A bl@@dy lot of petrol.

[groucho]

I was pondering today when I was getting some petrol about a thread here in the P&P saying that there was 30,000,000 cars in the UK. Then I thought, crikey if each car used 5 gallons a week, that's 150,000,000 gallons a week, which equates to 7,800,000,000 gallons per year. That's just in this country. There must be a lot of it down there.

[Chris Type R]

groucho said:

I was pondering today when I was getting some petrol about a thread here in the P&P saying that there was 30,000,000 cars in the UK. Then I thought, crikey if each car used 5 gallons a week, that's 150,000,000 gallons a week, which equates to 7,800,000,000 gallons per year. That's just in this country. There must be a lot of it down there.

so let's say 7,800,000,000 x 3 = 23,400,000,000 GBP raised in fuel tax per year - seems a tad high.

[groucho]

Certainly does when you put it like that.

[GlenMH]

Chris Type R said:

so let's say 7,800,000,000 x 3 = 23,400,000,000 GBP raised in fuel tax per year - seems a tad high.

Why do you think that? I thought the motorist contributed 42Bn GBP per year to Gordon and his merry men. The sum you mention is only 23.4Bn GBP....

Glen

[Chris Type R]

GlenMH said:

Chris Type R said: so let's say 7,800,000,000 x 3 = 23,400,000,000 GBP raised in fuel tax per year - seems a tad high. Why do you think that? I thought the motorist contributed 42Bn GBP per year to Gordon and his merry men. The sum you mention is only 23.4Bn GBP.... Glen

Sheet - wonder why my road is pot-holed ?

[GlenMH]

Chris Type R said:

Sheet - wonder why my road is pot-holed ?

Good question, well asked! Because the motorist is being sh@fted to fund other worthy expenditure. I wouldn't even mind if they didn't plough the entire contribution in to the road network and put some of it in to public transport....

Someone on here is bound to know the figures on here better than me but I think the Gov't makes over 20Bn GBP profit out of the motorist.

Glen

[andytk]

groucho said:

which equates to 7,800,000,000 gallons per year. That's just in this country. There must be a lot of it down there.

Its when you see the exact scale of the consumption that you begin to realise that renewables are onto a hiding to nothing.

7.8 million gallons of fuel a year. Just for our vehicle fleet.
Then there is our leccy consumption and our home heating energy requirements.
And thats just the UK.

Then there is the rest of the world.

Anyone still think that a few windmills/hydroschemes are up to the job?

Renewables? Don't make me laugh.
When the fossil fuels run out we're screwed. Back to the pedal bikes for the human race.

Andy

[love machine]

That is true about renewables.

Hence why nuclear power is so important. I reckon there is no debate and it would be good if the UK could lead the world in its technology. (it won't though).

I can see a massive scalextrix tracks all over the country with a great nuclear power station powering it. Right boys, get your motors to bits, lighten those armatures, wind your own coils, we're dealing with some seriously high performance motors, plus those brushes which make the contact are not very user friendly. Design scope needed there. How about overhead pantograph style like electric trains. OK, OK, OK, I've got it. A really large lamp post with a giagantic bulb, powered by a nuclear power station. As we will have burned all the trees, we can knock down the hedges and our solar powered cars can be powered by this great street light. Same thing. Cars with sails, nuclear power feeds national grid, surplus energy makes those wind turbines act like giant fans. Hence wind powered cars, also ships will be able to sail with those big offshore ones. PLUS the surf can always have offshore winds with a few "wind-fans" in the right place. me, I'm good!