This black and gold Lamborgini - black and gold, no doubt, as in oil being called black gold - was airlifted from Qatar to the UK at a cost of roughly $40,000 for an oil change and service, itself costing about $7,000. Then it was sent back to Qatar and delivered to its rather obviously filthy rich owner.

You can say this was perhaps the ultimate in excess, and you would be right. But I find it funny that "the little guy" takes offense, because a lot of that money was used to employ honest, hard working mechanics and airline workers of all stripes. Just because it was a bit silly to do this doesn't mean the money spent evaporated; it helped all the people involved in transport, and I'm sure the mechanics in the UK were happy for the work.

Still, I had to laugh when I read the quote from an airport worker: “This car doesn’t have a carbon footprint – more of a crater."

Still, a nice example of how the upper 0.00001% lives.

More at the link.

Filed under: lamborgini and oil change

We're all worried about gas prices, which seem to hit new highs every day. Scientists have discovered how to synthesize fuel using waste biological materials, like grass and wood chips, into usable oil and gas.

It turns out that many biological raw materials are just a few steps away from oil, and the digestive system of microbes can be genetically engineered to turn them into oil.

The biologically generated fuel consumes greenhouse gases, so unlike regular fuels the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere will actually go down.

The images to the left shows some of the lab equipment used to do the conversion on a small-scale, experimental basis.

The cost: About $50 per barrel, or less than half today's prices.

In short, our cars may no longer excrete greenhouse gases in the future, and the fuel on which they run will be much cheaper. So maybe the SUV has a chance for a comeback.

Filed under: oil, biofuels, and bacteria

Tired of seeing gas prices do nothing but rise, day by day?

You can do something about it. It's a bit geeky and complex, but in this video Gavin Shapiro walks you through the process, showing you how the car is converted and how you can run your vehicle on used vegetable oil, normally discarded by restaurants.

Basically, you take the oil, filter the old meat peices out of it, and put it in a special tank. You can then use it directly as a motor fuel, but only after your engine has warmed up, since the oil does not flow properly until it's hot.

The video gives you a good idea of the conversion process and driving experience.

So running your car for virtually $ 0 per mile is possible ... it just takes a little work. Well, as long as you get, or can get a diesel car.

Filed under: veggie oil, vegetable oil, driving, and fuel

What's it like to prospect for oil, where a balmy day is -11degF, and your only companions are the frozen wastelands?

This article tells us about the current situation in Alaska: Dwindling reserves and people searching for crumbs of oil in the vast inhospitable place.

ANWR, unexplored thanks to Acts of Congress, beckons ... I would love to see it explored and more oil found. After all, the Alaskans want it and shouldn't they control their own destiny?

Filed under: alaska, oil, and exploration