Bush's energy policy; ethanol/methnol/biofuels.

[joshcryer]

It's the one thing I like about his... admittedly weak... energy policy. I think Kerry should push for biofuels. It can create millions of jobs, decrease our dependence on foreign fuel sources, and anyway, the "hydrogen economy" is a bunch of bunk, the energy density vs storeablity of biofuels make them more realistic, in the short term, and perhaps even in the long term, imho.

Any comments?

[rogerashton]

1. It would have to be done with REAL

government commitment behind it, not rhetoric, smoke and mirrors, the 21st century Republican way.

[joshcryer]

8. I know, but consider that agriculture is one thing we're damn...

...good at. It's not as difficult as say, subsidizing the nuclear industry.

A supply and demand scenario could make fuels very very cheap, actually. Especially if we're allowed to experiment with hemp and such.

[DrWeird]

2. Bullshit.

Bush's energy policy is oil, oil, oil, price gouging, oil (cue the vikings), oil, invasions for oil, more oil, and lip service on the environment.

[joshcryer]

7. I didn't say it was, good, just some of his rhetoric I liked.

He pointed out the billions that a biofuel industry could make, that is undeniable, no matter what side of the coin you're on.

[PBX9501]

3. I run B20

in my old 240d and get 30+ mpg. Costs the same as #2. Used to be cheap, diesel is up to 2.10 around here.

Bio diesel could act as a stopgap until better methods are developed. Farmers grow soybeans and castor beans to when rotating land. Usually this is tilled under, it is now being used to formulate bio diesel.

[joshcryer]

6. I think hybrid biofuel cars can be far more efficient...

...than regular vehicles. I think we should explore growing hemp, too.

[chaska]

4. Yeah, let's put that corn in our cars, and not around our waists.

Geez, won't it be nice to be talkiing about fixing things again.

[flobee1kenobi]

5. It just boggles my mind

He talks about alternative fuels yet he wants to dig up Alaska and his decisions are made for him by the oil companies

I don't know what to say

[Squeech]

9. What's the energy cost of biodiesel?

I haven't seen the hard data, but several informed sources say it costs us more energy to sow, fertilize, grow and harvest the corn, collect it, ferment it, and extract the alcohol than we actually get from burning it. Do the soya etc. oils have the same problem?

Methanol could be a better deal, if only because we can get it from waste products (the leaves, rather than the food). The best ideas I've heard involve microbes that digest the structural starches in plants into simpler energy molecules.

[PBX9501]

10. Diesels

will run on any bio oil. Corn, peanut, castor, whatever. Farmers use castor beans (castor oil) to rotate land and as part of a nitrogen cycle. It only requires water, is is basically a trash crop.

Some oil can be reclaimed from the market, fryer oil for example. Bio oil does have a huge potential.

[joshcryer]

11. Biased sources, 10% of the growth product can be used...

...as fuel. To run the machines that... harvest the product.

[wuushew]

13. The Pimentel study which claimed a negative return has been discredited

http://www.ethanol-gec.org/corn_eth.htm

I would not recommend methanol as there are several environmental problems associated with that type of alcohol. The future is ideally hemp bio-diesel/ethanol. Although the infrastructure to use corn as a feedstock is in place now.

[Nikia]

12. Kerry will do this anyway, Bush will not

Kerry speaks about alternative energy so we will not be dependent upon foreign oil. I believe that this will probably include support for biofuels along with other viable technology.
Bush and his family have an economic interest in the oil industry. He will not seriously support biofuels. He has shown that he is more concerned about his family and friend's economic interests rather than the intersts of the country.
If you like the idea of biofuels and other alternative energy, vote for Kerry and encourage anyone who likes this idea and is undecided to vote for Kerry too for that reason.

[joshcryer]

14. I know this. I absolutely know this.

Was just trying to create a topic that would catch peoples eyes, because I never can make a topic that people read. :P