sewer waste to bio-fuel

[George.com]

Interesting pod cast about renewable energy forms, especially algae grown on sewerage waste converted to bio-diesel.

[Frank]

But then I see some algae have fat contents that may be worth harvesting for biodiesel:

agribusiness better get to work and make sure tariffs are legislated to keep out cheap fuel so they can continue to hose us by diverting human and animal food into petrol ;)

Frank

[Billy]

Now, here's a real challenge. How does Cargill and ADM get Congress to subsidize sewage scum? Will it be as successful at making people sick as high fructose con syrup (type 2 diabetes), hydrogenated vegetable oil (cardiovascular disease), or, perhaps, Monsanto's organophosphates which slow metabolism?

What's that? Do I hear some innocent saying that oil from sewage scum won't be used for food? Uh-huh.

[George.com]

Why would oil from sewerage be used as food? The algae grown on sewer ponds could be used for bio-fuels which strikes me as a perfect win-win. We farm already intensive land (sewerage ponds) to produce a crop (algae) that can be used to create fuel AND we clean up the water. No sure of the costs involved but it makes some sense to me. Existing bio-fuel production involves using food to produce fuel, or food growing land to produce fuel crops, or rainforest to grow fuel crops. This in itself creates problems, never mind looking at the energy wasted to turn the likes of corn into fuel, the impacts on famers in developing countries on the harvesting of fuel crops, the potential loss of habitat, bio-diversity, potential damage to soils & water ways etc etc. I like the idea that every time I have a dump I could drive a kilometre on the by-product.

agreed. Why the hell give away $100 billion in tax credits to try and prop up your economy? To my mind that money would be better spent on infrastructure investment. Spend it on fixing your roads, bridges, power grid etc. From what I understand the US infrastructure needs a fair bit of attention. Not only do you get a tangible result at the end but the extra spending will stimulate economic activity. The money going through companies and wage packets can be taxed and the flow on effects will help hold up aggregate demand.

rob

[Billy]

Whoa Rob. You are letting facts and reason get in the way of a tidy profit. We (the editorial "we") here in the States think "Casino Capitalism" is only for entrepreneurs (suckers). The real game is to fund re-election campaigns like the "Energy Summit" sponsored by the big Dick Cheney. Participants saw a four thousand fold return on their investments. Thinking the way you do, the US would never have gone into Iraq or Afghanistan, and the where would our military-industrial complex be then? Just the prelude to the invasion of Iraq "required" more ordinance than we used in both theaters during WWII. But we aren't here to talk of the scandalous gang of miscreants who are running the US at present or will be running it after next January.

I'm here to say that if an edible oil can be produced from crud eating algae that is competitive in price with standard agricultural oils, you KNOW that it is going to end up in highly refined prepared connivence foods in combination with the GMO corn and soybeans.

I have no problem with bio-diesel from crud, bio-mass from crud, or methane from crud, as long as it is used for fuel. The Afghanis cut out the middle man and just burn the pasture pastries (no wood). It's just seems to me, that our masters have decided to skin the sheep (us) instead of shearing them. (Re: maladies that were brought on by high fructose corn syrup and trans-fats. Weird proteins are made by GMOs and allergic reactions to them still aren't well understood at present even though they have entered the food pipeline. Just makes you wonder what we will be guinea pigs for next.) I'm sure some board of directors will be pleased with the quarterly profits.

I think paranoia is becoming a life skill.

May I just have plain, natural, non-technological food, please?

[George.com]

Yes, some people got very rich with the invasion. Thick as the barn door dubya just wanted to get even on old Saddam for trying to kill his old man. Unfortunately for the working man and women it seems like dubyas ineptitude & thirst for revenge is coming back to hit them big time. I guess at least amny economic melt down will be laid where it belongs, at the feet of Bush rather than the poor sucker who has to inherit his mess. The true 'genius' of Bush will be captured for all of history.

