[thorn]

I'm reading John Howe's book End of Fossil Energy. I was just thinking about the energy equivalent of gas. He says that 1 gal of gas is equal to about 600 man hours (if I remembered right). Which at $3/gal is less than $0.01/ hour. Who would work for $0.01/ hour? That's amazing if you think about it. It does not seem like there is that much energy in a gal of gas. Makes you realize that we really are screwed!

[Free]

Roscoe Bartlett used another example in his speach, that the energy output of one barrel of gasoline equals that of twelve men working for one year.

According to www.eroei.com the energy which is set free at the combustion of 1 gram of gas is 50000 Joule, while that of TNT is around 4000 Joule. One Joule is the energy you need to to lift ca. 100 gram (one small apple) for 1 metre.

I think Deffeyes uses the example that a plane full of American tourists visiting the pyramids uses as much energy as went into said pyramids in human labor.

[falser]

600 man hours sounds a little high. What is the official definition of a man-hour? One gallon of gas can move a 2000lbs car 25 miles. 600 hours = 25 days. I bet 3 people could push a car the same distance in a lot less than 25 days, probably more like 2 days (48hr) max. So my guesstimate would be 3 people X 48 hours = 144 man hours.

[MD]

Start with the assumption that a man can produce 250 watts continuously. That makes a kilowatt hour every 4 hours. At $.15/kwh electricity, that makes you worth about $.035 per hour.

The pushing a car example only works if you consider how far the galosile can push the car at a walking pace. The 600 man hour figure is probably about right.

It all points to how profoundly cheap energy has been, and what a shock it will be when we have to pay 10 or 100 times as much.

Slavery will return with a vengeance. Hell, we already have the slave equivalents in Asia making all our crappy consumer goods for WalMart.

The future of America will feature the return of the 16 hour 6 day work week for the common laborer. Some slaves have had better lives!

[bobbyald]

1 Gallon = 132,000,000 Joules = 125,000 BTU = 36,650 Watt Hours = 31,000 Calories = 110 McD Hamburgers = .......

[jdmartin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('falser', '6')00 man hours sounds a little high. What is the official definition of a man-hour? One gallon of gas can move a 2000lbs car 25 miles. 600 hours = 25 days. I bet 3 people could push a car the same distance in a lot less than 25 days, probably more like 2 days (48hr) max. So my guesstimate would be 3 people X 48 hours = 144 man hours.

[UIUCstudent01]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('falser', '6')00 man hours sounds a little high. What is the official definition of a man-hour? One gallon of gas can move a 2000lbs car 25 miles. 600 hours = 25 days. I bet 3 people could push a car the same distance in a lot less than 25 days, probably more like 2 days (48hr) max. So my guesstimate would be 3 people X 48 hours = 144 man hours.

[ohanian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobbyald', '1') Gallon = 132,000,000 Joules = 125,000 BTU = 36,650 Watt Hours = 31,000 Calories = 110 McD Hamburgers = .......

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', '
')The future of America will feature the return of the 16 hour 6 day work week for the common laborer.

[thorn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ohanian', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobbyald', '1') Gallon = 132,000,000 Joules = 125,000 BTU = 36,650 Watt Hours = 31,000 Calories = 110 McD Hamburgers = .......

[kmann]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('UIUCstudent01', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('falser', '6')00 man hours sounds a little high. What is the official definition of a man-hour? One gallon of gas can move a 2000lbs car 25 miles. 600 hours = 25 days. I bet 3 people could push a car the same distance in a lot less than 25 days, probably more like 2 days (48hr) max. So my guesstimate would be 3 people X 48 hours = 144 man hours.

[thorn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('kmann', '
')The important point is petroleum does a lot of work for us. And the question is what will we do when it's no longer obtainable.

[dukey]

i think there are too many variables to say exactly 1 gallon of gas = 600 man hours ..

but i think its safe to say there is a shit load of energy in a gallon of gas.
Only have to look at farming to see this ..
what would take a team of men and horses days to do a couple of tractors and a combine can do in hours !

[WisJim]

I thnk that my son's Honda VX weighs about a ton (2000 pounds) or a bit more, and can get 50mpg (or better) on the hiway if you drive carefully and it is good tune. It will get better mileage at a walking pace!
A vehicle designed to move a ton at a walking pace wouldn't need much power, and would make the man hour/gallon of gas comparison even more lopsided.

Jim

[turn74]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thorn', 'I')'m reading John Howe's book End of Fossil Energy. I was just thinking about the energy equivalent of gas. He says that 1 gal of gas is equal to about 600 man hours (if I remembered right). Which at $3/gal is less than $0.01/ hour. Who would work for $0.01/ hour? That's amazing if you think about it. It does not seem like there is that much energy in a gal of gas. Makes you realize that we really are screwed!

[thorn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('turn74', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thorn', 'I')'m reading John Howe's book End of Fossil Energy. I was just thinking about the energy equivalent of gas. He says that 1 gal of gas is equal to about 600 man hours (if I remembered right). Which at $3/gal is less than $0.01/ hour. Who would work for $0.01/ hour? That's amazing if you think about it. It does not seem like there is that much energy in a gal of gas. Makes you realize that we really are screwed!

[Bandidoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'S')tart with the assumption that a man can produce 250 watts continuously.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', '
')The future of America will feature the return of the 16 hour 6 day work week for the common laborer.

[nero]

A gallon of gas can't push a car 25 miles either! Just try it, you'll just make a puddle. You've got to put the gallon of gas in the gas tank and burn it in the engine. Now I would put to you that if you took three men and (with a bit of TDP) put them in the gas tank they would be able to propel the car alot further than 25 miles.

My point is that if you are pushing the car why the heck would you leave the engine or the transmission in it? Take out all that weight and friction and see how easily it rolls! Without the extra useless weight I bet three men could push a car 25 miles in 2 days easily.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Bandidoz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'S')tart with the assumption that a man can produce 250 watts continuously.