[alfa] Biodiesel, you're kidding right?

[C M Smith <cmsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

What makes "biodiesel" financially viable is no road tax. In some countries 
the authorities have cracked down on illegal fuels (illegal because no tax 
paid).

Someone needs to do the input energy calculations before biodiesel is 
touted as the cure all for oil dependency. Those farmers (agreed they get 
paid for doing nothing, or less than nothing) use a lot of petrochemicals 
in the fuel for their machinery and for chemical fertilizer. Then you have 
the "refining' costs.

Then you have to drive a diesel!

Similar problems face the hybrid and the current darling of the 
environmentalists: the fuel cell car.

Of course, The USA could solve their energy problems overnight if they 
levied an appropriate tax on road fuels used for passenger cars, gasoline 
or diesel or biodiesel or whatever fuel. Price will drive conservation. 
Even at $3.00 per gallon road fuel is ridiculously cheap. Milk for our 
children is around $6 per gallon (we pay around CAN$2 per liter, of course 
there's no free market in milk either!). Even bottled water is more 
expensive than road fuel. And the US continues to favour manufacture and 
sale of gas guzzling SUV type vehicles...

The mind boggles.

Cheers


Michael Smith
White 1991 164L
Original owner
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