[biofuels-biz] State Run Bio-Fuel Factories for mass and economic production to reduce the price!
California new Governor had declared fiscal emergency, because we have this 38 billions deficit. They have to cut more budgets and spending. Application to get licenses for buying and selling power in California had been temporally stopped since last September. Unless it's special circumstances?? I had read the replies from Public Utilities Commission several times and even asked the legal professional to read them, nobody could be sure what they want us to do? Apply or not to apply? Even there are cities are seriously considering to build their own power companies to serve the communities? Don't know which city dare to be the pioneer? Do you think it's a good idea to buy your power from your city? Instead of Edison? Or we can have our own PV or other renewable power systems? California is also a farmer state, maybe our good governor can spare some money to build state own BioFuel factories? And selling those cleaner biofuel to pay for the budget shortfalls? Hey! It's a good business and pretty good profit, because Diesel is a good commodity. We can even export, for God's sake! But we need production in more economic scale to lower the cost, so the BioFuel will be competitive! When there are a lot of protection of domestic industries, why not BioFuel? There are quota system for textile industry and the newly lift Steel anti-dumping duty for the Steel industry? Why nobody is giving domestic BioFuel a little help? Arnold wants to sell more bonds to collect funds, those bonds are IOUs with interests. Next March people will have to vote on that! In this kind of emergency, I think even the government can try some new moves. We need BioFuel and there is not enough of production. Public run Bio Fuel factories sounds okay to me? It's better than import more oil from Middle East! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuels-biz] Diesel or bust
Sounds like the horse breeding business have a future in US. The farmers and others must freeze also, since light heating oil and diesel is the same. But you never know, it is US and maybe the do not know that they can use light heating oil in the tractors and this crises might at the end be a labelling problem. Labelling is very important in US. Hakan At 13:35 03/01/2004, you wrote: I thought you might find this interesting reading. Its interesting to see the federal MP's being concerned about the lack of renewable fuels when they are the ones proposing to legislate to prevent people from producing their own biodiesel! http://www.abc.net.au/centralvic/stories/s1013442.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/centralvic/stories/s1013442.htm Diesel or Bust Reporter: Dave Lennon and Claire Leunig Friday, 19 December 2003 The recent diesel shortage is having a detrimental effect on farmers struggling to find enough of the fuel to run their harvesting machinery at this crucial time of year. The ABC's Dave Lennon spoke to Federal Member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone. Dr Stone says the diesel shortage couldn't come at a worse time, with farmers already having faced drought and frost damage. We've had this shortage of fuel now for about the last three weeks, says Dr Stone. It's meant a great deal of frustration, particularly when the transport operators and the farmers haven't been able to get straight answers from anybody. Dr Stone points out the frost had a particularly devastating effect in the Goulburn and Murray Valley areas with the loss of all the apricots, nectarines and plums. (It's a) tragic thing after the drought of course, we were looking forward to pulling back out with this seasons crop, says Dr Stone. Then on the 28th of September we had minus 2.5 degrees, (the) worst frost ever recorded, which took out all of those first summer fruits. So the dependency now is on the apples, pears, cherries, and grapes, so every kilo of fruit that we can get off the trees is going to help people survive. Now the last thing you need is to find you've put your order in for diesel and instead of your full supply arriving on your farm, you're getting a fraction of that - or not at all. According to Dr Stone, the major oil companies are just out of touch with their consumers. We all knew - well everyone in Victoria knew - that we've had this pulling out of the drought, that everybody is madly cutting hay, fodder, every tractor is churning - for some (it's) 10 hours a day - fuel (is) being used at a rate of never before. Senior management from some of the oil companies said to me that they estimated that there would be a 16 per cent increase in diesel consumption, but in fact, there's been 24 per cent increase in diesel consumption. We've got a compounding of problems of miscalculations of how much fuel we needed, the annual maintenance that they do on the refineries happening business as usual, and then there is a shortage of transports to physically get the fuel from the refineries out up to Northern Victoria. Put all that together and you've got a problem. Dr Stone says with the lack of alternative fuels available, in particular bio-diesel, there is little choice left for consumers. Because we don't have the alternatives, like bio-diesel out there, the canola mixes, and in other countries you've got the ethanol blends and so on, we have only one option, (that) is the petroleum-based diesel. It's a very concerning thing that we've got this shortage right now, but more of a worry, when are we going to get over this hump? Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/9bTolB/TM -~- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuels-biz] Diesel or bust
Sorry, I got it wrong. It should be Australia. I am so used about all the US problems, that the fingers think by themselves. Hakan At 14:30 03/01/2004, you wrote: Sounds like the horse breeding business have a future in US. The farmers and others must freeze also, since light heating oil and diesel is the same. But you never know, it is US and maybe the do not know that they can use light heating oil in the tractors and this crises might at the end be a labelling problem. Labelling is very important in US. Hakan At 13:35 03/01/2004, you wrote: I thought you might find this interesting reading. Its interesting to see the federal MP's being concerned about the lack of renewable fuels when they are the ones proposing to legislate to prevent people from producing their own biodiesel! http://www.abc.net.au/centralvic/stories/s1013442.htmhttp://www.abc.ne t.au/centralvic/stories/s1013442.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/centralvic/stories/s1013442.htm Diesel or Bust Reporter: Dave Lennon and Claire Leunig Friday, 19 December 2003 The recent diesel shortage is having a detrimental effect on farmers struggling to find enough of the fuel to run their harvesting machinery at this crucial time of year. The ABC's Dave Lennon spoke to Federal Member for Murray, Dr Sharman Stone. Dr Stone says the diesel shortage couldn't come at a worse time, with farmers already having faced drought and frost damage. We've had this shortage of fuel now for about the last three weeks, says Dr Stone. It's meant a great deal of frustration, particularly when the transport operators and the farmers haven't been able to get straight answers from anybody. Dr Stone points out the frost had a particularly devastating effect in the Goulburn and Murray Valley areas with the loss of all the apricots, nectarines and plums. (It's a) tragic thing after the drought of course, we were looking forward to pulling back out with this seasons crop, says Dr Stone. Then on the 28th of September we had minus 2.5 degrees, (the) worst frost ever recorded, which took out all of those first summer fruits. So the dependency now is on the apples, pears, cherries, and grapes, so every kilo of fruit that we can get off the trees is going to help people survive. Now the last thing you need is to find you've put your order in for diesel and instead of your full supply arriving on your farm, you're getting a fraction of that - or not at all. According to Dr Stone, the major oil companies are just out of touch with their consumers. We all knew - well everyone in Victoria knew - that we've had this pulling out of the drought, that everybody is madly cutting hay, fodder, every tractor is churning - for some (it's) 10 hours a day - fuel (is) being used at a rate of never before. Senior management from some of the oil companies said to me that they estimated that there would be a 16 per cent increase in diesel consumption, but in fact, there's been 24 per cent increase in diesel consumption. We've got a compounding of problems of miscalculations of how much fuel we needed, the annual maintenance that they do on the refineries happening business as usual, and then there is a shortage of transports to physically get the fuel from the refineries out up to Northern Victoria. Put all that together and you've got a problem. Dr Stone says with the lack of alternative fuels available, in particular bio-diesel, there is little choice left for consumers. Because we don't have the alternatives, like bio-diesel out there, the canola mixes, and in other countries you've got the ethanol blends and so on, we have only one option, (that) is the petroleum-based diesel. It's a very concerning thing that we've got this shortage right now, but more of a worry, when are we going to get over this hump? Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.htmlhttp://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT http://rd.yahoo.com/SIG=12cenrpju/M=243273.4326031.5516772.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1705064189:HM/EXP=1073223105/A=1750744/R=0/*http://servedby.advertising.com/click/site=552006/bnum=1073136705617440 Click to learn more... http://rd.yahoo.com/SIG=12cenrpju/M=243273.4326031.5516772.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1705064189:HM/EXP=1073223105/A=1750744/R=0/*http://servedby.advertising.com/click/site=552006/bnum=1073136705617440 [] -- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ * * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
[biofuels-biz] Happy New Years: And Be Careful What You Eat
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=13ItemID=4774 Happy New Years: And Be Careful What You Eat by Maria Tomchick December 30, 2003 GLOBAL ECONOMICS In the days following the discovery of mad cow disease in Washington State, the U.S. cattle industry has been hard at work trying to calm Americans' fears about tainted meat. Our weak regulatory agencies -- the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- keep telling us that they're doing a good job of protecting us from the ravages of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). But they're wrong. And since most of us don't know where our food really comes from, it's hard to know what's true and what isn't. So here's a little wake-up call, in case you're wondering if you've eaten tainted meat. I grew up on a dairy farm in Washington State. It was a family farm that had about 100 cows and an equal number of young livestock ranging in age from newborn calves to two-year-old heifers ready to give birth to their first calves and enter the milk herd. About 120 cows was the maximum number for us; we simply couldn't milk more animals in a day. There was only so much time, and we had only so much energy. We used some mechanization, but we still had the ability to give the cows a certain amount of individual care, to help the ones that were sick, and to adjust the milking process for cows who needed special attention. What made this particularly important is that my parents were career dairy farmers. Mom didn't have a secretarial job in town and Dad didn't hire out to do contract work just so we could make ends meet. My parents made the business work for them from the 1960s through the mid-1980s while they raised a family. By the time they sold the farm, however, there were fewer and fewer families able to make a living on a dairy farm. They were being displaced by