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Energy-addicted U.S. can learn a lot from Europe

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vw66	Energy-addicted U.S. can learn a lot from Europe	Lead	[-]
Posts: 5929 (07/15/08 11:49 AM) Traveling VW ambassador Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	It's an interesting article, and certainly makes a good point and good sense. Story Can we do everything Europeans and others are doing? No. Our landscape and cities are too different. But we can do most of it. The problem is we're doing almost none of it. The trickle of change is noted, but mostly ignored. If Americans could just wake up and bat that flag out of their face long enough to see problem... How many monster SUVs do I see pass me at 85 mph?! Makes me want to shoot out their tires. What will it take to learn the lesson? "Bulls##t is the glue that holds us together as a nation."--George Carlin Last Edited By: vw66 07/15/08 01:24 PM. Edited 2 times.
Demehahreks		#1	[-]
Posts: 778 (07/15/08 12:39 PM) Low mileage king! Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Some of us are trying to do something. For instance, I no longer drive my monster SUV at 85 mph. I'm down to 78 now, same number as the thermostat at home.
vw66		#2	[-]
Posts: 5930 (07/15/08 01:02 PM) Traveling VW ambassador Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Noted. (loading gun) "Bulls##t is the glue that holds us together as a nation."--George Carlin Last Edited By: vw66 07/15/08 01:09 PM. Edited 1 times.
Jim Douglas Jr		#3	[-]
Posts: 24594 (07/15/08 01:08 PM) Hometown Herbie Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Hey, you even will notice if you watch BBC sitcoms that most people in the UK have a refrigerator that fits under the counter. I know mine's half empty half the time. Kyle & Herbie the Love Bugll53 ...? Because I'll have the only Herbie in San Francisco and you won't.
wylekat		#4	[-]
Posts: 1597 (07/15/08 02:16 PM) Suzie keeps him guessing Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I have 2- one for drinks, and one for everything else. My suv wont even GET to 85, unless I have a stiff tailwind. Seriously tho- I find myself parking more and walking further, and doing more on foot, and driving only when i need to. A half tank of gas now lasts me about a week. And you really expect the affluent masters of all to put away their big toys and not drive at 85 mph? What are you, some sort of communist?:-p FahrverHerbin'
Tony and Rusty		#5	[-]
Posts: 7309 (07/15/08 02:22 PM) Drives a Big One Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	They are mostly Such Ugly Vehicles to begin with... Tony, 1967 Beetle (Rusty), Greely, Ontario, Canada "Aus Liebe zum Automobil" "For the love of the car" Rusty's progress photo album
vwralph		#6	[-]
Posts: 1182 (07/15/08 02:46 PM) The Dollar General Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Small cars is where it is at. Companies like GM are learning the hard way. Again. Have you noticed the commercials on tv of cars advertising their HIGHWAY mpg'? Doesn't that strike you as a con? Ralph In Tampa
vw66		#7	[-]
Posts: 5931 (07/15/08 05:14 PM) Traveling VW ambassador Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Wylekat and Tony! Way too true. If you're in the position to do so, legs and bikes are very fuel efficient. Parking out in the south 40 of the parking lot next to the street and walking to the store is not only good for you but it saves gas and wear on your vehicle over time. I have had the same thoughts with my fridge. I'm a bachelor, and it's nearly empty all the time. I don't use my dishwasher (an incredible waste of water and energy) and I thought about yanking it out and putting one of those under-counter refrigerators in its place. I have totally noticed the gas claims on all car ads replacing performance claims. And it's interesting following GMs woes right now. They were so big for so long they thought they could do no wrong, so they ignored the problems and needs of the market. Then when they got judo-chopped from out of left field they didn't have the capacity to handle it. Now it's a slippery slope and the beast turns its rudder slowly. GM is a good metaphor for the country itself right now. Proud parents of a child whose self esteem is sufficient that he doesn't need his minor scholastic achievements boasted about on the back of the family vehicle.
LOST BOY		#8	[-]
Posts: 955 (07/16/08 08:49 AM) Found by LoveBugFans Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Jim Douglas Jr wrote: Hey, you even will notice if you watch BBC sitcoms that most people in the UK have a refrigerator that fits under the counter. I know mine's half empty half the time. Kyle: You mind if I move in it? Tim: Dishwasher? what is dishwasher?.... I have a Scotch-Brite! "I'm a Piston happy lead foot punk looking for My one or two in ten-thousands chance at life"
Doctor Herbie		#9	[-]
