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From what I have read and observed, 3 is the magic number. At this price people begin to change their habbits. At $3.00 per gallon for diesel, the local biodiesel is competitive; it sells for the same or less.
Ivan Seeking said:From what I have read and observed, 3 is the magic number. At this price people begin to change their habbits. At $3.00 per gallon for diesel, the local biodiesel is competitive; it sells for the same or less.
Prices in California are projected to be above $6 a gallon for the summer. Regular gas cost an average of $3.25 in the state last week but will rise to $5 by next month
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...x?guid={6BC27F17-FD85-4C28-A7AD-4227447B89FA}Prices in California are projected to be above $3 a gallon for the summer. Regular gas cost an average of $3.25 in the state last week
What's good about biodiesel? Most biodiesel in the US comes from corn and there is a net loss between the energy used in production and conversion, which comes largely from fossil fuels, and the energy derived.Ivan Seeking said:From what I have read and observed, 3 is the magic number. At this price people begin to change their habbits. At $3.00 per gallon for diesel, the local biodiesel is competitive; it sells for the same or less.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6563255.stmEthanol cars may not be healthier
Ethanol vehicles may have worse effects on human health than conventional petrol, US scientists have warned.
A computer model set up to simulate air quality in 2020 found that in some areas ozone levels would increase if all cars were run on bioethanol.
Deaths from respiratory problems and asthma attacks would increase with such levels, the researchers reported in Environmental Science and Technology.
The EU has agreed that biofuels should be used in 10% of transport by 2020.
Mark Jacobson, an atmospheric scientist at Stanford University in California, used a computer model which took into account factors such as temperatures, sunlight, clouds and rain to simulate air quality in 2020 for two different scenarios.
In one simulation all vehicles were fuelled by petrol and in the other all vehicles were fuelled by E85 - a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol.
If all cars were run on E85, he found that in some parts of the US there were significant increases in ozone - a pollutant with harmful effects on the human respiratory system - compared with petrol cars.
In the study, the increase in smog translated to an extra 200 deaths per year in the whole of the US, with 120 occurring in Los Angeles alone.
Increases in ozone in some areas of the US would be offset by decreases in other areas but overall there would be 770 additional visits to accident and emergency and 990 additional hospitalisations for asthma and other respiratory problems, the results showed.
Although ethanol was found to reduce levels of two atmospheric carcinogens, levels of others increased so associated cancers would be the same as with pollution caused by petrol fumes, the study showed.
Damage
"We found that using E85 will cause at least as much health damage as gasoline, which already causes about 10,000 premature deaths annually from ozone and particulate matter," said Jacobson.
"The question is, if we're not getting any health benefits, then why continue to promote ethanol and other biofuels."
He added: "By comparison, converting all vehicles to battery-electric, where the electricity is from wind energy would eliminate 10,000 air pollution deaths per year and 98% of carbon emissions from vehicles."
Art said:What's good about biodiesel? Most biodiesel in the US comes from corn and there is a net loss between the energy used in production and conversion, which comes largely from fossil fuels, and the energy derived.
Astronuc said:Our gasoline prices have been steadily increasing, sometimes by $0.01-0.03/day. I am not sure why, except demand is strong and supply is tight (although that seems somewhat contrived). Oil prices go down, but the price of gasoline goes up.
I did hear that the conversion of some refining units from heating oil to gasoline, or from winter blend to summer blend was delayed because of the extended cold.
Right now, the price of regular is between $2.90-$2.96 in our area, which is up about $0.06 from two days ago.
JasonRox said:I heard Biodiesel emmitt's more carbon than regular diesel. Is that true? If you say no, then is there a source?
Ivan Seeking said:I wondered about that: It assumes that we don't use biodiesel power to make biodiesel. If so, that can eventually be avoided.
Ivan Seeking said:Not with algae. In fact, given an area of about 310X310 miles, we could replace all souces of energy - coal, petro, NG, and all electrical.
To further expand on possibility of attaining self sufficiency in liquid fuels the following is offered: To replace all transportation fuels in the US, we would need roughly 140 billion gallons of biodiesel. To produce that amount of biodiesel by growing soybeans would require almost 3 billion acres or over 1 billion acres growing canola (rapeseed), at nominal yields of 48 and 127 gallons oil per acre, respectively.(7) To produce that amount, by growing algae producing 15,000 gallons per acre, would require a land mass of roughly 9.5 million acres (almost 15,000 square miles ). To put these numbers in perspective, consider that the Sonora desert in the southwestern US comprises 120,000 square miles...450 million acres are currently used for crop farming in the US, and over 500 million acres are used as grazing land for farm animals (1). As has been shown here it is not possible to grow enough of the more conventional crops to meet our fuel needs, but using algae it is possible.
franznietzsche said:Source? Is that for the US? Global? You're talking about an area approximately the size of half the state of california.
Ivan Seeking said:I will have to dig up the source I used for the total US energy demand, but by chance I just did this calc the other night [just out of curiosity]. But the production rate of 10K gallons per year are available at nearly any biodiesel from algae source.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel
Biodiesel contains about 118,300 BTUs per gallon.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...iesel+energy+content&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
I don't think it is practical or necessary to convert everything to biodiesel, but the fact that even in principle it is possible is very exciting. I have never seen such a viable option.
franznietzsche said:Actually based on that limited info biodiesel from algae is more attractive than any of the alternatives. Ethanol is a horrendous idea. Electric cars are just as bad an idea. Fuel cell driven cars aren't as bad an idea, but still not great.
Back in 2000, when gasoline was the cheapest liquid around, fuel economy ranked as the 29th most important attribute in buying a car. Today, when gas costs as much as $3.25 a gallon, good mileage still ranks only 22nd. Sound systems and convenience features rank higher as purchase considerations.
But rather than giving consumers an incentive to change their buying habits, Bush wants to force automakers to build more fuel efficient cars by raising the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
. . .
If Bush wanted some guidance on how to quickly and efficiently meet his goals, he need only look to Europe and Japan, where the motor vehicle fleets get dramatically better mileage than they do in the United States. Cars average 36 mpg in Europe and 31 mpg in Japan vs. only 21 mpg in the United States.
I noticed the latest price jump came during the afternoon after the inventory numbers were released. I drove past the local gas station in the morning and the price was less than $3.00, and when I returned in the afternoon, they price had been increased by $0.10. Prior to that, the prices jumps had been a few cents per week.Oil prices still sometimes make big moves right after the inventory figures are released each Wednesday morning.
The significance of paying over $3.00/gallon for gas is that it is a significant increase in gas prices compared to previous years. It can also indicate potential economic and political factors that may be affecting the cost of gas.
Gas prices can increase due to a variety of factors, including global demand, supply and demand imbalances, and political instability in oil-producing countries. Additionally, natural disasters, such as hurricanes, can also impact gas prices.
Paying over $3.00/gallon for gas can have a significant impact on the economy. It can lead to increased transportation costs, which can result in higher prices for goods and services. It can also affect consumer spending and overall economic growth.
Individuals can take steps to lower their gas expenses, such as carpooling, using public transportation, or investing in a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Additionally, practicing good driving habits, such as avoiding rapid acceleration and maintaining proper tire pressure, can also improve gas mileage.
It is difficult to predict the future of gas prices, as they are influenced by a variety of factors. However, some experts believe that gas prices will continue to rise in the long term due to increasing global demand and limited supply. It is important to stay informed about current events and market trends to better understand potential changes in gas prices.