large, commercial, highly mechanized, corporate dairy farms. The cow that tested positive for BSE came from a large corporate farm in Mabton, Washington. The farm has 4,000 animals. Our local newspaper here in Seattle ran a front-page photo of the feed lot on this farm. It was a filthy hole -- a far cry from the loafing sheds and green, productive fields we had on our farm when I was growing up. To milk 4,000 cows every day, twice a day, a farm like that has to turn the animals into cogs in a machine. There's no individual attention. The animals are hooked up to milking machines with timers on them. After about four minutes, the machines turn off and fall on the floor, and that's it. Forget the fact that, depending on the animal, cows need anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes to give all their milk. If a cow finishes in 2 minutes, the machine stays on and the animal suffers -- or she kicks it off, which gets her added to the list of animals headed for the slaughterhouse. If a cow needs more time, forget it, she suffers, gives less milk, under-performs, and goes on the list of animals headed for the slaughterhouse. Back in the 1980s, I remember my parents' shock after reading that, on average, cows live only 2 years on commercial, corporate farms. We were appalled at the thought that big farms were sending their young, 4-year-old cows to the butcher. In our minds, that was a failure. Cows don't even reach their full growth until they're 5 years old, when they hit their prime and give the most milk. The waste is simply unimaginable. And we understood that cows can get sick and have a bad year, and so we gave our animals a second chance. On our farm, cows often lived 10 or 15 years and, in the case of two or three really stubborn ones, they sometimes lived nearly 20 years. Now, it takes about 5-7 years for symptoms of BSE to appear in an infected cow. If, however, most corporate dairy farms are sending their abused, used-up, broken-down cows off to the slaughterhouse at younger and younger ages -- before they reach the key 5-year mark -- then no amount of testing is going to make the meat supply safe. A ban on butchering downer cows (animals that stagger, can't walk, or exhibit other signs of BSE) will make no difference, either. And holding sick animals in quarantine while they're being tested won't work, not unless we want to quarantine and test all young cattle sent to slaughter or ban all animals younger than 7 years old. Experts like to remind us that there have been no confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (the human form of spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States. That's technically true, but in practice, it's a lie. Every year, 300 new cases of CJD are diagnosed in the U.S. It's a diagnosis of elimination. After a person comes down with the symptoms, he or she is tested for a variety of neurological disorders. When those come up negative and the disease begins to progress rapidly, the diagnosis becomes CJD. None of these cases are ever confirmed, because the only way to
[biofuels-biz] Conservation at All Costs - How Industry-Backed Environmentalism Creates Violent Conflict Among Indigenous Peoples
http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=9449 CorpWatch.org Conservation at All Costs How Industry-Backed Environmentalism Creates Violent Conflict Among Indigenous Peoples By Shefa Siegel Special to CorpWatch December 22, 2003 Photo: Cartoonist: Khalil Bendib Inside the two room mud house there is shade from the relentless equatorial sun. Ekufa Muwesha, the embattled Wai Wai chief-or Toshao-of Parabara Landing, reclines gracefully in a double-weave hammock, one leg dangling over the side as he gently sways. At times he talks so quietly I have to strain to hear him, but the softness in his voice does nothing to diminish the weight of his words. This may start a war if the protected area is established, Ekufa explains. In the summer of 2002, Toshao Ekufa met secretly with Washington-based Conservation International and signed his name to a controversial letter requesting that Parabara become the northernmost border of the proposed Southern Guyana Protected Area. This appeal, intended to signal the consent of the region's Amerindian tribes to the Guyanese government's conservation process, triggered the announcement that Conservation International would serve as the so-called management authority during the creation of a protected area the size of New Jersey. But instead of confirming Amerindian consent, the announcement provoked heated opposition among local village leaders and national Amerindian rights advocates, and a potentially violent response within Parabara. Dissenters argued that the region's second, more populous tribe, the Wapishana, were excluded when CI's CEO Peter Seligmann announced that A key component of the [conservation] process would be involvement of stakeholders, including the Wai Wais, and that the informal consultation process that took place with the Wai Wai prior to the announcement had violated the Guyanese law which requires a majority vote of the village council prior to agreements affecting community lands. Among Wapishanas living in Parabara the sense of betrayal was so profound that news of Ekufa's move raised cries not only for his dismissal as village leader, but for his head. One Wapishana proposed hoisting Ekufa's severed head on a pole in the center of the village, offering that He can rule that way. Another villager suggested Ekufa's limbs be tied and his body cast into a canoe and floated downriver. Ekufa responded by threatening violence against Wapishanas. Beyond this inter-tribal conflict, for people living in the remote region CI's singular focus on protected areas fails to address the more immediate fear that several industrial gold mines poised to begin production could potentially devastate the local rivers which serve as the basis for the local economic survival. Amerindians in Guyana are no strangers to cyanide disasters from gold mines: in the 1990s Guyana was the site of one of the world's worst-ever cyanide spills when a tailings dam operated by the Canadian company, Cambior, burst from overuse and spread cyanide across the country's central waterway. We don't have any problem with conservation, says Toshao Tony James, whose village near one of the mines would be devastated by cyanide pollution. It's in our interest to learn how to conserve our resources properly. But why is it that when it comes to this mine that could destroy our communities and have us fighting each other like dogs for whatever's left, CI does nothing? Where are they when it counts? Ironically, one look at a map shows that a spill into one of the area's rivers would bring cyanide directly into the proposed protected area. Trouble in a Land of Plenty Although it falls so far below the media radar most people assume it's in Africa, Guyana is one of few the remaining jewels in the scramble for tropical timber and mineral products. Located on the forgotten northern coast of South America, a single rutted road pierces a hinterland which remains eighty-percent jungle. The country's highways are its rivers. Guyana's maze of riverways literally flows with golden water that wends through forests so abundant one word-plenty-quickens every conversation; rivers are filled with plenty piranha; there are plenty mosquitoes in the next village; a tarantula bite hurts plenty; streets are covered with plenty mango. First settled by the Wapishana family of Henry Lawrence in the early 1980s, Parabara Landing, in southern Guyana, is a small village of 75 souls tucked into the jungle at the end of the battered road that connects the country's vast northern and southern rainforests. The Wai Wai and Wapishana live side-by-side in thatched-roof houses perched along the bank of the Kuyuwini River. Until recently, the two tribes coexisted in relative peace, sharing resources and political control, intermarrying freely, and even collaborating on their overlapping, unrecognized land claims to Parabara's watershed by teaching
[biofuels-biz] The Troubled Marriage of Environmentalists and Oil Companies
http://kwsnet.com/weblog/2003/12/25.html#a1319 The Troubled Marriage of Environmentalists and Oil Companies CorpWatch by Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero 22 Dec 03 The American environmental group Conservation International (CI) and other environmental organizations are actively collaborating with oil corporations in hopes of ameliorating the impact of their activities on local ecosystems. But observers fear that the cozy relationship that these groups have with the U.S. government and oil companies raises serious questions regarding their independence and warn that it can undermine the grassroots work of popular movements and native peoples that aim to stop new oil drilling altogether. They also hold that it raises some serious issues regarding national sovereignty in the Global South. Puerto Rican biologist Jorge Fernndez-Porto, who has worked in Guatemala's Petn rainforest where CI manages the biosphere reserve, says that the marriage between environmental groups and oil companies will only give birth to mutant offspring. In the meantime, diversity and natural systems will be devastated, with the latter enriching themselves and the former picking up crumbs. But groups like CI dispute these claims, stating that such alliances allow for leverage that environmentalist groups would otherwise not have. We believe it is crucial to engage oil and gas companies and work with them to avoid, mitigate and compensate impacts on biodiversity in these areas, CI media relations director Jim Wyss told CorpWatch. If left to operate in a vacuum, there is little hope to encourage these companies to take the necessary steps to fundamentally change how they operate. CI, the Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian Institution and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature are partners with oil companies Shell, BP and Chevron Texaco in the Energy and Biodiversity Initiative (EBI). The EBI bills itself as: a partnership designed to produce practical guidelines, tools and models to improve the environmental performance of energy operations, minimize harm to biodiversity, and maximize opportunities for conservation wherever oil and gas resources are developed. EBI works closely with the Biodiversity Working Group, an entity established by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers. It was selected by the International Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Environment Program as one of the winners of the 2002 World Summit Business Awards for Sustainable Development Partnerships in the Johannesburg Earth Summit. To some environmentalists, this collaboration is simply outrageous and unacceptable, especially when considering that one of the companies involved is Chevron Texaco, currently on trial in Ecuador for its environmental crimes. The EBI will result in enormous impacts regarding biodiversity conservation, paving the way to environmental impunity and weakening the efforts carried out by local and national organizations to make these companies take full responsibility over the impacts they have already caused, said OilWatch, an international environmental network, in an open letter in October 2003. In the letter, addressed to the environmental groups in the EBI, OilWatch states that the measures proposed by the Initiative have already been tried unsuccessfully, have weakened conservation legislation and have also resulted in abuses to the sovereignty of the countries involved. Every time they are proposed they are then not applied, are not mandatory and have no relation whatsoever with the real environmental behavior of companies. No commitment is made in relation to protected areas or biodiversity. [Also see Conservation at All Costs: How Industry-Backed Environmentalism Creates Violent Conflict Among Indigenous Peoples by Shefa Siegel (CorpWatch, 22 Dec 03).] Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuels-biz] The Cow Jumped Over the U.S.D.A.
