Other Transportation Fuels

[Towntalk]

In Brazil Ethanol is a daily fact of life, and has been since the 1980's.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2006-03-28-brazil-ethanol-cover_x.htm

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=6817

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/19/AR2006081900842_pf.html

Here in the United States we are still just talking about Ethanol.

[jay]

I recently saw a video clip about a  man who helped high school students with a project to build an electric/solar car .  The students came up with the specs while the adult contributed some engineering expertise and the use of his garage machine shop.  The students learned valuable skills during the construction and testing of the electric car.   The finished electric car wasn't stylish, but it was capable of meeting the short trip needs of many citizens.   

[northside lurker]

I read the articles you posted.  I'm not sure what the outrage is about.  I have the impression from the articles that most--if not all--of the hybrid and alternate fuel vehicles mentioned were still experimental.

The communist government is trying to eliminate their dependency on foreign oil.  They have more hybrid and alternate fueled vehicles because they are heavily subsidized by the government.  Because the "big 3" is involved, maybe they can bring the benefits of their research to the US market.

[Towntalk]

I've put up two articles on the Shanghai Auto Show on my web site that are a must read, and it should make your blood boil to think that the auto makers are making alternative fuel cars in China but not in America.

http://farrell-report.tripod.com

I would be interested in your views after reading these articles. You can e-mail them from my web site.

[Towntalk]

Last night on the news I heard about a Car Show in China that featured cars that ran on alternative fuels this past week and GM was one of the companies, but guess what ... the cars they were showing would be available in China only. If you wanted a fuel efficient car made by a U.S. company, you would have to go to China to get it.

I'll be posting articles about that car on my web site later this afternoon, and will let you know when it's up.

[jay]

Maybe the answer to lowering the demand for gasoline, and the price, is to develop some local alternative fuels.  I believe it was Alan who wrote about the idea of producing biodiesel from crops grown on area farms.  Could the brewery at the B&O Restaurant be used to make ethanol?  Waste cooking oils can be purified to be used in diesel vehicles.  These are just some examples.  Could you think of other fuels our valley could make?