Keith, Todd, et al,
While mobile plants may not be applicable to the
States and even there I am doubtful I certainly believe and am convinced in
many places in Asia (certainly India for one) that a mobile plant would be a
very good idea principally for the following good reasons:
1) the first is the quality of the roads and difficulty of getting product
to market.
2) the second is that it makes more sense sometimes to produce the product
where it is going to be used rather than sending it to market and then
having to get the finished product returned.
3) the third is that it cuts out the middleman.
4) the fourth is that if being sent to market and then returned a certain %
of the fuel produced is being consumed in transportation and hence higher
production costs. Also higher inefficiencies built into production costs.
5) the fifth is that the people who produce the raw material and generally
do the hard part generally get the least out of the deal. eg. the campesinos
who pick coffee generally get 20c kg, the farmer gets 50c, and yet consider
how much you pay for a cup of coffee at any good western country city cafe
(note 140 cups of espresso coffee to a kg of roasted coffee). The same is
true of farming generally. Using a mobile plant can leave the benefits in
the producers hands rather than some great multi national who most of the
time are top heavy, inefficient, and darn greedy.
6) the sixth is that the producers of the raw materials can combine together
in the locality the material is grown to produce greater efficiency and
lower their production costs.
7) the seventh is that a mobile plant can quite often serve for a time in a
transitory phase while an industry is growing.
I could go on for a while listing a number of reasons I am sure but I
believe the reasons above are more than enough. Some of these also apply to
the States and especially certain localities. While a lot of multi nationals
might or might try to convince you otherwise those at the coalface generally
know otherwise. In my lifetime I have seen more good businesses sunk by
accountants and banks than by incompetance on the behalf of those who
actually run the business.
B.r., David
----- Original Message -----
From: Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2001 9:16 PM
Subject: Re: [biofuel] Container Plants
> Hi Todd
>
> I agree, I can't see it - well, not for the likes of us. Nor for
> farmers, coops, local communities. It's corporate stuff I guess.
>
> >Keith,
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
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