See also: http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/ba2000-12-14.htm Interview - 2000.12.14 Unhappy meals Eric Schlosser, an award-winning investigative journalist, uncovers the dark side of the all-American meal http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/rollingstone1.html Rolling Stone magazine (USA), Issue 794, September 3rd 1998 Fast-Food Nation: The True Cost Of America's Diet By National Magazine Award winner Eric Schlosser -- http://organicconsumers.org/madcow/usda1204.cfm The Cow Jumped Over the U.S.D.A. by Eric Schlosser [author of 'Fast Food Nation'] January 2, 2004 The New York Times Alisa Harrison has worked tirelessly the last two weeks to spread the message that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, is not a risk to American consumers. As spokeswoman for Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, Ms. Harrison has helped guide news coverage of the mad cow crisis, issuing statements, managing press conferences and reassuring the world that American beef is safe. For her, it's a familiar message. Before joining the department, Ms. Harrison was director of public relations for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the beef industry's largest trade group, where she battled government food safety efforts, criticized Oprah Winfrey for raising health questions about American hamburgers, and sent out press releases with titles like Mad Cow Disease Not a Problem in the U.S. Ms. Harrison may well be a decent and sincere person who feels she has the public's best interest at heart. Nonetheless, her effortless transition from the cattlemen's lobby to the Agriculture Department is a fine symbol of all that is wrong with America's food safety system. Right now you'd have a hard time finding a federal agency more completely dominated by the industry it was created to regulate. Dale Moore, Ms. Veneman's chief of staff, was previously the chief lobbyist for the cattlemen's association. Other veterans of that group have high-ranking jobs at the department, as do former meat-packing executives and a former president of the National Pork Producers Council. The Agriculture Department has a dual, often contradictory mandate: to promote the sale of meat on behalf of American producers and to guarantee that American meat is safe on behalf of consumers. For too long the emphasis has been on commerce, at the expense of safety. The safeguards against mad cow that Ms. Veneman announced on Tuesday -- including the elimination of downer cattle (cows that cannot walk) from the food chain, the removal of high-risk material like spinal cords from meat processing, the promise to introduce a system to trace cattle back to the ranch -- have long been demanded by consumer groups. Their belated introduction seems to have been largely motivated by the desire to have foreign countries lift restrictions on American beef imports. Worse, on Wednesday Ms. Veneman ruled out the the most important step to protect Americans from mad cow disease: a large-scale program to test the nation's cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The beef industry has fought for nearly two decades against government testing for any dangerous pathogens, and it isn't hard to guess why: when there is no true grasp of how far and wide a food-borne pathogen has spread, there's no obligation to bear the cost of dealing with it. The United States Department of Agriculture is by no means the first such body to be captured by industry groups. In Europe and Japan the spread of disease was facilitated by the repeated failure of government ministries to act on behalf of consumers. In Britain, where mad cow disease was discovered, the ministry of agriculture misled the public about the risks of the disease from the verybeginning. In December 1986, the first government memo on the new pathogen warned that it might have severe repercussions to the export trade and possibly also for humans and thus all news of it was to be kept confidential. Ten years later, when Britons began to fall sick with a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome, thought to be the human form of mad cow, Agriculture Minister Douglas Hogg assured them that British beef is wholly safe. It was something of a shock, three months later, when the health minister, Stephen Dorrell, told Parliament that mad cow disease might indeed be able to cross the species barrier and sicken human beings. In the wake of that scandal, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Japan banned imports of British beef -- yet they denied for years there was any risk of mad cow disease among their own cattle. Those denials proved false, once widespread testing for the disease was introduced. An investigation by the French Senate in 2001 found that the Agriculture Ministry minimized the threat of mad cow and constantly sought to prevent or delay the introduction of precautionary measures that might have had an adverse effect on the
[biofuels-biz] Re: Bacteria that decompose oil found
Bacteria that can clean up all sorts of nasty stuff is old news. A guy I used to carpool with went to work for a company called Ecova 18 years ago to become a bug trainer. Basically, they go to the site of any environmental mess, and they would dig up soil from the area. In all likelyhood, there would be a bacteria eating the nasty stuff, and they would take the sample back to the lab, isolate the desired bacteria, multiply it, and release it back at the site of the mess. The key is to stop the infiltration of the contaminant, and prevent what is there from entering groundwater. Sometimes the soil has to be piled up on an impervious surface (pavement or a plastic barrier) before it can be treated. __ Do you Yahoo!? Find out what made the Top Yahoo! Searches of 2003 http://search.yahoo.com/top2003 Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuels-biz] Re-insurer counts cost of global warming
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1018055.htm . 30/12/2003. ABC News Online Tuesday, December 30, 2003. 1:19pm (AEDT) Re-insurer counts cost of global warming The world's biggest re-insurance company, Munich Re, has attributed a sharp increase in weather-related disasters around the world to global warming. In its latest annual report, the company - which insures insurance companies - puts the combined cost of this year's global natural disasters at close to $80 billion. The report says the natural disasters have also claimed at least 50,000 lives worldwide. A senior research analyst for Australia's AMP capital sustainable funds team, Ian Woods, says the insurance industry is recognising the impact of global warming. I think Munich Re, like other re-insurance companies, are really starting to realise the extra costs of global warming on the insurance industry due to natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, hailstorms and drought, Mr Woods said. Mr Woods has analysed the methodology Munich Re used to reach its conclusions about the dangers of global warming and he says it is well founded. Munich Re have done some really interesting studies on this particular issue and looked at the occurrence of major natural disasters over the years and they've seen the frequency of these disasters increasing over the last couple of years and they said it's strictly related to climate change, he said. If Munich Re is correct, the world can expect a sharp increase in insurance costs and the toll of human misery unless governments and industry take steps to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. That is a view contested by some scientists and companies in the mining and resources sector. Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuels-biz] ERoEI for grease based biodiesel
The question has been raised as to the value of making biodiesel from waste vegetable oil resources in terms of the net energy gain. I had posted on this topic a few days ago, but feel a more considered study was in order. This research is based on the following published study: RESOURCES RESEARCH UNIT SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY EVALUATION OF THE COMPARATIVE ENERGY, GLOBAL WARMING AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC COSTS AND BENEFITS OF BIODIESEL Final Report for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Contract Reference No. CSA 5982/NF0422 Report No. 20/1 by N. D. Mortimer, P. Cormack, M. A. Elsayed and R. E. Horne January 2003 available from: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/acu/research/reports/nf0422.pdf This study goes through all stages of developing biodiesel, energy inputs and environmental benefits. The study does not specifically address waste resource utilization, but can be used as a methodology guide. For yellow grease (waste) based biodiesel, one should ignore the energy cost of fertilizer, cultivation, harvest, drying, solvent extraction and product distribution. The energy inputs that are appropriate are for waste oil collection, esterification, storage, plant construction, maintenance and biodiesel distribution. Using these values, one can calculate an Energy Return on Energy Investment (ERoEI) of 5.26 times. This number would be significantly higher if transportation and heating costs were also based on biodiesel fuel. I also believe the values given for esterification are too high, and when adjusted will further increase the ERoEI. However, as a working number, this gives a steady value that is conservatively realistic. Compare this number with the equivalent liquid fuel of low sulfur diesel fuel with an ERoEI of 0.82 or an ultra low sulfur fuel value of 0.79. There are also equivalent benefits in terms of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions and toxicity, etc. This information should be used when decisions about project development are made. Tom Leue - Homestead Inc. www.yellowbiodiesel.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuels-biz/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuels-biz] Re: Bacteria that decompose oil found
