Biodiesel advocate Willie Nelson honored by EPA
Earlier this week, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency honored singer Willie Nelson for his work in promoting biodiesel. Nelson, who first
heard of the blended vegetable and petroleum diesel from his wife two years ago, has since traveled across the U.S. to
become arguably the alternative fuel's highest profile advocate. The country great has even gotten into the Biodiesel
business, creating Willie Nelson Biodiesel, and has his own brand, "BioWillie". We're happy to see that Mr. Nelson is again in the good graces of the U.S. government, and all it took was an alternative fuel to do so.
[Source: The Soy Daily]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cowboy bob 1:36PM (4/23/2006)
"Biowillie" should stick to singing to the other nitwits who listen to him. There is no mainstream use for biodiesel. Every man, woman, and child would have to empty the McDonalds fryers ten times a day to supply enough diesel to run a tenth of the diesel used in this country in one day. Ethanol is another fantasy, and another argument made by those who simply don't have the facts. Economise as best as possible for now, and look to technology for solutions in the next twenty years. Hydrogen? Perhaps.
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jordan 2:10PM (4/23/2006)
#1: Think around the early 1900's...I bet people like Henry Ford were criticized for making vehicles that were powered by gasoline instead of by horse or steam. "Oh my, there's not even enough gasoline to supply to all of these 'cars.' Who would ever want one?" In his case, supply (of gas) came to meet demand (of cars). Eventually we're going to need the same thing. How long was it before gasoline cars came normal after their inception? The change has to start sometime.
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Mal Fuller 4:39PM (4/23/2006)
Pretty slick, Willie.
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Anon 5:46PM (4/23/2006)
Bob,
If you think that hydrogen is going to save us, you've been drinking the same kool-aid as the bush crew. All the "we'll use hydrogen" crowd always neglect to mention where we are going to get all this hydrogen from? Strip it out of methane or electrolize it out of water? Where the hell are we going to get the energy to do that?
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iQuack 5:52PM (4/23/2006)
Could it be biodiesel in Willie's beard that makes it look so mangy?
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goat 6:02PM (4/23/2006)
Beside the possible production of biodiesel from algae, there is also a very good use for it: as a lubricity additive for the new Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. Sulfur has lubricant properties, and something will be needed to replace it. 5% biodiesel would work pretty well.
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cowboy bob 6:39PM (4/23/2006)
#2-Duh. Things have changed just a bit since the early 1900's. If you are willing to ride a horse to work, I suspect biodiesel fits you perfectly. The facts of USAGE cannot be ignored. Only those who lack the understanding of economic impact vs. availablity tout that "everyone" use biodiesel. Only a fraction of the cars on the road today even use diesel. The same problems of usage are true of ethanol. Are you aware that an 85/15% gasoline/ethanol blend delivers almost the same reduction percentage of reduced power and fuel economy compared to gasoline? Your "economy" usage of ethanol is reduced by a total increase of fuel usage to use this blend. So, instead of 20MPG with gasoline, you will get about 17+/18 with gasohol. Look in your wallet now "greenhead". You save nothing. Add to that the argument about total energy consumption to produce ethanol. The only people who benefit will be those who produce and market this material. You'll save more if you ride a bike.
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Heywood Jablowmi 11:54PM (4/23/2006)
Cowboy Bob: Go back to the oil field, your job is safe, for now. I will continue to buy B100 from plenty of sources for less than petrodiesel. Given the small percentage of diesel vehicles in the US, as you say, we shouldn't any supply issues for quite a while. Besides, the way most Americans eat, obtaining used cooking oil is getting easier by the day.
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Krishna Das 11:58PM (4/23/2006)
I support Willie Nelson for having the guts to fight with the oil giants with such a simple and effective solution.
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cowboy bob 2:09AM (4/24/2006)
#9-Guts has nothing to do with feasibility. Custer had guts, but things he faild to take into account cost him and his followers their lives. Some really good things simply don't work in the real world. #8-I don't like big oil, and don't work for one. The environment is already past the point of preservation in it's current condition. China's expansion will "put the lid" on what our own and the rest of the world has set in motion. I am much to old to see the result, but my grandkids will. Biodiesel is cute, and useful in small ways, but the fact is that it's use and growth is a pimple on an elephants a**. Widespread use and effect is simply not feasible in any useable timeframe.
