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RE: [RC] Diesel at $3 a gallon - LaFollett, Megan

That's why I mentioned algae as a source of biofuel earlier. While using
corn/soybeans/etc to produce biofuel is a nice way to subsidize farmers
already growing those crops, there is no way to meet the nation's fuel
needs through traditional crops. Even with soy, there is only (on the
generous side) about a 3.5:1 return on energy investment. Certain algae
crops give a 5-10:1 return even without genetic engineering. AND,
perhaps of greatest importance, algae can be grown quickly and on land
that is USELESS for farming. 

~Megan


-----Original Message-----
From: Barbara McCrary [mailto:bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 3:36 PM
To: LaFollett, Megan; ridecamp
Subject: Re: [RC] Diesel at $3 a gallon

There is one issue about biodiesel that bothers me.  I'm not convinced
there 
is enough land to grow enough corn to make enough biodiesel to satisfy
the 
needs of everyone here in the USA.  Furthermore, in order to grow that
corn, 
farmers must use tractors, which run on fuel.  And the fields must be 
fertilized, using chemical fertilizers that are made from...oil.  Now we

could use the slurry from dairy barns, or the manure from hog-feeding 
operations, but then again, large trucks will be needed to haul that
manure 
to the growing corn fields.  That takes time and man-power in excess of
what 
it takes now to haul sacks of chemical fertilizer and distribute them
onto 
the fields.  It would also take fuel to transport the larger number of 
trucks that it would take to haul the manure, as opposed to the number
it 
would take to haul chemical fertilizers in sacks.  Does anyone think 
biodiesel will really solve our energy problems?  Think about it.  With
the 
nation's current population, we couldn't even go back to driving horses
for 
transportation, should anyone be willing to do this.  Where, and how,
would 
the nation grow enough hay to feed all those horses?  And can you see
anyone 
but us endurance riders nowadays putting up with the smell, flies and
horse 
poop on the streets?  No way.  This issue makes a really interesting
game of 
trying to think how to make alternative energy sources work.

Barbara



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