steve herr wrote: Bacteria that can clean up all sorts of nasty stuff is old news. A guy I used to carpool with went to work for a company called Ecova 18 years ago to become a bug trainer. Basically, they go to the site of any environmental mess, and they would dig up soil from the area. In all likelyhood, there would be a bacteria eating the nasty stuff, and they would take the sample back to the lab, isolate the desired bacteria, multiply it, and release it back at the site of the mess. The key is to stop the infiltration of the contaminant, and prevent what is there from entering groundwater. Sometimes the soil has to be piled up on an impervious surface (pavement or a plastic barrier) before it can be treated. You beat me to it Steve! Glad you did, I don't know much about how the professional clean-up squad does things. I did want to say that such bacteria are probably both common and ubiquitous. It was one of the first things I learnt about organic farming, 25 years ago. The people in the Philippines who turned me on to organic farming as a powerful form of appropriate technology (I thought it was just a fad) had their establishment at what had previously been a transport company's yard and workshop. The place had been fairly well soaked in old motor oil, but now it was a beautiful organic vegetable garden, blooming with health and a rich and balanced diversity that looked anything but polluted or toxic. They assured me it wasn't toxic, though it had been (they did soil tests). Compost can break down oil? Yes, there are soil bacteria that biodegrade oil, if you give them a chance. I've seen similar things a few times since then. It does rather depend on the condition of the soil though - there's a whole world of difference between healthy, living soil and the half-dead stuff in the average over-chemicalised farm field. Also oil spills are usually concentrated, the soil life tends to get overwhelmed and killed before it has a chance. But this is surely the way to deal with it: let the soil bugs at it. It's one of my objections to Genetic Engineering, as now mostly practised, that these arrogant GMO corporations like Monsanto fail first to investigate the potentialities of what already exists in nature before rushing in to invent something new and dubious but hopefully profitable. The potential is immense, there's an urgent need for major investigations in this field. Soils scientist Dr Elaine Ingham of the Soil Food Web http://www.soilfoodweb.com/ describes it well: We don't even have names for well over 99% of these species, she says. Healthy soils have 600 million bacteria per gram, 150 micrograms of fungal biomass, 50,000 protozoa, and 20 to 30 beneficial nematodes. How many species of bacteria? Fungi? Protozoa? We see on the order of 20,000 to 25,000 species (DNA sequencing) of bacteria, 5,000 to 8,000 species of fungi, 150 to 200 species of protozoa per gram. 12 to 20 species of beneficial nematodes. What's in the standard ag field? 1 million bacteria, 5 micrograms of fungal, 15,000 protozoa and very few beneficial nematodes, herds of root-feeding pests. How many species? 5,000 species of bacteria, 100 species of fungi, two or three species of protozoa, 3 to 6 species of beneficial nematodes... We're looking at something like 25,000 unique bacterial DNA strands in a gram of good aerobic, highly diverse plant organic matter compost. We don't even have names for well over 99% of these species. They are just numbers on the DNA sequence list. What does each species do? How do you culture them? ... Too many questions to begin talking about which ones are actually the important ones... We can assay for the beneficial bacteria and fungi we know about, but how much of the beneficial [soil] community do we know nothing about? (From posts to SANET by Elaine Ingham.) Anyway, I'm not belittling the work being done by the West Java researchers that Ken reported, quite the contrary. I also wouldn't argue with their claim that the organisms they found might be unique, existing only in that unique environment. But their capabilities aren't unique. We need a lot more work like this if we're to have a chance of cleaning up the mess we've made, and also, I believe, of finding much better, more efficient, more sustainable and natural ways of doing things. Best Keith Ken, Great info! Thank You, J. Curtis Cheney, VII Ken Gotberg [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This is a bit old, but may be interesting to some Season's Greetings Ken Bacteria that decompose oil found Tuesday, May 09, 2000 BOGOR, West Java (JP): Researchers of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) have discovered five species of bacteria that they say are capable ofdecomposing fossil oil. The discovery raises hopes for combating the pollution caused by oilspills. The bacteria consist of five species that the researchers have selected from hundreds of species living in the
Re: [biofuel] SwRI wins EPA contract for development of hybrids
Soy nuevo en esto, alguien de todo este grupo habla o entiende Espaol o Aleman.Mi interes en este tema es muy nuevo y en Argentina lugar donde vivo no hay nada de informacion que haya podido encontrar al respecto. Mi pregunta es como son los equipos para ganarle a la naturaleza el bio-diesel y cuales son las aplicaciones en motores convencionales o que cambios se les debe realizar para poder usarlos. My Englisch is not very well, I'm sorry. Saludos Guillermo. Buenos Aires ARGENTINA. --- murdoch [EMAIL PROTECTED] escribi: - The primary focus of this contract will be to test and develop high-efficiency engines with low emissions rates, said Gary Stecklein, director of SwRI's Vehicle and Driveline Research Department. We will test and optimize advanced technology engines, powertrains and hydraulic pump motors. Since 1994, the Vehicle and Driveline Research Department has supported the EPA on improving vehicle and engine designs. That's funny. I thought this was a pro-free-market administration and that the giant auto companies in Detroit and elsewhere needed the breathing room to be responsive to consumer demand and not be forced into making unwanted technologies that were a waste of money. And I thought they didn't need this sort of government handout (I mean: assistance). Sheesh. GM, by their latest statements, wouldn't know the full value or importance of hybrid technology if it showed up as a firm order for 10,000,000 vehicles. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT - Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. Los mejores usados y las ms tentadoras ofertas de 0km estn en Yahoo! Autos. Compr o vend tu auto en http://autos.yahoo.com.ar Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Test Batches and Theory vs Practice
Ken, I wonder how things would go with titrations between 2-3 ml NaOH? That seem to be somewhat average WVO that I am collecting. I sure do need to get over to MAX's to get some of that stuff your collecting .. ;-) This is a great thread and I am glad your doing the experiments to figure out what is the limit for Eth processing. And for everyone out there, I have been over to Ken's for processing and the setup is EXTREEMELY ludite and Ken is getting good results with a 5:1 Eth:Meth ratio for titrations under 2 ml NaOH. So, it is possible to be as Eco as possible using just a small amount of Meth. Good work Ken!!! James Slayden BTW, did you ever get another drum of that Parallel Products Eth? I know you and Dave Shaw were in contact so I wanted to see if it finally got off the ground. On Tue, 30 Dec 2003, Ken Provost wrote: on 12/30/03 8:26 AM, Dan Maker at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I want to make biodiesel from WVO and Ethanol. So far the only ethyl esters I've heard discussed are from virgin oil, or mostly virgin oil with only a small percentage of WVO. Well, not exactly. I've been using about half 'n' half WVO and flush oil (overall 0.9 ml NaOH titer), but I'm doing a sample of straight WVO (1.7 ml NaOH) tonite with 90:10 eth:meth just to prove you wrong :-) Now I know that's not very high still, but I'm truly shocked to read of fokes trying to use 8- and 9-ml stuff. Hey, garbage is garbage -- we can't work miracles here. I get my oil from Hammerhead Fish House and Maxx's Ribs -- it's 1.7 after 6 mos. in my garage. There's no need (for me at least) to get any worse. If I really needed to use the WORST I've EVER seen in my area (4.0 ml Na titr), and I wanted to use mostly ethanol, I'd do acid-base with 9:1 eth:meth. I bet it would work, tho I can't say fer sure. -K Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] New technology could turn farm by-products into power
now i don't understand a statement made on that page, and i suspect it's cause they make assumptions based on large scale, central power rather than small, local systems. This method, called gasification, would be efficient only in large power plants that could each produce enough electricity for more than 140,000 homes, the study found. does this statement make any sense? they don't back it up at all, just claim that it's true. i ask cause to my mind gasification is absolutely the #1 way to turn farm waste into energy. (so maybe waste isn't the right word, but a better one doesn't come to mind at the moment.) as much as i LOVE diesel powered vehicles, it still seems that the process of growing the plants for oil and then processing it and THEN making biodiesel is much more complicated. of course gasification isn't as mobile, but for other applications i would tend to go that way. of course, this is still armchair stuff - i haven't done any of it yet, but that's coming. thanks erik --- murdoch [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/IndustryInformation/IndustryInformationExternal/NewsDisplayArticle/0,1602,3793,00.html __ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] New technology could turn farm by-products into power
On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 15:52:15 -0800 (PST), you wrote: now i don't understand a statement made on that page, and i suspect it's cause they make assumptions based on large scale, central power rather than small, local systems. This method, called gasification, would be efficient only in large power plants that could each produce enough electricity for more than 140,000 homes, the study found. does this statement make any sense? they don't back it up at all, just claim that it's true. I think I'm in some agreement with with your assessment of this article/situation. They get it as far as having made some progress in putting into place some waste-to-power process for their agricultural community, but they don't get it in their economics assessment, in my view. I think they based this on a study by some economists, mentioned in the article. I took for-granted that the only-large-scale-will-work theme of this article would conflict with the ideas of this group, but I enjoyed seeing any progress at all in the farm-products-to-power effort, and I think there will inevitably be progress in knocking down those assumptions that may need re-thinking as to scale and economics and power-sales. MM Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] SwRI wins EPA contract for development of hybrids
