Date:         Wed, 16 Oct 2002 22:36:33 -0700
Reply-To:     Bill N <freeholder@STARBAND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill N <freeholder@STARBAND.NET>
Subject:      Re: Turbo Diesel Power and Economy - global efficiency Q?
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Some other questions:  How much pollution, in the form of tractor and harvester fuels,
fertilizers, insecticides, fuel to process, etc., is involved in this production?  With so many
people starving on the planet, how ethical is it to divert productive farm land from growing
food to growing fuel?

Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wade Shen" <swade@UMIACS.UMD.EDU>
>
> I think the problem with bio-diesel has been one of production capacity,
> although I'm not sure about this.  The questions to ask are:
>
> 1) How many arable acres of land would be required to supply the
> required canola/corn?  Assume that recycling fry oil isn't enough.
>
> 2) What would the scaled cost per gallon of bio-diesel be if it were
> mass produced?
>
> 3) What effect (economically) would the production of bio-diesel have on
> the cost of corn/canola/seed oil-based products?
>
> It would be interesting to know if bio-diesel if feasible on a large
> scale.  I've heard humors that there are places in the bay area where
> you can gas up with treated, recycled fry grease, I've never seen it.