Dear Log,
«The enterprising motorist was, so the reports suggested, running his diesel-engine motor on a mix of Asda cooking oil and standard fuel. At 42p a litre, the supermarket chain's oil is considerably cheaper than the 73p a litre that even a discounted retailer charges for diesel. The astonishing thing was it worked. Without any need to modify the engine, the motorist could run his car on the mix with no discernible difference in its performance. What's more, instead of diesel fumes, the engine gave off a rather pleasing odour - like frying time at the local chippy.»
the government is not amused by cheap alternative fuel.
I think quotes like that really sum of the problems of government interference in our lives, not to mention the hypocrisy of governments that want to save the environment.
Re:MYOB
Fletch on 2003-02-12T18:08:13
Well, I seem to recall reading that the reasoning was that there were no road-related taxes being charged (which of course has a lot to do with why the price for the frying oil was much less than the real fuel).
Re:MYOB
quidity on 2003-02-12T23:21:10
The article goes on to mention that even after the proper rates of duty have been paid, the vegetable oil is cheaper. The duty being lower than petrol as it is environmentally friendlier.
Re:MYOB
mary.poppins on 2003-02-16T11:10:45
I certainly understand the frustration with impersonal, authoritarian bureaucracies. I think it's important to recognize, however, that governments are not the only such creatures that affect our lives. The experience of dealing with the local phone company can be just as frustrating. And you have even *less* control over the actions of a company than you do over the government.
The worst part is when you have to spend every day laboring in a organization that is organized in a dysfunctional, heirarchical way. Dilbert is popular for a reason!
Having said all that, we *do* need to find ways to organize ourselves to effectively use (not abuse) shared resources. The idea of people-as-endlessly-consumptive-robots is not going to get us there.
Re:MYOB
TorgoX on 2003-02-16T14:36:35
Yes, everything people say about government is equally true about corporations, in even creepier ways.we *do* need to find ways to organize ourselves to effectively use (not abuse) shared resources.
I sometimes (and just sometimes) think that the hope for better organization, while well intended, is almost a distraction from getting people to be more compassionate and less legalistic. Maybe the trick is to convince people that organization, rules, and procedures are just the starting points for getting things done right.Re:MYOB
mary.poppins on 2003-02-17T02:46:12
Thanks for responding. Makes me feel less like a lunatic. This isn't entirely coherent, but I tried.:)
People are affected greatly by the situation they find themselves in. Obviously they are not powerless to form themselves, but they can't totally ignore their circumstances. Most people find themselves somewhere in the middle of various heirarchies. They are always aware of how far they could still fall, and the importance of following orders so they don't fall. Popular culture is also full of "upward-looking" imagery, and some of my friends spend time going on tours of houses they will never be able to afford. That sort of thinking leads people to see the heirarchy as a *good* thing, because they see themselves (in some fantasy) at a higher station in the heirarchy, with access to whatever scarce good they're thinking about at the moment.
This social situation complicates the whole "why can't people just be nice" thing. As everyone is busy maintaining their status in the heirarchy, they don't have *time* to worry about others. And if they do, they rapidly discover that there is little they can do as an individual to change the situation. I've generally seen three reactions at that point:
1) getting mad, and working with others to try and change things
2) getting depressed and giving up, or
3) redefining their values to more closely correspond with the current situation (e.g. convincing themselves that voting Green will solve everything)
So I think we need to do more than just encourage individual enlightenment (not that I think that's a bad thing!). I think that decentralized, directly democratic structures (where people collectively have control over their own lives) will help us all be "more compassionate and less legalistic."
1) People generally drive fewer miles per year than in the US due to high fuel costs and good public transportation. 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year is pretty common in the US, but somewhat unusual for a European. At that rate, mechanical problems due to biodiesel could take years before they are seen.2) Most of the diesels in Europe using the biodiesel are indirect-injection (IDI), not the direct-injection (DI) used in current cars. The DI engines (generally 99MY and later) meet much higher emissions standards, but are much less tolerant of fuels for which the system was not designed for. Even if you purchased non-wasteoil biodiesel, the lubrication properties could be very different than normal diesel. Considering that DI fuel injection pressure is 1800 bar (26,000 pounds/square inch), all of the moving parts (injector needles, fuel pump pistons, etc.) have very minimal running tolerances and behave very poorly with wear.
Another thing to keep in mind is that although they may smell better, their NOx and PM emissions could be quite worse than they are with normal fuel. Most of the harmful substances in emissions don't have an odor.
So far, I have done a lot of testing with Ethanol and biodiesel, and their main benefit is to the states that grow corn.
