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Vic Smith

On 2 Feb 2007 05:46:37 -0800, wrote:

On Feb 1, 10:01 pm, Vic Smith wrote:

BTW, since you're deeply in the boating game, has there
been much written about "alternative" fuels for boats?
Seems there should be a market there for wealthy greenies.

Interesting you should mention that.

I was reading a really interesting article recently about "green"
fuels like ethanol blends and bio-diesel. Apparently what is
happening is that the various grain like corn are driving the
costs for food up so that things like food subsidies to third
world countries, emergency aid and even feed grain prices
will drive the cost of food through the roof which could lead
to over production, over harvesting, etc.

One case the article cited was the tortilla in Mexico. Even
though the corn used in the tortilla is white (as opposed to
yellow), it is a commodity and it's base price has been
affected such that the tortilla has become more expensive
to make and purchase. The tortilla is the major protein
source for Mexican poor and instead of buying/making three
or four per day they are down to one and often times not even
one substituting other, more starchy and less healthy food.

Kinda puts the whole "bio fuel" debate into a new and much
more interesting light.

Yeah, it's not the panacea often portrayed. Maybe the protein
can be saved as a by-product of the bio fuel production process
and General Foods can manufacture diesel burgers or some such
to replace the tortilla.
My take is we need more nuke development and better stored electric
technology to take the pressure off fossil and bio fuels for where
they are most practical. It'll get worked out one way or another.

--Vic