Museum of the Oil Age

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 07 Aug 2011, 17:47

biffvernon wrote:Hmmm...thing is that a tractor like that can feed itself with oil from the biodiesel crops it grows and still have a surplus to build it's successor and produce some food. (Assuming the industrial infrastructure from iron mine to showroom stay intact.)

You sure Biff? Wonder what's the embodied energy in a monster like that?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 07 Aug 2011, 19:31

A good question. Here are a couple of rough numbers to head us in the right direction. You get more than 3 tonnes of oil seed rape per hectare and over 300 litres of oil per tonne, so, roughly, consider 1000 litres of oil produced per hectare.

We'd need to know the tractor fuel consumption. 5-10 litres per hectare depending on the job.
How many tractor operations, plough, harrow, drill, spray, cut, combine. Let's say 50 litres used per hectare
And the embodied energy in tractor manufacture.
And how many hours the tractor survives before being scrapped.

I can't even guess at those but we've still got 950 litres per hectare spare so my gut feeling is that the tractor will easily pay its way.

SleeperService · Post by **SleeperService** » 07 Aug 2011, 19:36

nexus wrote:+1 to MMM!

Is there much PO awareness in the haulier community?

There's a lot of concern about fuel prices, usually blamed on HMG taxation. General feeling about PO (if accepted) is 'it won't be a problem until after I retire'

Truckers tend to be conservative types so it'll be a while before TEOTWAWKI gains any ground IMHO. Generally fuel efficency is getting pushed up the agenda but only to save money and maintenance costs. Most trucks are now limited to 50 or 52mph rather than 56.

I just hope that the museum has a happy ending

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 07 Aug 2011, 19:51

Next time you come across anyone with their engine running but the vehicle stationary - ie, getting zero miles per gallon (refrigerated trucks might be excused) - ask them if they've ever complained about the high price of fuel.

JavaScriptDonkey · Post by **JavaScriptDonkey** » 09 Aug 2011, 19:38

biffvernon wrote:I can't even guess at those but we've still got 950 litres per hectare spare so my gut feeling is that the tractor will easily pay its way.

Can't make many tyres, drive belts or bearing greases or from rape seed oil. Nor can you lubricate an engine with it.

Tractors would be confined to the Agricultural Section and we'd be back to using children to carry stones to the end of the furrows.

Standuble · Post by **Standuble** » 23 Oct 2011, 22:55

I can imagine the museum having: an artistic themed piece with an oil barrel partially buried in sand but surrounded with human bones.

- Similarly, a skeleton holding a petrol pump.

- A rusted car with no tires, wheels or window glass. Supposed to signify how little of the car was renewable and how short a car's average life was.

- A shell or BP petrol sign

- A display of the word "oil" made out of non-renewable oil based products, e.g. garbage bags, carrier bags, tires etc.

Mean Mr Mustard · Post by **Mean Mr Mustard** » 23 Oct 2011, 23:35

The Oil in Art display was a great success.

As oil will never run out, and is used sparingly these days, the Museum is planning an exhibition on how we still do use oil beyond the Oil Age.

Oil Paintings being one example. And did you know that 3in1 has been around since 1894, and still going strong, especially now we are in the second bicycle age?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-In-One_Oil