Recepcin. Un Web site aceptable para que utilicemos traducir se parece ser ste: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr De all, soy seguro que alguien puede responder a usted. Tambin, pienso que hay alguna gente biofuel-bien informada aqu quin puede hablar espaol. Sinceramente, MM Welcome. An ok website for us to use to translate seems to be this: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr That website translates your post into this: I am new in this, somebody of all this group speaks or understands Espaol or Aleman.Mi interest in this subject is very new and in Argentina place where alive there is nothing of information that has been able to find on the matter. My question is like are the equipment to gain to the nature the bio-diesel engine to him and as they are the applications in conventional motors or that changes are due to make to them for being able to use them. From there, I'm sure someone can respond to you. Also, I do think there are some biofuel-knowledgeable people here who can speak Spanish. Sincerely, MM --- On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 14:37:13 -0300 (ART), you wrote: Soy nuevo en esto, alguien de todo este grupo habla o entiende Espaol o Aleman.Mi interes en este tema es muy nuevo y en Argentina lugar donde vivo no hay nada de informacion que haya podido encontrar al respecto. Mi pregunta es como son los equipos para ganarle a la naturaleza el bio-diesel y cuales son las aplicaciones en motores convencionales o que cambios se les debe realizar para poder usarlos. My Englisch is not very well, I'm sorry. Saludos Guillermo. Buenos Aires ARGENTINA. --- murdoch [EMAIL PROTECTED] escribi: - The primary focus of this contract will be to test and develop high-efficiency engines with low emissions rates, said Gary Stecklein, director of SwRI's Vehicle and Driveline Research Department. We will test and optimize advanced technology engines, powertrains and hydraulic pump motors. Since 1994, the Vehicle and Driveline Research Department has supported the EPA on improving vehicle and engine designs. That's funny. I thought this was a pro-free-market administration and that the giant auto companies in Detroit and elsewhere needed the breathing room to be responsive to consumer demand and not be forced into making unwanted technologies that were a waste of money. And I thought they didn't need this sort of government handout (I mean: assistance). Sheesh. GM, by their latest statements, wouldn't know the full value or importance of hybrid technology if it showed up as a firm order for 10,000,000 vehicles. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT - Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. Los mejores usados y las ms tentadoras ofertas de 0km estn en Yahoo! Autos. Compr o vend tu auto en http://autos.yahoo.com.ar Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Heat circulation pump to mix 40 gallon reactor
Hi Will a heating circulation pump with 1/10 hp motor be large enough to mix a 40 gallon reactor? I am also planning to use a 750 Watt heating element (the reactor is an inslulated hot water heating tank), Will this heat it quickly enough? One more question. When other people go behind restaurants to empty the 45 gallon drums filled with wvo how do they transfer it. Maybe its too cold in Canada, but none of the pumps I've tried can move this sludge unless its quite warm out. stan Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re: Test Batches and Theory vs Practice
BTW, did you ever get another drum of that Parallel Products Eth? I know you and Dave Shaw were in contact so I wanted to see if it finally got off the ground. Ken and James, I wish that we'd got more accomplished with regards to our ethanol deliveries. I'm finally getting a shop space cleared out for my projects, so I'd be willing to go in on a bulk buy... but what I'm really interesetd in is getting that tanker truck rolling north with 2,500 gallons of ethanol (preferrably denatured with non-petroleum products). I'll be in touch, but I know that the truck's owner has been working on getting his Hazardous Materials Handling license. I don't know why it's taking so long, but we've got people all over the state waiting to store 500 gallons on their farms for internal combustion use and ethyl esters production. I just hope that he's going to sell the fuel at a reasonable price (is $2.25 too much? bearing in mind that it may be cheap to buy *down there* in LA but most of the cost is in transporting it to the Bay Area) cause his main goal is to get this shit out there and in people's tanks. I'll be in touch. Dave Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Re: food for thought
Umm, what are EPs and SIPs? Also, if the inside is 70deg, then shouldn't the insolation next to the inside wall work fine, slowly going down as temps drop toward the outside wall? Also, paper insolation of any kind presents a huge fire hazard,(I'm a firefighter,and have seen it) even the stuff thats supposed to to be treated. So what else is useable? Have seen spayed on foam used in new structures, but wonder what fumes it gives off during its lifetime. And in regard to steel, its too thin to conduct well at the 6 or 9 inch width used. I have seen this personally as a friend has a steel house, and you wouldn't be able to find the studs with checking for warm or cold with you hand, or the infrared viewer(he's tried it). After seeing his house, I'm thinking about one for myself. Its very strong, quiet, and well made all around. His energy bills are about half what mine are for simular footage. My house is a modular, with 6 exterior walls r19, and r-30 in the roof. As for the insulation tests, I think your wrong, I've used fiberglass batts to warm myself when I was building an addition to my house. They worked beautifully, I was toasty in minutes after getting too cold while buiding(house had no heat yet,was just delivered and had to hook it up to gas yet).just my .02 worth Dennis On Wed, 2003-12-31 at 21:37, Steve wrote: More and more local code enforcement agencies really are pushing every new building towards higher insulation values. Only a few major glitches that they seem to not understand or just totally ignore. Tests by researchers show that fiberglass is good at 75 degrees... but has no insulating value at 20 degrees F. Second. How much insulation value is there in a building constructed with Steel studs? Even the building industry admits steel is a super great conductor of heat.. be it into or out of a building. Always enjoy that they put batts between the studs.. and then you get a thermal nose bleed every 16-24 inches. Here is the reprint from Oakridge testing labs Did you know that R-Value testing is done at 72 degrees Fahrenheit with no infiltration/exfiltration, humidity at 40% or lower and with a small temperature change for a short duration? This test, which is the standard R-Value test was designed when the only insulation material being evaluated was fiberglass. It was developed by the Fiberglass industry, so it's hardly surprising that it would favor them. When the conditions of the test are varied fiberglass doesn't do well. For example, at 20 degrees F with 50% humidity, fiberglass is R-0. EPs acually gets higher R-values as the temperatures decrease, and humidity does not affect it at all. The test is an unreliable guide to efficiency. Imagine how effective insulation is when doors and windows are left open. Essentially, infiltration and exfiltration issues are similar. Air and moisture flow through the structure greatly reduce the energy efficiency of the home. SIPs address this issue better than conventional stick or steel frame construction. Blower door tests indicate that SIPs are 20% tighter than very well built stick frame homes and as much as 40% tighter than most conventional construction. If you've ever used a space blanket, you've seen how effective reflective radiant sheeting can be for insulating. Any material which keeps radiant energy from converting to condutive energy is considered good as a radiant barrier. Stick frame, steel studs and masonry are all exceptionally bad at this and SIPs are good at it. Some materials are slow to change temperature- they have inertia to temperature change. Air and metal are very bad at this and non-metallic solids are good at it. SIPs are excellent insulators where thermal mass is a factor. A standard stick or steel frame wall has studs every 16, which translates to about 20% to 25% of the actual surface area. Obviously there is no insulation where the framing is so the less framing, the higher the insulation efficiency. According to Oak Ridge National Labs, this one issue reduces the efficiency of a wood stud wall by 33% and a steel stud wall by as much as 55%. SIPs rate a 7% loss of efficiency. SIPs are generally tighter at the window connections, but teh quality of the window (R-value and low E) is often the most under-rated issue in energy efficiency. If you look at thermographic images of highly energy-efficient homes the loss through windows is striking. Connection details at the corners, wall top and bottom and at openings are another weak spot for energy efficiency in conventional construction which is well-handled in SIPs. As you can see- the real issues of energy efficiency are ignored when R-value is stressed. So as I was dreaming about earlier today.. wouldnt it be lovely if we could all have houses rated at R 45? Yeah pipe dreams for 90% of the buildings going up... ---
[biofuel] State Run Bio-Fuel Factories for mass and economic production to reduce the price!
California new Governor had declared fiscal emergency, because we have this 38 billions deficit. They have to cut more budgets and spending. Application to get licenses for buying and selling power in California had been temporally stopped since last September. Unless it's special circumstances?? I had read the replies from Public Utilities Commission several times and even asked the legal professional to read them, nobody could be sure what they want us to do? Apply or not to apply? Even there are cities are seriously considering to build their own power companies to serve the communities? Don't know which city dare to be the pioneer? Do you think it's a good idea to buy your power from your city? Instead of Edison? Or we can have our own PV or other renewable power systems? California is also a farmer state, maybe our good governor can spare some money to build state own BioFuel factories? And selling those cleaner biofuel to pay for the budget shortfalls? Hey! It's a good business and pretty good profit, because Diesel is a good commodity. We can even export, for God's sake! But we need production in more economic scale to lower the cost, so the BioFuel will be competitive! When there are a lot of protection of domestic industries, why not BioFuel? There are quota system for textile industry and the newly lift Steel anti-dumping duty for the Steel industry? Why nobody is giving domestic BioFuel a little help? Arnold wants to sell more bonds to collect funds, those bonds are IOUs with interests. Next March people will have to vote on that! In this kind of emergency, I think even the government can try some new moves. We need BioFuel and there is not enough of production. Public run Bio Fuel factories sounds okay to me? It's better than import more oil from Middle East! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] methanogenic bacteria
Please suggest methanogenic bacteria we could use to produce methane from water hyacinth..thanks! - Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly...Ping your friends today! Download Messenger Now [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] fwd from Re: [homeenergysolutions] How does double glazing work?
