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Putin and Merkel get along fine. Germany would freeze in the dark without Putin's gas and oil. That is the reason the German stand against Russia is so weak. The whole mess was started by the CIA. Putting in a US puppet that threatened Putin's Navy base in Crimea.
IF anyone knows the almost complete and utter inefficiency of the wind and solar power grid systems, and LACK of economic sensibility without tax credits and write-offs far GREATER than say other sources, it is GERMANY. They do have one of the highest %'s of power provided by domestic solar and wind. To not have known that and/or to have factored that in would have been almost the grossest breaches of national security, etc. and @ the HIGHEST levels down to the BROADEST levels !!!
Most folks probably don't also factor in that prices of all components of energy are WAY higher that what we are used to in the US markets. Diesels being upwards of 50% of the German PVF is another fuel EFFICIENCY that US markets should endeavor toward, if we believe the environmental hyperbole. We really don't, so 95% gasser to less than 5% diesel is totally in concert with that lack of belief. After all, diesels provides upwards of 30% plus better fuel mileage than gassers ! Why would we want that?
It’s a familiar battle for many Germans: Since World War II, open-pit lignite mines have displaced roughly 35,000 people, according to RWE. The same drama playing out here is also unfolding in the country’s other main coal region, south of Berlin.
Germany’s struggle with lignite mining is taking place behind the scenes of its green energy revolution, known here as the Energiewende. If Germany—which bills itself as one of the planet’s most climate-friendly nations—can’t kick its coal habit, can anyone?
Despite its progress with renewable energy, Germany is still dependent on coal for nearly half its power—a larger proportion than even the United States is. And there’s little hope for that to drop anytime soon. In 2013, coal’s share of the country’s energy mix rose 1.5 percent over the previous year, nearly three times the growth in renewables.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2014/04/coal_mines_swallow_towns_in_germany_why_solar_and_wind_haven_t_kicked_the.html
30.3 mpg (12 VW T TDI) in bumper to bumper freeway traffic! (commute) YUCK !
It is WET ! However, the latest weather talking heads/pundits have this area of CA, DECEMBER as THE WETTEST since the 1950's. This was PRE GLOBAL Warming, aka, slam dunk GLOBAL ICE AGE , with economic and literal armageddon !! Widespread food shortages were another slam dunk.
http://sfbay.ca/2014/12/03/sfmta-approves-68-million-for-new-stretch-buses/
http://www.sfmta.com/about-sfmta/our-history-and-fleet/sfmta-fleet/muni-hybrid-buses
Given the place being choke full of environmental conservatives, protesters, etc. , they could have bought GASSERS and/or other EXOTICS.....
Most of the buses in downtown San Diego are CNG. They have a new CNG hybrid that is being tested. I can honestly say I have never ridden a bus in San Diego. Once in Honolulu, which was a real experience. Thanks but no thanks. Our Trolleys are not as bad. Great prices for seniors, $20 per month unlimited bus and trolley. All the buses out our way are pure diesel.
http://www.sdmts.com/marketing/cnghybrid.asp
The other surprise is that LA has more bus riders than Chicago - Chicago has another 700,000+ riders on the train though. (Wikipedia)
Do the buses go up those real steep streets? My one trip into SF back in the 1960s, I hated those streets especially driving my 1956 Ford PU with stick shift. I have only been in the Airport since then. And that is scary enough. I don't envy those stuck in the Bay area. Napa Valley I could handle if they have a Costco.
I learned stick shift on SF's hilly streets, parallel parking was included! l We learned to judge at times and at speed, within 2 to 3 inches on all 4 points. I sure as heck will not do that today.
As a civilian, I spent 4 hours once in the bush with app $250,000 in communications gear in the back. This truck is capable of almost beating its passengers to death.
My grandfather said he took a couple buddies out hunting for caribou in the early 80s with his '76 F250 (mine, now, LOL) ; they spent about two hours fighting through all sorts of nasty mud and weather to get to "their spot." Then, when they finally reach the trail head, there's this little VW bug (not rigged up in Baja form, mind you) parked there!
A couple guys come out of the brush, each with a small buck over their shoulders, flop them over the roof, strap them down, wish my grandfather's group good luck and trade some stories, then off down the hill they go!
The VW Bug may be the best designed vehicle EVER for multiple terrain. Two guys in my area have VW Things totally restored. I would love to have one for banging around the hills and desert.
