[Biofuel] NYTimes.com: On Oil Supply, Opinions Aren't Scarce
Title: E-Mail This This page was sent to you by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message from sender: fyi BUSINESS | September 10, 2005 Joseph Nocera: On Oil Supply, Opinions Aren't Scarce Does it surprise you that when it comes to one of the most vital resources known to man, there is such an incredible divergence of opinion? It sure surprised me. 1. Op-Ed Columnist: Neigh to Cronies 2. The Former First Lady: Barbara Bush Calls Evacuees Better Off 3. Your Money: Some Ways to Prepare for the Absolute Worst 4. Op-Ed Columnist: Point Those Fingers 5. Editorial: A Shameful Proclamation » Go to Complete List Do you love NY? Get the insiders guide to where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Go to www.nytimes.com/travel for your NYC Guide now. Click here. Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] NYTimes.com: The New Prize: Alternative Fuels
Title: E-Mail This This page was sent to you by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message from sender: fyi BUSINESS | September 10, 2005 The New Prize: Alternative Fuels By DANNY HAKIM The nation's roads are a moving laboratory of alternatives to gasoline combustion engines, often being driven by average Americans, if in small numbers. 1. Op-Ed Columnist: Neigh to Cronies 2. The Former First Lady: Barbara Bush Calls Evacuees Better Off 3. Your Money: Some Ways to Prepare for the Absolute Worst 4. Op-Ed Columnist: Point Those Fingers 5. Editorial: A Shameful Proclamation » Go to Complete List Do you love NY? Get the insiders guide to where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Go to www.nytimes.com/travel for your NYC Guide now. Click here. Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Sept 1 declared no buy gas day
>>You get 0 mpg when idling in stopped traffic.<< I suppose it's worse than "0". Since in most cars the engine keeps running while stopped, it has the effect of a negative mpg on overall gas mileage. My 2004 Prius' engine stops when the traffic stops, which is great for mpg and air quality. And when traffic is crawling, I can usually rely on the electric motor to give me an overall boost to mpgs. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Check out Diesel Won't Solve Our Gasoline Woes
Click here: Diesel Won't Solve Our Gasoline Woes FYI. No mention of biodiesel to augment supplies. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Worst terror attacks in history
RE: post excerpted below. Some hard questions, and painful for those of us in the US who are conflicted about the good and bad our country, or its citizens, have done in and to the world, and in this country itself. [As I write this, I have in my wallet a $20 bill, with the picture of Andrew Jackson, known for many things, but perhaps most ignominiously as a proponent of Indian removal. Such a person we honor?] The US population in 2005 is about 4.6% of the world total today, yet we lay claim to about 25% of the world's resources and impact, for better or probably worse, an even larger share. Because "God Shed His Grace on [We]," as one of our anthems says? Uh, I have a hard time believing that. With great power goes great responsibility. Interesting times ahead. That said, I have a question that perhaps someone out there can address, re: "Dysentery, starvation (due to ten years of sanctions) and war in Iraq.", specifically concerning the sanctions. Whatever the US role in those sanctions, it has always seemed to me that Saddam Hussein had the resources to address the basic health/sanitation needs of his people but instead chose to spend it on a lavish lifestyle for himself, his family, and supporters, and on other nonessentials compared to basic needs. Yet, almost without exception, the US gets blamed for this humanitarian disaster during the sanctions. Why? Bob In a message dated 8/8/2005 9:30:40 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: "I grow a little weary of revisionist history." Yes. Those pesky researchers and their new discoveries. Why can't we just keep history the way "the victors" wrote it. "Hirohito, Hitler, and even our ally Stalin were not on the humanitarian side of the leger." So this is where I (and perhaps some others in this group) struggle to understand. The statement itself, prompts some questions. When one judges another's humanity, it helps to have some references. The Third Reich was not a humanitarian state because, during it's short reign, it was responsible for the violent deaths of tens of millions of people in the pursuit of empire. So far, so good. Here are some other questions that (IMO) help paint a bigger picture of the "humanity" expressed by a particular government.. Can an empire be defined as a show of vast political control by military or economic means? Can the acts that cause suffering among the inhabitants of an empire be the result of both what it does and doesn't do? Can the acts that cause suffering among the inhabitants of an empire be the result of what it can but, won't do because it doesn't contribute toward the building of an empire? If you answered "yes" to all three questions, you've effectively described the US government. When answering "yes" to the second and third question, you've prompted the next question which tries to evaluate the amount of suffering caused by it's actions or in-actions: ** Dysentery, starvation (due to ten years of sanctions) and war in Iraq ** AIDS in Africa (restricting medication and pursuing legal action against patent infringement) ** Poverty in Haiti and numerous other countries (keeping the outsourcing of cheap