permaculture

["Lee Flier" <lflier@mindspring.com>]

> I've forgotten where I read it, but to provide biofuel for America's cars
> would mean using 3-5 times more farmland than is now used for all
crops--all
> in monoculture, fertilized, mechanically harvested, etc. etc. An absurd
and
> depressing notion.
>
> Toby

Yep.  Although, one can also use waste oil, e.g. from restaurants, as
biodiesel.  This is a good use of a waste resource.  Not that it will solve
all our energy problems, but I think it's a mistake anyway to think that any
ONE thing will solve a problem.  Rather, if we use something we should be
thinking of ways to re-use it, and we should design things (such as engines)
that can make use of multiple resources/fuels.  That would be a
permacultural way to solve the problem, no?

Check out this web site developed by a couple who've been touring the world
in their waste oil-powered van in order to promote biodiesel awareness:

http://www.veggievan.org

They also have a great book on the subject, including how to make your own
biodiesel and/or modify your vehicle to run on unmodified waste oil.

--Lee