Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with oil

How much fuel would a national 55mph limit save a year?

mikeyk — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:49:12 -0800

If we lowered the speed limit nationally to 55mph, how much fuel would we save? I've often heard about how much more efficient a 55 mph national speed limit would be. But would much fuel would it save nationally over a year? Percentage or number of gallons would both be useful.

Frozen Coconut Oil Turned Green

An Infinity Of Monkeys — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:47:12 -0800

We had some coconut oil in containers in our freezer (we use the oil for popping popcorn - we buy it in bulk and then freeze it for later) and for some reason this latest batch has all turned green. It's been in sealed Tupperware-like containers, the same ones we have always used, and it's always stayed a nice golden color before. We just now went to take one out and noticed the green color through the plastic, and upon checking saw they had all turned the same color. Opened one up, and it smells funny too. We're going to throw it all out, containers and all, but were just wondering what might have happened so we can avoid it happening again (35 lbs. of coconut oil is expensive).

lock in or take my chances re heating oil rate?

madamjujujive — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:16:36 -0800

I'm looking for thoughts on whether I should lock-in a heating oil rate of 3.79 for the season. FYI, I live in MA.
I realize that this is a bit of a crystal ball question, but if anyone has any informed commentary on the matter, it might help me make a better decision. I was going to lock in but rates have been recently dropping. I was thinking the drop might be a pre-election phenomenon and that prices might rise again post-election. But now with the economic crisis, I am flummoxed in trying to think about how that is likely to affect pricing/supply going forward. I'm not looking to take a poll as much as looking for reasoning about why I should or shouldn't.

Help me locate a transcript of this clip.

UnclePlayground — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:00:14 -0800

Please supply me with a transcript of this Australian interview. An interview with an Australian senator regarding an oil spill. I'd like for my wife, who is Deaf, to be able to understand what is being said in this clip. If you can locate a transcript... Thanks!

old oil

BadMiker — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:44:17 -0800

Oil Filter: I'm resurecting a bike that's sat for 5 years. Do I really need to replace the engine oil? Surely modern oils are pretty stable and won't have degraded significantly in 5 years? I'll probably replace it anyway, but that was too good a pun to miss!

Is there really such a thing as "foreign oil"?

stupidsexyFlanders — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:27:47 -0800

Why is there so much talk about dependence on "foreign oil"? (Meaning, as opposed to "domestic oil," not alternative energy sources.) Is there really any meaningful distinction between foreign and US oil, given that the oil market is mostly global? How can it be true that drilling in ANWR or offshore or whatever would reduce imports? After all, unless we're also talking about nationalizing the oil industry, that oil belongs to private enterprises that will sell it to the highest bidder, whether inside or outside the U.S., right?

And if ANWR drilling proponents are in fact are advocating by implication nationalization of oil, isn't that actually hugely destabilizing, leading to states using oil as a tool of diplomacy, and eventually to situations like 1930s Japan, where limited access to oil was a major contributor to nationalistic militarism and aggression?

I guess I'm wondering first, whether my assumptions are correct, and then if so, why no one in the public conversation seems to be calling out Republicans on this? It just seems like an argument you could deflate in about three seconds.

Please explain the economics of energy and oil.

F.Jasmine Addams — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:23:51 -0800

How do gas companies get away with raising prices so much when they are reporting such high profits? I just heard on the radio that Shell reported a 14% rise in profits over the last year, the largest increase in history for a US company. British gas here in the UK are raising prices by 35% (!), but they are reporting billions of pounds of profit - so much profit that the government are considering a windfall tax for British Gas, but is that something that is going to reduce that 35% increase? How do massive profits + massive price increases NOT equal profiteering?
I am obviously mostly ignorant about economics, but I would like to learn more, so any books/articles that will help me understand this would be appreciated in addition to your explanations

What is a dense/heavy transparant oil or inert/safe non-water-based liquid?

-harlequin- — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:28:15 -0800

I need a crystal-clear transparent liquid that is as heavy (dense) or heavier than water, not dangerous, and not difficult to obtain. The heavier the better. The catch - it can't be water-based. I'm trying to suspend (or at least swirl) a non-soluble coloured powder in a liquid as part of a gift, but I can't use water as this will react with and ruin the powder over time. Oils preserve the powder nicely, but the density of the two that I've tried (baby oil, and liquid paraffin) is too low - they are too light to float the powder for very long and so it settles to the bottom fairly quickly. I can't choose a lighter or more durable powder either, so I'm looking for a heavier liquid.

