BIOFUELS VERSUS DEPENDENCE

http://genelalor.com/ ^ | June 23, 2008 | Gene Lalor

[Gene Lalor]

CNN rarely features much of interest but did run a piece recently on biofuels which included some attention to a nation which, unlike the United States, learned something from the oil crisis of the 1970s.

That nation resolved not to continue its dependence on Arab whims and wars and chose to become energy self-sufficient. Instead of virtually shutting down domestic oil exploration and ceasing to build oil refineries and nuclear generating plants, and bemoaning the cost of fuel—as we did, and are doing—that nation began developing its own resources. Those resources included limited domestic oil fields and an unlimited supply of potential biofuel.

Whereas America diddled and actually became more dependent over the last three decades on foreign suppliers of that black gunk necessary for our survival, at least one nation had some foresight. We worsened our situation by the latest fad, ethanol from corn, a process that if not heavily subsidized, would cost more than gasoline. In addition, by turning this basic commodity into a less-efficient fuel, we and other corn-ethanol nuts are starving people worldwide, we have driven prices of everything from corn syrup to tortillas to milk, meat, cereals, and hundreds of other products sky high, and we are breeding food revolutions across the planet.

The nation with that energy foresight is prosperous, thriving, burgeoning Brazil, a country of almost 200,000,000 people.

Brazil determined to be self-sufficient via turning cheap sugarcane waste into biofuel, and it succeeded. (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/world/americas/10brazil.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) That decision may have caused a very minor uptick in worldwide sugar prices, an extremely tiny uptick compared to what America has done by taking a basic foodstuff and burning it.

(Please see my website http://genelalor.com/ for the rest of this great article!)

[Reaganez]

Brazil learned how to implode its economy from time to time so it would not need that much oil in an economy the size of the USA.

It learned how to have richer land that requires no irrigation or fertilizer to grow sugar cane.

It learned to get off of dependence on large tractors and the diesel it requires. It learned to cut and process the sugarcane with peasants and indigenous peoples.

Brazil is the country of the Future.

And always will be.

[philly-d-kidder]

This is the same Country That Banned IBM and Western Software until the 1990’s

[ChicagahAl]

“Brazil determined to be self-sufficient via turning cheap sugarcane waste into biofuel”

And when they figured out it was not possible, they decided to “Drill their way out of the problem”. Which they did.

Here is a link to the EIA web page regarding Brazil's petroleum development. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/country/country_energy_data.cfm?fips=BR
They point out that, “Brazil has the second-largest crude oil reserves in South America, and is one of the fastest growing oil producers in the world.” FASTEST GROWING.

An article in IBD a few months back lambasted former Pres. Clinton for saying the same thing as this posted article - that Brazil solved their problem with ethanol. The IBD article showed an EIA chart of Brazil's oil production more than doubling in ten years to over two million barrels, while Brazil's ethanol production is still a small amount and has increased only slightly during that time. Brazil figured out that the ethanol solution was just hype, and they are happy to export the stuff to get some ROI, while drilling for oil is the real solution. I saved the article as a JPEG, and I would attach the chart, but I'm afraid that I don't know how to do that.

[Caipirabob]

Brazil is the country of the Future.

Puxa vida! Meu amigo, Have you ever been to Brasil?!?

I have walked through the favelas of Santos and the hills near Praia Grande outside of Sao Paulo. Heaven help us if Brasil is our future!

The Brasilians I know are too proud to dispute the point, but the level of poverty in Brasil is still crushing. The quality of life? In the cities and tourist areas, you'll see some nice things, but please, don't for a second tell me that this is our future.

Heck, when I was in Rio the last time we ran into an old woman who had made the girl I was with ride the service elevator in a particular building once as a child because of her color. We think it was the same woman, the girl I was with couldn't be 100% sure before strangling her when the lady got off the next floor we passed by. In MY LIFETIME they made morenas and mulattas ride a different elevator in RIO! No sir, not the future...

[rusty millet]

“Brazil determined to be self-sufficient via turning cheap sugarcane waste into biofuel”

And actually, they use sugarcane to produce ethanol, not sugarcane waste. An important distinction and fabrication. The climate of the U.S. cannot grow sugarcane to the extent that Brazil does. So corn is one of the better alternative feedstocks for us.

