Nicolas Naranja

If I were an engineer, I could totally meet the energy needs of my vehicle and house with maybe an acre of sugarcane. I'd just need a large storage tank at my house for the ethanol. If I could legally convert the bagasse to energy by burning it, I'd be able to supply my neighbors with energy as well. Of course the energy at my house already comes from sugarcane.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

sbl

I agree with that!

I have not seen any ethanol sources here in NW FL, but maybe I need to look for some and get a conversion kit. Brazil is now energy independent based on ethanol from sugar cane--they are way ahead of us in making ethanol and figured out long ago that corn was not the best way.

I think there are some new technologies that are making ethanol from cellulose that are very promising.

We really should be putting more effort into nuclear, solar and wind.

jeffreyp

sbl, there are probably others (I didn't do an exhaustive search) but I found these
HERNDON SHELL
400 E GREGORY ST
PENSACOLA, FL 32502

Kangaroo Express
3500 N Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-562-1159


. HERNDON OIL CORPORAT - SHELL
E-85: Available (8/13/2009)
505 FAIRHOPE AVE, FAIRHOPE, AL
(14 miles away)
(251)928-2343

Drive Green
E-85: Available (9/24/2009)
7080 AIRPORT BLVD, MOBILE, AL
(9.8 miles away)
(334)342-5929


I'm not so opposed to corn ethanol in the short term I think it's a step in the right direction to get us off the oil addiction. In time better technologies will emerge such as cellulosic ethanol and I'd rather see us farmers getting rich rather than countries that hate us. Once corn is processed the remains are used as cattle feed, plus other chemicals are made from it so it's not a total loss. Home ethanol production isn't too difficult tho it's probably too labor intensive for the average home owner. You could get waste alcohol from a bar and then distill it into fuel, but again maybe too much effort. I think more energy dense fuels (biodiesel) from cooking oil would be easier to produce.

Abnshrek

You know weather being man-made is like when you goto the doctor and they find out you have a throat disease (or anything they can't figure out.. it just an example).. so they ask you a ton of questions cause they can't figure it out.. then suddenly they ask you.. you use smokeless tobacco... The doctor jumps on the yes answer... "like there's the culprit".. even though you only did it occasionally 20 years ago.. can you smell the BS?

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

jeffreyp

My position in life, my prayer so-to-speak is that truth would be near to me and lies far from me. When climate-gate came out in the news it was very disturbing. Whether co2 produced by man has had any impact/effect on the climate is not clearly understood.

Nevertheless, my position on emissions (co2, sulfur dioxide, mercury, etc) should be controlled and limited in a reasonable way. Human experience will tell you that anything in life in excess is bad but I think the way politicians and governments have gone about tackling co2 emissions has been extremely flawed. I've mentioned this before but carbon trading is just a game or an "indulgence" in the ecological religion. I'd much rather see money and efforts spent on sequestering, scrubbing or recycling of emissions than have carbon taxes (the things governments and greedy corporations create to make you poorer) passed down to you and me. I think the US has the technical know how to do great things how but unfortunately and historically I think we have spent our money on the wrong things.

sbl

Amen! And Thanks for the sources.

jeffreyp

SBL, just an fyi, in a non flex vehicle you can top off with ethanol (e85) so lets say your tank is 60% full of gasoline your can top off with ethanol and gain some impressive performance and still keep your car's computer happy. I got a flex kit so I can burn any combination but topping off can really give you great performance in a non flex configuration. Interestingly, I noticed with e85 the exhaust smell is sweet instead of that toxic gasoline fume smell. Too bad they add gasoline to ethanol (to denature it) otherwise it would be 1 gallon for the car, and one gallon for me... (;





.

sbl

I would have never thought that it was that simple to install! Is the mileage about the same?

