[Rhodes22-list] alternative energy & a rant...

[Rik Sandberg]

Thanks for that Bob, I'd have loved to have said all that myself if I 
could type that long without forgetting what the hell my point was.

Well said!!

Rik

Bob Keller wrote:
> Hey All,
> I just can't take it any more, so here goes:
>
> French Fry oil was being "burned" in a car which I took to mean that 
> the car burns oil so is on its last legs...  Still think Mobil 1 would 
> be a whole lot more efficient than French (Freedom) Fry Oil...  I'm in 
> Lyon, France as I write this and as I read what is being said on this 
> list recently and in the media always I am beginning to think I am 
> living in the future for the U.S. by being in France.  Guess what 
> folks, the future sucks!
>
> The U.S. is still the envy of the world and it is NOT because we (1) 
> refuse to defend ourselves because it might offend a particular ethnic 
> or religious group (like, say the Muslims - the religion of peace), or 
> the fact that the NSA has the gall to listen in on phone conversations 
> to proactively protect our country.  I think Bush should be impeached 
> if he did NOT authorize such activities-isn't that what 
> Commander-in-Chief is all about (although I grant you that Geena Davis 
> would not do that on the TV show...)  BTW, you don't think that TV 
> show has anything to do with the media promotion of Hillary, do you?  
> Nah, probably just a coincidence... (2) all this consternation over 
> oil/gas prices, alternative energy and the impending doom.  Do we know 
> why oil/gas prices are so high?  I have tried to find this out from 
> the media and it is not being reported on TV (even O'Reilly is 
> avoiding it) - you would have to read it, but not in newspapers.  Here 
> it is: EW's - that is my abbreviation for Environmentalist Wackos.  It 
> really is pretty simple, folks.  The U.S. has a refining capacity 
> problem because we have not built a new refinery in 20 years.  Why? 
> Because it is cost prohibitive. Why? Because environmental permitting, 
> compliance and potential remediation costs are out of control.  Our 
> domestic oil & gas production is a fraction of what it should be 
> because the largest domestic reserves are off-limits to drilling, ie: 
> Alaska (where the Alaskans have been trying for 20 years to get 
> drilling approved, but the California liberals are not letting it 
> happen, presumably because some of them might one day in their lives 
> visit Alaska and would not want to see an oil well) and the Outer 
> Continental Shelf which is off the Atlantic Coast and off the Gulf 
> Coast of Florida which is off limits for drilling (have you heard that 
> Cuba and Trinidad are the next new sources of oil, it's true).  Why 
> off limits you ask?  Because it would litter our coastline (albeit 200 
> miles offshore!)  with rigs, and that would be asthetically unpleasant 
> (as unpleasant as $3 gas?)  Nevermind that there is some great new 
> technology being developed off the coast of West Africa (Chad) that 
> will enable offshore production without stationary rigs - it is 
> amazing and the reserves are huge and will begin production next 
> year.  On top of all this, we have discontinued nuclear power projects 
> because they are potentially harmful to the environment and generally 
> unsafe (according to some who do not consider facts important), we 
> have stopped using coal to generate power because it might contribute 
> to this global warming fantasy, thereby forcing all power generation 
> to natural gas, which we have restricted!!!  So, Natural gas went from 
> $3/MBTU to $14/MBTU and has now dropped and stabilized at $7/MBTU 
> which is more than half the previous levels, and consumers can't 
> believe their heating bills.  Why so high?  Demand is strong and 
> supplies have been limited by the aformentioned environmental 
> insanity.  Get it?  Natural Gas (NG) cannot be shipped from elsewhere 
> cost effectively (granted, there is LNG that can be shipped, but the 
> cost will be $6+ and supplies are limited).
>
> Let's review where we are, shall we?  We can't use nuclear or coal as 
> power sources because of the EW's, which leaves only NG.  We can't 
> develop domestic NG resources because of the EW's.  Gasoline?  We 
> can't build new refineries and we can't develop our substantial 
> domestic reserves because of the EW's.  So, let's talk about 
> fictitious new sources of energy and how we should walk to work, drive 
> smaller cars, raise gas taxes (a favorite solution that has worked so 
> well in Europe...) and how evil the oil companies are...
>
> There was recently a $4B (yes, that's billions) investment in a new 
> petrochemical complex by Exxon that was commited for the Middle East 