labor alive) ** Corporate dictatorships that spread terror in countries like Columbia, etc, etc. These are only a few examples that occur as a result of the actions of our last three or four administrations. When one considers the violent acts committed by our government during it's entire history, it gets much more disturbing. So, is it the brutally violent acts of a particular short lived regime or the more covert acts committed methodically and sometimes less directly (i.e. proxy wars) over a period of many decades which is less humane? More importantly, who plays the roll of aggressor, reactionary and victim will change as the propaganda of it's time served it's purpose and the revisionists can go to work. Mike Tom Irwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] NYTimes.com: Why America Is More Dependent Than Ever on Saudi Arabia
Title: E-Mail This This page was sent to you by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message from sender: fyi BUSINESS / WORLD BUSINESS | August 6, 2005 Why America Is More Dependent Than Ever on Saudi Arabia By JAD MOUAWAD Alternatives to Saudi Arabia's oil supplies are fewer today than seemed to be the case just three years ago, adding to Saudi Arabia's already impressive clout. 1. Op-Ed Columnist: Design for Confusion 2. Threat to Divest Is Church Tool in Israeli Fight 3. Op-Ed Columnist: Too Much Pork and Too Little Sugar 4. Golf in the Land of the Midnight Tee Time 5. Basics: Just the Right Digital Camera for You » Go to Complete List Do you love NY? Get the insiders guide to where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Go to www.nytimes.com/travel for your NYC Guide now. Click here. Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] The New Blue States/Country
In a message dated 8/1/2005 1:45:27 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: "I am amazed and the quanity of people who will uphold and fight for some snails life, being of great importance and right to live, yet believe it is okay to kill babies. That the Child is of no value and has no right to life." Actually, I don't think I've ever heard anyone (although Brian Rogers comment has me a bit worried . . . and there are troubling, and apparently factual reports of infanticide in some places) who believes the literal meaning of these statements you wrote. Although I don't believe in the gratuitous killing of anything, the issue of protecting snails, etc., is to protect the diversity and health of our ecosystems (and for some, out of respect for the wonder of life). If we want our children to have a world that's liveable, we better be concerned about the natural world in which they will exist. As far as "killing babies," I suspect most of us recognize the code words for abortion. It should be stating the obvious that deciding at what point, from merger of sperm with ovum onward, that a child's life begins and terminating that life is unresolvable. Certainly people should weigh heavily the biological and ethical issues before making their own personal decisions on this, but (as at least one other post has suggested), trying to impose one's own conclusions on another just isn't going to work politically or practically, even in a tightly controlled society. Bob ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Gangs of America Power and the disabling of democracy
Any skeptics out there? for more, if you can stomach it, go to altria.com Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman & CEO, Altria Group, Inc. "Nothing is more important than our commitment to integrity — no financial objective, no marketing target, no effort to outdo the competition. Our commitment to integrity must always come first." Feedback ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Gangs of America Power and the disabling of democracy
In a message dated 7/30/2005 2:11:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: How do we eliminate the all powerful, destructive, and "untouchable" attributes of corporations, while not destroying the lives of the good people who make up their work forces? I think the answer is, in part, "vote with your money." While it will take some work, and may cost a bit more (for good reason in most cases, I suspect), if we all identified at least reasonably responsible businesses and lifestyle alternatives, and gave them our monies, we might be able to control our fate better. Regrettably, I know all too many people (including myself more often than I want to admit), who simply talk the talk, and whose expenditures and lifestyles take the easy route. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] ethanol from wood please
What kind of "residue" is left from wood or these other alternative inputs to the ethanol production process. Anything of value, like seedcake from biodiesel production? Anything harmful? ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Moving to the land was The Saudi oil bombshell
While not a practical idea for most, I suspect, it would be nice to be able to "apprentice" with some Amish farmers. Some of the intensive, largely sustainable, farming practices that were relatively commonplace knowledge even as recent as 50 years ago in the US are now a totally unknown concept to most of us here. My father's parents, Pennsylvania Germans but not Amish, grew and raised most of their annual food needs on a plot of land that was less than 1/4 acre. They had chickens for meat and eggs, a hog or so (one slaughtered each year) and a large variety of fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, that were either eaten fresh or canned at home. To them, it was second nature. While I enjoyed the "fruits" of their plot as a child, I would be utterly clueless how to start now. I do know how to get to Safeway a mile down the road and know the aisles so well that I can almost shop blindfolded! Ah, the skills of modern urban life. Bob ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Fwd: [Biofuel] seeds on the brain - small scale diesel