I will start topping my tank off next tank! Is 40% about the limit without flex fuel conversion?

jeffreyp

yea its a piece of cake to install...40% is about the max, i've done almost a full tank of e85 before my flex kit but my check engine light came on because the computer can't handle the high octane. That's easy to remedy, just add more gas. I think the mileage can be about the same (it just depends on your vehicle) in my case I drive a huge suv and get about 2mpg less but the cost can be up to a $1 less per gallon for ethanol. Try experimenting in the meantime, when you are down 1/4 - 1/3 from full top off with e85 and see the improvement in performance! btw, I bought my conversion kit from jonnyenergy.com fwiw...

http://www.youtube.com/v/Q8Gawyybcwc&color1=0xb1b1b1&c

sbl

Bummer! I went to the only station listed for E-85 in Pensacola, but they do not have it--maybe they will, but not yet.

In my internet search I found an article on one in Mobile and several sites listing one in Fairhope--about 50 miles away, so maybe I can get some one day when I am over there.

jeffreyp

How far away is this one from you? I haven't done an exhaustive search for pensacola, but there probably is a station closer to you. You could also call a couple of the station owners that do carry ethanol and see if there are plans to introduce it into your area. I love it, the performance is great and I feel good about burning that for fuel for lots of reasons.

Drive Green
E-85: Available (9/24/2009)
7080 AIRPORT BLVD, MOBILE, AL
(9.8 miles away)
(334)342-5929

Green Ethanol Corp
Address: 4771 Bayou Blvd 206
Pensacola, FL,
32503-1930
Phone: 850-434-6409

Nicolas Naranja

EFuel100, Earth's First Home Ethanol System, a Product of E-Fuel Corporation You can have an ethanol pump at your house, just pour sugar or any other readily fermentable product in the back

__________________
Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

sbl

The one in Mobile is about 60 miles away, the one in Pensacola (Bayou Blvd) would be very close if it is there--I will check it out. Thanks--I did not find that in my search--what site are you finding these?

The address of the Herndon Shell on Gregory in Pensacola was correct--they just do not have E85.

Abnshrek

Once you use it you'll find out you don't get as good of gas milage nor will your vehicle have the power it does with gasoline.. :^)

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jeffreyp

Wow, 50 miles is too far, try giving the other place a call when you have time before making the trip.


I have found I have ALOT more power with ethanol, this is also the reason race cars use it. Even in a non flex config when I mixed a 60 % gas / 40% e85 blend myself I got a huge boost like my car had a nitro injection. Mileage will generally drop regardless, in the worst case maybe 20% less mpg, but keep in mind e85 is an American made fuel. I remember getting on the highway and stomping on the gas and felt like I was in the back to future delorian. There are also alot of other benefits, it burns cleaner, it will actually clean all the crap out of your engine that gas leaves behind, will make your cars parts last longer, your engine does not get as hot with ethanol, less emissions (the exhaust actually smells good), and costs less than gas, sometimes as much as $1 per gallon!

sbl

I hope they have it at the last address you sent--that is right here close to me. I will definitely try it if they have it. If not, I know that place in Fairhope and I am over there pretty often.

Abnshrek

I don't have it around here but when I goto Wisc. (every blue moon) I get it in Mo. and yeah it cheap alright. My experience may not be very accurate since my fuel pump in my suburban was on the fritz, and has sicne been replaced but not trips up there since then..

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

sbl

OK, Back to the climate--Some of you guys seem to know a good bit about meterology--I don't know that much about meterology, or more specific, the movement of atmospheric masses, but I do know that air that rises at the equator and moves west and north due to coriolis and air that falls near the Artic moves east and south. Is it possible that the warm spot in the Pacific (El Nino), pushes extra air north and then that results in stronger air masses coming down from the artic?

jeffreyp

seems like something else is going on..

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/product...UStrank/nd.gif
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/product...Strank/ndj.gif

sbl

Surprising! Why the prediction of a colder and wetter winter for the South in El Nino.

Look at page 31 of this NOAA pdf link:http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/product...-fcsts-web.pdf