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Monday, July 28, 2008

Powerline Biodiesel

Alternative fuels are fueling quite a debate. Food or Fuel? Ah, seems like a tough question, but is it really? Proponents say that bio fuels are the only way to save the earth and wean ourselves from foreign oil. Opponents say that bio fuels will starve whole countries and is as bad for the earth as fossil fuels. Wow, hard to decide, my degree in bio fuelology is limited. I have to decide by what I read and hear.

Gas is expensive, we all know that. I read that biodiesel can be made for under a buck. That part looks good. Now you have to remember, that's the price if you are making yourself. If the gas guys get in on this, expect to pay the same as regular gas, you just get to feel good about it. Hold your horses though. What about the impact on the environment of all the farm equipment used to raise the feedstock? I'm getting so confused! Bring back the horse and buggy. That's right, horses give off too much methane!

Why couldn't we grow more corn for ethenal, and soybeans for biodiesel? Are all the farms producing to capacity? We aren't still paying farmers to not grow things are we? What about public lands? Instead of drilling offshore, let's plant corn up Camp David, the President doesn't go there anyway. Plant corn and soybeans along the median strips. How many billions of miles of power lines are there in the US that you can't build under? Plant it and let it go. Nobody will have to cut the grass anymore.

The Eastern shore has a biodiesel plant. Yep, we are trend setters and green! I don't know where you can buy it though. The website says you have to go to Texas, Oregon, or Hawaii? That doesn't seem too green. Is anyone really trying to come up with an answer? Biomass is too hard. I bet if you could distill it then sell it for consumption they could figure out how to do it. I have seen people who can't figure out how to come in out of the rain that can run meth labs, let them give it a try. Come on smart guys, give it a better try, we can do this!


Slammermike said...

The more I hear about it the more I think it is well planned by someone or some group.

In the beginning of the summer they said that gas prices would rise over the summer peeking around July 4 then drop at the end of the summer near Labor Day. Well it is all coming true just as they thought it would. Gas has started dropping recently. I saw $3.72 on Sunday and the news today hjas a station with gas for $3.69. I am now paying $3.79.

Now they are crediting the drop in price to the rise in prices. The prices went up causing people to not buy as much gas forcing the prices to go down. But they predicted this all before the prices went up and the sales dropped.

There must be some very smart people out there to know all this before it happens.

I always thought that corn or some grain would be the answer to a renewable fuel source. After all the USA is the most prolific producer of food in the world. We could be totally independent of foreign oil all together right? Well now I am reading that the cost of corn and other grain products is increasing because of fuel costs and the fact that much of what is grown now is going to fuel production. As Jughead would say WHAAAAAA?

Now there is another kicker I read the other day. More corn and grain is being grown than ever before. But this is a threat to the environment. Reports say that due to run off of fertilizers into the waterways is causing dead spots. There is supposed to be a spot in the Gulf of Mexico they size of New Jersey that is so oxygen deprived because of the run off it can't support life. The same is happening in the Chesapeake. That is why the crabs and oysters are struggling.

There has to be an answer out there and there are plenty of smart people out there that could accomplish the task but it seems big money interests is blocking the progress.

Anonymous said...

Don't you know Big money interests always blocks progress. That is how they get to be big money. I would like to know why gas prices are higher in Delaware and lower on the eastern Shore? Doesn't the gas come from the same fueler trucks?Coming from Harrington De. tonight gas was much higher than in Delmar Md. which is a few miles away. Wouldn't it be interesting if we could get a big money guy explain how this .
happens? Who does have the answers? Not your average Joe.