Based on just watching the documentary 'Pump' on Netflix........

Won't go into too much detail, but deals with energy independence and ending the monopoly of oil. Not ENDING oil, mind you.......but the monopoly of it. Kind of like what Brazil did over the last 40 years.

Why can't we? Or why won't we?

The documentary folks seemed to be pushing ethanol and methanol......which can be produced ANYWHERE.....as a competitor to gasoline. Hell......they gave a nod to natural gas too.......so add that. So why DON'T we have pumps offering all of the above? Not just gasoline with some 'blends'........

And why the hostility towards either E85.........or even complete flex-fuel vehicles which can run on 100% gasoline......or 100% ethanol (or methanol)........or any mix in-between? They interviewed some folks who can easily retrofit any vehicle into a 'flex-fuel' vehicle for several hundred dollars. Obviously the best case scenario are manufacturers producing these vehicles wholesale........

(not sure how it all applies to diesel......other than their push for bio-diesel).

So why the f--k can't we? Or don't we? I'm kind of f--king sick of spending our blood and money in those Middle East s--tholes. And would like to give them the finger.

ANYONE can make alcohol. And it can be made anywhere. From damned near anything (methanol anyway).

I'm rambling.

Thoughts?

 

Setting it up in Brazil took a LOT of years....and was heavily-subsidized by the Government.

Not sure about the cost-effectiveness issues. Lots of startup costs.......But corn would work quite well......As would something like sugar beets. Hell...Methanol is even easier.....You can literally use yard scraps for that. Corn wouldn't impact the food supply. Hell...the BYPRODUCT of distilling corn alcohol IS animal feed.

Again. We're talking about breaking a monopoly......and ending our reliance on foreign oil to boot.

And it's funny how you brought up the 'sugar cane is cheaper' point. The growing, harvesting and refining/distilling of sugar can all along the line resulted in a burgeoning middle class in Brazil.......They all got a lot more money for that particular industry. Yeah.....the people in the 'fields' too......

 

Corn sucks for a fuel alternative. Switch grass I've heard would be better. hemp also is a good alternative. Corn doesn't produce the alcohol on a per dollar basis compared to some other options. Sugar cane is about the highest as far as return on the dollar.

 

Nothing against any of those......I just mentioned the obvious one.....since were the biggest and baddest country in corn production.

 

Let's not turn into drama queens here......

And how much of THAT narrative (corn shortages) was pushed by the oil lobby???

Human consumption of corn overall is a small percentage (see below)

So. If an embargo from foreign producers struck tomorrow.....we'd be OK? No effect?

And I'm happy as Hell to enjoy it......

But get back to me when this situation proves to be long-term..........

You gotta be careful about who's pushing the narrative that the Arab Spring and Mexican unrest was caused by corn shortages.........

Look. Let's get real. At least regarding the U.S., which exports a whopping 13% of the corn crop.......MOST is used for animal feed. About 1% is consumed in the manner in which we actually recognize corn (kernels....on the cob.......popcorn, which brings it above 1. 50% (or near enough) is DIRECTLY milled into animal feed. About 28% into ethanol. BUT. The DDGS byproduct of the distillation is used as animal feed. That's called double usage of a crop. More usage as ethanol translates as more DDGS animal feed.....which is better than the directly milled product (hogs, cattle, dairy, poultry, other) anyway. THAT makes up another 10%. 'Other' usage is another 10%....and includes various processes into high fructose corn syrup and other additives into packaged foods (something that we should hopefully see LESS of).

Interesting link:

http://www.iowacorn.org/en/corn_use_education/production_and_use/

I'm not saying any of this will be easy. And will there be a cost? Maybe even a high initial cost? Undoubtably. But we're ALSO speaking of energy which is completely renewable and sustainable. And immune from foreign pressures.

 

Hemp? Flying cars ARE in our future...

 

And of course I'm not ignoring oil.

But when oil is high, why shouldn't the average American have lower-priced (natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol) alternatives at the pump? And when oil is low, voila'.........they pump more gas into the 100% flex-fuel vehicles.

Competition. And before anyone accuses me of 'subsidizing' fuel alternatives, hey........you're always pointing out how we 'subsidize' the oil industry.........

Personally, I wouldn't mind a Tesla.........It would work. unfortunately the $60-K to $90-K price tag is rather steep...........

 

Hopefully clux chimes in on sugar beets and it's practicality as a possible crop for ethanol (or impracticality....whatever).

And maybe we should be using more real sugar (albeit less sugar overall....obesity) in our food products.......and less HFCS.........

 

O-60 in 2.8 is crazy. But, its no good on the long haul. Besides the high cost, you would have to pay $3,000 for the upgrade batteries to make 300 miles. So, it becomes no more than a fancy grocery getter. But, another 5 years will see huge gains...I think.

 

http://www.hempcar.org/ford.shtml

http://rense.com/general67/FORD.HTM

A couple interesting reads. No, marijuana and hemp are not the same. Close, but not the same.

 

That will just about do it. I can see it now. Instead of a stoner running 60 mph on the interstate, (most small air vehicles (not hang gliders) need 110 mph to stay airborne before stall), the stoner will be at 120, flying high again! Can you see the cop saying pull it over, the stoner does, then drops to the ground. Well he said too, toke, toke.

 

There's certainly things to think about. They actually graph nationwide (and Canada) fast-fuel stations locations for over-the-road travelling. But sure......for local use, no brainer. Even without the upgrade, the AWD S85 model has a 260-mile range with the 85KW. If I'm not mistaken, you can get the mobile charger and hook up to your house if needed.

Charlotte has 1 charging station run by Tesla (free charging) up off Mallard Creek Rd. I think they call them 'Supercharger' stations or something. Some of our businesses have them available too.....for their employees anyway. And yeah....the network is getting bigger.

No offense, Keith, but MOST usage is 'grocery-getting'.....and commuting. For the vast majority of folks, 260-mile range is more than adequate.........and of course a LOT depends on the length of your commute.

That's a problem I had with the Chevy 'Volt'. Didn't it have an 70 or 80-mile range or something??? Way too marginal for practicality.

But 200+ miles and we're talking doable........

 

You will be surprised how wrong you are about this when the Saudis break the frackers in another year or so. The problem with fracked wells is they don't produce very long.