'I Feel Duped on Climate Change'

For one of the first times ever, I saw a place with ethanol-free gas at a time when I needed some go-go juice in the vehicle. QuikTrip in Bastrop, by the way...

Posted price was $5.249 but was on the pump for a penny less, compared to $4.199 for regular unleaded and $4.699 for premium (which is what I usually put into the F-Type). I only put in eight gallons since 1) I hate paying that much and 2) it was only 90 octane, compared to 93 for premium.

Since the car has 78K miles, all but a few hundred put on by me, I have a pretty good idea of expectations between Houston and Austin and vice-versa. And my usual drive is around 80-85MPH since it is a posted 75MPH for a good chunk of the drive.

Running the A/C, in 100 degree temps according to the dash, and 80-85MPH much of the 158 miles drive, I saw an increase of close to 2MPG using lower octane ethanol-free over the 93 that usually goes in and is likely E10 or E15.

I haven't done all of the math to see if it works out with a cost differential, but it was enough to make me consider hitting up the QT in Conroe a few times. Supposedly, Buc-ee's out I10 has 92 octane, but that is too far out of the way.

Based on my sample size of eight gallons, seems like maybe the government ought to focus on keeping the grain for food and not fuel...drill baby drill, and keep the pure stuff in the tanks.


Its so funny how Obama forced us to sacrifice some our food chain and pay almost $5 for gas with corn juice and Trump was able to get it back below $2 now poopy pants has us paying back up to $5....for gas with corn juice. I was disappointed Trump didn't get rid of the ethanol requirement. It's worthless.
 
Wait now. Just hold on a minute. Are you suggesting we can EAT corn instead of putting it in our gas tanks? I'm going to need some links or something for proof of this outlandish statement.
I figure the best way to push it to the lefties will be to say 'do away with the ethanol requirement and drop ship the corn to the Ukrainians that have no crops.' They get their feel-good points and we get decent gasoline...
 
Was putting ethanol free in my car till the 92 octane at Buccee’s went to over $6.00, that’s too steep for me.
 
They should be plowed over. Esp, the dude standing in front of truck. Who the F are these pos?
For a Darwin life go down to next thread on idiots shooting off fireworks.
 
Two things...

1) going back to my ethanol-free gas post...was in Huntsville this AM and stopped at the QT in Conroe. Ethanol-free was 90 octane as in Bastrop but was only a nickel more than premium ($4.649 compared to $4.599).

Recognizing that the in-dash calculations are consistent but not spot-on (often about a half-MPG high), I looked at what I did the other day with a tank that was completely filled and was a drive to work of about 30 miles then home and then to Huntsville this AM) and today was completely filled (as in ready to run out of the lip), with a drive to work of about ten miles further...

Dash had showed 24.9 and computed manually to 24.4 before this morning's dose of ethanol-free gas. Dash showed 29.3 pulling into the parking lot at the office. So even if we back out a half-MPG, that could make the occasional drive to Conroe worth my while.

Still just a sample size of two, but so far, I am sold...ethanol-free would be the preference if the cost makes sense.

2) Saw my first live Rivian truck heading through Conroe and enroute to HV. It was on a flat-bed, which initially made me chuckle since it had paper plates. Then I saw the flatbed was labeled as Rivian, LLC. So either it is a display vehicle or a delivery.

Since it was on the flat-bed, I didn't get to see the front but from the back, it very much reminded me of the truck that Lincoln tried some years back to market. At a distance, it actually looked like a small truck and not what Tesla has proposed as a 'truck.'
 
I cannot imagine why that ethanol free is so much cheaper than it is at buccees in Katy.

1) is Katy location of Bucees 90 or 92 octane?

2) could also just be something that has been in the ground a different length of time - I've seen that listed as reasons for why some stations have a spread of more than a dollar between regular and premium...nobody wanted the higher priced item and so it sat while the proprietor refuses to take a loss.

3) Makes me wonder why it was ~60 cents a gallon cheaper in Conroe than Bastrop though since the other grades were only a dime difference (and prices have been dropping to the current level since last week)
 
They have both octane ratings. Perhaps the age has something to do with it, dunno, but a lot higher last time I was there which is about three days ago.
 