RE: "Harvest equipment = a scythe." I grew up near Pennsylvania Dutch country, and I'll always remember driving through the areas farmed by the Amish, which as many of you may already know, eschew engine driven equipment. Unless they hire someone to do fieldwork, they do the work generally by hand or with horse drawn plows, wagons, etc. The food for the horses is generally grown on the farm and of course the manure goes back on the fields. The richness of their farms and fields was greater than I recall seeing anywhere else. Amazingly, their culture and farming practices continue to this day in parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Wisconsin, and elsewhere in the states. [According to my father, use of horse power was commonly used in many Pennsylvania -- and I suspect in other states as well -- farming communities up until perhaps WWII.] I'm curious what list members might think of the ethics/morality of using animal power, where practical, to grow and harvest crops. (I realize that in less industrialized parts of the world, that's not even a question.) It seems far more sustainable, if done humanely and otherwise ethically acceptable, to use horses, etc., to augment human muscle power and to replace fossil fuel driven equipment. I should also note that I'm well aware of the appeal of fossil fuel driven equipment for "efficiency" and to ease the backbreaking labor of more "traditional" agriculture. Bob --- Begin Message --- on 7/13/05 4:20 PM, John Wilson at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hi Mike, > Extracting the oil from seed requires a process that is quite > expensive. Harvest equipment you could probably contract out > but unless you are somewhere where you can sell the cake or > have livestock to feed the cake to an on site extractor I don't > think would pay. Nonsense.What "pays" and what doesn't depends largely on the manipulated state of that day's market. Pressing oil from seed is a very ancient and well-documented process. If you're planning to turn it into biodiesel, the usual requirement of refining is to some extent abbreviated. I encourage you to pursue this option. Find an oilseed crop that is easy to grow, harvest, and process by hand (sesame, peanuts, safflower, NOT soy or corn). Feed the cake to your animals, sell it to your neighbor, or compost it. Good luck. -K ... says Ken, who uses an ApproTec Hela Mk II manual oilpress from Tanzania, IIRC. Or you can make one with a bottle-jack, or use designs for an 80kg/hour press, or get a TinyTech set-up, or whatever. Small is not a problem. See Oilseed presses: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_supply.html#Oilpress Biofuels supplies and suppliers Harvest equipment = a scythe. Best wishes Keith ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ --- End Message --- ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Homes and energy
I thought the article below, from today's Washington Post, might be of interest to others on this list. Along with oversized houses, it's my experience that the houses are, as well, being placed on larger lots, which, for practical purposes, takes that land out of circulation for biofuel crop production, local agricultural uses, "natural" services (filtering water, sopping up CO2), among other things. The increased demand on our energy sources and forests are, of course, significant as well. Other than reasonable zoning limits, I don't think the government has a role in telling people how to spend their money, on housing versus whatever. But there's still enough idealist in me to wish people would vote with their dollars for different values. "Homes As Hummers By Robert J. SamuelsonPostWednesday, July 13, 2005; A21 We Americans seem to be in the process of becoming wildly overhoused. Since 1970 the size of the average home has increased 55 percent (to 2,330 square feet), while the size of the average family has decreased 13 percent. Especially among the upper crust, homes have more space and fewer people. We now have rooms specialized by appliances (home computers, entertainment systems and exercise equipment) and -- who knows? -- may soon reserve them for pets. The long-term consequences of this housing extravaganza are unclear, but they may include the overuse of energy and, ironically, a drain on homeowners' wealth. By and large, the new American home is a residential SUV. It's big, gadget-loaded and slightly gaudy. In 2001 about one in eight homes exceeded 3,500 square feet, which was more than triple the average new home in 1950 (983 square feet). We have gone beyond shelter and comfort. A home is now a lifestyle. Buyers want spiral staircases and vaulted ceilings. In one marketing survey by the National Association of Home Builders, 36 percent of buyers under age 35 rated having a "home theater" as important or very important. Of course, homeownership (now a record 69 percent) symbolizes success in America. The impulse to announce more success by having more home seems to span all classes. In his book "Luxury Fever," Cornell University economist Robert Frank noted that Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen built a 74,000-square-foot house. According to Frank, that roughly equaled the size of Cornell's entire business school, with