[Gasification] General over view -- barely on topic

[Michael Redler]

George Monbiot wrote a similar article titled "Feeding Cars Not People".

I agree that austerity/economy/conservation is absolutely necessary. Articles like these clearly point out how you can't match oil production with biofuels from food crops. The masses have put their faith in one major source for liquid fuel and as a result, they also associate a single replacement when discussing peak oil.

Although a true statement, it delivers the message in a way which is seen too often in our culture of fear (especially in the U.S.). More importantly, it completely ignores the importance of appropriate technologies based on the availability of resources and technology (i.e. liquid fuels from non-food crops, wind, solar, etc.), all incorporated into a hybrid approach to replacing oil.

While the efforts of alternative fuel advocates threaten the payroll of oil executives everywhere, it would be wise for those same advocates to leave their tools and tinkering once in a while to expose these articles for what they are.

Of course biofuels are not "the" answer. It is part of the answer.

...my $.02

Mike

Peter Singfield <snkm at btl.net> wrote:
  
I also found many technical mistakes in the following article -- but the
message stays the same none the less.

Rather than practice austerity -- we seem committed to:

"Damn the torpedoes -- full speed ahead!!"

Under our new modern religion -- we have faith that "science" can solve all
our problems.

"This is faith, not science." We believe we can fix things, but we can't be
sure. And if we can't, then the Earth will fix them herself, flicking the
human species into oblivion in the process"

(Quoted from another article -- one discussing our presently rapidly
declining ability to do "good" technical innovation)

Putting both together -- one can ask:

How did we end up promoting fuels from food and ignore totally alternative
energies based on gasification of non-eatable biomasses??

answer: Because our societies of man got to "religious" and thus "stupefied".

Science has became a religious "belief" rather than a working tool for
survival!!

What to do?? Well -- get out of the way -- stand well back -- and let the
die-off begin.

Know amount of intelligent discussions have ever changed the mind of even
on religious nut case -- ever!!

If you have problems with this kind of dark logic -- please delete this
message now ---

The answer to our immediate survival at present human population levels is
for one and all to practice "austerity" -- but the faith in "Science"
allows the human race to march over the cliff's edge with eyes tightly shut!!

Peter -- Belize

**************************************************

Starving the People To Feed the Cars

By Lester R. Brown
Sunday, September 10, 2006; Page B03

High oil prices are much more than just a drain on drivers' pocketbooks or
a sign of tough economic times ahead; they could also prove to be a leading
indicator of the unraveling of our global civilization.

That may sound unlikely, or melodramatic. But consider this: Now, almost
everything we eat can be converted into automotive fuel. And once the price
of oil surpassed $60 a barrel last year, the business of transforming
wheat, corn, soybeans and sugarcane into fuel for cars instead of food for
people became hugely profitable. As crops that have long sustained us are
diverted to provide fuel, we may encounter the same fate that brought down
great civilizations of the past.

[snip]