Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Robert Norsen <bob@bnbrew.com>]

Paul I have long been of the belief you proposed - ethanol from crops = a net loss of energy.  Brazil may use other energy too.  I think it does.  How to explain: -  the US has set  up an import tariff to prevent Brazil's ethanol from competing with our new ethanol producers.  Make sense to who?  Brazil exporting an energy at less than we pay for equal fuel so we block the import - but still import petroleum. Still complain about gas prices at the pump?  

 

 Gov is a committee.  IQ of a committee is = to lowest IQ of any committee member divided by the number in the committee??   

 

Gas prices aren't high enough yet to get the attention of our market.  Auto mfgs still market 0 to 60 in  seconds rather than 100 mpg,  0 to 60 in 1+ minute...  I could wait 1 min. for 60 to get 100 mpg!

 

Adjusted for relative wages and available miles per gallon , 1933 vs 2006, to equal the economic load of gas in 1933 ( it was $0.16 per gallon )  the price today would have to rise to $27./ gallon.

 

At $ 27/ gallon I suggest we might pay some attention to getting  efficient use of the fuel.

 

No till would happen.    Local food farm markets, unprocessed food, would become popular

 

Ethanol, gas  and bio diesel  from waste ag stuff would happen.

 

Other energy sources would compete without gov subsidies.  Solar, wind, geo, bio, human fat?

 

Car pooling might actually occur.  5 person car pool,  20 mpg vehicle = 100 passenger MPG.

 

I was there in 1933.  Dam right we were some careful about how we used gas.  But we got along OK.      
Our modest Detroit iron in '33 got 16 mpg.  Most 2006 stuff, bigger but not better.  With some care we can buy and drive to get 45 to 60 mpg.   At $27/ gal we would soon learn to get better than 60.

And to enjoy open, uncongested roads. 

 

Today we NEED $ 3.00 & higher gasoline prices.  I think we will get higher. Soon.

 

Gonna see some changes made !!    Bob

TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net> wrote:

> I don't recall where, but someone pointed out that ethanol only provides a small fraction of the energy used in Brazil. 
>
> paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
> ---------------
> The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and
>  after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.
> - Wendell Berry 
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>
> On 4/28/2006 at 11:07 PM Robert Norsen wrote:
>
> >Why is Brazil showing a healthy economy operationg almost entirely on
> >ethanol grown / produced from cane?
> > 
> > For one thing they use the entire plant, as we should for corn. Stalks,
> >cobs, weeds the works. 
> > All of it in rough form anarobic digestion forms ethanol at lower cost
> >and less energy used / enegy produced. 
> > 
> > I think the computations made where net energy loss was computed the
> >process was that used to make fine bourbon ethanol. We need cheap reed
> >eye rot gut. 
> > 
> > Brazil then uses the waste product for compost / fetilizer. ACT?? 
> > 
> > Brazil is also looking out to deep Atlantic ocean oil deposits with
> >equipment that is
>  amazin!. Bob 
> >
>
>
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