a staff of 100. Frank sees a "cascading effect" of imitation all along the social spectrum. The super-wealthy influence the wealthy, who influence the upper middle class -- and so on. People constantly enlarge their notion of "what kind of a house does a person like me live in." Another cause of this relentless upsizing is that the government unwisely promotes it. In 2005, about 80 percent of the estimated $200 billion of federal housing subsidies consists of tax breaks (mainly deductions for mortgage interest payments and preferential treatment for profits on home sales), reports an Urban Institute study. These tax breaks go heavily to upscale Americans, who are thereby encouraged to buy bigger homes. Federal housing benefits average $8,268 for those with incomes between $200,000 and $500,000, estimates the study; by contrast, they're only $365 for those with incomes of $40,000 to $50,000. It's nutty for government to subsidize bigger homes for the well-to-do. But otherwise, why shouldn't Americans buy what they can afford? No good reason. The trouble is that freedom doesn't confer infallibility. With hindsight, some homeowners may regret sinking so much money into ever-grander houses. One possible problem is future operating costs. Homes exceeding 3,500 square feet use about 40 percent more energy than those between 2,000 and 2,500 square feet, says the Energy Information Administration. Suppose electricity or natural gas prices rise because (for example) new power plants or terminals for liquefied natural gas aren't approved. A harder question is whether bigger homes might lose value. Say what? Gosh, we're in the midst of the greatest real estate boom in U.S. history. Since 2000 home values have risen 55 percent, to nearly $18 trillion, says the Federal Reserve. Americans have borrowed and spent lavishly against rising housing prices. That has kept the U.S. and world economies advancing. Americans increasingly believe that they can't lose by investing more in their homes: They can enjoy themselves and make a pile. But booms have a habit of imploding. The latest evidence that cheap credit and speculation have artificially inflated home prices comes from a study by the investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston. It finds that home buying is increasingly driven by purchases of investment properties and vacation homes. In 2004 these buyers accounted for 14.5 percent of all home sales, up from an average of 7.5 percent from 1998 to 2002. Cheap credit also abounds. In 2004 almost a fifth of all new mortgages wer
Re: [Biofuel] Deconstructing the Nuclear Power Myths
jh, "Deciding" wasn't what I had in mind, nor was I trying to be a "Cop." As parties interested in biofuels and interested in keeping this site dynamic, I think we all exercise some self-restraint in what we post here. My caution, along the lines of Hakan I believe, is that, as a practical matter, people tend to drop membership in mailing lists, etc., when the discussions stray too far afield from the nominal topic of the group. Hakan, myself, and I'm sure many others have dropped off what might otherwise be very useful to others interested in that nominal topic. I understand the use of the delete key, but when it has to be used too often, keeping membership on a list just gets too frustrating. I'm grateful to "our fearless list owner" for creating and maintaining this list and certainly did not intend to run afoul of any rules. I was simply trying to post an observation about voluntary restraints to keep this a place to keep coming to and for sharing information about biofuels and "naturally" related issues. Bob >>>a) It's not a board. It's a mailing list.b) List rules state that calls to limit topic discussion are explicitly forbidden. Or in the words of our fearless list owner: No Topic Cops.c) It isn't your place to decide what the purpose of this board is. Learn to use your delete key; if you aren't interested, just ignore the thread as it will die soon enough anyway.jh<<< ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Deconstructing the Nuclear Power Myths
Excellent points Hakan. Plenty of other places to discuss nuclear. Whatever role nuclear has or doesn't have in the future, biofuels will have a critical role in meeting our future energy needs. I agree, natural tie ins are OK (e.g., wind power sited on biofuel fields), but let's avoid the distractions that take away the purpose of this Board. Bob In a message dated 7/13/2005 3:11:59 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I have stopped from a participating in a few lists because of this group, which seems to be roughly the same people all the time. I am not interesting in deconstruct any Nuclear Power Myths, if there are any. All kind of discussions are ok, if they come naturally, but the clear pattern by a defined group to bring up this kind of issues, smells attempt to organized industry influence.I guess that if you answer this guy, we will have some hundreds of email about nuclear and we will find that suddenly it is some new members that like this nuclear issues. Good time to do something else until this nuke attack has blown over, because I do not think that they can hijack this list. LOLHakan ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Pimentel is at it again
