[GRLUG] OFF TOPIC Electric Car

Rick Vargo rick at vargo.org
Wed Nov 19 16:06:41 EST 2008


There are issues in any alternative method. Nothing is going to be
perfect. Many of you don't likely even have an acre of land to grow
crops on (and likely don't have the time or know how). This is why you
can also contract with a local farm for crop. It doesn't have to be
pretty and it can even be rotten, frozen, damaged, etc. because you are
just going to turn it into alcohol. Hell, there are more acres of lawn
than there are crops. You can just takes your neighbors clippings
(although lawn clippings are not the most efficient source)

Rick


Collin Kidder wrote:
> The problem is that "efficient" crops all probably want the same sorts 
> of things from the soil. Farmers rotate things like alfalfa onto fields 
> which used to grow corn in order to regenerate the soil. I doubt that 
> alfalfa is good for fuel... except for powering horses and cows.
>
> Rick Vargo wrote:
>   
>> No, you switch off to another crop that is efficient.
>>
>> Rick
>>
>>
>> Collin Kidder wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> Well... you have to take the land into account a bit because you cannot 
>>> grow the same crop on the same land forever. That much I know about 
>>> farming. You'll deplete the soil of the necessarily nutrients.
>>>
>>> Rick Vargo wrote:
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>>>> I guess I shouldn't have assumed that you would already have the
>>>> property... The $1 a gallon is for planting, growing, fertilizing,
>>>> etc... They also suggest that you can contract with a farmer for
>>>> product. This is not as cheap of a method but is still equivalent to the
>>>> cost of gas...
>>>>
>>>> Rick
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Collin Kidder wrote:
>>>>   
>>>>     
>>>>       
>>>>         
>>>>> I'll have to check out the site on using alcohol as gas... But if you 
>>>>> get 1700 gallons per acre then you need to spend only $1700 on that acre 
>>>>> including planting, watering, picking, and fermenting if you want $1/g. 
>>>>> That sounds like a tall order for $1700. But, I'm no farmer.
>>>>>
>>>>> Rick Vargo wrote:
>>>>>   
>>>>>     
>>>>>       
>>>>>         
>>>>>           
>>>>>> Corn is a terrible bio fuel you can only get about 700 gallons from an
>>>>>> acre. Sugar cane is the best. Around here, the best thing to grow for a
>>>>>> bio fuel is probably sugar beats. I think an acre will make about 1700
>>>>>> gallons of alcohol.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rick
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael Mol wrote:
>>>>>>   
>>>>>>     
>>>>>>       
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>           
>>>>>>             
>>>>>>> On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 2:29 PM, Collin Kidder <adderd at kkmfg.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>   
>>>>>>>     
>>>>>>>       
>>>>>>>         
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> An electric motor can be made darn near 100% efficient. As a bonus
>>>>>>>> electrical lines are found almost everywhere. It's like a built in gas
>>>>>>>> station in every building you see. So, I do believe that electric cars
>>>>>>>> will end up being the way forward.
>>>>>>>>     
>>>>>>>>       
>>>>>>>>         
>>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>>> It remains to be seen how efficiently synthetic hydrocarbon fuels can
>>>>>>> be made; If those can be made sufficiently efficient, powering cars
>>>>>>> off the grid won't work.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Granted, corn doesn't appear to be getting us off to a good start.
>>>>>>>   
>>>>>>>     
>>>>>>>       
>>>>>>>         
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>               
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