This list of the density of 150 liquids helps a little, but I don't recognize (by chemical name) most of the liquids, even though some I might already have around the house, so I was wondering if you have any insights.

As with water, reactive chemicals like acid will ruin the powder. (Also, acids are a too much of an irritant/danger to want to put into a gift)

I'm hoping for something I could buy at the local department store or hardware store. I don't really want to order something from a specialist or chemical supplier.

Realistically, I suspect my best bet is a heavy but transparent oil, so it probably won't even be as dense as water, but at least something denser than baby oil. Any idea what that might be?

And if you were wondering, it turns out that paraffin floats on baby oil :-)

Latin American Geopolitics

symbollocks — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:02:22 -0800

Help me learn more about recent/current Latin American geopolitical turmoil. Books, documentaries, good online articles, etc. etc.

Specific Topics: free trade agreements, revolutionary groups/movements, the oil trade, the drug trade, economic downturns in specific countries, poverty, US involvement, etc. etc.

I'm not totally clueless, but want to improve my knowledge of the situation and get a general picture of what forces are at work in the region.

I can haz job? will travelz.

sully75 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:35:09 -0800

I'm interested in jobs where you go to some possibly unpleasant place, work really hard and come back flush. I just spent 3 weeks hitchhiking in Atlantic Canada and heard of many, many people going to Fort McMurray to work in the oil fields. I also have a friend who works as a merchant seaman, and does well (although he's often gone for 3 months at a time).

What other jobs are there like this? I'm thinking about doing something like this, maybe just for a year, to build some capital for some other projects that I'm working on. But I'd like to know what the possibilities are for situations like this before I commit to one.

For the record I'm healthy and strong. Would prefer to avoid extremely dangerous situations but I've worked in boatyards and with machinery before. I'm pretty handy and can usually fix things, but not a mechanic and don't really understand IC engines. But otherwise I think I'd be good at something like this.

How would I go about buying gold?

muthecow — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:02:07 -0800

How would I go about buying gold? It has long been a fantasy of mine to buy some gold when I have a bit (lot) of spare cash. However I do not intend to buy it to trade on the commodities markets, rather I would like it delivered to my house. Right now this is a purely theoretical question, but in practice how would you go about doing this? Who would I ask to buy me a bar of gold and how would I go about getting it delivered to my house?

Furthermore could this then be extended to, say, buying a barrel of oil and having it shipped to my front door? How about wheat? Metals?

Mineral Oil - Uses? 'Banned in Europe'?

jjsonp — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:14:38 -0800

Uses for mineral oil, and (why) is it 'banned in europe'? I bought some mineral oil (USP) to seal a bamboo cutting board I bought.

The instructions for the board said to use their special oil, but there wasn't any at the store and it turns out to be 'mineral oil (USP)' anyway at twice the price of generic.

When I googled 'uses for mineral oil' I saw several mentions of 'banned in Europe'. But I could find no legitimate references for this. (I did stumble on this and for about two seconds thought I was reading an actual article about baby oil).

'Banned in Europe' is a meaningless statement: is this supposed to mean the EU? If it is actually banned, where exactly, and why? (Looking for links/references to research or news articles)

From the wiki I know it's in a lot of (American, at least) makeup, lotion, 'baby oil', laxative, etc., and the industrial grades have a variety of uses. There are some interesting (household mostly) uses described here.

Who's responsible for $4 a gallon?

zardoz — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:24:41 -0800

Can anyone show me some articles or books that explain or theorize why gasoline prices are so much more expensive than a decade, two decades ago? I'm a bit dense, so concise is ideal. I realize this is a really massive and complex subject, but I'm looking for anything you've read, especially recently, that made you think "Ah...so that's what's going on!"

Additionally, if you can add to/correct the reasons that I can think of why gas is so pricey. I don't know which ones are the biggest reasons.

1) China and India's populations are still growing, but more significantly, their middle classes are growing, increasing automobile use.
2) The supply is low and/or the amount being pumped out of the ground is decreasing.
3) OPEC is gouging buyer countries much like the 1973 embargo but not as obviously.
4) The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are making the Middle East unstable, and in turn that makes the price go up (...but...how exactly?)
5) In the U.S., there are limited oil refineries and the oil companies can't keep up with demand. (so says the oil companies, IIRC)
6) U.S. oil companies are simply raising prices to make more profit.

