Get back to work!
yes m'am.
I'm sorry I read this thread.
I'm sorry I have to throw this in.
http:/
And I'm sorry the oil companies own the White House.
Now, you will really be sorry you read this thread. The nerd scientist is about to post. Turn away if you must!
Studies by the DOE indicate that the return on your energy inputs for various forms of energy differs greatly (big revelation there). Gasoline is estimated to provide a return of .85 (it takes more energy input for drilling, refining, transportation then you get back out). Energy return from ethanol from corn is about 1.3, also not very good since we are talking about a lot on inputs to grow a bushel of corn. As Jake indicates, the capturing of solar energy is the way to go. But, solar cells are rather inefficient. What’s better? Plants and the biomass that they produce. Plants capture about 40 percent of the solar energy that hits their leaves. It is estimated that tropical grass crops can produce 20 tons of useable biomass per acre. By having microorganisms and digestive enzymes act on this biomass to produce alcohols, you supposedly get a return on your energy input as high as 10 fold. These grasses capture the sun, grab some water, and grow 10 feet tall (with far less input by the farmer compared to corn). There are other grasses besides the tropical ones that are being investigated in the Midwest and the eastern part of the US. Germany and other countries are ahead of the US in this area (in my uninformed opinion).
The future is not fuel from grain. If you want to see food costs go up, just keep taking grain and turn it into alcohol for fuel (ethanol from grain for beer is vitally important to mankind, but not grain for car fuel). It will be alcohols (note I didn’t say ethanol) from total biomass. It will not replace fossil fuels, just augment them.
Also, scientists are working on making microorganisms to turn plant material into some other alcohol besides ethanol. Why? Because ethanol attracts moisture and will rust pipelines and other things that are not suppose to be exposed to water. Ethanol also has a low BTU rating compared to other longer chain alcohols. So, expect to see the industry go away from ethanol once the darn government stops subsidizing ethanol production. Heck, poor people in Mexico can’t even get corn tortillas because they now cost too much because of corn going to ethanol production? That sucks since I love tortillas.
I apologize for extending this thread. But, I had just walked out of a seminar on bioenergy and I couldn’t resist. I am not saying that everything I wrote is accurate. I just regurgitated what I heard in the seminar.
I bet I am going to regret making this post...
Cheers
Bob
No Tortillas!!!?? [Sentence Enhancer]!!!!
Thanks Bob! I'm sorry you had to apologize.
Take a look at the link I provided on Celunol and
Vinod Khosla (I think he had something to do with Sun Microsystems, or some such).
Government subsidies and tax breaks. My wallet will be sorry.
So if your car makes a ton of carbon dioxide, from X gallons of gas, it produced more than that ton to get X gallons of gas in the tank? True? (Assume the oil industry is Fossil fuel powered)
Grasses - including sugar cane, or just grass as biomass fuel - make steam, turn a turbine? - or both - make alcohols and turn a turbine with the biomass-?
What can you tell us about algae as a solar collector? It seems the ease of handling and the high oil content would be big plusses after the inevitable de-watering hurdle?
Reading the combination of Clinton, fuel and cars reminded me of this video I saw a while ago.
Its from the british TV car show Top Gear when they do a roadtrip in the US, anyway, they have to do a few challenges and this one of them.
http:/
Apart from the funny stuff its also a bit sad in a way.
I am just curious what the US viewers think of when you see this?
I laughed at the first part.
Only because I know that stupid people aren't confined to the U.S.
The second part reminds me why I don't rely on the government for anything; regardless of who is at the top.
I'm sorry you think that we're all dumb hicks in the south.
(see how I worked that in there? unf!)
I'm sorry that Tiki Pete doesn't sail more. <img src=
alt=
/>
When I lived in California years ago, I was dating a young lady who was originally from Tennessee. Her mother came to visit. She asked me if the wrecks on the freeways were as bad as they showed on CHIPS. I asked her if the people in the South were as dumb as the ones on The Dukes Of Hazard. She replied,
I understand.
Ain't TV wonderful.
I lived in a very backwoods area of Tennessee for about a year and a half, and the Hazardous Pukes wasn't that far off from the locals. <img src=
alt=
/> In southerners defence it was on the corner of no and where. Hopefully an isolated pocket of hick-dumb.
After watching Borat last night,
I'm sorry that the international comedy community is only witty enough to pick on Southern White folks.
alt=
/> In southerners defence it was on the corner of no and where. Hopefully an isolated pocket of hick-dumb.
That's very cordial of you, but we can provide our own defense.
Its from the british TV car show Top Gear when they do a roadtrip in the US, anyway, they have to do a few challenges and this one of them.
http:/
Apart from the funny stuff its also a bit sad in a way.
I am just curious what the US viewers think of when you see this?
Oh dear lord...that's hilarious!
And now that I've made it to the end of it...disturbing.
I do have to say, that they REALLY had to go off the highway to find a station like that. The pumps are of the 70's vintage, and any station thats along an exit on a major highway (I presume they were on 85/10) will have pumps that take credit cards these days.
I'm sorry that they didn't try to talk to the good ole boys. If they told them what exactly they were doing instead of acting like stuck-up Brits then they would have all had a good laugh and a round of beers.
I promise.
I'm sorry that they didn't try to talk to the good ole boys. If they told them what exactly they were doing instead of acting like stuck-up Brits then they would have all had a good laugh and a round of beers.
I promise.
I doubt they had to go far.
Telling them the intent would have ruined the whole thing. That said, I'm sure you can find places and slogans in Britain that might garner the same kind of attention (but probably more to do with soccer)...although I really doubt they are as prevalent.
I'm really sorry the wind was blowin' the dogs off their chains the last couple of weekends! <img src=
alt=
/>
I'm even more sorry that I have to get on a plane this week and spend some time down in Cozumel Mexico. something about free margaritas! <img src=
alt=
/> I'll be sorry later!
Clayton
I'm sorry the rest of the planet does not get the chance to live in America, or live like Americans, and that the rest of the planet driven by jealousy has to resort trivial things to attempt to make us look bad. Katrina? Who cares? New Orleans should be moved. The old sight burned and dozed. It's below sea level. How much foresight in planning do you need?
I'm sorry that you just did that.