Forum Archive Index - May 2003

["tennyson@caverock.net.nz" <tennyson@caverock.net.nz>]

Hi Macdunk,

 
>
> I had better explain why Jims Idea or merely his
> thoughts on alternative fuel from plants will never be practical. 
> Lets suppose Jim cracks it and produces fuel from plants which I do
> think likely, it is the cost that kills it . We now pay tax on a
> gallon of fuel, where will that come from?.  We do need the farmland
> to feed the the populace of the world as it is without trying to add
> fuel to the equation. 
>
>



I see your point, but I wonder if you are fully up to date as to where we 
are with this technology now?   Producing fuel from plants is something 
that has been done on a commercial scale for over 20 years.   There is 
no problem for Jim to crack.  Brazil already has an extensive alcohol 
fuelled fleet.   Closer to home, and across the ditch, BP has been selling 
'petrol' with 10% plant ethanol content to Australians for a year.  The 
ethanol is a by product of Queensland sugar cane.

The point here is I don't think we are looking at an either/or question.   
Ethanol can and has been blended into petrol already, and the 
Australian government is still collecting the tax from fuel sales.

And where is the 'spare land' going to come from to grow this energy?
>From the productivity improvements on the food side of things which 
means less land is needed for that!


>
>
>The greatest source of power is under our noses in water. 
> The hydrogen in one gallon of water will drive the family car 
> further than a gallon of petrol. 
>
>


Don't think you'll be running your can on water any time soon!   
Hydrogen from fuel cell technology perhaps, but that is even further up 
the road of commercial viability than Jim's dreams.

>
>
> I dont mind If Jim experiments with other
> peoples money as long as it is not mine on a venture like that.  
> 
>

History has shown that R&D is useful in the medium term.    And 
Genesis is a company that works on a time horizon of years and 
decades, not months.    I like to think that I think long term.   But putting 
on my investors hard hat GEN is too speculative even for me.    I am 
quite happy to let Dr Alan Freeth from WRI manage my indirect 
investment in GEN on my behalf however.

SNOOPY

discl: hold WRI


  

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