Anything else?

Make plastic look new?

ooklala — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:21:23 -0800

How can I clean the plastic of a cellphone that has become matte again without ruining it? On my phone the place where your ear goes, and the keys are now shiny from ear oil and fingerprint oil/sweat. I personally make sure that my hands are not greasy from other things when I touch the phone and have had it for only a few months. What can I do to stop this shininess problem?
Also, does my obsession of never ever having hands that are the least bit greasy (from things like french fries, etc) touch my phone actually doing anything? Will the grease just "wash out" or does it harm the plastic? If the oil does not do it, what does?

Faster Than a Speeding Gas Pump

Xurando — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:46:17 -0800

Does it take longer to fill up a gas tank when the price goes up by 25%? And..... if the price of gas goes up by X, is there an equal increase in the speed at which the digital price is displayed? Lastly is there a limit to how fast the digital price can be displayed?

Oil, oil everywhere and not a drop to drink...

disillusioned — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:25:09 -0800

What fundamental differences keep the US from nationalizing and/or heavily regulating the oil industry as a whole, much like electricity has been regulated? Is it in large part because of the volume that is imported in oil versus electricity? The typical story speaks to the price that the "market will bear" but when demand elasticity is as low as it is for oil, doesn't the impact on every other industry oil touches (from manufacturing to transportation to shipping to plastics to air travel, etc, etc) as well as the depleted discretionary income people have to spend on everything else disproportionately and in a very damaging way benefit the shareholders and tycoons of the oil companies?

I don't typically take that tact, but the amount of influence the oil industry has has to be comparable to the electricity industry's in being able to affect people's discretionary income, spending patterns and the cost of goods in general...

So what's the argument against doing what's been done for electricity? Is it just too politically messy? Is it impossible considering the overseas/import-based presence? Or is it just because of powerful lobbyists and lovers of capitalism? (Which I consider myself, really.)

I feel like I'm eating oil for breakfast

brandnew — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:28:36 -0800

What are the top 3 things I can do this year to avoid consuming non-renewable resources? I have given myself a practically impossible goal of not purchasing or consuming any products or services that have used oil, coal, or natural-gas resources during production, distribution, or development. I really don't expect to meet this goal any time soon. However, over the next year I'd like to make three big changes to my lifestyle to support this goal.

So, what are the top three things that an average upper-middle-class family in the US can do to avoid using non-renewable resources, particularly oil, coal, and natural gas? Financial cost is somewhat of a concern, so I'd like to the total cost to less than say $50,000k US. However, the bigger bang for the buck, the better.

I'm tired of coming home to a cold house!

anastasiav — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:01:09 -0800

Which approach really burns more heating oil - keeping the house at a constant medium temperature (say, 64 degrees) or keeping it very low most of the time (58-60) but bringing it up to a higher temperature (say, 66 degrees) once or twice a day? We have a single thermostat (in the dining room, which is between the kitchen and the living room) which is computer controlled. Our home is a 1913 Queen Anne style house with an open floorplan (arches, not doors, between the four rooms on the first floor). In accordance with conventional wisdom, we let the house cool down to about 59 - 60 degrees when we're sleeping or at work, then heat it to 64-66 when we get up in the morning (about two hours) and in the evening when we're home (about four hours). (We have a 21-month old baby, so I don't like the house to be too cold when he's awake and home.) On weekend days when we're all home for the entire day, I will keep the house at about 64-66 degrees for the entire day.

What I've noticed over the course of the winter is this: it feels as though the furnace works longer and harder getting the house warmed up (from 60 - 64, say) than it does keeping the house at a constant 66. I haven't timed it with a stopwatch, but if I'm up early in the mornings with the baby I'll notice that the furnace kicks on more than an hour before the target time for the computer-set temperature, and this happens again in the afternoon before we get home from work (although the house cools more overnight than it does during the day). Then the furnace continues to work for 10-15 minutes every hour keeping the house warm for the 4-5 hours we want it warm in the evening, since the warm air is working its way up to the bedrooms and other rooms on the second floor that are in use.

By contrast, when we're home all weekend and are keeping the house at a constant 64-66, by Sunday morning the furnace is only kicking on about once an hour for perhaps five minutes or so. Also, the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom have a chance to get fully warm as the air circulates around the house. (They're always chilly during the week, since the single thermostat is downstairs.)

