BIOFUEL FOR FLINT

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO ELIMINATE THE BARRIERS FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TO COME TO MARKET.

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GOOD MORNING FLINT ,
by Terry Bankert 08/26/2008 ,
http://attorneybankert.com/ ,
full article with citations posted,
http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/ ,
Summary for discussion at Flint Talk thread Good Morning Flint:
http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=34884#34884
* * * * * REFLECTIONS:
Flint and Michigan have a great opportunity to lead the world in biofuel production. In September the Swedish King promoting one of his countries corporations comes to Flint Mi USA to break ground for a BIO Plant. Great! Did you know that one in five cars in Sweden are run on alternative fuel. We should keep our mind open and listen and learn what biofuel is all about. Biofuel can come from human waste as the plant in Flint will produce. Our governmental policies should support and breakdown barriers to alternative fuel production. Thanks to Governor Grandholm for bringing the King of Sweden and a new industry to Michigan and Flint.
* * * * *

At a time when energy experts around the world are debating the “food versus fuel” debate, British Petroleum President (global biofuels) Philip G New tells Sudheer Pal Singh that the solution lies in uncovering the web of market and regulatory problems.[1]

FLINT AND MICHIGAN HAVE SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY...LETS HAVE BIOFUEL FROM FLINT MARKETED TO THE WORLD King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will visit Michigan on Sept. 26-27 to discuss alternative energy issues, [3] here we have an excellent opportunity to change our world and economically help Flint.[trb]

SWEDISH KING TO BREAK GROUIND FOPR SWEDISH PLANT Gustaf's Sept. 26 visit to Kettering University will coincide with the groundbreaking of the new Swedish Biogas International plant in Flint. [4]

ONE IN FIVE CARS IN SWEDEN RUN ON ALTERNATIVE FUEL The government of Sweden and the national association of auto makers, BIL Sweden, have started work to end oil dependency. One-fifth of cars in Stockholm can run on alternative fuels, mostly ethanol fuel. Stockholm is to introduce a fleet of Swedish-made hybrid ethanol-electric buses. Plans for oil phase-out in Sweden by 2020 was announced in 2005.[33][3]

DO YOU KNOW WHA TBIO FUEL IS "Bio-energy" redirects here. For the term bio-energy in the context of non-mechanist philosophy or alternative medicine, Biofuel can be broadly defined as solid, liquid, or gas fuel derived from recently dead biological material.This distinguishes it from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Biofuel can be theoretically produced from any (biological) carbon source, though the most common by far is photosynthetic plants. Various plants and plant-derived materials are used for biofuel manufacturing. Biofuels are used globally, most commonly to power vehicles and cooking stoves. Biofuel industries are expanding in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

DID YOU KNOW BIOFUEL WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREEN HOUSE EFFECT AND GLOBAL WARMING Biofuels offer the possibility of producing energy without a net increase of carbon into the atmosphere, because the plants used in to produce the fuel have removed CO2 from the atmosphere, unlike fossil fuels which return carbon which was stored beneath the surface for millions of years into the air. Therefore, biofuel is in theory more nearly carbon neutral and less likely to increase atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. (However, doubts have been raised as to whether this benefit can be achieved in practice, see below). The use of biofuels also reduces dependence on petroleum and enhances energy security.[1]

BIOMASS CAN COME FROM US, HUMAN WASTE Biomass is material derived from recently livingorganisms. This includes plants, animals and their by-products. For example, manure, garden waste and crop residues are all sources of biomass. It is a renewable energy source based on the carbon cycle, unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels.[1]

OUR POLICY SHOULD BE TO SUPPORT AND FUND 2ND GENERATION BIOFUEL FROM HUMAN WASTE Supporters of biofuels claim that a more viable solution is to increase political and industrial support for, and rapidity of, second-generation biofuel implementation from non food crops, including cellulosic biofuels.[19] Second-generation biofuel production processes can use a variety of non food crops. These include waste biomass, the stalks of wheat, corn, wood, and special-energy-or-biomass crops (e.g. Miscanthus). Second generation (2G) biofuels use biomass to liquid technology, including cellulosic biofuels from non food crops.[20] Many second generation biofuels are under development such as biohydrogen, biomethanol, DMF, Bio-DME, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, biohydrogen diesel, mixed alcohols and wood diesel.[2]

