Rural Americans for Energy Independence

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Comment by Alan on July 23, 2008 at 6:54pm

We need a solution to the energy crisis other than ethanol. The demand for ethanol has doubled the price of corn. It is difficult for a small farmer to turn a profit on livestock because of the high cost of feed! If the small livestock producer goes away, the USA will become a net importer of our meat supply. The import of meat may not be as safe as our domestic supply.

Comment by John T on July 22, 2008 at 12:25pm

Can't use "windex" for the wind index fund, that is a patented word. I am sure someone will figure out a way to get around it though, or maybe windex would love the notarity. They can put a small wind turbine icon on their bottles.

Comment by Mike McCarthy on July 17, 2008 at 7:40am

Join us at Carbon Neutral as we move forward with our plans to Flip a City.

Vacant Buildings - Holyoke

Download the pdf (4 MB) and get a sense of where we have to start.

Then watch us grow and implement a plan to install grid tied solar pv systems on all rooftops, and most importantly, bring an entire City back to life as Carbon Free as possible.

Comment by Charles Phillips on July 16, 2008 at 9:15am

Everyone keep an eye on the new Index Fund "WindEx" that Jim Kramer has put together. It is on Mad Money. Also, there is a bill before the house of Texas that will allow easy implementation of the grid for wind power.

Comment by Graham Osman on July 14, 2008 at 1:12pm

I am a developer who builds shopping centers in Rural Markets across the west, we are interested in implenting some of the green products in our centers. We have started with small solar installations and are working on roof solar, bringing better energy savings to tenants in rural markets increases the willingness of these national tenants to enter the smaller markets. Graham
Chazcodevelopment.com

Comment by Roberta on July 13, 2008 at 7:42am

I live in Oklahoma in a rural area outside Tulsa and we have many farmers in our area. Let me know how I can help.

Comment by Charles Phillips on July 11, 2008 at 8:30am

On another note, as we look at fuel prices, especially for the farmers, ranchers, truckers and other transportation based companies. We need to look at alternatives.

I have been exploring the personal manufacturing of biodiesel. I have looked at using used frying oil (limited supply), we have looked at other oil based plants, corn, palm, etc. The problem with plants is their lifecycle is to long. In other words, when your acre of corn is gone, you need to crop rotate and you typically can only have one crop per year.

There is a solution being tested and now implemented that is showing tremendous promise. This is utilizing algae. I don't know how many of you have grown up around stock ponds. But, you know that if a cup of fertilizer or cow dung lands in a pond, almost over night you have algae. it is replenishable. You can almost get a crop a week. So this turns the yield of an acre from around 265 gallons from corn to 10,000 gallons from algae and again, the remaining foodstock is used for cattle or sushi rolls. I know all of you were concerned we were going to run out of sushi roll material.

Here is a link to a plant starting in Texas. There is a company in Holland that is making a self-contained unit for semi-personal use (large farm or cooperative) that grows the algae and extracts the oil. I will provide information on that in a follow up.

http://gas2.org/2008/03/29/first-algae-biodiesel-plant-goes-online-april-1-2008/

Charles

Comment by Charles Phillips on July 11, 2008 at 8:19am

Glen,

I certainly agree with you that we should start by individualizing our energy conservation and generation. This will be a tremendous start. In the end, it is difficult to motivate individuals to do anything that takes effort outside their daily lives. But, if you build a group they seem to follow a leader, like lemmings to the sea......bad analogy but, accurate.

This is where I see the benefit to Pickens Plan. He offers a tremendous amount of credibility in oil and gas. We need to lend our credibility and support to getting behind this so it will move from the individual to the community.

Someone asked us today what are we doing to implement change. We are selling our ranch and downsizing to 50% of the land but we are going to build back in a fully operational green farm. From all facilities being powered by solar and wind to geo-thermal hvac to producing our own biodiesel for personal usage. We also are going to move from inorganic livestock and food growth to organic. We had to make a commitment and from a conservative republican, or more libertarian now, I did it for my wife and I and kids. I just turned 50. I am concerned about the cost requirements of simple necessecities such as food, fuel and utilities. If they continue to escalate at the current rates, and a cost of living increase that will lag by 15 percent or so, we will all be in trouble. So the thought is to begin building for our retirement and for our kids to have (or to learn from) a quasi-self sufficient environment.

Comment by Glen Whiting on July 10, 2008 at 10:23pm

Let us define wind as "Big" or "PEP, Personal Energy Production." PEP can be in the form of Solar or Wind but it is sometimes easier to use wind as an example. Big is very costly and requires years to be in place while say a small motel could install 3 or 4 units, see http://www.rancherslifestyle.com/products.asp?cat=24 under a 5-year lease program that would all but replace their utility bill. Upon completion of the 5-year lease their power is FREE except semi-annual servicing.

With PEP you would stay on the grid and what you don't need goes to your community. We are planning to have Greg Pahl speaking at our Green Plan 2008 Conference and Trade Show, see more http://push.pickensplan.com/events/event/show?id=2187034:Event:41458

Glen Whiting
www.RanchersLifestyle.com
432-386-6008

Comment by Charles Phillips on July 10, 2008 at 8:06am

Enclosed is a link to an Edmonds Auto article about driving with natural gas, milage, cost, etc. It is extremely interesting.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/107354/article.html

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