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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JUST CALL HIM...JOE

From my email, a message from and old friend.
---
Terry

I'd like to thank you for the warm welcome I've received as the newest member of this campaign.

What you and Barack have accomplished over the past 19 months is incredible, and it's an honor to be part of it.

I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting involved. I recorded a short video message about how I hope to help in the weeks ahead.

Please take a minute to watch the video and share it with your friends: Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing a lot of the things you've done to grow this movement -- reaching out day after day in neighborhoods all across the country, connecting with people who are hungry for the change we need. This is no ordinary time, and this is no ordinary election.

I plan to do everything I can to help Barack take back the White House.

I don't need to tell you that John McCain will just bring us another four years of the same. You can't change America when you supported George Bush's policies 95% of the time. Barack has the vision and the courage to bring real change to Washington.

But even he can't do this alone. Join me by getting involved in your community -- and reach out to your friends and family to get them involved as well.

Please watch this video and pass it on: http://my.barackobama.com/bidenvideo

Thank you,

Joe

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Joe Biden Vice President..great..and cheap shots by republican press

THE FOX NET WORK, MCCAIN CAMP AND A ROUGH ELEMENT IN AP TAKE A SHOT AT OBAMA/BIDEN AND MISS......

http://www.flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=34689#34689

Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence By RON FOURNIER, AP posted: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Aug23/0,4670,VeepstakesAnalysis,00.html

Ron Fournier, a former White House correspondent, national political writer and online political editor for The Associated Press, has been named chief of the AP's Washington bureau. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iZG8_epLacvbSoBuxNVQqnSThJJwD929IEAO0

WHAT STREET NAME CAN WE GIVE THE AP WHIZ.... Theword moron, along with others including "retarded", "idiotic", "imbecilic", "stupid", and "feeble-minded", was formerly considered a valid descriptor in the psychological community, though these words have all now passed into common slang use, exclusively in a derogatory context. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron_(psychology)

Since moron has a negative connotation I will just use Feeble-minded or FM for short.[trb]

The following is a conversation with Mr. Fournier hereafter identified as FM.

Today, the Politico reveals that Fournier was this close to getting a "senior advisory role" in the McCain campaign, probably as some sort of fancy flack. http://gawker.com/5030968/what-does-politico-have-against-ron-fournier

Fournier is just a tool of the mccain campaign...da....[trb]

FM STATED: In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness — inexperience in office and on foreign policy — rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political conventions.

BANKERT RESPONSE: BIDEN BALANCES THE TICKET. HE IS THE TOP FOREIGN POLICY GUY WITH A DEEP ANTI CRIME TRADITION. HE IS THE FORCEFUL LEADER OBAMA NEEDS AND HAD THE COURAGE TO PICK.... LOOK AT WHAT MCCAIN NEEDS, ...A NANNY

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden could help offset Obama's relative inexperience in foreign policy. Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator, has been ridiculed by his Republican rival, John McCain, as too naive to be president. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

Two high-level Democratic operatives confirmed Biden's selection to The Times Friday night. Biden, 65, had emerged earlier this week as a top choice. The Times reported Wednesday that the Delaware senator had met repeatedly with campaign officials and that the Secret Service was preparing to protect him. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

On Friday, one of the Democrats working with the campaign said the Secret Service had been dispatched and a plane readied to take Biden to Springfield, Ill., where Obama plans to roll out his vice presidential pick today at a rally at the Old State Capitol. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

A Roman Catholic born to a working-class family in Scranton, Pa., Biden might also help Obama draw blue-collar Catholic voters who formed a core constituency for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in her primary battle with Obama. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

Biden has already demonstrated an appetite for defending Obama and taking on McCain, particularly on foreign policy issues. In May, he criticized President Bush for attacking those like Obama who favor reaching out diplomatically to regimes like Iran and North Korea. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

FM STATED: He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate — the ultimate insider — rather than a candidate from outside Washington, such as Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates.

BANKERT RESPONSE:Biden is a brilliant pick. McCain must be tossing in bed...but in which mansion?

FM STATED: Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't even make his short list.

BANKERT RESPONSE: And he told her straight up.... He insisted on the utmost secrecy; he paid the losers the courtesy of essentially telling them "no" to their faces--not an easy thing to do. And he swallowed his considerable pride and all but confessed his lack of knowledge of foreign affairs by selecting as his running mate the Senate's senior Democratic leader on that topic. http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863

In short, Obama behaved like a grownup. Even his much-criticized failure to "vet" Sen. Hillary Clinton means less than meets the eye. I talked two months ago to one of her closest legal advisors, who told me that she didn't really WANT to be considered for the number two job--in no small measure because the process would have required Obama's lawyers to comb through her husband's foundation and its murky sources of income. http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863

In that sense, Obama did her a favor by not really demanding to consider her. She would have had to say "no." http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863

FM STATED: The picks say something profound about Obama: For all his self-confidence, the 47-year-old Illinois senator worried that he couldn't beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack.

