$3+ gas??? Propane the answer?

[Grouseman]

I have an idea. Slowly over the next 10 years let's convert to Biodiesel. Let the farmers in the Midwest make a good living for a change. Then we could produce enough fuel to fuel the WORLD. Then of course we wouldn't have to fight all the time to protect our OIL interests. Dang just a thot.
Isn't that a pretty simple concept?

 

[cruiserman]

Summer's almost over, and prices will drop.

 

[Kalawang]

I agree, biodiesel or natural gas, both can be grown here in the US which would make too much sense which is why it's not being done.

Only problem is, last time I checked, Specter wanted around $8000.00 for a used 1HD turbo diesel. That's a lot of gas.

Bio deisel can only become an emergency fuel source in the same way it was a fuel source for the Philippines in WW2. In simplest terms, it takes too much land to grow a gallon, and that same peice of land also has to feed people.


Kalawang

 

[Grouseman]

Kalawang,

There are millions and millions of acres in the Midwest, just growing CRP grass etc. No crops. We have plenty of land to grow corn for our fuel needs. Actually there was a guy on CNBC last night saying the same thing. Sure wish it would catch on and the public could pressure the Paid for Politicans to get off their butts and do something. It really is a disgrace that we could be independant, but are not. Maybe this next Presidential race someone will come forth and latch on to the idea. I guess I am dreaming. Hey we have a proposed energy bill. One billion for the total bill, which will include research for alt sources of fuel. What has the war cost us so far? One billion is a drop in a very large bucket. One of the goals of the bill is to reduce consumption by 1 million barrels a day by 2015. We use 21 million a day now. Sorry for the ranting guys.
But do you realize how strong our country would be again, if we had our own fuel sources?

GM

 

[Kalawang]

I rely upon history and need.

The business of producing and using biodeisel is not a secret, and if such a thing could have been used economically, it would have been long since. Coconuts, one of our primary products, is listed as one of the best crops for such production. Whereas deisel is a much preferred engine here, do please grant us the sense to have done the producing long ago if it made economic sense.

Instead we use it to produce coconut cooking oil and a sundry of other products. We face the same problem in common with the world. Dino fuel, even at today's prices, continues to cost less than any alternatives produced so far. From my point of view, electric vehicles represent a fair potential as sources of electricity are a plethora, and electric motors continue to be developed.


Kalawang

 

[Aussie cruiser]

The problem with bio deisel becoming a popular fuel alternative and farmers making a living from is that no matter what country does it the government will jump on the bandwagon and want their cut and tax it high heaven. Here LPG is a popular conversion for petrol sucking V8s and big sixes like in the big four wheel drives it costs bugger all to produce yet the price is allmost and sometimes more than half the price of petrol. It seems no matter what cheap alternative any body comes up with the Feds will want their cut and skyrocket the price.

Thats my 2 cents worth.