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TnSlim
Joined: 08 Sep 2003 Posts: 355 Location: Curaçao, N.A.
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:42 pm Post subject: Biodiesel: Overpriced Scam? |
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Study Burns Biofuels
By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard
Published: Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A new analysis by a team of Oregon State University economists concludes that biofuels offer only marginal progress toward energy independence and reduction of greenhouse gases and do so at a much higher cost than other alternatives.
The study found that the "net energy" from biofuels - the amount of energy in the end product after subtracting the amount of energy used to produce and distribute it - is as low as 20 percent for corn-based ethanol. That compares with 75 percent for standard gasoline.
Also, although each of the three types of biofuels studied would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the reduction would be as much as 200 times more expensive than other options, such as improving gas mileage or establishing a carbon tax.
Excerpted from: http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/01/31/a1.biofuel.0131.p1.php?section=cityregion |
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Henry
Joined: 03 Apr 2001 Posts: 2878 Location: NYC
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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Here's the part of this article you leave out:
"We must keep in mind that biofuels are not the end answer to our liquid fuel problems," said Ian Hill, founder and a managing partner of SeQuential Biofuels. "What they are is a progressive step in the right direction."
Here's another part you leave out: Each and every gallon of biofuel...and alternative sourced fuel that is used here reduces our dependence upon mideast oil. The consequences of reducing mideast oil are beneficial and obvious. |
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panzerkeil302
Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 2182
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:39 am Post subject: |
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Wow, that's odd.
When I was brewing mine it averaged only .60cents per gallon. at that time, I think I was paying 2.60 for diesel.
Last time I checked .60cents was less than 2.60..go figure |
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Jscotty
Joined: 01 Dec 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Washington, DC
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Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:49 am Post subject: |
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I don't think that it is a scam as much as I think that it is unnecessary to produce. Conventional diesel is a byproduct of gasoline production so for as long as there is a demand for gasoline, there will be plenty of diesel fuel to go around. If everyone switched to bio-diesel then they would probably just dump the conventional diesel into the ocean and kill the fish. So the air will be a little cleaner but the water will be 30 times as polluted.
I think that the article is speaking of bio fuels that are commercially sold and distributed.. which I am sure that bio diesel out of the pump would be about $4.00 a gallon. But if you make it yourself, 60 cents or less per gallon is about right.. then again you could always go around to resturants and collect their used and discarded vegetable oil for an even greater savings.
I have heard many of the automotive industry gurus warn people not to make their own bio-diesel because if they mess up the recipie, it could damage their car. _________________ Grease is cheaper than steel.
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