Ron Alexander's Page
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- Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?
- Maybe--But Not Sure What to Organize
- Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:
- I promote biodiesel part time.
- What excites you about this campaign?
- Getting away from fossil fuels
- What do you want to do to help?
- Help promote alternative energies
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You should get in to contact with Henry Brock. He is your District leader in North Myrtle Beach. However if your interested in joining my group you are welcome to do so! My name is Dawn Owens and I am the President of the Pickens Plan-Socastee /Myrtle Beach Division.I would like to extend to you an invitation to join our growing group. We meet in person at least once a month, however our current project will have us busy and we will be meeting at least twice a month.
We have sincere goals and we are currently working on two very big projects. One of which is going to be huge and will get the attention of local media.
This is strictly a volunteer effort and we are going to have an obscene amount of fun doing it. So if you are interested, please let me know.
Dawn
Finally, they publish editorial about diesels and biodiesels - and see comment to it!
I am a little late responding to your post but I can appreciate what you are saying. I previously owned a automotive service center and I sold and installed a product for diesel conversion to vegetable oil. You might appreciate looking at the system. You can find it at www.greasecar.com.
Diesel Engines Were Not Designed to Run on Fossil Fuels
(in response to John Youker's Op. Ed.)
I agree with Mr. Youker's premise that we need to get away from fossil fuels, however he placed diesels in same category as gasoline engines. Rudolpho Diesel built the first diesel engine to run on peanut oil. Biodiesel can come from either veggie oil or animal fats. And it can be a recyclable fuel, as this biofuel can be filtered from used cooking oil (recent article in The Sun News). Biodiesel can also be extracted from cellulose and algae (also recent article in The Sun News), Europe with the leadership of its politicians and car manufacturing CEOs are switching over to the cellulose source. Diesel engines and biodiesel are both proven to be superior to gasoline. Now over fifty-two percent of automobiles manufactured in Europe are diesel/biodiesel powered. BMW has built a hybrid diesel/electric which has outperformed the Prius. I have read they are building same BMW in a new plant in Greer, S.C. I hope so. I have met several Canadians driving Diesel VW's imported from Europe, and they say that they are getting 60 miles per gallon.
The EPA has successfully reduced sulfur output with ultralow sulfur diesel fuel, but by a miniscule amount of sulfur emission, they have prevented the import of the very successful TDI engine in VW's since 2006 and also in the very popular Smart Car. I met a Canadian driver of a Diesel Smart Car who is getting 76 miles per gallon.
Biodiesel is carbon neutral and can be manufactured in this country. In fact, one of the most successful new businesses in this state is Southeast Biodiesel in North Charleston. They have recently added a third shift, and are building a second plant to keep up with supply.
Ron Alexander
Today The Sun News published this well-informed letter:
"Recently, the Democrats tried to promote releasing 70 million barrels of oil from our reserves to burst the oil futures bubble.
This has been done three times in the recent past, back in 1991, 2000, and in 2005 with great results-lower gas prices. This is a quick solution, as opposed to oil drilling off our coasts. Oil experts concur it would take 10 or more years to drill off our coasts. When one thinks about it, that is a long time to wait and doesn't make much sense.
But to 43 Republican senators who vote as a bloc and have lobby money behind them, it does make sense to their pockets.
Alaska oil is shipped to China. Why? Greater profit for our struggling oil companies. The oil companies tell us they go to the ends of the earth to find oil and spend billions doing so. Not the case: the research and exploration come to about 3 to 5 per cent of their vast profits.
When you have oil people running every aspect of government, you get hammered at the pump. Surprised? Where does all that Iraq oil go?"
Jack Donovan
Little River
I've also heard of Rail conversions to bio fuels, so a little more research should tell if these are connections that should be made. Good luck with your enterprise, and happy hunting(research).
Feel free to join the most dynamic Alternative Energy Group:
Solar!(Click here)
Reaching accross this great country from sunrise to sunset, add your collective experience, drive & determination to support this vital global resource, and maintain the American technological lead.
We want to keep creating ways to tap this vital resource, not just for the future, but for tomorrow.
For those of you in the Solar Corridor, please also our 'local' group:
http://push.pickensplan.com/group/arizona
Let's find a way to get organized, together with our neighbors.
And of Biodiesel
Ron Alexander
As a retired yacht captain, I know of many advantages of diesel engines. Any commercial fisherman or captain of a passenger-carrying vessel can relate to these advantages, and hardly any of them would think of using a gasoline-powered boat instead. Matt Ruby, who owns three fishing boats run out of Little River, S. C. and also operates the fish plant there, maintains that diesel engines are “much more efficient, durable and safer than gasoline powered ones.”
Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel engine in 1895 in Germany to run on peanut oil. Compared to gasoline, the fuel for a diesel engine is almost inflammable. Also, there is hardly any carbon monoxide (as all carbons are reduced significantly) associated with diesel fuel. Being a compression-driven engine, there is no need for electronics that corrode easily such as spark plugs, points, condensers, distributors and wires that connect them making the diesel engines much simpler and easier to repair.
Diesels have not caught on well in the U.S. because of smelly diesel emissions associated with trucks, buses and a poorly built diesels (adapted from gasoline engines) by GM in the 1980’s and the older noisy smelly Mercedes diesel powered vehicles. In addition, poor marketing of diesel power has plagued the U. S. Automobile Manufacturers.
Since Dr. Diesel created the diesel engine to run on peanut oil to start with, biodiesel has been a much more effective biofuel. Many are confused about biofuels. We are told that they can take away from valuable food crops, and lead to more world hunger. If that is true, it does not apply to biodiesel, as it uses only the oil and leaves the nutritious part of plant or animal. Biodiesel can come from either veggie oil or animal fats. And it can be the only recyclable fuel, as this biofuel can be filtered from used cooking veggie oil. It can be blended with petroleum diesel to make a more effective and less polluting fuel. Only 1% biodiesel makes a difference, but the higher percentage the better. The standard definition is "biodiesel is a renewable fuel derived from vegetable oils or animal fats that can be blended with petroleum or used on its own."
Confusion comes from the facts about a different biofuel - ethanol (an alcohol not an oil) that uses a plant feedstock, such as corn, beetroot, sugar beet or sugar cane and then fermenting it. It can be blended with gasoline to make “gasohol.” Reducing the fears of food crops being taken away from the world supply, there is a new technology called “cellulostic ethanol production” which allows the production of ethanol from the leftover straw of the food crop. Brazil is now producing ethanol for over 30% of its fuel production. Biodiesel can also be extracted from cellulose. Algae is now object of intense research in universities all over country as best possible biodiesel source because of its high CO 2 absorption & oxygen producing qualities, plus, very importantly, it reproduces itself overnight.
Already, Europe produces over 52 % diesel-powered autos, and all sizes of biodiesel refineries are popping up everywhere here and Europe. Scientists agree that fossil fuels, whether gasoline or diesel, will probably disappear in 45 years. Every year, the diminished petroleum supply will get even more expensive. Presently, in Europe where petroleum is about $8.00 per gallon, countries are ordering biodiesel from the U.S. Sometime, in the near future, despite the rising cost of vegetable oil and animal fat, biodiesel will be cheaper than fossil fuels here in our country. The final reason for we citizens to embrace the diesel engine, energy security! Diesel and Biodiesel fuel will help reduce importing of fossil fuels.
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