Do oil companies prevent the production of new fuels? (Give proof pls)?

Question

It makes sense to me that oil companies would see new fuels as a serious threat, so much so that they pay under the table to stall research. This is probably a naive question, but why does it take so long to create a fuel that machines can run on that can be produced in large supply and is less damaging to the environment than oil?

Answer 1

Oil companies play a part in preventing the wide spread use of alternate fuels, it is my opinion that yes this is a fact. One well-documented case of this is the roll the oil companies played in stopping production of the EV-1 produced by GM in the early 90’s. For more information regarding the EV-1 and why GM not only stopped producing the EV-1 but also very purposely destroyed nearly every one ever made you should see the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

Answer 2

No, it is entirely a function of market dynamics.  Note that not one person replying in the affirmative has offered any proof.

Answer 3

I think they do. The only proof you need is that the government has done little to encourage alternatives or inform the public that our national security would be improved by becoming self-sufficient.

1. Oil companies contribute to campaigns.

2. Politicians protect oil companies' markets.

Answer 4

They're not "oil companies" any more, they're energy companies. They want to produce alternative energy just as much as other people.

BP for example has invested more money in alternative energy than our government.

Answer 5

No of course not.  Oil companies are energy companies.  They are developing hydrogen fuel (oil will still be the source for hydrogen) and ethanol.  They still own the distribution network and still are the best at what they do.

Just be sure any new fuel is going to cost more than gas and add more profits for the oil companies.

Answer 6

If it was easy you wouldn't be asking. If if was simple then every person who wants to make a quick buck would be making it and selling it. And as you know there is  no shortage of people wanting to make a quick buck. If it was easy it would be impossible to keep secret. Some things are easy and some are not. That is just something that isn't easy. It is easy enough to make small amounts, and some people do that, and it is easy enough to make medium quantities, and some companies do that, including big oil companies, but it just is not easy to make enough to run all the cars and machines in the world.

You know the world used to run on all renewable fuel centuries ago. All fires were wood files, oil lamps burned whale oil (which is renewable because whales are renewable). But the use of charcoal from wood to make iron caused so much deforestation that some countries banned its use in smelting iron hundreds of years ago. After it was discovered how to make coke from coal, iron and steel manufacturing was freed from the limited supply of wood. And when they discovered how to drill oil wells kerosene replaced whale oil as the new, cheaper lamp fuel. The first oil millionaires made money before cars were invented selling kerosene for lamps. People seem to have ignored history and have no idea how what we consider a problem today was once the solution to all our problems.

Answer 7

No

It's a free market. Let me ask you this, do you presently own a flex fuel vehicle?  I have a small still in my backyard, I converted my boat and 75 Mercedes to e-100/benzolene.  The BATF lets me distill 5000 gallons a year, which I do.  I have the financial backing to open a large scale production facility, however with no market I'd lose my ***. When more people than 2 are serious to buy them, I'll be building a plant that produces 2.5M a year. Till then they can have that market

Answer 8

Not so much oil company's . I think the problem is us ourselves that stop it .Even our physicist refuse to believe in anything new . Take a look at some of the answers in hear for instance . If someone mentions a new alternative fuel you have ten other pouncing on them saying that its impossible and most that do that are well educated people . The problem is those well educated people where taught one way . They where taught 100 year old technology and there minds are closed to anything new . Even if a physicist seen it with his or her own eyes they wouldn't believe it . Its all most like there brain washed into believing one way . They just cant see beyond what they learned for so many  years if it doesn't fit in to there train of thought .

OK now our society looks at them as genius .We figure OK this person went to college well educated if any one knows they should know if its possible or not so basically we let them decide if this can work or not because of there education . Same way you would trust a mechanic to fix your car. You wouldn't take your car to the hospital and have a doctor look at it . Same as we do with new technology . The problem is our physicist haven't learned any thing new for the last 100 years.

Answer 9

they do because we already have alternative fuels so why aren't we using them now