[KeyWest]

-Puxa vida! Meu amigo, Have you ever been to Brasil?!?-

I have and I am with you. In his post I loved how they got rid of those nasty tractors to save diesel and replaced them with peasants. About as elitist as you can get.

[reformedliberal]

I have been told that the present fad for *urban farming* was first witnessed by tourists to the slums of Brazil. Evidently, it is now chic for Westerners to stay in the Brazilian slums on one’s vacation. I had visions of human waste and other sewage being used for these *farms*.

What can you add to this?

[G-Man 1]

Oil the cheapest alternative fuel. Nukes the next cheapest. ethanol the biggest scam.

[thackney]

Brazil also decided to explore and produce their petroleum resources instead of leaving them below ground.

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?id=246842180355425&secid=1501&status=article

It {Brazil} launched a crash program of offshore oil drilling in the late 1990s, working with a Manhattan Project-like determination to develop its own natural resources.

In 1997, Brazil opened its oil sector to foreign competition, encouraging companies like Royal Dutch Shell to explore and drill for oil in its offshore waters for the first time. It offered incentives — like tax cuts. It also turned its inefficient state oil company, Petrobras, into a for-profit company run like a real business instead of a government cash cow, forcing it to compete on an international-standard level. In short, it got out of the way.

Net result, lots more oil for Brazil — enough to enable the once-oil-dependent country to actually export some, all from fewer energy reserves than the U.S.

[valkyry1]

Brazil is a very different situation than the USA.

[Mr. Lucky]

Does candor not compel you to mention that a barrel of ethanol contains 42 gallons of ethanol while a gallon of oil contains maybe 22 -23 gallons of gasoline?

[thackney]

Gasoline is not the only product in that barrel of oil. There is plenty of diesel to run the tractors as well. Brazil uses more diesel than gasoline or ethanol combined. Also some other usable products for running ships, airplanes and others.

I don't mind the ethanol, every little bit helps. But we need to realistic in the benefits and quantities.

[Gene Lalor]

Care to explain?

[valkyry1]

I will think about it and try, but to really articulate my point it would take an entire paper just for starters!

But two points stand out right away. 1 being their infrastructure and energy needs are different than ours. 2 Their agriculture (tropic/semi tropic) greatly supports crops such as sugar cane.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

I loved how they got rid of those nasty tractors to save diesel and replaced them with peasants. About as elitist as you can get.

Well I don't know. Maybe we should wade through the statues and replace the terms "entitlee" "client" and "welfare recipient" with peasant.

What a work force.

[Caipirabob]

My experiences in Santos were during Carnaval '99. We were partying all over the place, finally ending up in the Samba drome in Sao Paulo (I think Gaveois Do Fiel got beat by Vai-Vai that year, but Gaveois is kind of the "home team" as they are associated to the Corinthian's soccer team and Gaveois was judged the winner.) Anyway...

One day we went over to Santos to see some friends who lived there. We met up with them and their friends and pretty soon there was a dozen of us. We were a walking rainbow of people from pale branco to dark preta. Moreninhas that would scorch your cornea if you looked too long. We decided to go to a "secret beach" that was over a mountain. Had to pass through a favela to get there. The guys did this regularly and I didn't even question them on it.

It was a small shanty town - the coragated steel walls and roofs you see and the remnants of anything that can be used to hold a structure together. No plumbing. Electrical was done by bare wire strung here and there just above our heads. Dirt streets and the expected streams of filth, but we were right next to the jungle so I didn't really smell anything bad. I had been drinking quite a bit that week, though. The poverty was disturbing. We had some pretty big guys in the group and some were locals so we had no problems.

We crossed over though the town to the edge of the jungle, along a path that lead through the jungle over a mountain. We slid down a mud filled path on our backsides. When we landed at the beach, we were covered head to toe in mud, could barely tell who the guys were and didn't mind whoever the girls were. Long day at the beach. : )

Anyway, we got back before dusk and stopped at the shanty town bar. It had a fridge that was hooked to one of the bare wires hanging above and we all got a beer. I have a photos of all of us in a line in the middle of what they called a street. Took off with no problems and walked back to Santos.

We lost half the group by the time we got to the main beach area on the coast. Carnaval partying was just starting up and a trioelectric was just starting to play down the beachfront. We all got some more beers and danced for a few hours, following the trioelectic down the beach. I woke up in the place I was supposed to the next morning. : )

I have a couple of the photos on the wall here in my office. I'll need to scan them into digital format some day.