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To: Dane

If you add things up, I still think that biodiesel is the best bet, for a whole slew of reasons.

To start with, it is pretty hard to beat a product that is manufactured by microorganisms, in this case algae. All you really need is fresh water and sunlight to grow it. However, you multiply your growing efficiency by adding *waste* CO2 and Nitrous Oxides (NOx) gases. So from the very beginning, you are making money—by not having to expensively get rid of these waste gases.

Algae can be grown on the small or large scale, and South of the Mason-Dixon line in the US, at least 10 months out of the year of continual production, instead of just two or three crops of corn, for example. Some algae are 50% vegetable oil, that are easy to extract into biodiesel. The leftover algae makes good animal fodder, so no waste.

So you make biodiesel. But then you can put it into existing diesel cars, trucks, boats, even trains, without making any modifications to the engine. Diesel engines are as powerful as gasoline engines, are easier to maintain, and are available right now. No new engine to be invented or made efficient.

Biodiesel can be sold in existing gas stations, so no new multi-billion dollar expensive infrastructure across the US.

So from beginning to end, biodiesel makes more sense than any other alternative fuel. It will save America hundreds of billions of dollars, we will still have powerful engines instead of weak little putt-putt cars, and best of all, we can do it *right now*.

Sure, hydrogen fuel cells might work some day. And they might give you are reasonably good electric car some day. And hydrogen companies might put up a hydrogen refueling station in your neighborhood some day. And Al Gore might be president some day. Etc. Etc.

Or you can have a diesel car right now. With a powerful engine right now. And a local gas station right now. And it can run on petroleum diesel or biodiesel right now.


9 posted on 04/08/2008 4:09:37 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Well said. Of all the alternative energy ideas, biodiesel from algae is the most promising, because it’s the most practical.


69 posted on 04/13/2008 1:15:51 PM PDT by B Knotts (Calvin Coolidge Republican)
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