Pranav, KOH = potassium hydroxide
As for the rest, comparisons were made to bring to point how everything has a negative attribute and how easily we all tend to overlook these negatives. For SVO or WVO conversion, you might care to speak to Ed Beggs, [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.biofuels.ca (?) He has the expertise to move you along on such a conversion. Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: sabjii <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 1:23 PM Subject: [biofuel] Re: SVO versus BD > Todd, > > I agree with you in that using bio-diesel was better than > doing "nothing at all" and that it is definitely a much better > alternative to petrol and diesel. > > I never mentioned KOH and I wonder where you brought that from! I > also did not say that monoculture is good. It definitely isn't. I am > not one who shouts foul at everything without looking at the > practicality of issues. Therefore, you need not make me aware of all > the petrochemical influence in our daily lives. It is apallingly > permeating. > > For me, it is a question of choosing a technology which has less > negative impact on the environment (from "cradle to grave"). For that > reason, I find making one time changes in motor to run with straight > vegetable oil better than using bio-diesel (with my earlier mentioned > concerns). > > However, I would like to be more informed if there were better ways > of making bio-diesel or if such ways were rapidly > replacing "methanol" based production systems in the industry. > > It would be nice if someone could throw more light on that. > > brotherly > Pranav > > > > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Appal Energy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Pranav, > > > > One should have concerns over the energy and chemical inputs to a > > process, as well as the ethics and principles involved from > > cradle to grave. > > > > KOH in bulk? Sure, Occidental Petroleum will be happy to supply > > it. But then turn around and look at their pattern of destruction > > and displacement in South America. > > > > One could say the same for factory farming. Mono-culture isn't > > exactly beneficial, whether the oil is destined for an Elsbett > > retrofit or biodiesel in a Jetta. > > > > But to do nothing is to perpetuate the use of fossil fuels and > > all the incumbent detriments. > > > > It is virtually impossible to consume any product purchased in > > the open market without somehow involving the use of fossil > > fuels. Automobile manufacture, or for that matter bicycle > > manufacture, is certainly not free of fossil fuel. Why take issue > > with the manufacturing components of a bio-fuel if not willing to > > take up the same issue with the steel, rubber, glass and wire > > that it's going to propel? > > > > Even the Amish, as a general rule, tend to wear clothes when they > > take their veggies to market, which means that fossil fuel was > > used somewhere in the cycle of production. > > > > I think that you are going to find the "holy/unholy" dividing > > line of fossil fuel consumption to be ever shifting, depending > > upon what product you are looking at. > > > > The trick is to do something that is of considerably less impact, > > rather than doing nothing at all. > > > > Todd Swearingen > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: sabjii <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 8:26 AM > > Subject: [biofuel] Re: SVO versus BD > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I am following the SVO vs Biodiesel debate which seems to be > > pretty > > > hot in Germany and other European countries. > > > > > > I do understand that the end-product Bio-Diesel is similar to > > SVO in > > > terms of emissions, and better in cold conditions and also > > better > > > researched, and better supported by car companies. One also > > does > > > not "have" to change the existing diesel motor in the car. > > > > > > However, I am a bit disturbed knowing that the raw materials > > for > > > making biodiesel - methanol and potassium hydroxide - are both > > pretty > > > dangerous chemicals. This is not really what inspires local and > > > decentralized production. (I know that many enthusiasts still > > do it.) > > > Moreover, methanol seems to be almost exclusively produced from > > > fossil fuels in most countries today (even though it might be > > > possible to produce it from other renewable bio sources). > > Production, > > > handling and transportation of chemicals like methanol and > > potassium > > > hydroxide must be taking considerable energy and must also be > > in the > > > hands of big chemical companies which are usually reluctant to > > take > > > measures against polluting the environment. > > > > > > If all the above is true (so it seems to me), I cannot use > > biodiesel > > > with the satisfaction of having driven clean of fossil fuels > > and big > > > polluting oil and chemical companies. > > > > > > I would like to know roughly about the percentage of biodiesel > > > manufacturers that use ethanol (less dangerous and more > > independent > > > of fossil fuels). Is the process of manufacturing with ethanol > > > replacing that with methanol? > > > > > > I had really wished that bio-diesel was a development free of > > fossil > > > fuels and big oil and chemical companies (at all stages of the > > > process). I would be happy if someone convinces me that it is. > > > > > > brotherly > > > Pranav > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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