Great artifitial gasoline marketed in 1980

Suppose some very patriotic American invented an artificial gasoline of higher quality than the origional which could be made in more quantity than would ever be needed and had no pollution for ten cents a gallon in 1980 money that was fully marketed by then? Say he gave the USA governnmet a 30% share in the enterprise would it help the country significantly more than if he kept it all?

Would it slow down the rate of inflation, making the 2012 dollar stronger, thus keeping the price of gasoline much lower even in 2012 than otherwise?

Would all the additional vehicles make the world a worse place even without the pollution?

Would the invention destroy enough of the world economy in places such as Texas
and Iran to make the whole thing a negative for the human race?
 
Suppose some very patriotic American invented an artificial gasoline of higher quality than the origional which could be made in more quantity than would ever be needed and had no pollution for ten cents a gallon in 1980 money that was fully marketed by then?

Not possible. The production of gasoline (and other higher hydrocarbons) from carbon dioxide and water is a rather simple chemical process, but it requires an external source of energy (at this time, only nuclear can provide it without a massive increase in carbon output, and even that's debatable) and the production of very large chemical refineries. The idea that it can be cheaper than gasoline, let alone a dime a gallon, violates basic principles of science, engineering, and economics.
 
This is totally ASB, but its a fascinating hypothetical. :D I see American carmakers holding on to a bigger share of the market as small cars from overseas are needed to cope with OTL rising gas prices. Traffic congestion increases as more people drive with less people in each car. Does this replace all oil, or just gasoline?
 
This is totally ASB, but its a fascinating hypothetical. :D I see American carmakers holding on to a bigger share of the market as small cars from overseas are needed to cope with OTL rising gas prices. Traffic congestion increases as more people drive with less people in each car. Does this replace all oil, or just gasoline?

Do very many people really car-pool?
 
not exactly the same as the OP, but way back in the 70's, there was a book (and later movie) called The Formula that had a lost Nazi (!) formula for a catalyst that turned coal into oodles of cheap gas; since the majority of the coal in the world is found in the first world, this would obviously have a major affect on the economy of the world. In the book, the hero who eventually ended up with the formula gave it to Israel (who were the good guys back then), in a sense of justice...
 
Virginian, just gasoline, however if the need for real gasoline is eliminated, would not the demand for oil be only a fraction of what it is today? And don't forget, no pollution on the plus side.

Have not many inventions seemed to be ASB territory before the were invented? Are you saying, like one might have said of airplanes in 1703, that such an invention is impossible? Heck, I knew people in the 1950's who said man would never go to the moon.
 
Have not many inventions seemed to be ASB territory before the were invented? Are you saying, like one might have said of airplanes in 1703, that such an invention is impossible? Heck, I knew people in the 1950's who said man would never go to the moon.

The problem is not the possibilty. Of course making artificial fuel is possible. What makes it ASB is purely physical laws as somebody pointed early in the thread. To get it you need to duplicate the job nature has been doing for billions of years squeezing carbohydrates from the animals into oil we use. Simple logic says you need to put work in to get energy out. Cheap and easily made, hence abundant, 'artificial' gasoline would be akin to perpetuum mobile.
 
Let's, for the sake of arguement, just accept that it happened as the original poster said. Too many interesting threads get sidetracked by someone coming on and saying its ASB. Sure, its ASB, but lets suppose it happened anyway. How does the world react. Sounds like the Arabs goose is cooked, plus Iran, Venezuela, et al. Texas economy takes a severe hit, but eventually they go into other things. They are part of the good ol' USA, after all. Other changes I'll leave to the remainder of the members here.
 
Virginian, just gasoline, however if the need for real gasoline is eliminated, would not the demand for oil be only a fraction of what it is today? And don't forget, no pollution on the plus side.

Have not many inventions seemed to be ASB territory before the were invented? Are you saying, like one might have said of airplanes in 1703, that such an invention is impossible? Heck, I knew people in the 1950's who said man would never go to the moon.

You're a Baby Boomer? :eek:

Anyway, I think you could work out something with coal, particularly if oil prices go sky high....don't know all the technical stuff though.
 
Putting aside the ASB for a moment....
This would affect a number of important factors -
- World oil demand would be substantially reduced
- American involvement in the Middle East would be less curtailed by the need to appease the Arabs. This may make them either less interested, or more hawkish with respect to Israel.
- They could put a serious squeeze on the world price for fuel, making several sources (North Sea, Alaska etc) uneconomical, other than to source oil for none-gasoline related needs. Such sources would last longer.
 
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