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funny I thought the bio engineered aspect of the topic would be more controversial than growing cane.
but a ten fold increase in efficiency converting plant energy to mechanical energy addresses many needs ... this will be an interesting trial run
I am under the impression quite a bit of the power for Maui island was diesel powered .. not sure about the rest of the state ..
I really don't know if cane production would influence the price of staples... .. other than taking some of the pressure away from soy... the mandate to move towards bio diesel is on in either event
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What about Switchgrass? [?][?][?]
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A mercedes diesel doesn't even require biodiesel. It will run on straight vegetable oil. You just have to filter and pre heat it a little for a better viscosity.
On this Island it wouldn't be neccessary to use food producing land to grow fuel. We've got thousands of acres of fallow ag land.
What interests me are fuel crops that don't need burning or extensive pesticide spraying.
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Like wind and solar, all work great until no wind/sun or drought! The only real alternatives are geothermal and OTEC, no down times!
Gordon J Tilley
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I suspect the power demand between the 1935 and 2008 is substantially different....
Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
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Damon, Helco has 3 hydroelectric plants on the Wailuku (all run of the river, weir sytems) The 3rd was built in the early 1990's - 1989-08-HA-FEIS-Wailuku River Power project. The EIS for sister plant that was proposed for the Honolii - 1989-04-HA-FEIS-Honolii Hydroelectric Power Project(the next best of only a very few streams that have very good potential on island) was taken to the state supreme court in the 1990's & the ruling against the plant will make any other commercial hydro electric on the island very difficult to build.
If you are at Boiling Pots in Hilo, looking upstream, you are looking at the impoundment for hydro plant #2, the elctric works off of Wainaku st is plant #1.
If you spend a few years studying the various power generating options, you will come to the realization that there are tremendous trade offs on each system. Some have huge upfront energy needs in manufacturing, others have huge ecosystem effects, some have horrendous waste issues.
For each of us, the one choice that is right might have unacceptable effects for another. It is up to each of us, who feel strongly about different generating systems, to realize that we are consumming the lions' share of all energy ever available for man to utilize, and possibly cut out as much as each of us can....
It takes a truly rich person to realize that what they have today is too much.
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gtill, you say there is and I say there isn't any more burning of cane. Where is the proof of either? I'll look. Will you?
other crops?
Hemp panacea is an illusion.
It is grown as an annual -- reseeded every year. Lots of cultivation, erosion, etc. Lots of fertilizer demand when the entire 'plant body' is taken, as in for fuel, fiber, etc.
As a therapeutic herb, it is recommended
Oil palms: trees. More efficient at converting solar radiation to carbohydrates (i.e., through photosynthesis) than any other oil crop.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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Dr W, I had confirmed they burned before my last post, such an easy google, but I'm not good at cut&paste. Try Haleakala Times, 25 March 2008! It also confirms the outside onslaught against burning in 1973 (when started Ban Burn in Hilo from UH Manoa students)! and steady through 80 till today!
You're right about the niche market, they make twice regular price without further processing for their sugar, and yes they still burn!
Did you notice, this year the UH Hilo was offered some 10 Mil. for a research facility by the Navy! A couple of trained student "leaders" from Manoa campus talked Hilo Kids into rejecting the facility because some secrets would be required!
Food for Fuel! What a shame our counry would starve the whole world so we can have our fuel to friviously travel as we please! Food doesn't pay enough for these big Oil consortiums to come over here and plant high yeild, mabe even Genetic engrd trees for Oil, trees never grown in Hawaii! If they fail, the loss will writeoff as the land is so cheap there, and too poor to be a problem!
Dr W, you're right about hemp, but there is Jatropha Curcas(from australia) , which was grown above Waialua Ag Stn on Oahu, multi harvests per year, weed like growth was studied also! Trying to find more inf from them, UH, is very secretive, it sometimes requires hassles!
My take is until we can get it out of somthing like switchgrass, or Jatropha, forget it or you'll be chastised as an oil baron! And rightfully!
Gordon J Tilley
