RE: Auto Emissions
I personally think once we all get used to the high costs of gas all this mass hysteria will fade as it did in the 70's. I really believe the hybrid craze will level out and then die out. Hybrids are a FAD as were the mopeheads. I remember as most of you do the ethanol craze that went on in the mid 70's. VW's and mopeheads were the craze. The answer then is what it is now. Corn. Alternative fuels started up and died. The government then killed the gas guzzlers. Today we have new muscle cars getting high 20's in mpg... a new vette is getting in the 30's. Back then the big blocks were getting around 8-10 mpg.
There is no way around it. Prices that fall at the pump IF they do will only transfer to the supermarket. You'll see Exxon and alike buying up the Jolly Green Giant etc. A dozen ears of corn... 10.00. a pound of ground beef.....15.00.
I laugh when I read in the news organizations are wanting the oil companies to invest in alternative fuels. That's like having Frank Perdue invest in Beef. Oil Companies ain't worried.
Oil is the biggest special interest group there is and they have the government bought and paid for. We will be forever married to OPEC. I have not seen ANY gas stations with sorry we are sold out signs. There is no odd, even refueling days yet supply and demand is up and refineries are having a hard time meeting demand. HAHA
The government sets these standards of minimum mpg and are now requiring 85% ethanol. The oil companies are dictating what kind of car we will buy. The government is held hostage to the oil companies.
The oil companies have the ability to cause a recession, destroy what is in our 401k's, cripple our economy, drive costs of all commodities through the roof and bring the country to it's knees. When they sneeze Wall Street plunges. The answer is in Ethanol? Oil Companies have too much power. We all scrimp and save.... we eliminate longer trips and cancel longer road trips to save at the pump, while the CEO's are raking in tens of millions in bonuses. Dairy farmers are regulated in their milk business. High costs of milk won't cause a recession. Farmers are not a special interest group. If this Ethanol goes as the government wants.... Farmers should all unite and create their own form of OPEC. Imagine going to the store and getting a bag of frozen corn with Exxons name on it. They are gonna get their cut. History always repeats itself ....deja-vu.