@Mr. Deez

It’s 100 F in The Woodlands at 9 pm. It hit 106 F today at 6 pm (according to my car). Is this big news in Europe? Note it’s been like this for 4-5 weeks, not 4-5 days like in Europe.

DAB8FAEB-EAD7-463A-A2DC-D0E832DD627B.jpeg
 
This heat happened once before in my memory, in 1980? 1979? I was working as a camp counselor near Dallas, and the heat was over 110 for several weeks.
The reasons for this intense heat is a combination of two La Ninas in a row, and the ocean currents that are pressing cool weather up northward. This creates a heat dome, and this dome is settled over the south and mid-west especially and is just hanging out.

It's a weird combination, and it sucks. San Antonio hasn't had rain in almost 2 months, and it's dry as a bone. And, absolutely no wind.
This information has been brought to you by a former broadcaster, who took 6 whole hours of weather reporting at the University of Texas. :hookem: :smile1:

I never would have been a weatherman. They are the lowest on the totem pole, even lower than interns.
 
This heat happened once before in my memory, in 1980? 1979? I was working as a camp counselor near Dallas, and the heat was over 110 for several weeks.
The reasons for this intense heat is a combination of two La Ninas in a row, and the ocean currents that are pressing cool weather up northward. This creates a heat dome, and this dome is settled over the south and mid-west especially and is just hanging out.

It's a weird combination, and it sucks. San Antonio hasn't had rain in almost 2 months, and it's dry as a bone. And, absolutely no wind.
This information has been brought to you by a former broadcaster, who took 6 whole hours of weather reporting at the University of Texas. :hookem: :smile1:

I never would have been a weatherman. They are the lowest on the totem pole, even lower than interns.
33 days of 100+ heat measured in Houston circa 1980 and then repeated about 30 years later.

Rational people recognize that hot, dry days for weeks on end are part and parcel of living in Texas.
 
How many days over 100 did we have in Austin in 2011 (my last summer living in Texas)? It was a horrific drought and hotter than hell.
 
@Mr. Deez

It’s 100 F in The Woodlands at 9 pm. It hit 106 F today at 6 pm (according to my car). Is this big news in Europe? Note it’s been like this for 4-5 weeks, not 4-5 days like in Europe.

DAB8FAEB-EAD7-463A-A2DC-D0E832DD627B.jpeg

It's not big news in Europe. We pretty much assume that it's hot in Africa, South Asia, and Texas. We're more concerned with the weather here. I'm not smart enough to explain the meteorology of it like Hollandtx can, but it's generally pleasant here this week. However, a heat surge is coming on Monday. 87 and 91 don't sound hot when it's reaching 107, but keep in mind that (1) there's no AC; (2) there are no screens on windows so if you open them, you'll have bugs all over your house; and (3) it's light outside until very late, so it stays hot late into the night.

Screenshot_20220713-120711.png
 
It's not big news in Europe. We pretty much assume that it's hot in Africa, South Asia, and Texas. We're more concerned with the weather here. I'm not smart enough to explain the meteorology of it like Hollandtx can, but it's generally pleasant here this week. However, a heat surge is coming on Monday. 87 and 91 don't sound hot when it's reaching 107, but keep in mind that (1) there's no AC; (2) there are no screens on windows so if you open them, you'll have bugs all over your house; and (3) it's light outside until very late, so it stays hot late into the night.

Screenshot_20220713-120711.png
Lows have to be mid-70’s to qualify as hot.
 
I’m old enough to recognize that “it’s hotter this year” and “ it’s colder this year” is spoken of every year.
 
Can't you pick up a window unit somewhere?

Kinda. I have one in our bedroom. They suck though. You hang the exhaust out the window and "seal" it with Velcro. And they simply aren't that good. The air is fairly cool, but they do little to dehumidify and suck the heat out of the room. Basically they make the room tolerable, not cool. No where near as good as central AC or the window units you see in the US. Keep in mind that we're saving the world, so the AC units we can buy can't be too good.

And of course, the units are ricockulously expensive to use.
 

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