Michael, Yes and no. It is sometimes confusing, but I will try to explain, but first I will give you the link I found to Radiance as follows, http://www.radiancecomfort.com/ If you go to our site http://energysavingnow.com/ and read the introduction, you will also read about how the body function. Hot, warm and cold are descriptions of the human comfort, not necessary a specific air temperature, except for Architects, construction and HVAC engineers. Not only that, but it is a difference between men and women, in the sense that women have an extra layer of fat under the skin. Now I am going to be labelled as male chauvinist, by the feminist movement, but I have to say it. The body is dependent of three major parameters, the radiation/emission, the air temperature and the humidity. The average brain with mentioned professions are limited to one parameter set, so we already here have a very large technical problem. Three environment descriptions, three energy transmission methods and the difference between men and women, not to mention between individuals. Who said that life is easy? In short, yes, the window you describe is very much better. Regardless of heat losses or not. Hakan At 10:12 03/01/2004, you wrote: Thank you, Hakan. I'll look for Radiance brand paints next time I paint. If I understand low-e glass, it helps prevent heat gain but also helps prevent heat loss. It blocks about 3% of the (normal) light gain... down from 75% visible light to 70%. Heat loss/gain is down from 75% to 50%. Combined with the improved insulation value of modern wide-gap windows, it's a consider improvement over old technology windows. Is that not so? - Original Message - From: Hakan Falk [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 9:31 AM Subject: Re: [homeenergysolutions] How does double glazing work? Michael, Low-e stands for low emission and as such it has a general meaning, not only for windows. It is an opposite measurement of reflective an low emission is the same as high reflection in the field we are now talking about. Most building material has a high emission and will absorb heat. Windows with heat reflective, but still transparent, layer are called low-e windows and are used to minimize the addition of heat from the Sun. Since the body uses the emission of surfaces around it to get rid of heat, it is important to keep the body temperature down. If the surfaces reflects the body heat, it will have to use the convection and if this is not enough, it will use transpiration and the airs capacity to absorb humidity by evaporation. Normally titan is used as binding in paint, but a German inventor developed paints where he uses aluminium instead. This way he get low emission (high reflection) of heat. In US those paints are sold under the brand name Radiance. With the lower emission, the air needs to be heated and have a lower temperature for the same comfort. The result is 10 to 15% energy savings and an easy way to improve heating economy. Hakan At 08:17 02/01/2004, you wrote: - Painting of room with low-e paint. Hakan Hakan: This is the first time I've heard of low-e paint. Is this an additive to paint? (I've always thought of E type surfaces where light could pass through.) I have heard that gloss paints (and light colors) tend to reflect a small percentage of heat back... but was never sure if that was so. I'd like to hear more. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] State Run Bio-Fuel Factories for mass and economic production to reduce the price!
Tricia, I was thinking about this and wrote US instead of Australia in my earlier posting. It seems to me that the best use of the present governor is to persuade him to make a couple of state produced movies. That would really make a difference in California's budget and an efficient use of his talents. Hakan At 10:56 03/01/2004, you wrote: California new Governor had declared fiscal emergency, because we have this 38 billions deficit. They have to cut more budgets and spending. Application to get licenses for buying and selling power in California had been temporally stopped since last September. Unless it's special circumstances?? I had read the replies from Public Utilities Commission several times and even asked the legal professional to read them, nobody could be sure what they want us to do? Apply or not to apply? Even there are cities are seriously considering to build their own power companies to serve the communities? Don't know which city dare to be the pioneer? Do you think it's a good idea to buy your power from your city? Instead of Edison? Or we can have our own PV or other renewable power systems? California is also a farmer state, maybe our good governor can spare some money to build state own BioFuel factories? And selling those cleaner biofuel to pay for the budget shortfalls? Hey! It's a good business and pretty good profit, because Diesel is a good commodity. We can even export, for God's sake! But we need production in more economic scale to lower the cost, so the BioFuel will be competitive! When there are a lot of protection of domestic industries, why not BioFuel? There are quota system for textile industry and the newly lift Steel anti-dumping duty for the Steel industry? Why nobody is giving domestic BioFuel a little help? Arnold wants to sell more bonds to collect funds, those bonds are IOUs with interests. Next March people will have to vote on that! In this kind of emergency, I think even the government can try some new moves. We need BioFuel and there is not enough of production. Public run Bio Fuel factories sounds okay to me? It's better than import more oil from Middle East! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Spanish biofuels info - was Re: SwRI wins EPA contract ...
... Also, I do think there are some biofuel-knowledgeable people here who can speak Spanish. Would fluent Spanish-English speakers on the list please contact me offlist: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks! And thankyou for doing that MM. Guillermo wrote: My Englisch is not very well, I'm sorry. Guillermo, please don't apologise, I'm sorry the list is English-only and can't deal with other languages. Any non-native English list members who are too embarrassed about their English to post messages, please don't be, go ahead, nobody will mind. One good thing about English is that even if you speak it badly people can still understand you. That is all this is, just communication, it is not a language test. Thanks Keith Addison Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/ Biofuel list owner Recepcin. Un Web site aceptable para que utilicemos traducir se parece ser ste: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr De all, soy seguro que alguien puede responder a usted. Tambin, pienso que hay alguna gente biofuel-bien informada aqu quin puede hablar espaol. Sinceramente, MM Welcome. An ok website for us to use to translate seems to be this: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr That website translates your post into this: I am new in this, somebody of all this group speaks or understands Espaol or Aleman.Mi interest in this subject is very new and in Argentina place where alive there is nothing of information that has been able to find on the matter. My question is like are the equipment to gain to the nature the bio-diesel engine to him and as they are the applications in conventional motors or that changes are due to make to them for being able to use them. From there, I'm sure someone can respond to you. Also, I do think there are some biofuel-knowledgeable people here who can speak Spanish. Sincerely, MM --- On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 14:37:13 -0300 (ART), you wrote: Soy nuevo en esto, alguien de todo este grupo habla o entiende Espaol o Aleman.Mi interes en este tema es muy nuevo y en Argentina lugar donde vivo no hay nada de informacion que haya podido encontrar al respecto. Mi pregunta es como son los equipos para ganarle a la naturaleza el bio-diesel y cuales son las aplicaciones en motores convencionales o que cambios se les debe realizar para poder usarlos. My Englisch is not very well, I'm sorry. Saludos Guillermo. Buenos Aires ARGENTINA. --- murdoch [EMAIL PROTECTED] escribi: - The primary focus of this contract will be to test and develop high-efficiency engines with low emissions rates, snip Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Happy New Years: And Be Careful What You Eat
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=13ItemID=4774 Happy New Years: And Be Careful What You Eat by Maria Tomchick December 30, 2003 GLOBAL ECONOMICS In the days following the discovery of mad cow disease in Washington State, the U.S. cattle industry has been hard at work trying to calm Americans' fears about tainted meat. Our weak regulatory agencies -- the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- keep telling us that they're doing a good job of protecting us from the ravages of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). But they're wrong. And since most of us don't know where our food really comes from, it's hard to know what's true and what isn't. So here's a little wake-up call, in case you're wondering if you've eaten tainted meat. I grew up on a dairy farm in Washington State. It was a family farm that had about 100 cows and an equal number of young livestock ranging in age from newborn calves to two-year-old heifers ready to give birth to their first calves and enter the milk herd. About 120 cows was the maximum number for us; we simply couldn't milk more animals in a day. There was only so much time, and we had only so much energy. We used some mechanization, but we still had the ability to give the cows a certain amount of individual care, to help the ones that were sick, and to adjust the milking process for cows who needed special attention. What made this particularly important is that my parents were career dairy farmers. Mom didn't have a secretarial job in town and Dad didn't hire out to do contract work just so we could make ends meet. My parents made the business work for them from the 1960s through the mid-1980s while they raised a family. By the time they sold the farm, however, there were fewer and fewer families able to make a living on a dairy farm. They were being displaced by large, commercial, highly mechanized, corporate dairy farms. The cow that tested positive for BSE came from a large corporate farm in Mabton, Washington. The farm has 4,000 animals. Our local newspaper here in Seattle ran a front-page photo of the feed lot on this farm. It was a filthy hole -- a far cry from the loafing sheds and green, productive fields we had on our farm when I was growing up. To milk 4,000 cows every day, twice a day, a farm like that has to turn the animals into cogs in a machine. There's no individual attention. The animals are hooked up to milking machines with timers on them. After about four minutes, the machines turn off and fall on the floor, and that's it. Forget the fact that, depending on the animal, cows need anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes to give all their milk. If a cow finishes in 2 minutes, the machine stays on and the animal suffers -- or she kicks it off, which gets her added to the list of animals headed for the slaughterhouse. If a cow needs more time, forget it, she suffers, gives less milk, under-performs, and goes on the list of animals headed for the slaughterhouse. Back in the 1980s, I remember my parents' shock after reading that, on average, cows live only 2 years on commercial, corporate farms. We were appalled at the thought that big farms were sending their young, 4-year-old cows to the butcher. In our minds, that was a failure. Cows don't even reach their full growth until they're 5 years old, when they hit their prime and give the most milk. The waste is simply unimaginable. And we understood that cows can get sick and have a bad year, and so we gave our animals a second chance. On our farm, cows often lived 10 or 15 years and, in the case of two or three really stubborn ones, they sometimes lived nearly 20 years. Now, it takes about 5-7 years for symptoms of BSE to appear in an infected cow. If, however, most corporate dairy farms are sending their abused, used-up, broken-down cows off to the slaughterhouse at younger and younger ages -- before they reach the key 5-year mark -- then no amount of testing is going to make the meat supply safe. A ban on butchering downer cows (animals that stagger, can't walk, or exhibit other signs of BSE) will make no difference, either. And holding sick animals in quarantine while they're being tested won't work, not unless we want to quarantine and test all young cattle sent to slaughter or ban all animals younger than 7 years old. Experts like to remind us that there have been no confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (the human form of spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States. That's technically true, but in practice, it's a lie. Every year, 300 new cases of CJD are diagnosed in the U.S. It's a diagnosis of elimination. After a person comes down with the symptoms, he or she is tested for a variety of neurological disorders. When those come up negative and the disease begins to progress rapidly, the diagnosis becomes CJD. None of these cases are ever confirmed, because the only way to
