Harris,
I have no problems with using alcohol as a fuel. In fact, for about three
years I used "gasohol" in the Olds Custom Cruiser until the carburetor
started to leak as a result (I was told) of the ethanol dissolving the
gaskets. Once grain has been produced, the process of destroying it will
generate CO2 and H2O, regardless whether it is eaten directly, indirectly
via livestock, or burned in an internal combustion engine (although the
internal combustion engine will produce Nox). Basically, alcohol-powered
cars are "solar powered." And as long as there is no starvation in places
like Sudan, Ethiopia, or Mozambique, go for it. Keep in mind, though, that
growing grain also takes energy, in the form of producing the fertilizer,
gasoline/diesel fuel to plow the field and harvest the corn, etc. The
second law of thermodynamics is tough to beat!
As an aside, if we (US/Canada) are really self sufficient in oil and gas,
why would an OPEC decision to cut back on fuels result in an increase in
gasoline prices? Why not start up those pumps in Texas, Alaska, and Alberta
and oil the economy? And, if there is more oil and gas than we can use, why
is the price going up? If I owned an oil company, I'd sell as much as I
could now because who knows if the stuff is worth anything in the future.
Chuck Vandergraaf (not an economist)
----------
From: CHarris990@aol.com[SMTP:CHarris990@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday April 09, 2000 10:59 PM
To: ARoman4047@aol.com; mga@napanet.net; Morgans@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: US Gasoline Pricing
In a message dated 4/9/00 10:52:32 AM Central Daylight Time,
ARoman4047@aol.com writes:
<< Gentlepersons,
Hmmm, I seem to recall there was a time in
the
distant
past when there
was a movement on towards conservation in the energy consumption
theater...As
op-
posed to tearing up the Dakotas drilling for methane, say, or
turning
Houston
into the
pollution equivalent of Mexico City...
Tony in NJ (W.A.S.T.E.) >>
Sir,
What transparent drivel. First of all for those of us in the South
during
the 73-74 embargo we found that we could not use fuel alcohol
because of the
BATF, EPA and BATF. Every fall in mid-America television stations
show the
local town squares filled with grain due to a lack of transport.
All of this
can be shipped toward ElPaso (as it has begun to rot) and made into
fuel
alcohol. If you drill out your carb jets 20% (Weber downdraugh on
Ford 105
thru 122E). For a small fee I will send you plans to a small batch
solar
operated still, based on a standard Hedgehog white whiskey still.
The
problem to produce fuel alcohol is political not technical. The
federal land
grabs in the West are for control not environmental.
Harris
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