In short, from simple observation I'm always left with the impression that the furnace is working much less hard to keep the temperature constant than it is to warm the house twice per day.

I know what "conventional wisdom" says - it says let the house sit cold most of the day. But is this really true for all homes? Since I can't be home all week to run a stopwatch to see how long the furnace is running for, and I don't have any way to tell exactly how many gallons of oil we're burning per furnace run, is there any other way to check to see which approach is actually burning less oil?

Cost for a new hot water oil burner/furnace

coffeefilter — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:53:50 -0800

(Oil Heat) - Getting a new oil burner / furnace. (1) How much should it cost, including installation, for a new oil furnace that's at least pretty good/efficient? (We've gotten one estimate, so far, for $10,000 (!) $11,000 for antifreeze pipe system.) What's the cost for the equipment vs cost of labor? (2) The $10K was for a System 2000. Is the System 2000 really that good? Anyone have one? How much did it cost? How much did it reduce your heating bills? 1700 square feet, hot water base board.

Please no HURF DURF Big Oil

jpdoane — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:41:15 -0800

Why are oil companies making so much money? Why have oil companies been doing so well recently? Certainly the price of oil/gas has been going up, but isn't this do to limited supply, increased costs/availability of refining and increased prices of crude?

Each of these factors seem like they should be a bad thing for oil companies. Certainly, these costs are being passed on to the consumer, but how does this translated into record profits? For example, farmers do not benefit when seed prices go up. I'm interesting in the economics of the answer, not diatribes on corporate greed.

If it is just as simple as raising prices faster than their costs, why haven't they done this before? Wouldn't it hurt their business to gouge prices excessively when costs are already up from other factors? Or are supply and demand economics completely out the window here? Are there any numbers to suggest how much of the increase in oil prices are due to actual scarcity and how much is due to artificial price increases?

Swimming in oil?

punkfloyd — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:04:39 -0800

I'm trying to visualize the amount of oil the world has consumed since 1900 and, just for fun, how much there is left ...using bodies of water as a reference. What would billions and billions and billions of gallons of oil look like? Lake Michigan? Lake Okeechobee? Does the planet use an Olympic size pool of oil every second?

Educational cartoon short about oil/petroleum?

BlackLeotardFront — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:54:40 -0800

I'm looking for a great short educational cartoon about oil and petroleum that may or may not have been posted in the blue a long time ago, definitely elsewhere on the net. My extensive searching has uncovered nothing and someone else may simply remember the title. It was 50's cartoony, obviously biased in favor of the industry, but seemed scientifically accurate. Any clue?

Replace oil pressure switch in motorcycle?

shaarog — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:19:26 -0800

Where to find a replacement oil pressure switch for 1980 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD? Does anyone know a source for the oil pressure switch for this bike?

Are oil pressure switches interchangable across the KZ400/440 family?

What other Japanese bikes, Kawa or otherwise, have an oil pressure switch which fits this bike?

Are there any motorcycle salvage yards around Atlanta?

Fry me to the moon

cosmicbandito — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:23:27 -0800

What should I fry? Give me your favorite fried food ideas. I'm throwing a "fry party" at my house this weekend, and am looking for ideas of what to fry. We're using small household deep fryers, so no turkeys or sides of beef. We're making the obvious items: cheese curds, mushrooms. onion rings, coconut shrimp. I'm looking for your ideas and favorite fried food items and recipies. We're going to try funnel cakes and snickers bars, but I'm anxious to hear some other ideas as well.

Prepare for Peak Oil without looking like a nutjob?

UMDirector — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:01:12 -0800

Best way to mitigate effects of potential peak oil and global warming issues without looking like a nutjob? CYOA in a realistic manner? So I am trying to think of ways to cover my butt in case any Peak Oil or rapid Global Warming societal collapse issues come to pass. I tend to think society will figure out ways around much of this but it never hurts to prepare just in case...I wasn't too worried about Y2K but I did have about a weeks supplies just in case.

So what can I do to prepare but also benefit me in case nothing happens (for example I ate the food and drank the Y2K water)?

An example might be: Get one of those instant water heaters to lower your electrical costs in case the price of electricity goes way up...or get solar panels...or get the following camping books that would also serve you in case of complete societal breakdown...make sure your house has a fireplace...etc...

I should maybe note we are in the 'burbs south of Boston and will likely be having a home built in the next year so I will have a lot of options coming up to set up my life in the best way possible for such things....without my wife or friends thinking I am a nutjob!