I am a nationwide expert on bioenergy research, and I can say truthfully that there is no way that fuels derived from manures and other forms of waste, indeed from all types of biomass can come close to replacing (in a sustainable manner) all of the fossil fuels we use. The volumes of petroleum and coal that we currently consume are truly staggering.
With current capabilities, we might replace 25% of our needs - tops (probably more like 15-20%). And there are no technologies on the horizon that can guarantee us more than that. Further, converting wastes and biomass to fuels means that they can't be used for other useful purposes - fertilizer, recycled paper, food, heat, wildlife habitat, etc. And most of them are more expensive than fossil-derived fuels. Discovery Magazine has nice pictures, but many of its articles way overstate the capabilities of science and technology. - Bob Fireovid >Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:50:14 -0700 >From: John Mickelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: Denial * 2: Climate Change and Economic: extending our petroleum > horizon?! > > >Through several links came upon these very interesting >series (many folks may know about, the applications >were new to me), from Discovery Mag, about how we can >now create, literally, additional oil resources from >just about any organic carbon source (read here as >turkey guts). > >http://discovermagazine.com/2003/may/featoil/ (where >the founder suspected that he could produce oil @ the >2003 equivalent of $15\barrel!) > >http://discovermagazine.com/2006/apr/anything-oil/ >(where, 3 years later, the production is operational >and output costs closer to $80\barrel.... a *bargain* >by todays high of $92).... > >Feel a bit mixed at the great opportunity to utilize >currently discarded waste versus the ramifications at >how this could dramatically extend our oil\petroleum >economy, potentially infinitely! > >-John
