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8143 messages, Last post on Nov 27, 2009 at 12:10 PM
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 12:20 am) I personally think the long term answer will be diesel burning fuel made from algae. One process already demonstrated that can produce 35k+ gallons per year on an acre of desert. Corn ethanol is about 18 gallons per acre. Palm diesel is about 600 gallons per acre. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 29, 2008 5:47 am) Your ALGAE example is an absolute slam dunk no brainer !!! This is probably why it has literally been ignored and actually vilified. Algae is literally one of the most abundant photosynthesis mechanism on the planet. There is almost no place that it will not grow !! One component of its life cycle (PLEASE PEOPLE GO BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY or a gate program middle school biology class) IS C02 !!!!!! In addition to producing FOOD, ALGAE produces OXYGEN !!! It can also be adapted to work in sewer processing plants. So who ever sees an end to that process and service? Also effective immediately, if the eco gestapo believes their own rhetoric, it should be R & D'd and adapted to ongoing "waste" producing processes '. So again, who ever sees an end to certain processes and services, i.e., food production. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 28, 2008 7:27 pm) Enforcement is literally idiotic: in terms of the everyday practicality. President Obama would put the kibosh on it toot sweet ! Keep in mind how many UNION folks it would idle if the fed were to limit ship entry/exit using bunker fuel (upwards of 5,000 ppm sulfur) ! The classic democratic manufacturing states have systematically(over generations) gotten rid of domestic manufacturing capability knowing that foreign produced goods would use these vehicles and logistics systems. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 28, 2008 5:44 pm) Are you talking about my mental health or where I live? I live in the Peoples Republic of Maryland.
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Replying to: winter2 (Dec 29, 2008 4:01 pm) BP began marketing the cleaner burning fuel in December of 1999 and has been selling it through local and regional resellers and distributors. BP currently supplies about 20 % of the state's 220,000 barrel per day diesel demand, according to California Energy Commission statistics. This CARB file shows BP ECD-1 testing at Cetane 51.3 http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/idrac/presentations/Jun01/ECD.pdf |
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 29, 2008 5:47 am) **** Obviously the existing infrastructure has to be expanded. But every single municipality that uses CNG vehicles is required by law to sell the CNG to the public. So there almost always *is* a filling station in every major city. Los Angeles has several dozen. the Civic in question comes with a GPS pre-programmed with every station in the U.S. as well. http://www.cngprices.com/ That's a lot of stations, actually. It's small but is viable and isn't any more difficult to implement than propane, which is bought and sold darn near everywhere. Also, on range, CNG is a quick 5-6 minute fill at a station and you're good for 200-250 miles! At whatever speed a normal Civic will go. That's not even close to what you get with electrics. And there are never EVER any batteries to replace. And, this is basically a standard Civic that has been retrofitted. If the car was purpose-built, it could easily have a larger or second tank without any compromises. And a 400-500 mile range. The CNG Civic is a kludge and it still pummels most hybrids and electrics. Lastly, you can get a filling device in your own garage which essentially gives you $1 a "gallon"(equivalent) prices. It's more expensive than electric, but loads less than diesel or gas.
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 6:28 pm) |
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 6:28 pm) PS Take Interstate 10 across from AZ and you will find stretches as far as 360 miles between stations with prices as high today as $3.67 per gallon equivalent.
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 6:28 pm)  1 in every 4 fuel stations in 2002/2003 when I first considered the diesel ! It was then, and remains totally and utterly seamless to get fuel. The passenger CAR diesel fleet has actually decreased app - minus 33% from less than 3% to 2%. 92% of that 2% are mid sized light trucks. Math indicates app 406,560 passenger CAR diesel vehicles, (.0016% ) USA. So with a yearly sales of less than 2,000 CNG Civic's, how long would one suppose it would take to become 1,2,3,4,5% of the 254.1 M passenger vehicle fleet? Keep in mind that with the 1,000 on up installation of home fueling obviously gives a Civic (or any other for that matter) an almost no brainer advantage. While I tip my hat to Honda for doing alternative fuels such as diesel, CNG, if diesels are considered a niche market then CNG will probably stay less than that. So for example how many (cng) gas company vehicles actually run on CNG? CARB and the EPA are both concerned that the passenger diesel car population will have a "mauthusian growth rate" (graphic: multilpy like rabbits and NYC mice and rats)  Downstream, I have read that CNG is very dilutive of engine oil. So for example I run 20,000 mile OCI's gasser) with 10,000 mile OEM recommended. I have read in passing CNG folks do not go much over 5,000 miles OCI. |
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 29, 2008 8:44 pm) CNG is worlds cheaper to implement on a large scale compared to the other options. And it doesn't effect corn prices, either. |
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