Ralph, Answers to your questions are laced within your text:
> I just read an article in the Sunday paper distributed by Associated Press about the lobbying efforts of farmers to mandate the use of biodiesel as an additive in diesel fuel. ****I believe you are referring to this article? ****"Farmers Want Veggie Fuel Mandated, Subsidized" http://www.soyatech.com/bluebook/news/viewarticle.ldml?article=20010501-9 > Unfortunately, the press is somewhat bad. It states that biodiesel costs three times as much to produced as diesel. Is that a right amount? It also states that that biodiesel is not a cleaner energy than natural gas??? and that it will "slow the switch" to natural gas??? **** It depends who is attempt to gouge whom. **** No references to biodiesel in this article are for "true biodiesel." They all apply to bastardized blends of fossil diesel and bio-diesel and are erroneously misrepresented as fact for "100% biodiesel." **** Natural gas is non-renewable. No one wants to issue any comment as to elevated gas prices in the future, the economic and environmental cost of changing an entire infrastructure or what will become the substitute fuel of choice for natural gas when supplies begin to dwindle or become too costly. ***********Did we not just go through this drill last winter? Why does no one wish to pay attention? Or is it just selective memory loss?********************* ****Neither is anyone making comment as to the carbon debt from combusted natural gas, opposed to carbon neutral "true biodiesel," or carbon storage when deriving biodiesel from tree oils. > The gang is all there to fight. It seems from the article that truckers, railroads, environmentalists and the airlines have teamed up to fight legislation against its mandatory use. **** They can quibble, whimper, whine and throw tantrums, but they cannot stop its use or production at the agricultural manufacturing level, nor its inevitable incursion on scale into the balance of the market. After a few more plants are in place, all these "activists" (read "special interests") railing against biodiesel will be investing their loose change in new biodiesel production and industries that consume biodiesel. > My question is this, does biodiesel costs three times as much to produce? (will it drive up the cost of diesel and aviation fuel) Doesn't the emissions from a 20% biodiesel/diesel mixture reduce pollution?(and hopefully meet the new standards set for year 2007 EPA regs). Finally what is the subsidized ethanol pricing? **** NO. This high a cost is being attributed primarily due to the present market distribution system (read "middle men and logistics"), which ups the end cost to consumers considerably. At a manufacturing profit of $0.50 a gallon, an absolutely phenomenal value, biodiesel from virgin soy oil would be no more than $2.48 a gallon with all state and federal road taxes included and no tax credits. This revolves around a trade price of $0.15 a pound for the oil. **** Produced on economies of scale throughout the marketplace, a realistic "present day" cost for road taxed 100% biodiesel would be less than $2.00 a gallon US. **** When farmers coop in small numbers to produce biodiesel on a small economy of scale, approximately 1,500 gallons daily and utilize the lower costs of feed from the grain milled on site, reduced cost of transportation of grain to terminals, reduced capital equipment costs for transport, resale of crude glycerin to refiners, fueling the facility using biomass or biofuels for boilers and winter heat (no lack of this on the farm), the cost of biodiesel can easily be in the realm of $1.10 a gallon for offroad, agricultural and heating use. ****This is ~$0.18 a gallon less than what farmers presently are paying for untaxed off-road fossil diesel. The "equation" does not take into consideration the opportunity to utilize ethanol in the manufacture of biodiesel or the potential to refine the glycerin "on site" or in conjuction with adjacent cooperatives and derive the high market value for food grade glycerin. Both would further enhance a farmer's profit margin per bushel. **** YES. Even B-20 is cleaner than fossil diesel. ****Again, what you are seeing with the mis- and dis-information are special interests who see the potential for their exclusion from the distribution chain or others who initially believe that they have something to lose as a result of a broadened infusion of biodiesel into the market. ****Even the Sierra Club is mis-informing the public with their statements that biodiesel is only slightly cleaner than fossil diesel. Unfortunately, Sierrra is either grossly mis-informed, opts not to do their research or are intent upon representing the environmental benefits of B-20 as being duplicit with B-100 - 100% "true biodiesel" in order to expedite the large scale incorporation of natural gas as a transportation fuel. ****(It's no wonder David Brower recently rolled into his grave. He never cared for the BS, politics and deceit.) ****Pick any of the reasons as the most probable cause, an it still boils down to mis- and dis-information which ill serves the public and the planet. Humans never seem to learn and keep trying to pull the same old crap over on people, 24 hours after their last failed attempt - just because they can. Todd Swearingen Appal Energy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