Posts: 36452 (07/18/08 02:31 AM) Didn't get 17 cents. Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	vw66 wrote: If Americans could just wake up and bat that flag out of their face long enough to see the problem... When I was in New York last week, an old buddy showed me how he created his own biodiesel "still." He processes his own fuel from used cooking oil using various kettles and a hot water tank and runs his full-size dually pickup for free and still makes money selling the byproducts from the recycled cooking oil! He gets the used cooking oil for free from local restaurants near his business. So when one of those huge SUVs goes barreling by at 85 mph, it might be my buddy in his biodiesel pickup! Best not to shoot the tires out because you'd be shooting yourself in the foot. I'm for biodiesel, hybrids, ethanol, solar, electric, propane, and just plain conserving energy, but with all due respect, I refuse to "bat that flag." It's American ingenuity that comes up with solutions time and again, and there's no better flag to live under. Doc Last Edited By: Doctor Herbie 07/18/08 02:56 AM. Edited 3 times.
BullVW		#10	[-]
Posts: 6770 (07/18/08 03:48 AM) IT'S A WHAT??? Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Increased ethanol production hurting Gulf. "It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times"?!.....you stupid monkey!
LOST BOY		#11	[-]
Posts: 975 (07/18/08 08:08 AM) Found by LoveBugFans Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	"I'm a Piston happy lead foot punk looking for My one or two in ten-thousands chance at life"
Doctor Herbie		#12	[-]
Posts: 36459 (07/18/08 04:18 PM) Didn't get 17 cents. Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	My friend is not an effete liberal. He's a flag-in-the-face American who solved the problem himself, and wants to help others learn how to become self-sufficient. He's planning to start a business offering biodiesel stills as a kit. He said the whole deal only cost him around 600 bucks. Obviously you can't propel the nation's car fleet on used cooking oil, but in combination with other technologies we can smack the stuffing out of OPEC. I would do it myself, but like I told him, you can't run a vintage VW on diesel. (But maybe a New Beetle TDI?) Doc
wylekat		#13	[-]
Posts: 1604 (07/18/08 08:18 PM) Suzie keeps him guessing Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Wouldn't there be a small enough diesel engine that would go into the back of an old bug without fuss? And if not, someone needs to INVENT one. I know where there's an old 6V engine for $100. probably cost 10 times that to clean it up and make it run.... I wonder if I could find a way to convert it to diesel...... I know diesel is lower refined, but what makes it incompatible with a VW engine? FahrverHerbin'
vwralph		#14	[-]
Posts: 1189 (07/18/08 09:15 PM) The Dollar General Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I know a guy at the car show I go to on Saturdays that drives a VW rabbit truck diesel and runs on used fry oil from a Chinese restaurant. You need a diesel engine and a lot of filtering. I would look into it but I am doing fine with my old beetle. Ralph In Tampa
LOST BOY		#15	[-]
Posts: 992 (07/19/08 07:24 AM) Found by LoveBugFans Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	"And if not, someone needs to INVENT one." Or adapt it... We have seen "Mk1 VW Golf / Rabbit/ Caribe" engines in VW Beetles before. So I guess it's just a matter of starting the project with a Mk1 Diesel engine, & that one already IS available. I don't think it's possible to modify an air-cooled VW Boxer engine to work with Diesel fuel. "I'm a Piston happy lead foot punk looking for My one or two in ten-thousands chance at life"
Doctor Herbie		#16	[-]
Posts: 36468 (07/19/08 02:45 PM) Didn't get 17 cents. Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	You can't make a flat four Beetle engine into a diesel, and an inline four is too long to fit and would make the car tail heavy and less stable. Doc
LuvBugLuvver		#17	[-]
Posts: 5468 (07/20/08 03:32 AM) Busts blue hairs Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	My Dad once showed me a thread on a VW forum where someone had done such a conversion (I believe it was the inline four) and it caused the rear suspension to completely give out and make the whole back end collapse down onto the wheels from the weight of the engine. Idealistically it's possible to make an engine for an old VW beetle that would run on something even more efficient than petroleum-based fuels. Realistically and financially it's just not very feasible.
Doctor Herbie		#18	[-]
Posts: 36474 (07/20/08 12:20 PM) Didn't get 17 cents. Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I wouldn't be too quick to say that. Folks have been running engines on natural gas for years. Doc
wylekat		#19	[-]
Posts: 1606 (07/20/08 01:41 PM) Suzie keeps him guessing Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Hydrogen would work, too- But How to make it.... FahrverHerbin'
LuvBugLuvver		#20	[-]
Posts: 5470 (07/20/08 02:49 PM) Busts blue hairs Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	If there's an easy way to make that work it would be cool to find out. I'm no engineer by a long shot so I don't try to say one way or another on an official level.

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Energy-addicted U.S. can learn a lot from Europe

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