OIL
It's interesting to see how oil company spokespersons and experts who have to deal with oil companies on a regular basis use feel-good euphemisms to gloss over the unpleasant fact that gas prices prices rise immediately in case of a supply crisis, but fall very slowly when that supply crisis has eased.That is the case right now, when gas prices should have fallen precipitously.Instead, an industry spokesman says pricing contains as "asymmetric bias to the upside" and the head of a research institute describes the "rockets and feathers effect" under which prices surge up rapidly, and then fall slowly.What we need are effective alternative energy policies to cut through this rhetorical fog. See the following link from CNN for more information about the obfuscation:http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/18/news...rtune/?cnn=yes
May 20, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=253268#post253268
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Governor Ed Rendell continued his exemplary and ever-improving record of environmental leadership today when he set the goal of preparing legislation for introduction by the end of July that would require all transportation fuels sold in Pennsylvania to be blended with cleaner-burning alternative fuels produced domestically.Rendell's announcement was made on the same day as the opening of a WoGo ethanol fueling station in Lititz, Lancaster County. It is the first station in Pennsylvania--and in the Northeast--which is offering an 85% ethanol blend to the public.Rendell hopes to ultimately be able to replace 900 million gallons of gas and diesel with alternatives. He expects that ten years from now, Pennsylvania will be importing 900 million gallons from the Persian Gulf.Four states--Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington--have implemented a fuel standard for ethanol or biodiesel, and other states are considering it. Ethanol comes from corn and timber, while biodiesel is soy-based.Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association, says that about four gallons out of 10 sold in the U.S. are now mixed with ethanol, which usually comprises 10%. All cars can accept a 10% blend.Only a fraction of the cars on the road, about 5 million out of 220 million-- can accept the 85% ethanol mixture now being sold in Lititz--typically large trucks and luxury sedans. Most states--including Pennsylvania neighbors Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia--have at least one gas station that sells 85% ethanol gas. But it is sold at only 600 out of the country's 180,000 gas stations.Renewable Fuels Association spokesman Hartwig says the price of ethanol-blended fuels is generally competitive with fuels that are not blended, although ethanol can bring down the price of gasoline in places where it is readily available.Clearly, to use E-85, the 85% ethanol gas, will take a long-term change in both the design of cars and the equipment and supplying of gas stations.This posting is a summary of an Associated Press article by Marc Levy posted today in the website of the Allentown Morning Call and today's broadcast on KYW Radio by Tony Romeo. I thank Grassrootspa.com for calling these reports to my attention.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/state/all-a1_rendellmay11,0,312088.story?coll=...http://kyw1060.com/pages/34419.php?
May 11, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=248560#post248560
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13% of the people polled in an April IssuesPa/Pew Poll--which also asked people where they stand on other issues--said they believe gas prices are now the state's most important problem. This compares to just 6% of the people who said that in a March poll.The federal government can do much more about this problem than state governments can. Whether the numbers of people who answer in this way continues to increase around the country--and whether these people mobilize in some way to let their opinion be widely known--will have some impact on what governmental actions are taken to reduce gas prices, develop alternative energy sources, and aid mass transportation.
May 11, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=248224#post248224
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MTBE can be sent by pipeline because it does not mix with water, while the water-mixing ethanol can only be sent by tanker truck, a more time-consuming and labor intensive process. Supposedly, this conversion process should have been completed by May 5--three days ago--and therefore price and supply problems should now be easing.I would welcome reading replies from anyone with insights into this issue. It would be good to know how deep a price reduction we can expect once the conversion process is completed, and what could be done to speed the conversion process if, in fact, the May 5 deadline has not been met. It would also be good to get ideas on what further governmental role, if any, is appropriate here.
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=246097#post246097
May 8, 2006
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The facts behind Lord Acton's well-known aphorism that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" are probably a factor here. The great wealth that can accrue to producers of oil undoubtedly leads to bribes, coups, intense palace politics, and desperate attempts to hang onto political power by cruel and unusual means.I agree that higher oil prices will inevitably be a fact of life. That is why I am leading the push in the Pennsylvania legislature for plug-in hybrid cars,and why I am strong supporter of numerous forms of alternative energy. I think the replacement of MTBE by ethanol is a step in the right direction which is very much in the public interest that it succeed.Experts generally agree that we already have reached, or will soon reach, world peak production of oil. The U.S. peak production level was reached in 1970. As the economies of India--with about four times U.S. population--and China--with about five times U.S. population--continue to thrive, they will inevitably continue to bid up the price of oil. To the degree that this reduces unnecessary travel and unnecessary consumption, there will be some public benefits to this.But we have to be aware that higher price oil inevitably creates economic hardships, and we have to seek out measures to reduce these hardships on people--the vast majority of citizens--who are either in debt or who have little or any cash reserves.
