Every now and then I see a mind-boggling sign at a gas station when I’m filling up my tank. The sign says, “No Ethanol! Real Gas Sold Here!” And, I have to say, for sheer ignorance this sign takes the cake.

“Real Gas?” What is real gas? Real gas is a precious commodity that we have to import from hostile countries, while members of our Armed Services fight and die in Iraq so that we can import even more. “Real gas” holds the United States hostage to higher energy costs, higher national security risks, more polluted air, automobile manufacturers from Japan who are surpassing our own domestic manufacturers every day, and yes, more deaths in Iraq. This is a selling point?

What is ethanol? Ethanol is a renewable, domestically-produced fuel that reduces tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and, by the way, provides a higher octane value than straight gasoline. If you live in the midwest, as I do, E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) costs about 60 to 90 cents a gallon less than gasoline. And ethanol doesn’t raise the cost of tacos, but that’s another blog topic.

The point is, any gasoline retailer who uses “No ethanol!” as a selling point is un-American. Here’s my message to them:

Stop what you’re doing! You’re not helping.

Well, it’s been two weeks now since the new anti-idling law went into effect in California, and so far I haven’t seen any signs that A) the world is coming to an end, or B) trucking fleets are bypassing California to avoid the new regulation.

You may recall that the new regulation put in place by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) dictates that trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds can idle for only five minutes. There are exemptions for being stuck due of traffic, weather or mechanical failure, or when being inspected or serviced, or queuing beyond 100 feet of a residential area or if the truck’s engine meets option NOx idling emission standards and the truck is beyond 100 feet from a residential area. Furthermore, drivers can’t operate a diesel-fueled APU for more than five minutes if they are located within 100 feet of a residential area. If your truck has a 2007 or newer engine, your diesel-fueled APU or fuel-fired heater must also meet additional equipment requirements. Oh, and the fines can be as high as $10,000.

The deafening silence from California can only mean one of two things: either the state has chosen not to enforce the new regulation (yet), or every trucking company operating in or through California is complying without complaint. I have to believe that it’s the former, but if so, when will they start enforcing the law, and who will be the first to feel the sting?

Today, the name of this blog, “Over the Barrel,” seems especially appropriate, as last week crude oil futures surpassed $100 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. True, prices quickly slid back below $100, but the news here is that the doomsday barrier has been broken.

If you have followed the alternative fuels market, here in Fuel Advantage Magazine or elsewhere, you may have noticed that experts are fond of declaring that this or that alternative fuel, while perhaps not cost-competitive at the moment, will suddenly become so when petroleum passes $100 a barrel.

Well, now that that moment has come, where are all the alternative fuel bargains? Have you been shopping around for your fleet? Has B20 biodiesel suddenly become your savior? Has E85 ethanol suddenly become the silver bullet? Are you ready to place an order for those CNG trucks that have suddenly become a relative bargain?

I have mentioned before that here in southern Wisconsin, E85 is routinely 60 to 90 cents a gallon less expensive than regular unleaded gasoline, so any fleet in this locale that could realistically add flex fuel vehicles to its stable and hasn’t done so probably needs its collective head examined. Maybe $100 a barrel petroleum will change a few minds in that direction, but I wonder how long it will take.

You have heard the story of the two frogs tossed into pots of water. One pot was boiling, and the frog hopped out to safety immediately. The second pot was cold, but the heat slowly built up, and by the time it reached the boiling point it was too late for the frog. Well, I think we’ve reached the boiling point, my fellow frogs.