[TheForge] OT biodiesel

[Gladish Family]

Ries Niemi wrote:

>
> I gotta say, I am suspicious of this whole biodiesel thing-

I'm with ya on most of the big picture stuff- some say that the whole 
renewable energy industry is still recovering from the tax breaks and 
incentives of the seventies. Way too much poor product got installed and 
failed...It's sad about all those tax incentives these days, too. I know 
people (for whom it's a hobby) who have installed much bigger wind 
turbines than they need to power their homes, just because if they sell 
power to the local grid they can pay for a hefty installation in a year 
or two by scooping up tax breaks and grants and such.

But the other side of biodiesel is: Way, way less emissions, even by 
blending fossil with a small proportion of "biodiesel" (my wife only 
drives a diesel because she can get fuel that doesn't stink); a much 
cleaner, quieter,  happier engine; and where it's produced sanely it's a 
potentially huge domestic market for American farmers.
I know our sons and daughters are dying in the sand so we can bring in 
fossil fuels to grow and transport the bio-d, but I feel a little less 
like I'm burning blood in my rig.

I helped a neighbor make a batch last week. Once he got it set up 
properly, it's just a matter of babysitting the converter while working 
in the shop.
Total of maybe two hours' attention per forty gallon batch. Is it worth 
it? Depends on what else a guy has to do...
Cost of chemicals is about $.55/gal.
I don't have a shop big enough, or I'd be doing it right now.
Just my two cents, (currently trading at .00005 of a Euro)
Andy G.