[clue-talk] oil...

[Nate Duehr]

On Nov 3, 2008, at 8:23 PM, Grant Johnson wrote:

>
>> I just don't understand this love affair with oil.  This singular  
>> dependence of a homogeneous energy mix is a far greater national  
>> security and economic threat than all the other security theater  
>> initiatives against drugs, terrorists, and the other boogeymen out  
>> there.  Because our recent dealings with Iraq and Georgia are  
>> really about exporting democracy and securing the rights of non-US  
>> citizens.
>>
>>
> Liquid fuels are easier to deliver to the engine than solids, and  
> easier to store than gases.   Look at energy density as well.    
> Petroleum is great for that.   You have a lot less miles per gallon  
> with anything else.   It also has the advantage of not being food,  
> and being available on demand, and being possible to store long term.

CNG with the right distribution chain could be made to work, and is a  
lot cleaner burning, and sourced right here in the U.S.  -- I don't  
agree with everything he says in it, but the "Pickens Plan" has some  
interesting points about wind and CNG.

It sure makes a hell of a lot more sense than subsidizing farmers to  
grow corn, then use 30% of the entire country's corn production to  
make 3% of our gasoline, while also convincing auto manufacturers to  
build hundreds of thousands of cars to the "E85" Ethanol standards at  
higher cost than the foreign manufacturers who didn't bother, because  
they looked at our market with realistic eyes and saw there was no way  
that car is ever likely to see a drop of E85 put into it.

--
Nate Duehr
nate at natetech.com