[Biofuel] The Iraq math: how many dead civilians are worth a bad guy
Hello all, One more reason to abhor all war is the corruption of the human soul it actively abets and encourages. How can any normal human beings think in terms of a trade off of 'good' lives versus 'bad' lives ? Who vests these petty puppets with the power of life over hapless millions, whose only fault is that they happen to be born in an oil rich country ? Like all human conflict, the inhuman Iraq war has substantially diminished the human spirit, both of the conqueror and the conquered, in thought, word and deed. Puts you in mind of other 'theatres' of war such as Palestine, Lebanon, Darfur, Kurukshetra etc., etc. balaji http://www.indianexpress.com/story/233904.html NEW YORK, OCTOBER 29: US commanders prosecuting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq make macabre calculations as to how many civilian casualties could be justified in taking out an enemy target. If the number is higher, they might be required to contact and get approval of the political leadership, CBS Television Network reported in its investigative report on Sunday. The air strikes in both countries are planned in a highly classified facility in a Gulf country, which the report did not identify for security reasons. There's this macabre kind of calculation that the military makes on every air strike, where they try to figure out how many dead civilians is a dead bad guy worth, Marc Garlasco, who knows the calculus of civilian casualties well. At the Pentagon, Garlasco was chief of high value targeting at the start of the Iraq war. He said his team was authorised to kill a set number of civilians around high-value targets like Saddam Hussein and his leadership. Our number was 30. So, for example, Saddam Hussein. If you're going to kill up to 29 people in a strike against Saddam Hussein, that's not a problem, Garlasco explained. But once you hit that number 30, we actually had to go to either President Bush, or (the then) Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld. Before the invasion of Iraq, he said he recommended 50 air strikes aimed at high-value targets - Iraqi officials. But none of the targets on the list were actually killed, he admitted. Instead, a couple of hundred civilians at least were killed. Asked if so much care is being taken, why so many civilians are getting killed, Garlasco said because the Taliban were violating international law and because the US just does not have enough troops on the ground. You have the Taliban shielding in people's homes. And you have this small number of troops on the ground. And sometimes the only thing they can do is drop bombs, he said. I don't think people really appreciate the gymnastics that the US military goes through in order to make sure that they're not killing civilians, Garlasco said. Air Force Col Gary Crowder, Deputy Director of the Combined Air Operations Centre, said: We rely on... commanders to make the assessment at the time of what the requirement is. He assesses the proportionality. He assesses the validity of the military target. Asked what he means by proportionality, Crowder replied: If we know that there is a sniper on a roof and the roof is in the middle of a mosque, which is a protected site or in the middle of a very populated area, then dropping a 2,000 pound weapon on that would not be proportional to going after the sniper. Two men with AK-47s run into a house. Do you bomb the house? CBS asked. In some circumstances, we will bomb the house, said Crowder. It is entirely dependent upon the circumstances on the ground, and the ground commander's assessment of that particular situation. Asked how many times an strike is called off at the last minute, Crowder said, thousands and thousands of times a month. We look very, very often, we tracked some of the insurgent leaders we will track for days and days on end. And we are prepared to strike them at any moment. But we can never get all of the criteria necessary. -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/attachments/20071031/ca7aa212/attachment.html ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Biodiesel from Algae
Hello Doug, - Original Message - From: doug swanson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2006 12:33 AM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Worldwide oil consumption seen soaring When we first started hearing about Hydrogen, there had been relatively little research done on the difficulties that we are faced with when considering Hydrogen. Since then, there have been remarkable discoveries in the use of catalysts for brreaking the water molecule that assist in providing more bang for the buck. This reduces some of the energy in vs. the energy out equation, which still isn't as energy effective as fuels for which we already have infrastructure in place. TiO2 comes readily to mind. One way out, particularly for bypassing the low volumeteric energy density of H2 and hence the need for very storage pressures, is to use direct methanol fuel cells. I think nuclear has its place. And if you look up on a sunny day, you'll see the place I'm talking about. I feel that there will likely be some thinking outside the box discoveries (or in some cases, old ideas revisited) that will enable a more efficient conversion from solar nuclear to a transportable fuel in the future. To my way of thinking, biofuels are a stepping stone out of the stone age, where we will no longer depend on combustion for travel. A hundred years from now, our current hopes and designs for Hydrogen will probably be seen as yet another of those stepping stones to an efficient transportation system that doesn't leave behind toxins that generations for the rest of time will bear the consequences of. One of the cleanest and most effective transformations I can think of between the solar nuclear source, and the transportable fuel we use is photosynthesis, and nature has experience doing this... Waste products are used and recycled in the natural cycle. Imagine if we could duplicate the process... Carbon dioxide and water go in, solar energy is applied, and hydrocarbons and oxygen come out. This is exactly what goes on in an open pond/photobioreactor when assisted by CO2 supply. