Chuck,
Rising gas prices? We're living on borrowed time with our subsidized fuel
prices. We'll be paying European prices soon -- we can't live the
cheap-energy lie forever.
Most bio-diesel made right now is from soybean oil (the first diesels in the
US were run on peanut oil). I know of at least one place in Seattle that
sells soy-diesel right now. A recent National Geographic estimated that all
the waste restaurant grease in the US would make 400 million gallons of
diesel per year.
Then, if we get a collective brain, we'll grow industrial hemp like crazy,
because it's even more efficient at producing fuel per acre than soy is.
Hemp was made 'bad' in the '30s by big plastics, logging, and cotton
industries.
I've read that ethanol has more output per gallon than gasoline. I'll try to
find that article again.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of Chuck Renner
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 1:02 PM
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Engine Conversions and fuel economy:
> I'm looking at driving the 'B the rest of my life, and I
> think that by 2010
> gasoline will be at least $5/gallon. With this in mind, my
Why's that? Gasoline where I'm at is about $1.40 a gallon right now.
Around 1990, it had dipped below a $1. Since then, it's been bouncing in
that range.
Interesting idea. What happends if biodiesel takes off? Can the deep
fryers at McDonald's really crank out enough waste oil to satisfy the
demand? If gas prices rise the way you predict, diesel will go up as well,
and you can bet that the biodiesel market will take off too.
Of course, from a pure efficiency standpoint, diesel is the way to go.
> Then there's converting to natural-gas or true corn fuel
> (pure ethanol). The
> natural gas conversion would probably be easy, and would
> lessen pollutants.
> The Ethanol is popular in many parts of the country, but not others.
Ethanol has less energy per gallon than gasoline or diesel, and the only
reason it's affordable is because of government subsidies to corn producers.
Lots of folks have converted cars to LP gas (esp. in Australia), which
requires relatively little modification. The only problem in the U.S. is
the refilling infrastructure.
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