Regarding use of "human manure," it's my understanding that sewage sludge may be used in the US as a soil treatment for non-human-edible crops, and in fact that a good bit of it is recycled that way. (See "Garbage Land -- On the Secret Trail of Trash, by Elizabeth Royte) I, like a number of others who have posted on the subject, have no real objection to the type of family farming where nearly everything gets used or recycled. (My father grew up in farming country, and it's amazing how effective they were in using the resources they had.) It's the industrial farming that is so problematic. I'm a vegetarian who also happens to greatly miss the taste of beef, chicken, and pork, but I've decided not to provide any profits to industrial farming and finding low environmental impact sources of those meats is generally impractical where I live. BTW, I've read that some of the by-products of biofuel production can be further used, e.g., for seedcake for animals (?). If not usable to make another product, are the residuals reapplied to the fields? I would think they would still retain much of their mineral, and perhaps other valuable soil conditioners, after the biofuel is extracted. Bob In a message dated 7/11/2005 12:19:47 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Well, I don't think that the practice [applying human manure to farms] is allowed in the U.S. regardless of its value. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Bring land back from the dead
In the mid-Atlantic area where I live, it's sad to see prime agricultural land being turned into tracts for subdivisions, malls, and McMansions, the latter of which often have acres of lawn that must be cut, fertilized, etc., for no good purpose. Unfortunately the market doesn't capture the long-term value of that land, which may be needed in the future for biofuel production, agricultural production close to urban areas (as food transportation costs increase), etc. We as individuals seem to vote with our dollars for development (and even second homes) rather than investing in the future by purchasing easements for that land. And we as a body politic can't seem to work together through our elected representatives to make long term, rather than short term and short sighted decisions. I don't know the answer. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Hybrid Diesel
If you haven't seen the summary pie chart on federal incomes and outlays, I suggest checking out page 74 of http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf Bob >In a message dated 7/9/2005 1:43:48 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Paddy,Actually, according to the President's FY2006 budget to Congress, his administration proposed an $18 billion cut from the Dept of Defense budget (compared to FY2005). I haven't finished looking to see if this was just hidden elsewhere (there were increases in "National Defense" in the Dept of Energy and other agencies), plus it doesn't include the "unexpected costs" of invading other countries like Afghanistan or Iraq. It is true that the defense budget amounts 19% of the overall $2.568 TRILLION FY2006 federal budget, but what we really should be asking is what else are they wasting our money on?Also, where is the $210 million from and what is it for? From the FY2006 budget, I see a lot more being put into areas of cleaning up the environment - In the EPA's budget alone there is about $1.5 billion for states to clean up water supplies, $121 million to clean up industrial brownfield sites, $10 million to retrofit school buses to reduce their emissions, $73 million to repair or remove leaking underground storage tanks and, finally $1.2 billion to clean up Superfund sites. That's something like just under $3 billion on cleaning up our environmental messes.I agree that this Administration has been rather relaxed on helping to prevent environment problems, but then can you blame them? Many of the members of this administration are from either the oil or defense industries, two areas that are the worse contributors to enviromnental destruction there ever was. To them, saving the environment means losing money. And it is our fault for putting them in office (well not my fault, I voted Libertarian). Next time let's keep the money-grubbing, wilderness-drilling, nation-conquering, "we don't count civilian casualties" politicians out of office in the next election, and maybe we will have a chance to save the environment (and our own pocketbooks).I encourage you to look at the budget and determine for yourself what they are wasting our money on. Go to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy06/browse.html to look at the budget.Thanks,Earl Kinsley ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] give up meat?
"Google" on "vegetarian" and you'll find numerous sources of information on how to get an healthful diet. I've been "vegetarian" for two and a half years now, although I have to admit I occasionally eat fish (sustainable types), milk (organic) -- although I usually use "soy" milk, eggs (free range, organic), and cheese. Maybe I'll take the leap to vegan-ism some day, but that's a tough move. I was motivated to go vegetarian by reading about the cruel "living" conditions in which most of our meat animals are raised, by trying to achieve better health for myself, and to have less of an impact on the environment. I drive through farm country in Maryland and in South Central Pennsylvania fairly often, and I see many examples of unmitigated livestock waste runoff into the local streams, which then ends up in the Chesapeake to choke off life there. (Certainly there are other sources of nutrient load and toxic chemicals as well.) Most of the planted fields grow food for the meat animals as well. I'd much rather see that land used to grow foods for vegetarians and source plants for biofuels. ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Fwd: Ethanol from corn vs Biodiesel from soy,etc.