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0111/p01s03-sten.html Building on NREL's Aquatic Species Programme, Dr. Isaac Berzin, an ex-MIT chemical engineer and CTO of Greenfuels Corp,. has estabished a 30 tube photobioreactor at MIT's 20 MW NG based cogen Power plant to convert CO2 in the flue gases into microalgae in the presence of sunlight (from the original nuclear reactor, Surya). He is now conducting scale up studies at 1000 MW plant.. He is not alone in this, others like Dr, Bayless of Greenshift Corp. Ohio University are working on more cost effective alternatives to achieve the same purpose. http://www.irccm.de/greenhouse/project.html The Universtiy of Bremen, alongwith Blue BioTech is also conducting similar studies on a 300 MW Power plant. The idea seems to particularly appeal to the pertroleum industry which is now faced with the inevitable. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/06/petrosun_drilli.html PetroSun Drilling, an emerging provider of oilfield services to major and independent producers of oil and natural gas, has formed Algae BioFuels Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary. All these efforts are predicated on the much higher photosynthetic efficiency of microalgae (~ 5%) leading to much higher oil yields per acre @ 20-30 times compared to Tree Borne Oilseeds. Algae seem to be slowly coming out of the pond slime into the mainstream to claim their rightful place in the sun ;-) Someone will figure it out, probably even get a patent on something nature has been doing forever, a tree in your front yard will be seen as a patent infringement... LOL doug swanson snip Regards balaji ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Indian farmers oppose Bt brinjal
Hello List members, At last we Indians seem to be finally waking up from Bt Cotton induced stupor. + INDIA: STOP BT BRINJAL!Hundreds of people from all over India have signed a letter asking India's regulatory body, GEAC, to refrain from approving the planned field trials of Bt brinjal (aubergine/eggplant). They ask the following pertinent questions:***Is India starved of brinjal?***Did any citizen/ consumer ever complain of a short supply of brinjal?***Why should anybody consume Bt brinjal when conventional and hybrid brinjal is plentifully available in every season?In addition, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary, leader of the farmers' organization, Bharat Krishak Samaj, has written a letter to GEAC questioning its plan to trial Bt brinjal. BKS demands that before releasing Bt brinjal, GEAC:***publishes full details of safety studies***proves it has tightened up biosafety practices since numerous biosafety violations were exposed in existing GM trials***investigates and reports on the reported allergies among workers exposed to Bt, and the deaths in sheep and goats that grazed on Bt cotton.Dr Chaudhary said, "Bt cotton has failed in this country. It hasn't reduced dependence on pesticides. How can they think of introducing Bt brinjal when farmers in Andhra are afraid to take their cattle through Bt cotton crop as they claim it leads to deaths?" A civil society delegation comprising of people from more than ten brinjal-growing states met Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, the minister for health, on 14 June to impress upon him that "India is not a guinea pig for Bt brinjal". The delegation, drawn from a network called Coalition for GM-Free India, consists of representatives from leading farmers' organisations, consumer organisations, organic farming groups, unions, NGOs working on sustainable agriculture, and representatives from the medical fraternity.And more than 500 organic farmers have declared that they will not allow GM food crops in India. The declaration came at a convention organized by the Tamilnadu Organic Agriculturist Federation, India's biggest organic body, formed under the presidency of Sri G Nammalvar, a farmer-scientist.http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6633http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6637http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6639+ BT COTTON - "NO MAJOR FALL IN PESTICIDE CONSUMPTION"India's pesticide industry says it is pretty relaxed about Bt cotton because it is not causing any significant drop in pesticide use. What drop there is has been offset by an increase in herbicide use with Bt cotton, says an article for Iris News Digest. The article says, http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6628+ TOP OFFICIALS FINED IN INDIA IN BT COTTON CASEThere's been an important development in relation to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that's currently before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court in India. The PIL relates to the plight of the 540 poor cotton farmers in the state of Maharashtra who took their lives during the last cotton-growing season, the vast majority of whom were growers of GM (Bt) cotton.The court has now come down heavily on the state government and its bureaucrats for their negligence and failure to comply with the orders of the court to file a reply to the PIL.The Divisional Bench of the High Court has imposed costs and fines on the chief secretary and twelve other leading state officials to be paid out of their salaries. If they fail to pay the fines, they'll face proceedings for contempt of court.The raft of issues the PIL probes includes:***the role of state officers in promoting Bt cotton which resulted in the failure of [the] crop***the involvement of state officials in inducing poor farmers to cultivate Bt cotton.The PIL also asks for the state to be directed to take appropriate action against the Bt cotton seeds companies to force them to compensate the families of poor farmers who took their lives.http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6636 Regards balaji ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Renewables in India