BANKERT RESPONSE: the object is to win. Obama had to balance out the Democratic ticket with the proven experience of Biden. Biden will have McCain for lunch. Along with his Senate Foreign Relations post, which recently took him on a trip to Georgia after the Russian invasion, Biden has been chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and has had a hand in legislation on crime, terrorism and drug policy. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

FM STATED: The Biden pick is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative — a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens to run counter to his image.

BANKERT RESPONSE: McCain and the republican thugs in the Party, in Fox net work and the moneyed interests that are about to lose control of this country are vicious and will soon prove it. Negative...you have never seen the level of negativity about to be unleashed on Obama. One of the main roles of the Democratic vice presidential nominee will be to attack McCain and his running mate. The Arizona senator is expected to name his No. 2 after the Democrats end their national convention in Denver on Thursday. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

FM STATED: Democratic strategists, fretting over polls that showed McCain erasing Obama's lead this summer, welcomed the move. They, too, worried that Obama needed a more conventional — read: tougher — approach to McCain.

BANKERT RESPONSE: Biden knows MCCain and will tell the world what a simpleton and malicious politician he McCAin really is. What does Biden bring to the ticket? A lot. First of all, he has a love of politics and public service. He never tried to get rich from his role, even though he has been in the Senate for decades. He is a fancy dresser--given to stick pin collars and French cuffs--and yet he is an unassuming son of a car salesman who takes the train home to Wilmington almost every night. http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863

His personal story is compelling: a riches-to-rags family background; a first wife killed in a car crash; a devoted life with his second wife; a passel of grandchildren whom he adores as much as they adore him. And he's never had a hint of financial or sexual scandal. http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863

Biden is a Catholic--a demographic must for a Democratic ticket eager to get swing voters in heavily Catholic states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863


FM STATED: "You've got to hand it to the candidate and the campaign. They have a great sense of timing and tone and appropriateness. Six months ago, people said he wasn't tough enough on Hillary Clinton — he was being too passive — but he got it right at the right time," said Democratic strategist Jim Jordan. "He'll get it right again."

BANKERT RESPONSE: This is hardball and Obama is up to the task.

FM STATED: Indeed, Obama has begun to aggressively counter McCain's criticism with negative television ads and sharp retorts from the campaign trail.

BANKERT RESPONSE: If you do not compete you lose. When the public quits responding to negative ads they will not be aired.

FM STATED: A senior Obama adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his boss has expressed impatience with what he calls a "reverence" inside his campaign for his message of change and new politics. In other words, Obama is willing — even eager — to risk what got him this far if it gets him to the White House.

BANKERT RESPONSE: The Obama campaign must become energized for a tough nasty fight.

FM STATED: Biden brings a lot to the table. An expert on national security, the Delaware senator voted in 2002 to authorize military intervention in Iraq but has since become a vocal critic of the conflict. He won praise for a plan for peace in Iraq that would divide the country along ethnic lines.

BANKERT RESPONSE: A good leader always has an open mind.

FM STATED: Chief sponsor of a sweeping anti-crime bill that passed in 1994, Biden could help inoculate Obama from GOP criticism that he's soft on crime — a charge his campaign fears will drive a wedge between white voters and the first black candidate with a serious shot at the White House.

BANKERT RESPONSE: Nonsense. The African American community is as concerned about crime as the Lilly white republican establishment.

FM STATED: So the question is whether Biden's depth counters Obama's inexperience — or highlights it? After all, Biden is anything but a change agent, having been in office longer than half of all Americans have been alive. Longer than McCain. And he talks too much.

BANKERT RESPONSE: I’LL take Biden the warrior over McCain the clown any day of the week.

FM STATED: On the same day he announced his second bid for the presidency, Biden found himself explaining why he had described Obama as "clean."

BANKERT RESPONSE: So he’s not the top guy. He can be my second any day of the week.

FM STATED: And there's the 2007 ABC interview in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.

BANKERT RESPONSE: The campaign process, prepares you. In an August 2007 interview with Charlie Rose, Biden said that he believed Obama was "fully capable of being ready" to be president, but added: "He hasn't demonstrated it yet. This is early in the campaign." In other interviews, Biden demurred from criticizing Obama directly and emphasized his own extensive experience on the world stage. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story

FM STATED: It seems Obama is worried that some voters are starting to agree.

BANKERT RESPONSE: Voters are agreeing. OBAMA/Biden for President and Vice President. Biden....He knows foreign policy and defense issues of course, but in a textbook way. He is a street politician who has walked the streets of the planet. http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863/page/2 Before heading to the convention, OBAMA and Biden are expected to make appearances in a series of critical states, arriving in Denver on Wednesday. Obama's vice presidential choice is slated to speak that night and OBAMA will address his supporters on Thursday in a football stadium that can seat 76,000 people. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-biden23-2008aug23,0,7564344.story?page=2

Posted Here by Terry Bankert 8/23/08 http://attorneybankert.com/

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