[AT] Alternative Fuels-Hemp?

[charlie hill]

We also need to crank some old hydro powered turbines back up.
I recently went to a dam located in central NC.  There was a sandblasting 
and painting project out for bid on it along with some dam spillway repairs. 
When we got there it was a perfectly good hydro plant sitting idle.  The 
piping, turbines, etc inside the dam house were all in good shape.  I 
figured they were about to put it back in production.  The "dam keeper" that 
escorted us in there said no.  They are just repairing the spill way and the 
place is nothing but a park now.  They wanted the spill way repaired and the 
windows and intake grates painted.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sheppard, Charles E" <sheppard at indiana.edu>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 1:10 PM
Subject: [AT] Alternative Fuels-Hemp?


> There is a lot of political and PR resistance to this idea but other 
> countries are already in production of industrial hemp (not the smoking 
> kind!).  Hemp is a great source of fiber, feedstock for ethanol production 
> and as an oilseed.  Hemp produces more oil than soybeans.  Google "hemp 
> fuel" or go to www.hemp4fuel.com  If crude goes to $105/barrel as 
> predicted (Goldman-Sachs Report 3/05) this alternative may be a sound 
> choice for our nation.  I hate the thought of motor fuel costing $4-$5 
> /gal but, if that's what it takes to get this country more 
> self-sufficient, I'm in favor.  Electric energy must be produced through 
> nuclear technologies and there are several designs that promise inherent 
> safety from meltdown.  Natural gas should be reserved for small commercial 
> and residential heating and for chemical feedstock, not for boiler fuel or 
> for peaking turbines.  The CAFE standards must be raised and hybrid 
> technolgy fully developed;  hydrogen as motor fuel is far in the future.
>
> We see this as a personal issue, but it is really one of national 
> security.  China's economy is red hot and they are inflating their 
> currency to maintain the current imbalance of trade (we buy 10% of their 
> GDP; they buy 1/5 of 1% of ours).  They are investing heavily in our U.S. 
> Treasuries which helps keep our interest rates down (and the real estate 
> market up).  Their economy requires half of the world's supply of cement, 
> 2/3 of the copper and 90% of the world's steel.  China's need for oil will 
> surpass our own within twenty years or less.  There simply isn't enough to 
> go around and the known reserves are rapidly dwindling.  There isn't room 
> for two super-powers and limited resources.  We have foolishly pursued a 
> policy of globilization that has resulted in the loss of many thousands of 
> jobs.  Our economy is now asset-based.  We are monetizing (say ditech.com) 
> our assets as a source of income.  Household sector indebtedness is up 20% 
> from the 1990's and is now 90% of the U.!
> S. GDP.  We need an effort more like the Appollo project to get us back on 
> track........all IMHO.
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.8/71 - Release Date: 8/12/2005
>