Hello Keith, Pan and all, Apologies for my long silence and less than quick responses to some earlier posts, particularly on abiogenic petroleum, which need further research. I hope to soon make amends. It has been pouring whole lakeful(l)s on Chennai this season and the past week has been one long stretch of continual pounding from the skies. Haven't had rains like this since the Eighties. The raingods seem to have quaffed too much local beer and are venting their overblown bladders on the hapless populace, which can't even run for cover as homes are already under several feet of water. All these years , the friendly neighbouring states of Karnataka Tamilnadu were fighting over rights to the measly waters flowing down the Kaveri and are now equally active performing reverse somersaults on why dams should or should not be raised. Good news in the meanwhile on the renewables front. http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=40008 With 7000 MW of renewable energy grid power capacity currently installed in India -- representing 7 percent of the total installed grid power in the country -- and wind power alone contributing 4 percent with an installed capacity of 4225 MW, the country's Minister for Non-Conventional Energy Sources announced that India ranks fourth after Germany, the U.S. and Spain. A few days back some of the oil biggies in India issued tenders for B100 under the government mandate of 20% BD blending with High Speed Diesel. But going by the experience of sugar mills, which were offered below-cost prices by the same biggies for anhydrous ethanol for similarly mandated blending with gasoline (petrol), one is cautious in optimism. Regards balaji ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] jatropha curcas
Hello Doug, Isabel, Edible provenances of Jatropha curcas from Veracruz and Quintana Roo States of Mexico were investigated by Makkar, Becker and Schmook of the University of Hohenheim and found to be non toxic to humans after roasting. Phorbol esters, the major toxic constituents of Jatropha, were altogether absent in three of the seed samples and the contents of trypsin inhibitors, phorbol esters, phytate were all lower in the roasted nuts, which tasted like roasted peanuts. However, lectin activity was not reduced by roasting. They concluded that this non-toxic variety could be cultivated in developing countries for their edible oil, and seedcake as fodder. http://www.jatropha.de/schmook1.htm The presence ofa new tumor promoter in theseed oil of JatrophacurcasL has been reported in theJapanese Journal of Cancer Research by Hirota M, M Suttajit et al from Thailand but there is not much else besides this singular study. A debate is now on in the new state of Chattisgarh in India about the advisability of cultivating Jatropha because of this. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/113032/1/1897 Those interested in Jatropha would do well to visit www.jatropha.de run by the redoubtable Reinhard Henning (who incidentally, used to post to this list- please see archives) andThe Centre for Jatropha Promotion www.jatrophaworld.com The former site provides links to Jatropha developments in Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Namibia, Republique de Cote de Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda besides other countries. Regards balaji - Original Message - From: lres1 To: Biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 12:02 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] jatropha curcas Maybe some one there can help here as well. There are or seem to be two thoughts on the growing of Physic nut/Jatropha Curcas. One is that the Asian variety has a Carcinogenic property producing cells in skin tissue from contact with the plant or some parts thereof. The second is that the type found in Mexico does not have the above character. Is this amyth? Doug - Original Message - From: isabel taylor To: Biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 4:00 AM Subject: [Biofuel] jatropha curcas ***No virus was detected in the attachment no filenameNo virus was detected in the attachment no filenameNo virus was detected in the attachment no filenameYour mail has been scanned by InterScan.***-*** Hi Keith It seems as if you don't think it is a good idea to use Jatropha as a source to produce bio diesel from? When I originally posed the question I only received a few messages and none of them was negative. Maybe I missed something! As I originally explained we know nothing about producing bio diesel and that is whywe posted our original questions and gave a brief explanation why we though it would be best to use jatropha. We have literally read every article we can find about producing bio diesel and to date have not found in our opinion any crop better suited for us to produce bio diesel from, as a matter fact it seems from what we have read that jatropha is the number one choice world wide to produce bio diesel from. You obviously have a lot of experience knowledge regarding producing bio diesel as well as what to use to do so. Therefore If you believe jatropha is not the way to go it would be greatly appreciated if you would sayso why you think so, because as I have said before we are asking foradvice and if youhave reasonsto believethat jatropha is unsuitable I would like to know about themso as to enable us to make a fully enlightened decision. Kind regards. Isabel. ___Biofuel mailing listBiofuel@sustainablelists.orghttp://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.orgBiofuel at Journey to Forever:http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.htmlSearch the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___Biofuel mailing listBiofuel@sustainablelists.orghttp://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.orgBiofuel at Journey to Forever:http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.htmlSearch the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