Just the prelude to the invasion of Iraq "required" more

I read in a post tonight some usary bastard who was raking in something like $35 million US per year and drove Merrill Lynch to a multi billion dollar loss. The prick did a runner with $250 million golden parachute whilst the working person was left to pick up the real costs. Usary exploitative pricks like that sum up well one of the fundamentals that is wrong with society of late capitalism. The dollar is the end goal, rampant consumerism celebrated, marketing flash and glitz is everything, values like community & collectivism trampelled in the rush for get rich quick.

well, if my dump ends up in convenience foods that just becomes another great reason not to buy microwave 'meals' eh. You get to have the same crap twice eh.

rob

[enigma]

Billy wrote in news: [e-mail] ct.net.au:

no, of course not! go to

& read yesterday's entry. then go to the Fed's comments page & request the USDA not corrupt the meaning of 'naturally raised' as they have the meaning of 'organic'. as a small (natural, organic) farmer in the gun sights of big ag, i thank you. lee

[David Hare-Scott]

I thought pond scum was already wide spread in those parts?

David

[Billy]

The same mentality that led Delta Airlines to set up retirements trusts for their executives, and then let the airline go bankrupt, wiping out the retirement of its' employees, and the same mentality that led Merck to keep Vioxx on the market four more years, after they knew it was killing people, is the same mentality that controls our food supply and our government.

People should be mad as hell and bang those pots and pans to let their anger be known. The real solution is already illegal.

[Billy]

who eats, should read the above page.

Big agribusiness and their "bought and paid for" politicians are trying to separate us further and further from food production so that we will be totally at their mercy.

Over half the seeds sold for gardens already have copyrights on them. Small ranchers aren't allowed to butcher their own live stock, unless they have stainless steel abattoirs, which are prohibitively expensive, unless you are a major producer. This flies in the face of the fact that most diseases can be tracked back to manure filled feed lot operations, and rapid and undiscerning butchering of the animals.

For real food, support Community Supported Agriculture and small farms, and buy locally, if given a choice.

It is amazing to me how often I come across the reference to feed lot beef vs. pastured beef. Simple societies that consume large quantities of meat do not get cardiovascular disease. The difference seems to be the omega-3 fatty acids content of the animals food (apparently this holds true for farmed salmon as well). Grass and leaves (and algae) are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Grains are low in omega-3 fatty acids but high in omega-6 fatty acids. Where our ancestors used to have a diet that had a ratio of 1 to 1 of omega-3 to omega-6, our present diet is roughly 1 to 10. Healthy food makes healthy people.

Grains also destroy the stomachs of the steers that it is fed to, which is another reason that feed lots need to use antibiotics on their herds. This in turn breeds antibiotic resistant bacteria which are becoming more and more prevalent in the human population.

For those who haven't read it, you may want to read about the effects of corn on beef in Michael Pollans article for the NY Times,

Lastly, gardeners, try to identify the weeds in your gardens befor you pull them out. Some of them are medicinal, culinary herbs like cleavers, purslane, chickweed, dandelions, and lambs quarters. These plants can furnish flavor, fiber, diuretics, potassium, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory compounds, among others things, to your diet. I hate to think that some of us get sick, when the cure is growing out in our own yards.

[kzin]

If you want a grim vision of where patented GM seeds is leading the world see if you can find the short story "The Calorie Man". It takes place in a world where all seeds are patented and farmers are subject to having their fields destroyed if they use, even accidentally, any seed not purchased from licensed sellers. Plants have been modified so that they do not produce seed and so new seed must be purchased at the start of every growing season. Producing your own seed, i.e. natural farming, is impossible. Trying to farm using old non-GM seeds is impossible due to the GM predators developed by the agribusiness to ensure only plants grown from their seed stock have any chance of survival.

Fiction yes, but not all that far fetched.

ml

[Bill]

One of six short stories is Calorie Man.

~$16.

Bill who no longer has local pull plants in my area. But had wild turkey's drinking from our pond 10 feet away from our kitchen right now.

[Billy]

I'm hooked. The anthology that the "The Calorie Man" is in, "Pump Six and Other Stories", isn't to be released for 4 more days. Where did you read it? I have "extremely" limited interrogation techniques so please speak up.

Also, thanks for the recommendation, I'm sure I'll be reading it soon:-)

[kzin]