May 8, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=246365#post246365
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I have decided to introduce a resolution in the Pennsylvania House calling for the federal government to lift the 54 cent tariff (tax) on ethanol imports, which should save 8 cents a gallon. I thank Eldondre for first calling the issue to my attention.This is only a small step in the direction of affordable gasoline, but it is a small step which should be taken. It is action by governments at the state and federal level that led to the adoption of 10% ethanol in each gallon of gas requirement, and the federal government should be trying to help keep the cost of ethanol down to spare the motorists.Both New York Senator Charles Schumer, a leader for consumer rights, and President Bush have announced their support for dropping the tariff at least temporarily. This will not likely play well in Iowa--the ethanol capitol of the U.S.--but should be generally popular in the Congress and in the country. And Iowa can't complain too much, because only governmental decisions gave ethanol the favorable position it now enjoys.http://nysun.com/article/32312/
May 9, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=246783#post246783
May 20, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=253268#post253268
*
Governor Ed Rendell continued his exemplary and ever-improving record of environmental leadership today when he set the goal of preparing legislation for introduction by the end of July that would require all transportation fuels sold in Pennsylvania to be blended with cleaner-burning alternative fuels produced domestically.Rendell's announcement was made on the same day as the opening of a WoGo ethanol fueling station in Lititz, Lancaster County. It is the first station in Pennsylvania--and in the Northeast--which is offering an 85% ethanol blend to the public.Rendell hopes to ultimately be able to replace 900 million gallons of gas and diesel with alternatives. He expects that ten years from now, Pennsylvania will be importing 900 million gallons from the Persian Gulf.Four states--Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington--have implemented a fuel standard for ethanol or biodiesel, and other states are considering it. Ethanol comes from corn and timber, while biodiesel is soy-based.Matt Hartwig, a spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association, says that about four gallons out of 10 sold in the U.S. are now mixed with ethanol, which usually comprises 10%. All cars can accept a 10% blend.Only a fraction of the cars on the road, about 5 million out of 220 million-- can accept the 85% ethanol mixture now being sold in Lititz--typically large trucks and luxury sedans. Most states--including Pennsylvania neighbors Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia--have at least one gas station that sells 85% ethanol gas. But it is sold at only 600 out of the country's 180,000 gas stations.Renewable Fuels Association spokesman Hartwig says the price of ethanol-blended fuels is generally competitive with fuels that are not blended, although ethanol can bring down the price of gasoline in places where it is readily available.Clearly, to use E-85, the 85% ethanol gas, will take a long-term change in both the design of cars and the equipment and supplying of gas stations.This posting is a summary of an Associated Press article by Marc Levy posted today in the website of the Allentown Morning Call and today's broadcast on KYW Radio by Tony Romeo. I thank Grassrootspa.com for calling these reports to my attention.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/state/all-a1_rendellmay11,0,312088.story?coll=...http://kyw1060.com/pages/34419.php?
May 11, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=248560#post248560
*
13% of the people polled in an April IssuesPa/Pew Poll--which also asked people where they stand on other issues--said they believe gas prices are now the state's most important problem. This compares to just 6% of the people who said that in a March poll.The federal government can do much more about this problem than state governments can. Whether the numbers of people who answer in this way continues to increase around the country--and whether these people mobilize in some way to let their opinion be widely known--will have some impact on what governmental actions are taken to reduce gas prices, develop alternative energy sources, and aid mass transportation.
May 11, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=248224#post248224
*
MTBE can be sent by pipeline because it does not mix with water, while the water-mixing ethanol can only be sent by tanker truck, a more time-consuming and labor intensive process. Supposedly, this conversion process should have been completed by May 5--three days ago--and therefore price and supply problems should now be easing.I would welcome reading replies from anyone with insights into this issue. It would be good to know how deep a price reduction we can expect once the conversion process is completed, and what could be done to speed the conversion process if, in fact, the May 5 deadline has not been met. It would also be good to get ideas on what further governmental role, if any, is appropriate here.
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=246097#post246097
May 8, 2006
*
The facts behind Lord Acton's well-known aphorism that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" are probably a factor here. The great wealth that can accrue to producers of oil undoubtedly leads to bribes, coups, intense palace politics, and desperate attempts to hang onto political power by cruel and unusual means.I agree that higher oil prices will inevitably be a fact of life. That is why I am leading the push in the Pennsylvania legislature for plug-in hybrid cars,and why I am strong supporter of numerous forms of alternative energy. I think the replacement of MTBE by ethanol is a step in the right direction which is very much in the public interest that it succeed.Experts generally agree that we already have reached, or will soon reach, world peak production of oil. The U.S. peak production level was reached in 1970. As the economies of India--with about four times U.S. population--and China--with about five times U.S. population--continue to thrive, they will inevitably continue to bid up the price of oil. To the degree that this reduces unnecessary travel and unnecessary consumption, there will be some public benefits to this.But we have to be aware that higher price oil inevitably creates economic hardships, and we have to seek out measures to reduce these hardships on people--the vast majority of citizens--who are either in debt or who have little or any cash reserves.
May 8, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=246365#post246365
*
I have decided to introduce a resolution in the Pennsylvania House calling for the federal government to lift the 54 cent tariff (tax) on ethanol imports, which should save 8 cents a gallon. I thank Eldondre for first calling the issue to my attention.This is only a small step in the direction of affordable gasoline, but it is a small step which should be taken. It is action by governments at the state and federal level that led to the adoption of 10% ethanol in each gallon of gas requirement, and the federal government should be trying to help keep the cost of ethanol down to spare the motorists.Both New York Senator Charles Schumer, a leader for consumer rights, and President Bush have announced their support for dropping the tariff at least temporarily. This will not likely play well in Iowa--the ethanol capitol of the U.S.--but should be generally popular in the Congress and in the country. And Iowa can't complain too much, because only governmental decisions gave ethanol the favorable position it now enjoys.http://nysun.com/article/32312/
May 9, 2006
http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?p=246783#post246783
posted by Comment on Pennsylvania Legislation at 11:47 AM
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