Re: Gas Prices/Alcohol as a solution

From: Patrick Jankowiak (recycler@swbell.net)
Date: Mon May 01 2006 - 13:32:14 PDT


Rick v100 wrote:

> How about ripping up suburban homes that were built on
> some of the best farmland in the country and planting
> sugar cane or rapeseed?

Oh yeah more eminent domain. (would be OK if the gummint were forced to pay
twice the value of the property [as just compensation for the inconvenience
and other expenses] instead of stealing it at gunpoint and paying 1/2 the
value.) My house is built over an old quarry. haha.

As Dallas and suburbs expanded over the last 30 years, many many acres of
arable land was used to build houses.. We used to ride our bikes 10 miles
north from Richardson and be in the country. All yuppieville now. zik-zak's
and 7-11's.
>
> Now if we are also talking about using cellulose
> doesn't that mean paper\cardboard? What about using
> all that worthless junk mail for something?

A universal recycling system is definitely needed. And it should be one
that does not place a "clean and sort" burden (noncompliance fines etc.) on
the homeowner. (pay the local inmates $2/hr to do it?)

At work, all recyclables are put in one bin, and the company cleans and
sorts the recyclables.

>
> All could be done if we put our minds\wallets to it.
>
> Rick
>
>
> --- Patrick Jankowiak <recycler@swbell.net> wrote:
>
>
>>My uncle the farmer told me that suger cane would
>>grow just fine in central
>>Texas, but for the increased water requirement. That
>>makes it uneconomical
>>in many cases. -and in his case as he's growing
>>sorghum and maize, perhaps
>>they pay better. He has cattle so that is part of it
>>too.
>>
>>some notes from the CIA world factbook:
>>USA arable land: 18% area
>>USA permanent crops 0.21% area
>>
>>Now look upon God's bounty by which we have too much
>>food to eat, most of
>>it coming from that and much of the arable land is
>>used somewhat
>>inefficiently for beef production. Ok corn won't cut
>>it, but cane would, if
>>we have the water resources.
>>
>>
>>But to discuss the statements below:
>>I believe that corn gives you an output of 1.1 to 1
>>versus input, and sugar
>>cane gives more like 8 to 1. more labor intensive to
>>harvest. (examine Brazil)
>>
>>So instead of 70%, only 9.625% of the farmland would
>>have to be converted
>>if cane were grown. Oh, and the illegal alien 'jobs'
>>issue solved -let them
>>stay to do the work, who knows, maybe one of them
>>will invent a machine to
>>do it better. So much for political correctness, and
>>no I have no proof
>>about cane's yield, heard it from an 'expert' on a
>>talk show as well.
>>
>>PJ
>>
>>
>>MV wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Sorry Sonny,
>>>
>>>I was listening to the radio yesterday while
>>
>>driving and they had a guy
>>
>>>on who has done a lot of analysis of Alcohol as a
>>
>>motor fuel also. He
>>
>>>basically said that Alcohol really isn't a
>>
>>solution either. The energy
>>
>>>balance equation just doesn't work - ie amount of
>>
>>energy to produce
>>
>>>alcohol vs the amount of energy obtained from
>>
>>alcohol doesn't work.
>>
>>>He also said that if we decided to go all alcohol
>>
>>- and skip petro (if
>>
>>>this was in fact possible) we would have to
>>
>>convert 70% all of the
>>
>>>farmland in the US to raising corn. And then we
>>
>>would have to import
>>
>>>corn to feed us. His solution was to forget about
>>
>>Alcohol other than as
>>
>>>an additive to get rid of that MTBE stuff that
>>
>>used to be added as an
>>
>>>anti-knock agent, but is now being phased out.
>>>
>>>So Sonny, I'm sorry to tell you that you are
>>
>>simply more screwed than
>>
>>>you first thought. (:-<)
>>>
>>>Unfortunately, you are not alone.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>>
>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>Sonny Heath wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Leave my hero alone, will ya?
>>>>
>>>>Sonny
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "MV"
>>
>><MV@dc9.tzo.com>
>>
>>>>To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List"
>>
>><mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>>
>>>>Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 12:56 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: [MV] Gas Prices/Alcohol as a
>>
>>solution
>>
>>>>
>>>>>The idea of using ethanol as a substitute for
>>
>>oil should be looked at
>>
>>>>>carefully. I have heard many times that the
>>
>>amount of energy
>>
>>>>>necessary to produce alcohol exceeded the energy
>>
>>value obtained from
>>
>>>>>the same amount of alcohol. I do a lot of work
>>
>>with a major
>>
>>>>>distillery and they go through a tremendous
>>
>>amount of coal to produce
>>
>>>>>ethanol for beverages. And that is after the
>>
>>corn and grain has been
>>
>>>>>planted, fertilized, harvested, and then
>>
>>transported to the
>>
>>>>>distillery - all of which consume plain diesel
>>
>>fuel (tractor and
>>
>>>>>truck fuel) and natural gas (fertilizer). They
>>
>>really don't care
>>
>>>>>though (to some extent) since coal is fairly
>>
>>cheap and they get big
>>
>>>>>bucks for a gallon of beverage alcohol. The
>>
>>quality standards are a
>>
>>>>>lot higher than vehicle alcohol.
>>>>>
>>>>>Take a look at this:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>
> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050329132436.htm
>
>>>>>Several different people have come to similar
>>
>>conclusions. Do a web
>>
>>>>>search - this is nothing new.
>>>>>
>>>>>Indiana is pushing biofuels really hard right
>>
>>now. I have heard that
>>
>>>>>the break-even price for making ethanol from
>>
>>corn is $2.90/gallon
>>
>>>>>with government subsidies. Gee, what is gas
>>
>>going for now?? But
>>
>>>>>Indiana also grows a lot of corn and soybeans -
>>
>>so you should not be
>>
>>>>>surprised that governor Mitch (got a highway to
>>
>>sell) Daniels is
>>
>>>>>pushing that.
>>>>>
>>>>>We have a huge amount of coal in this country -
>>
>>250 years worth the
>>
>>>>>last I heard. I think it is time we start using
>>
>>some of those
>>
>>>>>resources to produce petro products.
>>>>>
>>>>>Of course if we start doing that I'm sure that
>>
>>George got-gas? Bush,
>>
>>>>>and Dick - I got a gun - Cheney will put Exxon
>>
>>on the job so they
>>
>>>>>can make sure that we pay the proper price.
>>
>>Perhaps Haliburton can
>>
>>>>>help also?
>>>>>
>>>>>Sooner or later we are going to have to electn
>>
>>some politicians that
>>
>>>>>do what is good for the people - not what is
>>
>>good for big oil, corn
>>
>>>>>growers, auto companies, Saudi Arabia, Casino
>>
>>operators, etc. Until
>>
>>>>>then - we are our own worst enemy.
>>>>>
>>>>>We are operating under the golden rule now-
>>
>>those that have the gold,
>>
>>>>>rule.
>>>>>
>>>>>Dave
>>>>>With a thirsty M-51 gasser with empty tanks.
>>
>>(:-<)
>>
>>>>>
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>>
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>>>>>
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>>
>>Release Date: 4/21/2006
>>
>>>>>
>>>>
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>
>
>
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