I have a really ridiculous question about Bush's leaded-gas proposal

[jmowreader]

What are we supposed to burn this new leaded gas in?

Check this shit out, for it displays the absolute cluelessness of the Bush administration. In the 1970s, the government mandated that all gasoline-burning motor vehicles, except motorcycles (where it would be dangerous to implement it), would have a catalytic converter. Lead fumes from burning leaded gas coat the catalyst and destroy it, so the government mandated that all gas stations would carry unleaded and that leaded would eventually be phased out.

All well and good, and now the vast majority of cars on the road today are equipped to only use unleaded gas. Running leaded gas in those cars would be REAL expensive.

If Bush decides to let them put lead back in gas, the only people who can burn it are driving classic cars--and they don't even have to, if they pull their cylinder heads and get stellite valve seats put in them.

But yeah, this doesn't exactly seem like the most thought-out proposal Shrub's ever entertained.

[radfringe]

1. this doesn't exactly seem like the most thought-out proposal

when is any of shrub's proposals well thought out?

according to the article: http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/12/epa-leaded-gas-may-return-along-with.html

Battery makers, lead smelters, refiners all have lobbied the administration to do away with the Clean Air Act limits.

[lapfog_1]

2. I thought the idea was to gut the clean air act

which could let refiners put lead back into gasoline... but more important is what it means for lead smelting operations and folks who make lead-acid batteries... allowing them to go back to their bad old ways.

[Mythsaje]

3. Why in the hell

would they want to put lead BACK in gasoline?

What did I miss?

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Because it allows them to use lower-quality fuel, for one...

lead tetraethyl is the most efficient octane booster there is; they'd be able to get more usable gasoline out of lower-quality petroleum that would burn in automobile engines than using current additives. (The octane rating measures how much compression the fuel can be subjected to before combusting; leaded fuel has ratings up to 112+ octane, while unleaded only goes as high as 93.)

[jmowreader]

23. Unleaded can go to 106 octane in what's available now

It might be able to go higher, but VP Racing Fuels' Motorsport 109 (pump octane 105, research octane 109) is available now, though you probably don't want to be caught running it on the street.

Sunoco 260GT Plus is pump octane 106, and it's a non-oxygenated fuel.

Then again...Sunoco Maximal Leaded is pump octane 116.

Now...if you REALLY don't want to fuck around, try some purple avgas--145 octane. This is the shit you put in your P-51 Mustang.

You can get serious octane out of unleaded fuel. What you WON'T get is serious octane as cheap as tetraethyl lead will give it to you--racing fuel is many dollars a gallon.

[wakeme2008]

4. I have no clue what Bush's ppl are thinking

Leaded gas is still made and used in some private airplanes. But even most of them use Low Lead. But that is a limited use which I have no problem with.

[NMMNG]

5. Is he going for idiot of the century?

:crazy:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. That was awarded already to him

We are speaking in terms of Moran of the Millennium at this juncture. :crazy: :freak: :silly:

[NMMNG]

10. Fitting, and such nice alliteration.

:dunce:

[cornermouse]

6. I believe the Missouri governor (Blunt) did much the same thing.

He said our air was too clean and authorized some company to produce more pollution. It must be a republican thing.

[diane in sf]

9. they are preparing the air

for their lizard masters to take over the earth! Unlike earth creatures alien lizards enjoy lead-scented air.

[cornermouse]

11. Well, this one is planning to doubledeal the lizard masters.

He has a brother and stepmother who are lobbyists engaged in increasing the family fortunes and a father who enables national contacts. Sound familiar?

[diane in sf]

12. So familiar!

His excellent entrepreneurial activities will earn high praise from the alien lizard high council! In fact they and their minions at Carlyle may require a piece of the action!

[ms liberty]

22. Good one...Welcome to DU, diane in sf! n/t

[WinkyDink]

15. That isn't news to you, is it? The "republican thing", I mean.

What policy have they ever proposed or passed that benefitted America/Americans?

[cornermouse]

25. The Republican thing.

Call it sarcasm. Call it a dry sense of humor.

[MadHound]

13. It will screw up more than your catalytic convertor

It will royally clog up your fuel injectors too, leading to more frequent replacement and poorer gas mileage.

I wonder if this is his response to people's opposition to letting Mexican trucks in, which are burning leaded fuel. Instead of requiring them to dump their fuel, they just make it leaded for everyboy:crazy:

[HereSince1628]

14. I didn't know about Mexico is allowing leaded gasoline in trucks...

In the context of pushing N.A. to minimum evironmental protection and labor standards, this has more truthiness than it otherwise might.

It may be that the change in lead air pollution standard is directed a lead smelting. It's a safe bet that involves some corporate contributors to Bush and the GOP.

[TexasProgresive]

17. They burn diesel, duh!

[jmowreader]

24. People's opposition to Mexican trucks has little to do with fuel...

and a lot to do with the absence of working brakes on a lot of them.

Oh, and the NDMFs behind the wheel of the rest.

[driver8]

16. I think pissy pants is planning on buying that 1967 GTO that he's had his eyes

on for so long.

He wants to make sure he has gas to put in it.

[ms liberty]

21. He doesn't deserve a '67 GTO...

Now me, for example...VERY MUCH deserve a '67 Goat - but I can't afford one! (And I'd just as soon have a Chevelle (say 67-72 I'm not picky), thank you!)

[Mendocino]

18. Lead: It's the new Mercury.

Since lead has been eliminated from gasoline, many batteries, less use in sporting goods (lead shot and fishing sinkers), printing (lead type is virtually non-existent anymore), the market has dried up even though many rich deposits remain in this country. These mine owners see $$$ but need consumers. Bush always bends over for "robber barons".

[lectrobyte]

19. I didn't think it was specifically about leaded gas, but more for

those companies that also deal with lead, smelters etc. It would be stupid to bring back leaded gas now.

[librechik]

20. It's really a brilliant scam to bail out the auto industry

so don't laugh at the monkey.

[onethatcares]

26. If'n I'm not mistaken

back in the day of the switch, the deal was unleaded gas was to be cheaper due to not adding lead to it. WTF happened to that idea