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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Qeise Professional Smartass from sqrt(-inf)/0 Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*
Professional Smartass
#44151: Dec 17th 2012 at 8:40:33 AM

That doesn't get rid of the problems that come with using ethanol though. But algae could be used to produce oils to be refined. If only we managed to make it more efficent. As things are now the yield isn't nearly enough to be a viable option.

Laws are made to be broken. You're next, thermodynamics.
QuestionMarc Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#44153: Dec 17th 2012 at 8:44:14 AM

Representative Tim Scott to succeed Jim DeMint in Senate

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Qeise Professional Smartass from sqrt(-inf)/0 Since: Jan, 2011 Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*
Professional Smartass
#44154: Dec 17th 2012 at 8:45:32 AM

You mean I should include more info about US subsidies for corn ethanol or something in my post? Biofuels are on topic I think.

Laws are made to be broken. You're next, thermodynamics.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#44155: Dec 17th 2012 at 8:48:53 AM

This proves that biofuels are more interesting than American politics.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
QuestionMarc Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#44156: Dec 17th 2012 at 8:58:36 AM

Well, maybe if you guys were speaking of the application of biofuel in the US, but now if my reading comprehension doesn't fail, you guys are just talking about biofuel itself.

Which would probably require a thread of its own.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#44157: Dec 17th 2012 at 9:04:42 AM

[up]X4 Colbert will be crushed.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#44158: Dec 17th 2012 at 9:06:27 AM

[up] Nah. Now he can replace Tim Scott in the House.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#44159: Dec 17th 2012 at 9:15:50 AM

I was talking about this with my wife, and if Colbert were to make a serious bid for President or indeed any elective office, he would crush the opposition. He must know this.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#44160: Dec 17th 2012 at 9:17:23 AM

I know I'd vote for him if I knew the bid was serious. Same with Stewart. Even more so if both of them are on the same ticket.

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#44161: Dec 17th 2012 at 9:19:02 AM

The drawback of being a political comedian is that - given your profession is one of noting the flaws in other people and pointing them out for lols - you are, in fact, competent enough to know how incompetent you would be for a public office.

The same is not, unfortunately, true of the Very Serious People who ACTUALLY run for office.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#44163: Dec 17th 2012 at 10:52:18 AM

Well, biofuels are relevant as far as the industry could do these things: disrupt the traditional oil industry, either greatly diminishing its influence on politics (once biofuels manage to become cost efficient to produce on a larger scale than they are now) or causing the oil industry to use its ridiculous scads of money to persuade politicians to defund or block bills to finance the development of biofuels. I believe the second is happening to some extent, though it's not entire successful. It's a minor victory that ethanol is now required to be in our gasoline, but I think the industry has quite a bit of a struggle ahead of it still, particularly in the political and social battle to convince people that it's worth investing in.

Why does Politifact even bother with "lie of the year"? Especially considering that there are so many lies that I think a lot of them reach a tie for horribleness.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#44164: Dec 17th 2012 at 11:11:53 AM

Martin Scorsese to make Bill Clinton documentary

It should be titled THE BALLAD OF SLICK WILLY: A Presidency of Sex, Scandals, and Swag.

edited 17th Dec '12 11:18:02 AM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#44165: Dec 17th 2012 at 11:12:19 AM

what amuses me most about the mailbox is all the people thet claim Obama is some evil sellout monster trautor yet cant actually conjure any actual proof of said claim.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#44166: Dec 17th 2012 at 11:29:29 AM

@ Ace:

Well, biofuels are relevant as far as the industry could do these things: disrupt the traditional oil industry, either greatly diminishing its influence on politics...

Maybe the traditional oil industry could consider researching alternatives to oil as well, if they're not already — it'll keep them in business, right?

Keep Rolling On
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#44167: Dec 17th 2012 at 11:47:46 AM

Some of them are, I think. But it can be costly to change. And the rare oil gets, the more money they can make in the short term. I think we've already established that companies in this country (or England, I'm looking at you BP) tend to think more short term profit than long term profit.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#44168: Dec 17th 2012 at 12:03:55 PM

Oddly enough, BP does operate an Alternative Energy division, which owns and operates 13 windfarms in the USA. They also own an ethanol producer in Brazil and half-own another. They're one of better oil firms in that regard.

edited 17th Dec '12 12:05:33 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#44169: Dec 17th 2012 at 12:11:26 PM

This is one of the things where the companies have to look ahead. It might not be very soon, but the oil companies are setting themselves up for total collapse because they are too obsessed with profits. Although if they realize exactly how much fuel is apparently on Titan or possibly Mars, the space industry might get a boost.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#44170: Dec 17th 2012 at 1:03:16 PM

Ohio governor commutes obese killer's sentence to life in prison

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#44171: Dec 17th 2012 at 1:30:18 PM

If it costs more fuel to retrieve fuel than the fuel you get from retrieving it, there's no point in retrieving it.

That's basically the deal with space exploration.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#44172: Dec 17th 2012 at 1:36:03 PM

I thought the big deal about fuel sources on other planets was that they could theoretically use those to power whatever colonies we'd set up instead of shipping that stuff back to Earth.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#44173: Dec 17th 2012 at 1:37:17 PM

Well obviously if you're talking about colonies on other planets sure, but that level of tech is decades away.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#44174: Dec 17th 2012 at 1:38:02 PM

As it stands, it is quite true that "mining" materials from space is vastly inefficient with our current level of technology.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#44175: Dec 17th 2012 at 1:38:17 PM

[up][up]I know. It's not useful now but I was under the impression we thought it would be useful later when we actually had functioning colonies.

edited 17th Dec '12 1:38:35 PM by Kostya


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