[biofuel] Conservation at All Costs - How Industry-Backed Environmentalism Creates Violent Conflict Among Indigenous Peoples
http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=9449 CorpWatch.org Conservation at All Costs How Industry-Backed Environmentalism Creates Violent Conflict Among Indigenous Peoples By Shefa Siegel Special to CorpWatch December 22, 2003 Photo: Cartoonist: Khalil Bendib Inside the two room mud house there is shade from the relentless equatorial sun. Ekufa Muwesha, the embattled Wai Wai chief-or Toshao-of Parabara Landing, reclines gracefully in a double-weave hammock, one leg dangling over the side as he gently sways. At times he talks so quietly I have to strain to hear him, but the softness in his voice does nothing to diminish the weight of his words. This may start a war if the protected area is established, Ekufa explains. In the summer of 2002, Toshao Ekufa met secretly with Washington-based Conservation International and signed his name to a controversial letter requesting that Parabara become the northernmost border of the proposed Southern Guyana Protected Area. This appeal, intended to signal the consent of the region's Amerindian tribes to the Guyanese government's conservation process, triggered the announcement that Conservation International would serve as the so-called management authority during the creation of a protected area the size of New Jersey. But instead of confirming Amerindian consent, the announcement provoked heated opposition among local village leaders and national Amerindian rights advocates, and a potentially violent response within Parabara. Dissenters argued that the region's second, more populous tribe, the Wapishana, were excluded when CI's CEO Peter Seligmann announced that A key component of the [conservation] process would be involvement of stakeholders, including the Wai Wais, and that the informal consultation process that took place with the Wai Wai prior to the announcement had violated the Guyanese law which requires a majority vote of the village council prior to agreements affecting community lands. Among Wapishanas living in Parabara the sense of betrayal was so profound that news of Ekufa's move raised cries not only for his dismissal as village leader, but for his head. One Wapishana proposed hoisting Ekufa's severed head on a pole in the center of the village, offering that He can rule that way. Another villager suggested Ekufa's limbs be tied and his body cast into a canoe and floated downriver. Ekufa responded by threatening violence against Wapishanas. Beyond this inter-tribal conflict, for people living in the remote region CI's singular focus on protected areas fails to address the more immediate fear that several industrial gold mines poised to begin production could potentially devastate the local rivers which serve as the basis for the local economic survival. Amerindians in Guyana are no strangers to cyanide disasters from gold mines: in the 1990s Guyana was the site of one of the world's worst-ever cyanide spills when a tailings dam operated by the Canadian company, Cambior, burst from overuse and spread cyanide across the country's central waterway. We don't have any problem with conservation, says Toshao Tony James, whose village near one of the mines would be devastated by cyanide pollution. It's in our interest to learn how to conserve our resources properly. But why is it that when it comes to this mine that could destroy our communities and have us fighting each other like dogs for whatever's left, CI does nothing? Where are they when it counts? Ironically, one look at a map shows that a spill into one of the area's rivers would bring cyanide directly into the proposed protected area. Trouble in a Land of Plenty Although it falls so far below the media radar most people assume it's in Africa, Guyana is one of few the remaining jewels in the scramble for tropical timber and mineral products. Located on the forgotten northern coast of South America, a single rutted road pierces a hinterland which remains eighty-percent jungle. The country's highways are its rivers. Guyana's maze of riverways literally flows with golden water that wends through forests so abundant one word-plenty-quickens every conversation; rivers are filled with plenty piranha; there are plenty mosquitoes in the next village; a tarantula bite hurts plenty; streets are covered with plenty mango. First settled by the Wapishana family of Henry Lawrence in the early 1980s, Parabara Landing, in southern Guyana, is a small village of 75 souls tucked into the jungle at the end of the battered road that connects the country's vast northern and southern rainforests. The Wai Wai and Wapishana live side-by-side in thatched-roof houses perched along the bank of the Kuyuwini River. Until recently, the two tribes coexisted in relative peace, sharing resources and political control, intermarrying freely, and even collaborating on their overlapping, unrecognized land claims to Parabara's watershed by teaching
[biofuel] The Cow Jumped Over the U.S.D.A.
See also: http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/ba2000-12-14.htm Interview - 2000.12.14 Unhappy meals Eric Schlosser, an award-winning investigative journalist, uncovers the dark side of the all-American meal http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/rollingstone1.html Rolling Stone magazine (USA), Issue 794, September 3rd 1998 Fast-Food Nation: The True Cost Of America's Diet By National Magazine Award winner Eric Schlosser -- http://organicconsumers.org/madcow/usda1204.cfm The Cow Jumped Over the U.S.D.A. by Eric Schlosser [author of 'Fast Food Nation'] January 2, 2004 The New York Times Alisa Harrison has worked tirelessly the last two weeks to spread the message that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, is not a risk to American consumers. As spokeswoman for Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, Ms. Harrison has helped guide news coverage of the mad cow crisis, issuing statements, managing press conferences and reassuring the world that American beef is safe. For her, it's a familiar message. Before joining the department, Ms. Harrison was director of public relations for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the beef industry's largest trade group, where she battled government food safety efforts, criticized Oprah Winfrey for raising health questions about American hamburgers, and sent out press releases with titles like Mad Cow Disease Not a Problem in the U.S. Ms. Harrison may well be a decent and sincere person who feels she has the public's best interest at heart. Nonetheless, her effortless transition from the cattlemen's lobby to the Agriculture Department is a fine symbol of all that is wrong with America's food safety system. Right now you'd have a hard time finding a federal agency more completely dominated by the industry it was created to regulate. Dale Moore, Ms. Veneman's chief of staff, was previously the chief lobbyist for the cattlemen's association. Other veterans of that group have high-ranking jobs at the department, as do former meat-packing executives and a former president of the National Pork Producers Council. The Agriculture Department has a dual, often contradictory mandate: to promote the sale of meat on behalf of American producers and to guarantee that American meat is safe on behalf of consumers. For too long the emphasis has been on commerce, at the expense of safety. The safeguards against mad cow that Ms. Veneman announced on Tuesday -- including the elimination of downer cattle (cows that cannot walk) from the food chain, the removal of high-risk material like spinal cords from meat processing, the promise to introduce a system to trace cattle back to the ranch -- have long been demanded by consumer groups. Their belated introduction seems to have been largely motivated by the desire to have foreign countries lift restrictions on American beef imports. Worse, on Wednesday Ms. Veneman ruled out the the most important step to protect Americans from mad cow disease: a large-scale program to test the nation's cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The beef industry has fought for nearly two decades against government testing for any dangerous pathogens, and it isn't hard to guess why: when there is no true grasp of how far and wide a food-borne pathogen has spread, there's no obligation to bear the cost of dealing with it. The United States Department of Agriculture is by no means the first such body to be captured by industry groups. In Europe and Japan the spread of disease was facilitated by the repeated failure of government ministries to act on behalf of consumers. In Britain, where mad cow disease was discovered, the ministry of agriculture misled the public about the risks of the disease from the verybeginning. In December 1986, the first government memo on the new pathogen warned that it might have severe repercussions to the export trade and possibly also for humans and thus all news of it was to be kept confidential. Ten years later, when Britons began to fall sick with a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome, thought to be the human form of mad cow, Agriculture Minister Douglas Hogg assured them that British beef is wholly safe. It was something of a shock, three months later, when the health minister, Stephen Dorrell, told Parliament that mad cow disease might indeed be able to cross the species barrier and sicken human beings. In the wake of that scandal, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Japan banned imports of British beef -- yet they denied for years there was any risk of mad cow disease among their own cattle. Those denials proved false, once widespread testing for the disease was introduced. An investigation by the French Senate in 2001 found that the Agriculture Ministry minimized the threat of mad cow and constantly sought to prevent or delay the introduction of precautionary measures that might have had an adverse effect on the
Re: [biofuel] more folk upset about their small producer challenges
On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 13:57:41 -, you wrote: http://www.biofuels.coop/blog/archives/15.html Thanks for posting this. I have passed it on a bit. A few thoughts: The plight of this person, who merely wants to do business, to be entrepeneurial and productive and ambitious and inventive and meticulousit's really a lesson. We seem to have come a long way from the America where Rockefeller and Ford built their Empires. Were Rockefeller starting out today, I doubt he'd be able to do it. Were Edison alive today, I wonder if he wouldn't be laughed out of most of the efforts he made, with his lack of a Ph.D. and all. With all the disagreements and statements that come out of U.S. Energy Policy Bill debates (which may not seem very inspiring, but at least it's public discussion of Energy policy, which is more than we've had in the past), we don't seem to hear anything that addresses the issues raised by this person. Biofuel policy discussions seem to be dominated by Big-Ethanol-Related debates. Pity. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Honduras Proposal
