tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595246785446634961.post897453861672286445..comments2024-03-12T02:18:13.968-07:00Comments on The Intercept: How Big Oil Benefits From Global Warming AlarmismIntercepthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03780885180607579873noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595246785446634961.post-49450114266953386762012-06-02T14:04:30.513-07:002012-06-02T14:04:30.513-07:00Thanks for the contribution to help round this art...Thanks for the contribution to help round this article out, Mike. Forbes should always be greeted with the suspicion it deserves. Notice how fracking is given a free pass! That said, the information refuting "big oil paradigm" was worth collecting.Intercepthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03780885180607579873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595246785446634961.post-45602926653373365132012-06-02T00:02:44.649-07:002012-06-02T00:02:44.649-07:00Interesting stuff about Enron's enthusiasm for...Interesting stuff about Enron's enthusiasm for Kyoto, but after watching "gasland" it seems like the author is letting natural gas off the hook while coming out hard against ethanol. AFAIK, the studies that found that ethanol is a net energy loser were from David Pimentel. He overestimated the oil input in ways like assuming you need a brand new super sized tractor for 40 acres of cultivation, chemical fertilizers etc. (see http://www.mail-archive.com/sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg71532.html) There are several studies from South America that put large positive energy returns on ethanol versus oil inputs. Also, to say that ethanol has less energy than gas and therefore is less efficient in an engine I don't think is right. The heating value of gas is higher than ethanol yeah, but this actually makes alcohol more suitable for motor fuel, as it is better for the engine to run cooler. You might get less gas mileage (by 15% or so I've read) but far less if any soot gets into your oil so that a woman I've talked to who uses 85% ethanol hasn't had to change her oil in tens of thousands of miles and still going apparently. They taught us in auto mechanics 101 the three causes of engine wear: heat, vibration, and soot or exhaust residue in mechanicals, all three dramatically cut down or eliminated by ethanol. So you get less mileage (though one home-made ethanol expert gained mileage in his car) but save so much on your car by using ethanol. Sure, big agriculture does ethanol in a crappy way and the oil industry is all over big ethanol I think, but think of the possibilities for smaller-scale producers using more efficient methods and crops other than corn. Also, so many energy options: you can run engines on water! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ljhGUia9Yk And how about batteries that collect ambient energy from the environment and convert it to electricity? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK206oAmF_MMike Swansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13864466622108586152noreply@blogger.com