Oil & Drilling & Real Alternatives

Chris · #1 11-03-2005, 05:13 PM

Well, I see the last bastion is busy falling. http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/nation...il-051103.html

The US senate is expected to approve a budget bill that contains a provision that allows drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This is making my 'tree hugger' tendencies rise to the top and I want to go out in a rage and protest.

But, those protest days are long gone, so instead, I started plotting revenge. And came up with just the best revenge. If we can now really get serious about alternatives, by the time these oil fields come into production, no-one will want to buy and these folks would have wasted billions of dollars. Good eh!

So, has anyone brought hybrid vehicles, or electrical vehicles into the DR? Does anyone have experience with these?
Does anyone know of a safe way to retrofit vehicles to run on propane, instead of gasoline. I see more and more motoconchos with a little gasoline tank behind the driver?
Is there funding available for biodiesel projects? Are there any biodiesel experts in the DR? MrMike told of one of his sub-contractors that makes his own biodiesel, and has a still and all... Mike, can you undertake a meeting with this fellow and give us the real information? Grassroots to me seem the way to go.

Any other ideas about real alternatives - The Dominican people are creative in this way.. Anything that anyone else may be doing as an alternative?

Keith R · #2 11-03-2005, 05:17 PM

Biodiesel in the DR. Hmmm, sounds like a great assignment for you on the new enviro-blog, Christa!

Chris · #3 11-03-2005, 05:31 PM

You're a slave driver Keith... let me just get over my outrage here...

and finish some other assignments first.

Keith R · #4 11-03-2005, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

You're a slave driver Keith... let me just get over my outrage here...

and finish some other assignments first.

I was just being mischevious, Christa.

I do want to handle biofuels in the blog, though. Don't know which of the blog team would like to handle it, but I would love to work with one of you "there on the ground" on the topic. I know quite a bit about what the rest of Latin America is doing on the topic, but not the DR...

suarezn · #5 11-03-2005, 08:15 PM

There are tons of vehicles running on propane instead of gas in The DR. Actually most public transtportation cars run on propane. The reason, however has nothing to do with conservation and more with money. The government subsidizes propane so they can buy two or three gallons for every gallon of gasoline. Very profitable business...

Chris · #6 11-03-2005, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suarezn

There are tons of vehicles running on propane instead of gas in The DR. Actually most public transtportation cars run on propane. The reason, however has nothing to do with conservation and more with money. The government subsidizes propane so they can buy two or three gallons for every gallon of gasoline. Very profitable business...

Yes. But conservation ideally can be inculcated in a manner where it makes economic sense, as well as good sense in terms of the resources that we have. In reality, I don't mind at the moment why we go to alternative methods... I do mind that we do .. find alternatives. All the better if there is a economic incentive as well. (And yes, I know I'm taking your comment slightly out of perspective).

Texas Bill · #7 11-04-2005, 11:55 AM

The one thing that keeps tickling my memory is that of electricity produced by water turbines to charge bateries.
There are many places in the DR where the water volume at certain points would be sufficient to power such a system. Would it not be economical to lay pipe high up adjecent to these streams and carry the water to an appropriate service point to drive a small community turbine?
Just a thought--can anyone expand, pro and con, on the idea?

PS- I have the outline plans for such a system from the pages of "Back to Basics" by "Reader's Digest". Be glad to copy the appropriate pages for submission (and hope not to be sued for copyright infringement).

Texas Bill

gmiller261 · #8 11-05-2005, 07:37 AM

These people upped the batteries and made a Prius a plugin. They estimate over 100 miles to a gallon. One co-founder uses solar panels to charge his. At $0.11 cents a kw they estimate it being $0.50 cents a gallon plugged in.

http://www.calcars.org

Chris · #9 11-08-2005, 08:58 AM

I recently came across this site.. http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html and found most of the work on there quite interesting. What I found the most valuable, is that the biodiesel thing is now a little demystified for me.