there is also loads of regs and H&S crap about storing more than 5 gallons i think, you will have the fire service round pumping your go-go juice and a nice bill.

 

Somewhere Dad had a fantastic article, I forget what or wherefrom. But the essence was that it was just after the rationing of WWII, and there was a notice sent round warning of the dangers of stockpiling petrol in your house, indicating that the explosive power of a gallon of petrol was equivalent to a stick of dynamite. At which point a concerned householder wrote in to say "In view of this, what do you suggest I do with the seven 56-gallon drums of petrol that I have in my garden shed?"

 

Can I just point out that this has happened before, over a very short timescale and transport was not that badly affected at all!

In '40s Germany, when the Allies had cut off all their oil supplies, the Jerries just started making all the fuel for their vehicles from coal! (A fact not lost on American policy makers, who are quietly sitting on 200 years worth of coal).

Also, which type oil did you mean? The black stuff you have to drill out of the ground in middle eastern dictatorships? (Yes that will run out, and BP estimates around 40 years).

Or the other kind of oil (which can't run out)....

 

ahhh... gold star for that man!

I do like people who at least bother to know what they are talking about! Before making comments about other people!

Like I said before - have fun!

 

Also, I can't resist throwing in a bit more speculation/scaremongering!

As soon as there is a '70s style petrol crisis again (and let's face it, that's almost inevitable), the value of any car that doesn't do great mpgs is going to plummet like a brand new Alfa. Scoobies for a grand apiece? Don't rule it out!

At the same time, any car capable of 50-60+ mpg will become much sought after and the value of these might actually RISE! Imagine a 15 year old Citroen AX DTR slowly creeping back up over a grand in value!

It's just a matter of time before all this happens - and remember, petrol's set to be 90p a litre by this year so it may be coming sooner than you think.... Enjoy it while it lasts!

 

Interesting read.
The Selby coal field closed last week, with the last shift at Wistow. A small team now remains to recover equipment from underground. Some of the miners are in the process of moving to Kellinghly, the rest.....

The problem with Selby coal field (IIRC) came to light a good few years ago. UK Coal (or RJB as it was then?) wanted to mine under and past the River Derwent to the east, but they were stopped by environmental do gooders who said it might ruin or drain some of the flood plains in the area. The consequence we see today. Let's move the problem elsewhere shall we brigade win again.

Hatfield mine is all but closed and Thorne Pit is mothballed, and has been since the early 70's. Both these mines sit on top of a massive coal seam that reaches out under the North Sea. It's probably the other end of the seam that pops up in Eastern Europe? There has been talk of building new coal powered generation stations within the colliery grounds, but I'll believe it when I see it

So we have a handfull of remaining working mines in the area I live, and UK Coal are pushing for Kellingly to go 24hrs a day. I can't help but ask what the cost to the country has been in putting thousands on the dole and importing coal plus the switch to gas, instead of subsidising the industry in the first place?

The next 20-30 years will be an interesting time.

 

I think electricity supply moved from coal to gas to help meet CO2 quotas. It could get warm very quickly if we all go back to burning coal.

Recycling plastics - would this help? If these are a by product of fuel recovery from oil, then not using them would only lead to a stockpile? (may be talking crap here )

Remember though that we have an unexhaustable supply of carbon here in Britain - Trees. All we have to do is plough over Scotland and turn it into a large forest

 

Isn't there a shed-load of the stuff under Antarctica which will become economically viable at some stage?

 

AFAIK there isn't much difference in CO2 between burning Coal or Gas, Burning coal gives other badies such as sulphur.
Modern Scrubber plants when fitted to coal fired power stations virtually eliminate this. Many EU countries as well as the US and Canada have paid to have these units fitted. The UK are leaving it to market forces.
It is cheaper to for power stations to buy more expensive imported low sulphur coal than fit de-sulhurisation plants and buy less expensive UK coal.

These plants cost far less than paying dole and massive regeneration costs when a mine closes.

Lee

 

The ONLY reason we went to gas for generation is that the capital costs are far lower than for almost any other type of large scale generation. The lower CO2 figures were not formost in anyone's mind at the time.

The CEGB had a mandate to supply what ever the circumstances, that is no longer true (it also spent money like water ), new investors just wanted a quick buck and the industry is still suffering from it. At times, the actual price per MWhr was such that some gas stations shut down and sold the gas instead!.

The gov then took the credit for how wonderfull the UK was doing to reduce CO2 ! (because they produce a bit less than coal)

BTW, anyone like to buy an nuclear industry, one carefull owner, about the same price as a nice 250 GTO

 

But a lot more expensive to run, no chance of any profit and a lot more to scrap.