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

[Hank]

Bob,

Great message!  I really think you hit it right on the mark.

Hank


On 5/18/06, Bob Keller <r22yankeeclipper at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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
> > > __________________________________________________
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> >
> >
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