[Vwdiesel] lowering gasoline prices

[Harmon Seaver]

On Thu, Apr 18, 2002 at 02:06:48AM +0000, James Hansen wrote:
>
> Pardon the numbers, but numbers are reality...
>  The USA currently uses 50 billion gallons per year of petroleum distillate.
> this would take 29.4 billion bushels of soybeans, OR about 15 billion bushels
> of Canola, which is ideally suited for biodiesel production at approx 40% oil
> content versus the 18% found in soybeans.  I didn't verify these numbers, I'm
> accepting the work of the National Biodiesel Board.
> 2001 december ending stocks for soy was 330 million bushels in the USA. This
> would make only 60million pounds of veg oil, roughly 6 million gallons.

   I guess you didn't really read my post, eh? Growing soybeans(48gal at acre) for
biodiesel is the dumbest idea I ever heard of. Canola is better (127 gal @
acre), castor beans better yet (151 gal @ acre), but for the best yeilds you
want to go to permaculture crops, which also greating reduces the farming costs.
Like jojoba (194), pecan (191), avacado (282), with oil palm being tops at 635
gal at acre.
   And that's only the oil crops. Perhaps you noticed the announcement of VW
just awhile back about their new synfuel plant? Gasification of biomass, done
from permaculture crops like switchgrass. Turn that whole DustBowl area back
into native prairie and crop it for synfuel. Coppicing willows is another.
   For that matter, gasify sewage biosolids for synfuel.

>
> There were 96.8 million metric tons of supply of veg oil forecasted in the
> world crop year ending 2000/2001.  This would be approx 21.296 billion gallons
> of veg oil.  So how will this meet the US demand which is more than double
> this?  Factor in lower yields with organic farming,

   Lower yields? You've been reading too much agit-prop from DOW and
Monsanto. Organic farmers equal and even exceed chemical farming yeilds all over
the world. But, as I said, fuel crops will be primarily permaculture crops.

>   Incidentally, if you know of any subsidies, let me know. This farm has been
> in the family since 1888, I've been at it since 1989, and I have yet to see any
> subsidy money.  The stuff governments talk about is mostly to support
> government ag departments full of appointed political hacks that do nothing
> useful anyway, the farmer sees nothing of the actual cash. It might be spent on
> my behalf by the government, but a drunken sailor on leave could do better....
> Reality sucks.

   Oh yeah? Well, if your a farmer and don't understand how government crop
price supports work, I don't know what to say. But I've got a list of what the
local farmers get in cash subsidy, exact dollar amounts farm by farm, and I'll
post it as soon as I can dig it out.
   In fact I could probably come up with a list for the whole US if I looked
hard enough.

--
Harmon Seaver
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com