Re: Rising Food Costs

George wrote:

Pete C. wrote:


Yes, you can indeed compare efficiencies, as long as you use a measure
of efficiency, which excludes measures of economy such as MPG.

The dictionary definition says something different:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/efficiency

Main Entry:
ef·fi·cien·cy Listen to the pronunciation of efficiency
Pronunciation:
\i-?fi-sh?n-se-\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural ef·fi·cien·cies
Date:
1633

1: the quality or degree of being efficient2 a: efficient operation b
(1): effective operation as measured by a comparison of production with
cost (as in energy, time, and money) (2): the ratio of the useful energy
delivered by a dynamic system to the energy supplied to it3: efficiency
apartment

Since MPG involves both energy and cost in it by definition it is a
direct component of the overall efficiency of using a vehicle. The
production in that case would be moving someone or something from one
place to another.

As I asked way back in this thread. Given the two scenarios where 2
people are involved in the most common scenario of transporting
themselves to and from work and one chooses to use a truck with 1/2 the
MPG of the car used by the second person which one is more efficient?

As I've stated before, the economics of multiple vehicles means that
when one can only have one vehicle, it has to be sufficiently large to
handle the largest or most demanding regular task, and of course will
also need to be used for the smaller tasks as well.

A Prius* will not carry my camper, can not go off road and would be hard
pressed to even carry the gear needed for one of my recreational trips,
all of which are required at least once a month. A Prius* can not carry
the sheetrock, conduit and lumber used in remodeling my shop, nor the
sheets of plywood, lengths of steel tubing or many other materials I use
in my shop. (* or similar high MPG vehicle)

Because of these requirements, my vehicle is a large truck which is able
to handle these requirements. Because of the economics of multiple
vehicles and the minimal number of miles driven where those cargo and
off road requirements do not apply, that same 7,000# truck goes out to
the grocery store.

A second vehicle would cost me around $2000 per year more while saving
around 200 gallons of gas at best the last I calculated, and that
doesn't count the cost of the vehicle itself, only tax, insurance and
maintenance. When gas is $10/gal I'll be at the operating break even
point.
.

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