water uphill to a covered storage during the day?

Aspen Ski Co's methane generator is also awesome tech that needs a boost of funding and expanded to other leaking mines. Two birds...one stone there.

The new Yorker had a good article about gravity and other types of batteries a couple weeks ago if you wanted some places to start reading. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...ewable-storage

[dunfree]

Continued settlement expansion in the western us isn’t a viable long term trend at current growth rates without substantial changes in lifestyle and expectations. The blithe answer to power is build more nuclear plants, but to do that requires how we build them.

back to gas prices, ~100 year us retail average price per gallon of standard gas is about $3.20 in current dollars, adjusted for inflation. Cheapest was ~$1.80 in 1998. It’s been above $4 several times including 2008 and 2012

[gretch6364]

The new Yorker had a good article about gravity and other types of batteries a couple weeks ago if you wanted some places to start reading. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...ewable-storage

Sweet...thanks for sharing.

[Percy Rideout]

No, it’s not going to be global, it’s some of the developing world that will suffer, us fat Americans will be fine. It’s not because of fuel prices though, it’s because of climate change and uncontrolled population growth.


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Again, do you live under a rock? Does the food get transported from farm to store by magic? Does the potash get mined, processed, turned into fertilizer, and trucked to the supplier by magic?

While i agree that we won't see it AS bad in the States, the USDA states that 38 million people in the US are food insecure....These are pre historic inflation stats...

Climate change? Globally, we produce more food than we ever have in history, and more than enough to feed the world. (In the US we produce so much food that we blend it into shitty gas LOL) It's getting the (unspoiled) food in the hands of the hungry is the hard part. and that involves.....you guessed it.....fuel.

https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/...cts-statistics

"Around the world, more than enough food is produced to feed the global population—but as many as 811 million people still go hungry.[4] After steadily declining for a decade, world hunger is on the rise, affecting 9.9 percent of people globally. From 2019 to 2020, the number of undernourished people grew by as many as 161 million, a crisis driven largely by conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic."

811 Million people were going hungry BEFORE all the recent news about a potential global famine.

"Some of the developing world will suffer." That's a hell of an understatement.

[XXX-er]

Some yes. I'm waiting on something to happen (or not) that would make it almost necessary for my biz to buy me a car. That would make it a whole lot easier. Fingers crossed.

It is probably different down thar but I'm pretty sure it would trigger tax implications up here if you did any personel milage ?

It was back in the day but we all bought TDi's minimum down payement and wrote them off, the mother corp payed about 60% of expenses

[highangle]

Not a fan of the proposed battery powered trains...but the catenary systems or third rail look like great tech. The trucking industry and its inefficiency versus rail has always felt suboptimal.

Designing highly efficient rail systems is fun. Acquiring rights of way and easements is not.

[XXX-er]

https://globalnews.ca/news/8913205/b...l30UAhh5ClagZI

electric mine haul trucks, it seems like only that hill is electrifyed but it saves 35 litres every time a truck goes up

[Percy Rideout]

No, it’s not going to be global, it’s some of the developing world that will suffer, us fat Americans will be fine. It’s not because of fuel prices though, it’s because of climate change and uncontrolled population growth.


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https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...ine-war-russia

[neufox47]

My local Nextdoor is loaded with boomers driving trucks and big SUVs whining about gas prices. Almost all want the government to suspend the gas tax to bail them out.


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[Peruvian]

My local Nextdoor is loaded with boomers driving trucks and big SUVs whining about gas prices. Almost all want the government to suspend the gas tax to bail them out.


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Boomers gonna do what boomers gonna do.

[Ted Striker]

My local Nextdoor is loaded with boomers driving trucks and big SUVs whining about gas prices. Almost all want the government to suspend the gas tax to bail them out.

...and Biden's gonna do it.

But come election time, those guys are going to experience an extremely selective form of amnesia.