tagged w/ Alternative Fuels
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The skyrocketing cost of food is causing unrest around the world. Last Saturday, Haitians ousted their prime minister, Jacques-Édouard Alexis, following a week of rioting over staple costs. In the Philippines, where the price of rice has doubled since January, the president banned using farmland for any purpose other than food production. Even Italians staged a day-long pasta protest last September when wheat prices jumped.
In the course of a year grain costs have surged by 31% for corn, 74% for rice, 87% for soya, and 130% for wheat, according to the United Nations. Compounding the problem, global grain stores are at a historic low and prices are expected to continue to rise and remain high for the foreseeable future. In response to the growing crisis, the World Food Programme, which feeds some 73 million people, appealed last month for $500 million in funds, the amount it is short this year due to the spike in food prices. And this week, UNESCO released a report that concludes an overhaul of modern agriculture is imminent.
“We estimate that a doubling of food prices over the last three years could potentially push 100 million people in low-income countries deeper into poverty,” World Bank president Robert Zoellick said.
“In this case, the international community has to think about what is the biggest risk in the short run and to make a correct balance between production of biofuel from food stuffs and biofuel coming from nonfood stuffs,” IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said during a press conference in DC last Sunday at the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank April 12-13.The skyrocketing cost of food is causing unrest around the world. Last Saturday,... more
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leahl
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added this
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4 years ago
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An article about how many more btus we can use from butanol compared to ethanol. How butanol is more stable meaning less evaporative, more efficient to produce, and doesn't require a strain on the corn production. Ethanol isn't a realistic solution to gasoline. Butanol is just another alternative like so many circulating but seems to be better than ethanol. The article mentions butanol being produced from petroleum but thats just one source like ethanol it can be produced from eco friendly biomass. Instead of corn how about algae it produces more oil hands down and won't effect our food. As a community we must stress corn is not the answer a start for some to think about but not close to a solution. Overall butanol is better than ethanol. As stated in the url its less toxic than methanol but more toxic than ethanol. Ethanol just as butanol can be made from an abundance of sources instead of a mainstay for almost any society (example corn). A whole other arguement is hydrogen its a by product from many things just as gasoline used to be a by product of kerosene. Me personally I feel it's necessary to see all sides so do your own research and put gasoline behind us. Oh and just to add what ever happened to all the alternative energy incentives/tax breaks? Reagan? Oil company lobbyist? or did Carter just put solar panels on the White House for publicity? Check out http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Biodiesel_from_Algae_Oil,
http://www.butanol.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/world/americas/10brazil.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=149057
also the department of energy website has alot.An article about how many more btus we can use from butanol compared to ethanol. How... more
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7c0m9
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added this
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4 years ago
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Some sources estimate that the manure produced by a single cow could be turned into the equivalent of 200 liters of gasoline. There are approximately 100 million head of cattle in the U.S. alone, which could translate to 5.3 billion gallons of gasoline equivalent. That's not the complete answer to replacing the 140 billion gallons of gas Americans use each year, but it sure could help.
Some sources estimate that the manure produced by a single cow could be turned into... more
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As the debate over alternative fuel continues, some drivers aren't waiting for greener options-- they're creating them. As the debate over alternative fuel continues, some drivers aren't waiting for... more
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Country music legend Willie Nelson talks about what attracted him to biodiesel, his commitment to American farms and small towns, and why he thought his wife had gotten into his "stash." Country music legend Willie Nelson talks about what attracted him to biodiesel, his... more
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The Projects Development Agency is taking steps to help Nigeria use its natural resources to bolster their economy.The Projects Development Agency is taking steps to help Nigeria use its natural... more
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