[Rhodes22-list] alternative energy & a rant...

[Bob Keller]

Hey All,
I just can't take it any more, so here goes:

French Fry oil was being "burned" in a car which I took to mean that the car 
burns oil so is on its last legs...  Still think Mobil 1 would be a whole 
lot more efficient than French (Freedom) Fry Oil...  I'm in Lyon, France as 
I write this and as I read what is being said on this list recently and in 
the media always I am beginning to think I am living in the future for the 
U.S. by being in France.  Guess what folks, the future sucks!

The U.S. is still the envy of the world and it is NOT because we (1) refuse 
to defend ourselves because it might offend a particular ethnic or religious 
group (like, say the Muslims - the religion of peace), or the fact that the 
NSA has the gall to listen in on phone conversations to proactively protect 
our country.  I think Bush should be impeached if he did NOT authorize such 
activities-isn't that what Commander-in-Chief is all about (although I grant 
you that Geena Davis would not do that on the TV show...)  BTW, you don't 
think that TV show has anything to do with the media promotion of Hillary, 
do you?  Nah, probably just a coincidence... (2) all this consternation over 
oil/gas prices, alternative energy and the impending doom.  Do we know why 
oil/gas prices are so high?  I have tried to find this out from the media 
and it is not being reported on TV (even O'Reilly is avoiding it) - you 
would have to read it, but not in newspapers.  Here it is: EW's - that is my 
abbreviation for Environmentalist Wackos.  It really is pretty simple, 
folks.  The U.S. has a refining capacity problem because we have not built a 
new refinery in 20 years.  Why? Because it is cost prohibitive. Why? Because 
environmental permitting, compliance and potential remediation costs are out 
of control.  Our domestic oil & gas production is a fraction of what it 
should be because the largest domestic reserves are off-limits to drilling, 
ie: Alaska (where the Alaskans have been trying for 20 years to get drilling 
approved, but the California liberals are not letting it happen, presumably 
because some of them might one day in their lives visit Alaska and would not 
want to see an oil well) and the Outer Continental Shelf which is off the 
Atlantic Coast and off the Gulf Coast of Florida which is off limits for 
drilling (have you heard that Cuba and Trinidad are the next new sources of 
oil, it's true).  Why off limits you ask?  Because it would litter our 
coastline (albeit 200 miles offshore!)  with rigs, and that would be 
asthetically unpleasant (as unpleasant as $3 gas?)  Nevermind that there is 
some great new technology being developed off the coast of West Africa 
(Chad) that will enable offshore production without stationary rigs - it is 
amazing and the reserves are huge and will begin production next year.  On 
top of all this, we have discontinued nuclear power projects because they 
are potentially harmful to the environment and generally unsafe (according 
to some who do not consider facts important), we have stopped using coal to 
generate power because it might contribute to this global warming fantasy, 
thereby forcing all power generation to natural gas, which we have 
restricted!!!  So, Natural gas went from $3/MBTU to $14/MBTU and has now 
dropped and stabilized at $7/MBTU which is more than half the previous 
levels, and consumers can't believe their heating bills.  Why so high?  
Demand is strong and supplies have been limited by the aformentioned 
environmental insanity.  Get it?  Natural Gas (NG) cannot be shipped from 
elsewhere cost effectively (granted, there is LNG that can be shipped, but 
the cost will be $6+ and supplies are limited).

Let's review where we are, shall we?  We can't use nuclear or coal as power 
sources because of the EW's, which leaves only NG.  We can't develop 
domestic NG resources because of the EW's.  Gasoline?  We can't build new 
refineries and we can't develop our substantial domestic reserves because of 
the EW's.  So, let's talk about fictitious new sources of energy and how we 
should walk to work, drive smaller cars, raise gas taxes (a favorite 
solution that has worked so well in Europe...) and how evil the oil 
companies are...

There was recently a $4B (yes, that's billions) investment in a new 
petrochemical complex by Exxon that was commited for the Middle East (I 
think Oman).  The CEO said there was one (1) reason it was being made in the 
Middle East instead of TEXAS:  the high cost of natural gas @ $7/MBTU.  We 
are no longer competitive and it is our own fault.  We have lost so many 
high paying jobs because of this insanity.  I think we are heading toward an 
economy of Wal-Marts, chiropractors and lawyers.  They don't pollute, right? 
  They only pollute our standard of living...

I have been in the chemical industry for 25 years (not the oil industry) and 
I study this stuff regularly and intently.  I have tried to find it reported 
on all the TV specials promising to tell us why "gas prices are so high," 
but they never mention any of this stuff.  Don't you wonder why?  Maybe 
because liberals are never ones to let facts interfere with their opinions 
or positions.

While the EW's are the cause of our problems, it is Congress that is the 
heart of the problems because all the EW's can do is lobby - it is our 
Congress that is doing nothing.  It makes me puke when Congress wants to 
have hearings about high oil prices and the greedy oil companies price 
gouging, yet it is their refusal to act on the many bills to open drilling 
in ANWR and OCS that is digging our graves for the future: our standard of 
living will suffer (speaking from France where gas is $6/gallon - what an 
example!).

So, the only conclusion I can come to on all this is (1) It's George Bush's 
fault, (2) it's those evil, greedy oil companies, and (3) don't confuse me 
with the facts.

Good Night and Good Luck.

To those of you still reading - thanks - I feel better now............

Bonsoir,

Bob K
Yankee Clipper (soon to be converted to fuel cell technology)


>From: brad haslett <flybrad at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] alternative energy
>Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 17:12:05 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Robert,
>
>We have enough fat people in this country without
>getting them addicted to french fries to fuel their
>cars.  Used fry oil to biodiesel is a pretty simple
>process.  Better that it gets burned in a car than the
>other options but it won't make a dent in the national
>energy budget.  If we plant rapeseed, not soybeans,
>hedgerow to hedgerow nationwide, we can replace about
>10% of our diesel demand.  Not a total solution but
>good start.  When oil gets to $100 a barrel, say a
>year or so, the market will come up with a new
>solutions.  Get used to living with less of the stuff.
>
>
>Brad
>
>--- Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:
>
> > 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
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
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> >
>
>
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