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[scriver]

If my hasty calculations are correct, we're paying over $8/gallon over here.

[GlyphGryph]

No, most are diesel electric. There are a few electric passenger lines, but 99.9% of all train traffic is long distance freight.

Herp derp, yeah, you're right. I was just thinking of all the local electric passenger trains, which are powered with a third rail that brings power from what I assume are local coal plants (since I think coal is still the leading source of power in the US? Might be wrong there too)

Anyways, switch to electric from steam wasn't made for efficiency reasons so much as safety and maintenance reasons, if I remember correctly. (Steam engines were still more efficient than electric when they switched everything over, at which point steam development for trains obviously started lagging behind since no one cared)

[Rose]

When was the last time you bought 22 gallons of gas, Mr. Motor Scooter?

I use up 3 gallons a month.

[MonkeyHead]

Citizens of the USA would have a coronary episode at how much petrol and diesel cost over here then... give or take a few pence either side of £1.40 a litre, which is so close to $10 a gallon as makes no damn difference. Around 50% of this is tax. I spend about £50 a week (36 litres, or 8 gallons, at a cost of almost $80) on my commute (which could be less in a more modern economical car, granted - not that I could realistically afford one).

36 litres (8 gallons) in the USA would cost me just over £20 ($32ish at $4 per gallon...).

This current state of affairs has developed despite nationwide fuel blockades a number of years ago in protest at the high taxation on fuel, which were a right pain in the ass, if understandable. Since then the price has continued to rise. Road tax (price bands based on emissions) on top of this is a killer. Driving in the UK is a real Golden Goose for our governments who rake in the cash whilst citing environmental concern as thier motivator. The £ symbols in thier eyes give it all away though.

[Montague]

No, most are diesel electric. There are a few electric passenger lines, but 99.9% of all train traffic is long distance freight.

Herp derp, yeah, you're right. I was just thinking of all the local electric passenger trains, which are powered with a third rail that brings power from what I assume are local coal plants (since I think coal is still the leading source of power in the US? Might be wrong there too)

Anyways, switch to electric from steam wasn't made for efficiency reasons so much as safety and maintenance reasons, if I remember correctly. (Steam engines were still more efficient than electric when they switched everything over, at which point steam development for trains obviously started lagging behind since no one cared)

There is very little of this in the US, compared to Europe. The distances in the US are vast and passenger trains are far less common then freight hauling, if somebody wants to take mass transportation to another city they'll take a Greyhound. So that's all dependent on petroleum too.

One thing about reaching 8-10$/gal the US is that's about the price where coal liquefaction, through the Fischer–Tropsch process starts to become cost-effective. The US has a lot of coal, including the lignite type that is economical for coal liquefaction but less so for conventional uses for coal.

So in a sense, we might very well be fueling everything with coal sometime in the future.

Also, I'd agree that the taxes on gasoline are too low. It's taxed very little and the proceeds from that fund road and bridge infrastructure, which is in dire need of overhaul as of late.

[GlyphGryph]

There is very little of this in the US, compared to Europe. The distances in the US are vast and passenger trains are far less common then freight hauling, if somebody wants to take mass transportation to another city they'll take a Greyhound. So that's all dependent on petroleum too.

Yeah, I know, I live in the US. I just derped for a bit.

[RedKing]

We need to develop a car that runs on cellulite -- America's most abundant natural resource. And a renewable one at that! 

Suddenly, liposuction becomes a patriotic service that you get paid for.

[G-Flex]

We need to develop a car that runs on cellulite -- America's most abundant natural resource. And a renewable one at that! 

Suddenly, liposuction becomes a patriotic service that you get paid for.

Unfortunately, this would be highly inefficient. In the US, cellulite is produced from corn syrup, which is (obviously) produced from corn. If you simply use ethanol instead, which is also produced from corn, you remove the extremely inefficient step of human digestion, and conversion to (and storage of) body fat. Thermodynamically, cellulite would be the far worse option.

[kaenneth]

Well, I remember NOT having inch-thick layers of frozen rain in Seattle, just regular rain. And volcanic ash.