--- Begin Message --- I have read various estimates about the net fuel gain from the production of ethanol from corn vs the production of biodiesel from soy. (I'm aware that ethanol and biodiesel can be produced from other sources as well, but corn and soy seem to be dominate in the US.) While the estimates vary, I would say that consistently the estimates for soy biodiesel are considerably more favorable than for corn ethanol. I'm poorly informed on the economics of farming, but it would seem that farmers/ag corporations would see a greater profit potential in biodiesel, and that that would be good for the public at large as well. Does anyone have any thoughts/information on why farmers wouldn't switch from corn to soy for the biofuel market? Is it a matter of "market," in the sense that there's more demand for the ethanol? Of the infrastructure cost of switching? Or? I apologize if there is information on this topic in the archives and that I was too inept to find it, and I apologize if my questions are "naive." It seems to me that biofuels will play a critical role in the national security, economy, environment, and human welfare in many countries and I'm trying to educate myself on the issues. Bob --- End Message --- ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] It's imperialism, stupid
Jill, I think your lengthy posting about the content of this list was well-intentioned, but as a number of responses have indicated, problematic for some of us. Just a few things I wanted to point out. Regarding your statement that "Baghdad, for the past 30 [1975-2005] years, was THE hotbed of terrorist support." It is my understanding that in February 1982 the State Department (under the Reagan Administration) removed Iraq from its list of states supporting international terrorism. And then there's the (in?)famous meeting of current Defense Secretary Rumsfeld with Saddam Hussein in which areas of common interest were discussed. You also mention that Iran and North Korea would love to destroy us, although you do imply maybe the driving force in North Korea is their unstable leader. Statements like that bring to mind other statements, usually made by those on the far right and irresponsible talk show types, along the lines that we should bomb the offending countries into smithereens. Sadly tens of millions of innocent individuals, most of whom have suffered hugely under the evil leaders who are perceived to, or actually, threaten us, would die or suffer even more enormously. So a caution to avoid talking as though countries or their peoples are necessarily the ones posing the threats per se. Regarding Iraq as a healthy country, I do not see it as a healthy development that Iraq's leadership is thumbing it's nose at us by entering into military relationships with Iran, who you'll remember was one of George Bush's Axis of Evil and in his words, a leading sponsor of terrorism. Finally, your quote from Rush included some high-minded words. However, I see a great deal of dissonance between those words and the hateful, fear mongering, words that too often spew from his mouth. Interesting that he speaks of "God-given freedom." Well, as a sometime agnostic, I can't say what God's role has been in our freedoms. What I can say, and say unequivocably I think -- as someone who has served during the Vietnam era and the descendant of many generations of soldiers -- is that our freedoms were earned in significant part by the blood and dedication of many brave individuals. It certainly angers me to no end to hear the pontifications of the "chicken hawks" who support the Iraq war and question the patriotism of anyone who questions Bush & Co.'s motivations or competence in waging this war. (Sorry, I just had to vent on that last one.) Bob ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] E85 vs Biodiesel
I just joined this list after I came across it while "googling" for information on ethanol and biodiesel fueled vehicles. One question that I was researching concerned the cost-effectiveness of E85 vs biodiesel fueled cars. The answer may be out there in Internet land, but so far I haven't found it. I'll continue my search, but perhaps someone out there has the answer and can save me some time. I currently drive a 2004 Prius (43,000 miles so far, and it's a fantastic vehicle for getting around. MPG ranges from low 40s to upper 50s, depending on temperature, traffic, speed, etc.). As far as I can tell, the Prius cannot use E85, although I would hope a future version will. ASSUMING I could buy an E85 compatible Prius in the near future or, as an alternative, a biodiesel fueled VW of similar size, functionality, etc., to the Prius, which would be the cost-effective choice? Any thoughts/insights on this question would be appreciated. (With the political situations in the oil producing countries becoming only more problematic [I wonder what George W. & Co. thought when they found out that Iran, one of the Axis of Evil countries, is initiating military cooperation with "free" Iraq], I would expect that interest in biofuels will be accelerating even more than it has the past few years.) BTW, does anyone know what price range E85 is selling for in the US mid-Atlantic states? Bob ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/