Those Hummers are way over priced. I will be surprised if they sell many at $10k. Maybe for parts they could get that much out of them.
http://www.govplanet.com/jsp/equip/auctions.jsp?groupId=11611
Why cheap gasoline is the best thing for America
By Steven Lang
December 16, 2014 10:46 AM
Motoramic
https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/why-cheap-gasoline-is-the-best-thing-for-america-154651570.html
Interesting confirmation on EV, in light of what I had posted, about Germany defacto go to power source.
..."You know what is the number one cause of air pollution today? Coal. The fuel source that helps power electric vehicles in 46 out of the 50 states is responsible for more air pollution — in smog and carbon dioxide — than any other source. "...
The US power grid is 40 %+ COAL. ADD 19.4 % nuclear, and again that is code for EV (plug in electric). , aka, 58.4% aka, MAJORITY !! ??
Again it will be TUFF uphill sledding to approve new natural gas fired power plants. It will figuratively to literally be over the dead bodies (or so they might hyperbolize- you got to admire how SONY stood up to the North Korean censors ) of the environmental conservatives (aka, like the NRA mantra). Plus, if they get rid of the frackers, where are then the GREATER natural gas supplies going to be coming from?
Let's see, no new pipelines, HATE rail road natural gas transportation.....HATE fracking... We do have a NATIONAL energy policy !!! AKA, DEAD ENDED !! ??
And the visionary's want to get rid of (to limit growth of) DIESEL ????
Yahoo.com article lists the hit to taxpayers,
..."A tax credit for the production of wind, solar and other renewable energy. Cost: $6.4 billion."...
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/temporary-tax-breaks-ones-affect-012336200--politics.html
The tax credits may go away and cheap oil will hammer the companies but renewables will keep growing. Nukes can't avoid throat-throttling accidents or figure out waste storage.
When was the last time you saw an article like this? Tiny particles in solar fumes 'double the risk of autism in unborn babies' (dailymail.co.uk)
We have not had a decent Energy policy forever. It is just slapped together with a power grid that has so many weaknesses.
Diesel storage isn't what it used to be either. (bellperformance.com)
So what do you think happens on the RUG/PUG side !! ?? 10% ethanol LOVES H20 molecules, aka BAD for your RUG/PUG engine and fuel systems. Indeed ethanol is BAD for your RUG/PUG engine and fuel systems. :@
@ the same time, the same regulatory agencies that DEMAND GREATER fuel efficiency, demand (de facto ) and GET ,.... LESS fuel efficiency !!!! ???????? So far, LESS fuel efficiency is winning.
Gotta LOVE EV !! This is especially true IF one likes COAL and NUCLEAR power !!! AW AW AW !!!
Can't even make this stuff up !!
You set that up full circle.
Billionaires all want clean air to breathe and could care less what it costs to heat and cool their multiple mansions. What about the 93 million Americans on fixed incomes? We are already subsidizing millions of them to pay their rising utility bills. No possible way to produce cheap alternative energy to match coal or nukes. Look at alternative energy leader Germany to see the direction we are headed. They have very high electric rates. Not to mention the factories not able to operate without cheap energy.
With China promising to peak out on coal by 2030, how about the next 15 years? They are buying coal from Australia and probably US. So we dump cheap coal electricity, still tear up Paradise and sell it to China, and then watch the pollution waft across the Pacific & pollute our pristine air and empty factories. What a smart bunch we are. :@
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEy6EuZp9IY
China could not have come ANYWHERE near the growth (& as QUICKLY) they and we have seen, IF not for (AMERICAN) COAL (& its current technologies) !!!!
Further downstream, the exports do HELP the balance of payments( on the + pos side).
Diesel is down to $3.06 here, and perhaps related, my gallon of milk was on sale today for $3.98.
Interesting that China has so much renewable energy and has passed US so quickly on total power generation. Of course they have stuff to make with that power. We only need electricity to blend our Pina Coladas while we play our violin.
Loved the violin reference.
The article Steve posted does not break down all sources of energy. It does say:
China generates more than 5 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, about 1 trillion kWh more than the United States. China's rapid economic expansion since it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 has been based on fossil fuels: it consumes around 23% of the world's coal production for electricity.
So for example, just given the China vs US vs Germany graphs, it would appear the US environmental conservatives and legislative benefits are AGAINST greater PERCENTAGEs and AMOUNTS of renewable energy sources, given its relative inefficiencies and Ineffectiveness in the US. Or is a visual demonstration of how socialist or communistic the concept IS.
So for another example, what would the renewable outputs have to be to replace:
..."China's rapid economic expansion since it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 has been based on fossil fuels: it consumes around 23% of the world's coal production for electricity."...
RUG $2.35
MG $2.45
PUG $2.55
Didn't need or want to fill, so the 12 VW T TDI is running around (computer screen) @ 30.4 mpg for app 650 miles.
