[Rhodes22-list] alternative energy

[Robert Skinner]

We have a guy up here in Portland, Maine who is 
collecting used fry oil, filtering it and 
precipitating adulterants, and burning it in his 
truck.

Stoves are being fitted with augers to feed wood 
chips and boilers are being converted to use 
grass pellets.  My clone of hybrid poplar 
(adapted to Maine weather) grows 5' a year and 
produces biomass at a greater rate than most 
other vegetation.  

I believe that some grasses produce greater 
biomass per square yard than any tree, and straw 
is a byproduct of grain production, so I guess 
that grass pellets are the best long-term 
solution to heating requirements, assuming that 
we are not able to harness solar, tidal, and/or 
wind energy.

With the large number of deep finger bays we
have in Maine, and our 9 to 20 foot tides, I 
suspect that we will be tapping tidal flows
for electricity generation.  Unfortunately,
that will put paid to some of our best 
gunkholing.

/Robert Skinner

Saroj Gilbert wrote:
> 
> Brad... I just heard that it is legal to own an ethanol still... didn't
> catch if it was national or state-wide... but seems it would have to be
> national... for those die-hard and very committed alternative energy
> folks... not sure I'm up for it yet, but my dear friend might be... I also
> heard from my son that there is a coop in No. Calif.  that collects used
> restaurant oil and processes it... they are sharing the results... diesel
> fuel at .18 a gallon... yes, folks... that's eighteen cents...
> 
> I just sent the link to the water to hydrogen product for "home" use...  a
> video clip...  water is still pretty cheap except in the desert states  :-)
> 
> Saroj