04/02/2004: 
Stuff That Doesn't Suck
Biodiesel in NH
or, No I didn't fart, It's my car, really
from AP
Yesterday I talked to a philosophy professor and several athenators, and all were able to agree on one thing: Dependence on oil is bad for everyone involved, and Americans have a moral obligation, not only to the environnment but to developing economies, to come up with something better. Is biodiesel it? Probably not, but the more we experiment, the more we will be able to wean ourselves from the crude teat.
CONCORD, N.H., (AP) - Biodiesel fuel is gaining another foothold in New Hampshire as an oil company opens the first distribution terminal in the state.
Rymes Propane and Oils recently received its first shipment of biodiesel at its storage facility in Stratford, and will sell it wholesale, and at five retail fueling stations in Keene, Peterborough, Antrim, Greenfield and Loudon.
The announcement was scheduled at news conference Friday in Antrim.
The only place now believed to be selling it retail in the state is Fleming Oil Co. station in Chesterfield. However, it also is being used by the Keene, Keene State College, National Guard at Pease International Tradeport, Cranmore ski area and maybe few others.
"It's gone great, even in the cold weather," said Stephen Russell, fleet services superintendent for Keene, which has been using about 50,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel a year since July 2002.
"It really does reduce the nasties that come out of the exhaust emissions."
He estimated it has reduced toxic emissions by about 30 percent.
Fleming has been selling it since December.
"It's going pretty well. We sell about 4,000 gallons a month. We've been pleased with the results," President Rick Fleming said.
1 Annotation Submitted
Friday the 2nd of April, awiggins noted:
Of course that is an idea that the oil industry would come up with. It would only reduce our dependence by about 20 percent and just delay the inevitable. At first I thought they were referring to the use of used cooking oil in place of diesel, which is a complete replacement for fossil fuels as opposed to the bastardized oil company idea.
I am telling you the Stirling Engine is the new hotness. The Stirling Engine is many times more efficient then the current breed of internal combustion engine and it can pretty much run on anything that will burn, and on some things that will not. For instance, they could run on methane. Coincidentally, guess what comes out of those standpipes that you see sticking out of all those covered landfills you see popping up around cities? Perhaps our wastefulness of today will be the fuel source of tomorrow. The other option, and one that is pretty appealing, is using mirrors to focus sunlight for the heat source. Figures indicate that this is a far more efficient way to gather the suns light and convert it into energy then currently available solar technology.
Energy Fun Fact
What did the diesel engine ran on before the oil industry convinced its inventor, Rudolf Diesel, that it should run on petroleum products instead? Highlight the box below for the answer.
| Vegetable Oil Between 1911 and 1912 he stated "The diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries which use it" and predicted that "The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time" Diesel died in September 1913 in mysterious circumstances: He disappeared on a cross-channel ferry. |
Other up and coming energy sources.
- Solar (from space to ground by way of microwaves)
- Wind
- Tidal
- Biodiesel (The used cooking/vegetable oil type)
- Cold fussion (perhaps a red herring, time will tell)
------ end tree hugging hippie liberal rant ------