MICHGAN WITH OUR GOVERNOR GRANDHOLM BROUGHT THE SWEDISH INITIATIVE TO FLINT The royal visit springs from an invitation by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who visited Sweden a year ago on a business investment mission.[3]

THE SWEDES ARE LEADERS IN BIOFUEL Swedish firms are involved in a couple of cutting-edge energy ventures in Michigan:[3] • A waste-to-energy project in Flint headed by Swedish Biogas International.[e][3]

HERE IS HOW BIO GAS WORKS IT COMES FROM WASTE Biogas is produced by the process of anaerobic digestion of organic material by anaerobes. It can be produced either from biodegradable waste materials or by the use of energy crops fed into anaerobic digesters to supplement gas yields. The solid byproduct, digestate, can be used as a biofuel or a fertilizer. In the UK, the National Coal Board experimented with microorganisms that digested coal in situ converting it directly to gases such as methane.[2]

BIOGAS CREATES A METHANE BYPRODUCT What are the major challenges that the global ... biofuel industries face?[1]

The major challenges are to deliver a global industry which is both sustainable and economic; how to be able to introduce new technologies which have the potential to transform the industry; and to work with the agriculture sector to make sure that we bring the interests of energy and nutrition together.[1]

Hopefully the Swedish will show us how to make biogas use a success.[trb]

What are the problems that confront the existing market regulatory mechanisms and how can that be set right?[1]

In developmental economics, we are often told that one of the major challenges in the biofuels industry is the failure of market mechanism which has stopped people from investing and producing food as efficiently as possible.[1]

My only point is that rather than making a simplistic assumption that the introduction of biofuels has caused the food versus fuel controversies, biofuels have the potential to be part of some solution to these problems.[1]

As compared to conventional fuels, how much savings in greenhouse gas emission can a biofuel crop provide?[1]

The greenhouse gas contribution of a biofuel depends on how it is produced and what it is made from. So, if you make biofuel from the right thing and if you produce it in the right way, then you can get 80-90 per cent improvement in greenhouse gases. This is what we call “biofuels done well”.[1]

An example of this is Brazil where sugarcane is producing 80-90 per cent green house gas savings.[1]

Have the higher global crude oil prices contributed to the boost in the demand for biofuels? [1]

Higher fossil fuel prices clearly must allow greater opportunities for alternative energy sources to flourish without requiring massive government subsidies and incentives.[1]

What kind of investments you are looking forward to make in the Indian market? [1]

What kind of policy changes do you expect or recommend? [1]

A national policy with very clear targets, where there are mandates with introduction of biofuels and an understanding of the mechanisms to ensure compliance.[1]

It’s an essential first step to ensure that the market exists. After that, incentives to support innovation, clarity around environmental concerns and sustainability obligations of the industry should be exposed.[1]

FLINT WILL HAVE BIOGAS UP AND RUNNING BY 2010 The biogas plant, which would be located near the city's wastewater treatment plant, will convert waste to energy that would be used to fuel buses, taxis and police vehicles. Wood said biogas-fueled vehicles should be a reality in Flint by 2009 or 2010.[4]

JUST IMAGINE WE HAVE LEADERS WORKING TIO MAKE FLINT THE CENTER OF A NEW INDUSTRY The hope is that Flint would be a center for the biogas industry in the U.S.[4] "In my wildest dreams, just like Billy Durant hatched General Motors in Flint, maybe the biogas industry in the U.S. will be started in Flint," Wood said.[4] Support biofuel, thank the politicians that brought this to us and bow to theier King.[trb]

POSTED HERE BY Terry Bankert 8/26/08 ..

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - Terry Bankert is facilitating this blog for State Representative Lee Gonzales who will post regularly to Flint Talk During the convention here. at http://flinttalk.com/

The Lee Gonzales Convention blogg site is at, http://leegonzales.blogspot.com/

------------sources

[1] http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=332433
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofue l
[3] http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/COL06/808150421/1081 [4] http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/08/flints_own_ambassador_to_swede.html

[trb] Comments of Terry Bankert to include unattributed cap headlines http://attorneybankert.com/
84569/17425

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