> (I think Oman).  The CEO said there was one (1) reason it was being 
> made in the Middle East instead of TEXAS:  the high cost of natural 
> gas @ $7/MBTU.  We are no longer competitive and it is our own fault.  
> We have lost so many high paying jobs because of this insanity.  I 
> think we are heading toward an economy of Wal-Marts, chiropractors and 
> lawyers.  They don't pollute, right?  They only pollute our standard 
> of living...
>
> I have been in the chemical industry for 25 years (not the oil 
> industry) and I study this stuff regularly and intently.  I have tried 
> to find it reported on all the TV specials promising to tell us why 
> "gas prices are so high," but they never mention any of this stuff.  
> Don't you wonder why?  Maybe because liberals are never ones to let 
> facts interfere with their opinions or positions.
>
> While the EW's are the cause of our problems, it is Congress that is 
> the heart of the problems because all the EW's can do is lobby - it is 
> our Congress that is doing nothing.  It makes me puke when Congress 
> wants to have hearings about high oil prices and the greedy oil 
> companies price gouging, yet it is their refusal to act on the many 
> bills to open drilling in ANWR and OCS that is digging our graves for 
> the future: our standard of living will suffer (speaking from France 
> where gas is $6/gallon - what an example!).
>
> So, the only conclusion I can come to on all this is (1) It's George 
> Bush's fault, (2) it's those evil, greedy oil companies, and (3) don't 
> confuse me with the facts.
>
> Good Night and Good Luck.
>
> To those of you still reading - thanks - I feel better now............
>
> Bonsoir,
>
> Bob K
> Yankee Clipper (soon to be converted to fuel cell technology)
>
>
>> From: brad haslett <flybrad at yahoo.com>
>> Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] alternative energy
>> Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 17:12:05 -0700 (PDT)
>>
>> Robert,
>>
>> We have enough fat people in this country without
>> getting them addicted to french fries to fuel their
>> cars.  Used fry oil to biodiesel is a pretty simple
>> process.  Better that it gets burned in a car than the
>> other options but it won't make a dent in the national
>> energy budget.  If we plant rapeseed, not soybeans,
>> hedgerow to hedgerow nationwide, we can replace about
>> 10% of our diesel demand.  Not a total solution but
>> good start.  When oil gets to $100 a barrel, say a
>> year or so, the market will come up with a new
>> solutions.  Get used to living with less of the stuff.
>>
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> --- Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:
>>
>> > We have a guy up here in Portland, Maine who is
>> > collecting used fry oil, filtering it and
>> > precipitating adulterants, and burning it in his
>> > truck.
>> >
>> > Stoves are being fitted with augers to feed wood
>> > chips and boilers are being converted to use
>> > grass pellets.  My clone of hybrid poplar
>> > (adapted to Maine weather) grows 5' a year and
>> > produces biomass at a greater rate than most
>> > other vegetation.
>> >
>> > I believe that some grasses produce greater
>> > biomass per square yard than any tree, and straw
>> > is a byproduct of grain production, so I guess
>> > that grass pellets are the best long-term
>> > solution to heating requirements, assuming that
>> > we are not able to harness solar, tidal, and/or
>> > wind energy.
>> >
>> > With the large number of deep finger bays we
>> > have in Maine, and our 9 to 20 foot tides, I
>> > suspect that we will be tapping tidal flows
>> > for electricity generation.  Unfortunately,
>> > that will put paid to some of our best
>> > gunkholing.
>> >
>> > /Robert Skinner
>> >
>> > Saroj Gilbert wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Brad... I just heard that it is legal to own an
>> > ethanol still... didn't
>> > > catch if it was national or state-wide... but
>> > seems it would have to be
>> > > national... for those die-hard and very committed
>> > alternative energy
>> > > folks... not sure I'm up for it yet, but my dear
>> > friend might be... I also
>> > > heard from my son that there is a coop in No.
>> > Calif.  that collects used
>> > > restaurant oil and processes it... they are
>> > sharing the results... diesel
>> > > fuel at .18 a gallon... yes, folks... that's
>> > eighteen cents...
>> > >
>> > > I just sent the link to the water to hydrogen
>> > product for "home" use...  a
>> > > video clip...  water is still pretty cheap except
>> > in the desert states  :-)
>> > >
>> > > Saroj
>> > __________________________________________________
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>>
>>
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