Hello all! Im working with the www.sustainablesolutionscaravan.org We have been lucky enough to be invited to present ideas for renewable fuels to the Minister of Energy of Honduras and the Minister of Transportation. There is some debate in our group as to the best solutions to propose for the widescale production of vegetable oils for biodiesel and/or SVO. We are firmly rooted in the principals of Permaculture and seek ideas on oil crops that fit this paradigm. Also, there has been alot of talk lately about algae oil. Any leads or low downs on the production of algae oil are highly sought after. Any information on biodiesel, SVO, ethanol and other renewable fuels in SPANISH or even english are much appreciated. Thanks so much. Ryan Grace. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Re: Ethanol Deliveries (was Test Batches... )
on 1/2/04 9:34 PM, Dave Shaw at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ken and James, I wish that we'd got more accomplished with regards to our ethanol deliveries. I'm finally getting a shop space cleared out for my projects, so I'd be willing to go in on a bulk buy... but what I'm really interesetd in is getting that tanker truck rolling north with 2,500 gallons of ethanol Hoo Yeah! . we've got people all over the state waiting to store 500 gallons on their farms for internal combustion use and ethyl esters production. I just hope that he's going to sell the fuel at a reasonable price (is $2.25 too much?) I'm putting together a small buy from Parallel Products as soon as the holidays are over -- four 15 gal. poly drums on a pallette. Price is right around your figure, but the freight is hefty, of course. If anyone wanted experimental quantities in the Bay Area, I could sell a little of it at cost (incl. freight). I emailed David Blume at alcoholcanbeagas cuz someone mentioned they were going to start a fuel ethanol depot in Santa Cruz, but he never responded. Another long shot might be to try to hook up with the oil refineries in North Bay -- they get railcars full of fuel grade EtOH from the Midwest, to blend with gasoline. Last year they didn't know what I was talking about, but now they might. -K Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Patrick Bedard's Somewhat Poorly Researched Article on EVs and Demand For Them
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=27article_id=7606page_number=1 Didn't know about this until Paul mentioned it. Some of the keys here in my view: 1. The EV1 was never (never) offered for sale. It was leased, and then only to a small number of people, on a very limited scale, only after you were vetted as a suitable leasor. *All* available ones were leased, and waiting-lists existed. 2. The RAV4 EV's supposedly poor sales were pretty good when you consider the low number of dealers allowed to offer them, and the other factors that inhibited purchase. 10 vehicles per dealer in 6 months doesn't seem that bad to me, considering the unbelievably limited nature of the program and the marketing and so forth. All available ones were sold or leased, and waiting-lists still exist, whether Toyota acknowledges this or not. As to the manufacturer's cost per vehicle *whatever*. I mean, that's it? You just take everything that every large company tells you at face value? *All* of the better highway-capable EVs that were offered over the last 10 years were leased or sold. The way in which they were offered was sometimes *anti*-sales and *anti*-lease oriented. The programs and availability were so limited, and the manufacturers' anti-sales delaying tactics were so obvious that I cannot draw the same conclusions that Mr. Bedard draws. A recurring theme in Mr. Bedard's discussions is his contempt for Enviros. He should realize that not all EV fans can so easily be categorized as Enviros, and that furthermore it is he and his supposed anti-enviros who occupy the anti-free-market-anti-competition-anti-consumer-demand position here. He seems satisfied that he has been given the straight dope by the manufacturers, so what does he give a damn that they have obviously told him only 2/3 of the story, or that they have contradicted themselves? He's always been a bit of a fan of muscle-cars (at least that is my recollection) and I can only hope that, at some point, Mr. Gage or someone else seriously embarrasses him with a fast EV. Better yet, let them give him and his colleagues an extended test-drive over several days or weeks and see if any of them decide to try to endorse production of the vehicle. It is Car and Driver, and other similar car magazines, which have for years been touting extremely-limited-production fairly-useless super-cars, without fretting so much about limited demand or high price or high manufacturer cost. They don't seem to care so much about limited markets when it comes to Ferraris. Then why care about limited markets for tzeros? I don't fault Mr. Bedard for questioning whether or not EVs might be in demand by consumers, but I think he cuts the manufacturers an absurd amount of slack (to the point of poor journalism) in his evaluation of that question by swallowing so much of what they feed him. When a good highway-capable EV is offered for sale at an affordable price, nationally or worldwide, without the hassle (something that is taken for granted in the sale of regular cars) then I guess we'll see if there's any demand. I think it would be limted, but I think it would exist. Certainly I think it will exist for PIHEVs. Until it happens that such vehicle are offered for sale *in the manner I have described*, the argument is one of speculation. When such arguments take place, the limited available data should be treated with a bit more care, rather than just buying what a Toyota official tells you. MM On Thu, 1 Jan 2004 14:06:05 -0800, you wrote: Felix, This is great news! Thanks for forwarding it. Are you planning on coming down for the LA Auto show? We're planning a joint parade of hybrids, EVs and bio-diesel vehicles. We are also writing a thorough response to Patrick Bedard's article in the January issue of Car Driver. It was a typical horrendous sounding of the death knell for EVs, full of lies and distortions. We intend to pass our responses out to the press at the show since it's highly unlikely Car Driver would print it. Once we get going on it, I'll include you in on the group helping to write it. Cheers, Paul Great New Year's gift Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Honduras Proposal
Hello all! Im working with the www.sustainablesolutionscaravan.org We have been lucky enough to be invited to present ideas for renewable fuels to the Minister of Energy of Honduras and the Minister of Transportation. There is some debate in our group as to the best solutions to propose for the widescale production of vegetable oils for biodiesel and/or SVO. We are firmly rooted in the principals of Permaculture and seek ideas on oil crops that fit this paradigm. Also, there has been alot of talk lately about algae oil. Any leads or low downs on the production of algae oil are highly sought after. Any information on biodiesel, SVO, ethanol and other renewable fuels in SPANISH or even english are much appreciated. http://journeytoforever.org/energiaweb/ Pàgina de la Energia, en especial de las renovables ( biodiesel/hidrogeno ) y de la elÚctrica . http://journeytoforever.org/energiaweb/elaboracion.htm ELABORACIN CASERA DE BIODIESEL Best Keith Thanks so much. Ryan Grace. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re: State Run Bio-Fuel Factories for mass and economic production to reduce the
--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Hakan Falk [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Tricia, I was thinking about this and wrote US instead of Australia in my earlier posting. It seems to me that the best use of the present governor is to persuade him to make a couple of state produced movies. That would really make a difference in California's budget and an efficient use of his talents. Hakan Hakan, That is hilarious!!! Great idea, we should drop a line to Arnie. Back to the serious issue Tricia was bringing up, my trajectory towards developing a regional biofuels program in the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay area is based on other forms of public and semi-private funding (community foundations, DoE, Agricultural Departments, etc.). Having the state budget in decay doesn't help but at the same time it is a source of funding that we are not relying on (though we certainly can use all the help we can get). Why nobody is giving domestic BioFuel a little help? new moves. We need BioFuel and there is not enough of production. Public run Bio Fuel factories sounds okay to me? It's better than import more oil from Middle East! Thankfully we will not be inconvenienced (much) by the states' unwillingness to give out new licenses to sell electricity back to the grid. Trisha, you can bet that the city of Santa Cruz or Berkeley would be willing to stick their heads out on the line to forward a progressive stance on the issue. (Though I don't know of any public works power projects in progress that would cause them to do so.) Deconstructing our energy monstrosity won't be easy. It's a many-headed hydra. The governments are not going to give us *too much* help though they *cannot* stop us. Only roadblocks. Becuase there is a strong consumer market for fuels like biodiesel, and therefore as you stated, not enough production, we *will* see more biodiesel production facilites. Will they be publically owned, or will they be Edison owned. That's up to whoever organizes the facility in your area. The business folks are often more ahead of the game than the activists (who are sometimes caught up complaining), but in my area I've beat them to it. *Noone's* putting in a biofuel facility in our county without me hearing about it ;) Public Power to the People! Dave Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Used motor oil
Gasoline Fumes wrote: Hi, I just joined the group. I'm very interested in making biodiesel, but have a question about using used motor oil as a diesel fuel. I know it wouldn't be bio, but it seems like a good way to get rid of the oil. Can it be converted to diesel fuel using the same methods as SVO? Or is there another way? And how clean would it burn? If you're going to use waste motor oil as fuel the first thing you want to do is filter the heck out of it. Run it through a 5 micron filter. And then run it through again. Then just run it about a gallon or so per tankful of diesel. It _will_ crud up your fuel filter, though not badly so. AP Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re: Honduras Proposal
Hello all! Im working with the www.sustainablesolutionscaravan.org Ryan, Glad to hear the trip is doing well. (For all those in the group, the caravan did an amazing biofuels/permaculture *puppet show* for over 50 people at my trailer park to begin their tour towards Costa Rica.) I would *love* to organize another (paid?) showing for ya'll when/if you are coming through our town again. Let me know. There are a few pictures of your performance (and some wide smiles in the audience) online at: http://www.santacruzcat.org/downloads/caravan/ Dave Shaw Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Re-insurer counts cost of global warming
On Sun, 4 Jan 2004 02:21:26 +0900, you wrote: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1018055.htm . 30/12/2003. ABC News Online Tuesday, December 30, 2003. 1:19pm (AEDT) Re-insurer counts cost of global warming Good. Thx for posting this. MM Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