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jordan 7:51AM (4/24/2006)
"Add to that the argument about total energy consumption to produce ethanol."
The same argument should be put forward for your use of hydrogen, and add to it that hydrogen has a much lower potential energy than gas, diesel, ethanol, and biodiesel. Innovation fueled methods to get gasoline production costs low, as well as the demand for more cars. Look at the launch of any major piece of electronic hardware, such as the XBox360. They are losing money by selling it at that price right now, but eventually they see that manufacturing costs will decrease to the point of their profitability. For now, they rely on game sales and take the hit on the consoles themselves.
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BD Pumper 12:12PM (4/24/2006)
Cowboy Bob,
Nobody is forcing you to use Biodiesel, why do you even care about commenting on it? The rest of us will merrily go about our buisness of using a fuel that can be delivered without changes to the current fuel infrastructure, is a higher quality product because it has greater lubricity, has about 45% more energy per gallon than gasoline, and makes at least some sort of dent in emissions and world economic conditions. Go back to your newspaper and wring your hands with the rest of the "conventional wisdom" dunderheads. The rest of us are busy seeing what is possible, not what is impossible.
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cowboy bob 2:15PM (4/24/2006)
Pumper-what are you, 14, 15? I said it wasn't a solution of any scale, not that a person shouldn't do it if they so desired. The thing I wanted to convey is the point that biodiesel is cute, but not practical for any large consumer group (uhhh,like millions!). People who jump on a bandwagon without understanding the greater implications are simply mouths. Do as you wish, as it will not save the world as much as you would wish it would. "Them's the facts mam". Sorry.
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Frankenstein Black 3:19PM (4/24/2006)
NOW, NOW, Cowboy Bobby. You remind me of the same type of folks that called Columbus and the Right Bros a-holes for advocating different ways of thinking. Im a competitive minded American technologist (fancy word for tech geek) and it kills me to;
- Watch Toyota continue to embrace American car manufactures.
- Watch us be gouged and know that part of the fill-up goes to fund Madrasas.
- Watch other countries blow our doors off in the development of alternative fuels.
- And the worst, knowing that BRAZIL IS MONTHS AWAY FROM 100% ENERGY INDEPENDENCE (E100 - pure ethanol).
If they can do it, WHY CANT WE?! Why? Because there is no real initiative from the top. Speeches are good but when you cut funds, your actions speak louder. We have a bunch of fux the future, innovation squashing, greedy monopolists in power plain and simple. Some who are well into their eighties and with bad tickers to boot. They must know they cant take it with them right? MAN, THEY MUST REALY HATE HUMANITY!
Ignore our flat earth friend Bobby and (even me for that matter). READ, STAY EDUCATED AND QUESTION EVERYTHING!!
Head on over to http://www.autobloggreen.com/
Its a good place to start since its part of this blog group and a format that you are familiar with.
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BD Pumper 12:44PM (4/25/2006)
Cowboy Bob,
How do you know what "scale" can be acheived? We have no idea what sort of production is possible and we don't need a solution that will magically replace 100% of our current oil based energy, we just need to use a variety of sorces to replace part of it. If we could make enough biodiesel to replace 10% of current petro diesel, enough ethanol to replace 10% of current gasoline, imporve fuel economy by 10% (by not driving cowboy cadillacs) and start using a few other replacement energy sorces, even electric cars (someday Bob, I see you driving your tired old ass around a sunny retirement home in your electric golf cart, still carping about how no one understands anything but you) that could ad up to a 20 to 25% decrease in oil comsumption. You can be that would have an impact on oil producing nations and global politics.
But your solution...er...opps...I forgot, you don't have a solution. You are waiting for the physics fairy to magically create a perfect substitute for oil that will allow us to go back to being a the same old comsuming dumbasses that we are now. Remember Bob, if we had computers in 1890 someone would have been able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that every town in the US would be under 5 feet of horse shit within 30 years.
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