(IF this mpg keeps up, 803 miles per tank (26.4 gal) is the theoretical range).
The snow is not sticking ! It is like a crisp autumn day in WINTER. 36 degrees F to 52 degrees F ! ?
It was a curious feeling having a CA Trans snow plow blade filling the entire rear view mirror @ a stop light in FULL sunlight. One could almost feel the vibrations. With the snow removal equipment out and about, @ least there is the THREAT of snow showers.
Merry Christmas to one and ALL !!
The Art of Diesel: Building an Efficient Family Hauler
I think the Humpty Dumpty of the FAIRY TALE of RUG/PUG (aka foreign oil) dependency has been broken for the foreseeable future and EXPOSED for the myth (lie for those less pc) that it has been. OR, all the kings horses and all the kings men, ...well, you all probably know the words.
EVEN with 95% RUG/PUG's PVF, a 1% oversupply can literally CRASH the prices of oil ergo, downward effect on RUG/PUG/ULSD prices !!!!
To state the complete obvious, IF there was a 1% OVER supply of D2, that would be a WHOLE lot less gals of D2 and probably for much GREATER D2 price drops !!!! LOL, can't have that !!!!
We won't do even a niche conversion to natural gas for the PVF, and for obvious reasons !!
Also, it should be evident to even the CASUAL auto observer that EV has been and will be inexplicable TIED to COAL, nuclear, hydro (40%+, 19.4 %, 6.4%= MAJORITY, for the K thru 12 math challenged app 66% + plus ) !!!! The environmental conservatives have an inexplicable time explaining WHY. All those things environment conservatives say they love to HATE or was that hate to LOVE?? Kind of the environmental conservatives "wizard of oz" exposure or "OUTING."?????? !!!!!
"Gasser" hybrids are ALWAYS tied to RUG/PUG. Again hard to get rid of, when you depend on it app 100% !! ???? Most times when the gasser portion is running, the hybrid equipment portion is DEAD weight, adding to fuel consumption.
Diesel, bio diesel (to use an illegal DRUG term) is really a "gateway drug" product to get OFF the grid, but pretty much has been, remains and will be closed off, and for ...obvious reasons !! They (both) actually ARE capable of ZERO ppm sulfur !!!! Can't have too much of that ! There is almost ZERO political, legislative, regulatory and law enforcement will for a up to 100% bio diesel specifications PVF engines.
So, just 4 fuel sources 1. RUG/PUG, 2. D2, 3. Natual gas, 4. EV ALL in greater %'s PVF for my .02 cents are extremely capable of EASILY cutting the so called "foreign oil strangle hold" , IF there was ever a real one. Not to beat a DEAD DEAD horse, but a 1% OVERSUPPLY to ANY (to all) of those 4 sources will cause not only that particular fuels' prices to fall, but ALL of them !!!!! ??????
And the BO Potus Administration STILL wants $10. US RUG ?????? Now you know why it was SO easily for Russia and Venezuela to cite just two, so easy to treat him like a figurative "Whack A Mole", beating a proverbial path to the "woodshed".
Today the price of oil is down to app $ 55. from OVER $100.+ per barrel. So IF ULSD (PVF which for my .02 cents @ least 25%) was $3.99 per gal, a 50/55% drop should easily put the prices @ $1.79 to 1.99 per gal !!!
To me, thank the FREE market frackers (on PRIVATE lands- jut think what doing it on FED/STATE/LOCAL lands would do !!!!!! ) for the domestic oil pricing realities !!!! Now how are the GOV.GOV.GOV.GOV's going to use/misuse it, given the "ideal logs" in the BO/SU (Steve Urkle) POTUS Administration ???? !!! We already know the 6 year history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain
Take a hint SONY !!!!
Environmental Conservatives should really get out of the closet and admit they are COALERS (40%+), NUKE NIKS (19.4%) & hydro freaks (8%) ??? !! (yes, realities sux) With natural gas providing a MINORITY 26 %, they are even loathed to put the old ones let alone NEW natural gas burning plants on line.
As even Warren Buffet has stated (hardly a right wing type), solar and wind ONLY make sense with MASSIVE tax benefits, credits, write offs, private rulings, special systemic dispensations, corporate welfare to the max and way higher KWH prices !!!! Needless to say 20/20 hind sight will reveal wind and solar's GLARING disadvantages.
$2.89 ULSD, SOS/DD drive, caught a .20 cent discount @ a Chevron)
The low fuel lamp went on & posted 29.98 mpg. ( 24.75 gal for 742 miles) Temperature is 27 F and 19 F should be the low.