[Gasification] rantings

[Toby Seiler]

Man is a disease upon the earths surface.  Since growth (of human population) continues, so does the impact upon the earth.  For example...Indiana was 95% covered with old growth hardwood forest before the white man.  In 1920 only 15% of the total acres were in forest and about 19% is now forested.  Some marginal lands have reverted back into forest. 
   
  The point here is that we have had a failure to plan.  We are not a secure nation when we so deplete a resource on land that now will grow corn and soybeans for liquid fuel at high cost per Btu (as a measure of heat).  If land were planted in forest (Osage orange or other high heat value tree) and harvested for solid fuel per a rotation schedule (10 year or so)...would we not solve some erosion problems, provide a carbon sink for our air and recover 10 times the Btu over ethanol.  Could fire control be integrated into large scale harvesting for energy biomass? 
   
  Peter,  I agree with you that our direction appears headed for a train wreck.  Our investment of $300 billion in Iraq would have developed a lot of alternative energy that could reduce our dependency.  I hope this gasification list has entrepreneurs as well as techies because our govenment seems to be failing to invest in long term solid fuel alternatives.  
   
  What is the heat value from burning an acre of corn in a furnace as compared to making alcohol? 
   
  Toby J. Seiler

 		
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