Wait did i miss Mt. Rainier's eruption?

Mount Saint Helens http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens

If Mount Rainier went, the whole valley down through Lake Washington towards Seattle would be filled by a giant mudflow.

[Andir]

When I was working for a gas station, gas hit $4.35ish/gal. I was genuinely getting death threats, even though I wasn't the one setting the prices.

The interesting (to me, you may already be aware) part about that is that the price of gas you pay a the pump is not a flat markup on how much the station paid for it.  I remember going to a client that was responsible for calling up gas stations in the area and telling them how much to set the price to to offset the upcoming raises or lulls in the prices.  It kind of makes sense since you want your stations to be open and running for as many days of the year as you can.  If they set prices based on how much they pay, people will all flock to the cheapest station and run them out of fuel... but it means that reactionary prices (Oh, there's a war?  Raise prices...) are not too uncommon.

We need to develop a car that runs on cellulite -- America's most abundant natural resource. And a renewable one at that! 

Suddenly, liposuction becomes a patriotic service that you get paid for.

That would give: (http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds-fattest-countries-forbeslife-cx_ls_0208worldfat_2.html)
1.   Nauru   94.5%
2.   Micronesia, Federated States of   91.1%
3.   Cook Islands   90.9%
4.   Tonga   90.8%
5.   Niue   81.7%
6.   Samoa   80.4%
7.   Palau   78.4%
8.   Kuwait   74.2%
some resources to become superpowers!

[Leafsnail]

Unfortunately, this would be highly inefficient. In the US, cellulite is produced from corn syrup, which is (obviously) produced from corn. If you simply use ethanol instead, which is also produced from corn, you remove the extremely inefficient step of human digestion, and conversion to (and storage of) body fat. Thermodynamically, cellulite would be the far worse option.

Well that's assuming you're actually telling people to go and get cellulite to fuel their car rather than just extracting the stuff that's already around.

[RedKing]

When I was working for a gas station, gas hit $4.35ish/gal. I was genuinely getting death threats, even though I wasn't the one setting the prices.

The interesting (to me, you may already be aware) part about that is that the price of gas you pay a the pump is not a flat markup on how much the station paid for it.  I remember going to a client that was responsible for calling up gas stations in the area and telling them how much to set the price to to offset the upcoming raises or lulls in the prices.  It kind of makes sense since you want your stations to be open and running for as many days of the year as you can.  If they set prices based on how much they pay, people will all flock to the cheapest station and run them out of fuel... but it means that reactionary prices (Oh, there's a war?  Raise prices...) are not too uncommon.

We need to develop a car that runs on cellulite -- America's most abundant natural resource. And a renewable one at that! 

Suddenly, liposuction becomes a patriotic service that you get paid for.

That would give: (http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds-fattest-countries-forbeslife-cx_ls_0208worldfat_2.html)
1.   Nauru   94.5%
2.   Micronesia, Federated States of   91.1%
3.   Cook Islands   90.9%
4.   Tonga   90.8%
5.   Niue   81.7%
6.   Samoa   80.4%
7.   Palau   78.4%
8.   Kuwait   74.2%
some resources to become superpowers!

Nonsense. They might be "purer" deposits, but you're only going to get a few thousand barrels out of those portly Polynesians. Compare that to the vast American flab field (I notice you cut it off just before the United States at #9).

Regarding the inefficiency argument, this is true. However, cellulite is going to be generated by Americans (even in the absence of infrastructure or subsidies) whether it's extracted or not. Unless humans develop the ability to generate ethanol, it's a false comparison. And cellulite isn't dependent on a single crop like corn, but can be generated from a wide variety of sources. All it takes is caloric intake and a lack of exercise.

[Vector]

Okay, guys, roll 'er back 

[Levi]

My government is silly.

First they try to introduce an internet spying bill.

Its very unpopular, so they rename it to the "Protecting Children From Internet Predators Act".   

[Vector]

Arizona bill requires that teachers follow national broadcasting standards in public and personal life.