Comments on: “Biofuels Aren’t Part Of The Solution At All.” http://hugeasscity.com/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/ > so much wonderful packaged in such a mess Fri, 18 May 2012 04:54:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: dave http://hugeasscity.com/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/comment-page-1/#comment-585 dave Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:03:57 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/#comment-585 Ethanol is horrible -- requires more energy to produce it than what you get out of it. And while biodiesel is better, we stopped buying "virgin" biodiesel for our '87 Benz because of the raping of the SE Asian rainforests that's now going on in order to grow palm oil for biodiesel. We're running our car on biodiesel made from restaurant waste oil, but obviously there's not enough of that for everybody to use. We'll probably switch to an electric car one of these days. But the main point is that there's no silver bullet that'll allow everybody to keep driving all the time! At some point people will have to shift their expectations on getting around. We moved to the Central Area so that we could walk to work -- not to be cool/hip/liberal, etc, but because A) I enjoy walking and it's my only form of regular exercise and B) We could see the writing on the wall with traffic getting worse, driving getting more expensive, and, of course, the need to reduce our carbon footprint. Ethanol is horrible — requires more energy to produce it than what you get out of it. And while biodiesel is better, we stopped buying “virgin” biodiesel for our ‘87 Benz because of the raping of the SE Asian rainforests that’s now going on in order to grow palm oil for biodiesel. We’re running our car on biodiesel made from restaurant waste oil, but obviously there’s not enough of that for everybody to use. We’ll probably switch to an electric car one of these days. But the main point is that there’s no silver bullet that’ll allow everybody to keep driving all the time! At some point people will have to shift their expectations on getting around. We moved to the Central Area so that we could walk to work — not to be cool/hip/liberal, etc, but because A) I enjoy walking and it’s my only form of regular exercise and B) We could see the writing on the wall with traffic getting worse, driving getting more expensive, and, of course, the need to reduce our carbon footprint.

]]> By: mistamatic http://hugeasscity.com/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/comment-page-1/#comment-581 mistamatic Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:35:59 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/#comment-581 Yes, it's still worthwhile, because the goal is to move from using counterproductive raw materials to ones that are more bottom-of-the-foodchain types with limited food usage like canola, camilina, and switch grass. Crops that aren't hard on the climate and more easily renewed, supposedly. There's a bit of an article here about a new bio fuel station coming to downtown: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/343520_biofuel14.html Yes, it’s still worthwhile, because the goal is to move from using counterproductive raw materials to ones that are more bottom-of-the-foodchain types with limited food usage like canola, camilina, and switch grass. Crops that aren’t hard on the climate and more easily renewed, supposedly. There’s a bit of an article here about a new bio fuel station coming to downtown:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/343520_biofuel14.html

]]> By: Josh Mahar http://hugeasscity.com/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/comment-page-1/#comment-584 Josh Mahar Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:26:41 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/#comment-584 biofuel can theoretically be any fuel made from an organic matter. This is of course good because organic matter is renewable. I think the problem is that a mass market will just never be the place for it. Localized biefuel is great but were just simply not at a good economic or social structure in which this makes sense. I say, thumbs down on biofuels for now. biofuel can theoretically be any fuel made from an organic matter. This is of course good because organic matter is renewable. I think the problem is that a mass market will just never be the place for it. Localized biefuel is great but were just simply not at a good economic or social structure in which this makes sense. I say, thumbs down on biofuels for now.

]]> By: Matt the Engineer http://hugeasscity.com/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/comment-page-1/#comment-583 Matt the Engineer Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:11:01 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/#comment-583 I've been following this for a while, and my best answer is that the issue is too complex for the casual observer. Reused oil is good, and cellulistic ethanol may some day be good, but about everything else is killing our planet with good intentions. I’ve been following this for a while, and my best answer is that the issue is too complex for the casual observer. Reused oil is good, and cellulistic ethanol may some day be good, but about everything else is killing our planet with good intentions.

]]> By: Andrew http://hugeasscity.com/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/comment-page-1/#comment-582 Andrew Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:20:24 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/04/20/biofuels-arent-part-of-the-solution-at-all/#comment-582 Ethanol is a bad one, and biodiesel as it is produce today is also questionable. But diesels in general aren't terrible. Ethanol is a bad one, and biodiesel as it is produce today is also questionable. But diesels in general aren’t terrible.

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