“The amount of solar energy that hits the surface of the earth every minute is greater than the total amount of energy that the world's human population consumes in one year. ” Sandia National Laboratories
You must be the change you hope to see in the world"....Gandhi
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."
Unknown
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
Pogo
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
Benjamin Franklin
"Let us dare to read, think and write."
John Adams
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to run out of oil and coal before we tackle that.”
Thomas Edison
“I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable.”
Jules Verne Mysterious Island (1874)
“The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.”
Chinese Proverb
"The use of vegetable oil as fuel might seem of no importance in our times. However, such products can gain importance in the course of time and reach an equal status compared with today's petroleum and these coal-tar products"
Dr. Rudolf Diesel, 1912
“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it in your pocket.”
Kin Hubbard (1868-1930)
Success is never final, failure is never fatal. Courage is the only thing.
Winston Churchill
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix
"To know and not to do is not to know."
Chinese proverb
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."
Yogi Berra
"My works are like water. The works of the great masters are like wine. But everybody drinks water." Mark Twain
"Great sperits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
Albert Einstein
"Destiney is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
William Jennings Bryant
Whiskey & Gunpowder Cellulosic Ethanol.
Greg’s Note: If you’ve been reading Whiskey & Gunpowder, you can probably tell that we’re not very fond of the whole ethanol idea around here. Corn’s for eatin’, not for fuelin’. That’s our motto. But what about a different kind of ethanol that might actually work? Well that’s something we’re willing to take a look at before making up our minds. Penny Sleuth’s Mark Louie has done some of the work for us. Take a look at what he’s come up with. Does this shake your opinion on ethanol? Let us know at greg@whiskeyandgunpowder.com.
June 17, 2008
By Mark Louie
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Can the Corn
Corn ethanol does nothing but bring the bushel price to an all-time high, vaguely put a dent into our energy demand, pollute lands with pesticides and drink up a limited water supply… Bottom line is, corn is a food, not a fuel.
Well there’s a new ethanol in town and by the looks of it, it’s here to stay…cellulosic ethanol.
This technology will ultimately help environmental problems, diminish the U.S.’s dependency on oil, boost the economy, increase food supply and even put an end to controversial wars…
Cellulosic ethanol, made from cellulose — the most common organic compound on earth — is potentially produced from your lawn trimmings, switchgrass, wood chops, paper sludge, corn stalk, stems and even manure and sewage.
Cellulosic ethanol differs from corn-based in so many ways. It’s by far much better in every aspect. The fact that it will be cheaper, more efficient, more abundant and environmentally cleaner than corn-based is enough to raise an eyebrow.
A Solution for America’s Oil Dependency
Studies have shown that the maximum amount of corn ethanol the U.S. could possibly produce without completely taking over the food supply is 15 billion gallons a year. That’s less than 10 percent of the crude oil America will use today.
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy did a joint study showing that the U.S. could grow 1.3 billion dry/tons of biomass while keeping forestry and agricultural lands sustainable. That could produce over 150 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol, which has the energy equivalency to over 100 billion gallons of gasoline. That could drop total U.S. oil imports by over 80 percent.
With fuel-efficient cars and energy conscious attitudes, we can completely do away with all oil imports. We won’t have to worry about OPEC jacking up prices and protests in Venezuela anymore.
Cleaner Than Corn
For the 21st century, it appears “green” is the way to go. It just so happens that cellulosic ethanol is environmentally sound.
Cellulosic ethanol emits 85 percent less CO2 than gasoline while corn-based only emits 30 percent less than gasoline. It has actually proven to have net negative emissions because the plants would absorb more carbon than they emit when used as fuel. It also emits less sulfur.
The leading candidate for cellulosic ethanol, switchgrass, needs 75 percent less water, 70 percent less fertilizers and pesticides than corn. On top of that, switchgrass is a cheaper and more abundant resource.
Switchgrass yields twice as much ethanol per/acre than corn, has a short growth time and requires a lot less maintenance while lessening erosion. It also easily adapts to its environment and is very resistant to droughts and disease.
Switchgrass already has amazing benefits… It’s hard to imagine the capabilities of this plant will have once scientist start genetically altering the crop…
Following the Big Money
Switching to cellulosic ethanol will create thousands of domestic jobs and keep billions of dollars from jumping overseas for oil imports.
Currently, many U.S. farmers are struggling and relying on government subsidies for survival. Cellulosic production would increase rural incomes by 200 percent.
One economist estimated that cellulosic ethanol could increase the U.S. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by $1.7 trillion from 2008-2022. With a majority of that money staying within the U.S., imagine the economic boom that we would witness…
The only draw back to cellulosic ethanol is that it’s not commercially mass-produced yet. Cellulosic ethanol is still in its developing stage…
The Agurban from Boomtown Institute
Issue 179
June 10, 2008
Greetings!
"Wind"-y City
Everyone showed up.
It wasn't a ribbon cutting ceremony; it wasn't a ground breaking. It was all about throwing a switch.
Rock Port, MO, became America's first ever community to be completely powered by wind in April 2008. Rock Port has a population of 1,316, with 715 or so households. Four Suzlon 1.25-MW turbines deliver 5 MW of electricity into the grid that serves the community. It takes winds of up to 9-miles per hour to get the blades of the turbines spinning.
"With wind you need a windy area. Fortunately for northwest Missouri, the bulk of it is here, but there are other places where this can be done," said Tom Carnahan, president of the Wind Capital Group, one of 3 partners in the Rock Port project.
In addition to Wind Capital Group and the town of Rock Port, John Deere Wind Energy worked with the group to make the project a reality.
We are seeing more and more wind farms cropping up throughout the United States. With increasing energy costs, it makes more and more sense.
Pure Energy Systems Network, Inc. feature, promote and foster energy technologies that are on the cutting-edge, and which are clean, super-efficient, non-depleting, reliable and affordable; which have not yet been introduced to the mainstream, facilitating their emergence as legitimate modalities. Our work primarily takes the form of information dissemination, but we also network individuals together, helping to secure funding and business expertise. Much of the networking takes place behind the scenes through the news and directory exposure PES Network provides for emerging technologies.
Our websites are well respected within the field, and receive a healthy volume of traffic from people interested in alternative energy, whether from scientific curiosity, or for inventive collaboration, or for seeking investment or business opportunities.
Much of our audience is comprised of a loyal base of repeat visitors and contributors. Our sites are a “watering hole” for people interested in advancing technologies that will move us away from dependence on fossil fuels, and toward cleaner, greener, more affordable, reliable, and safe energy solutions.
PES was founded by Sterling D. Allan in November of 2003 with the primary objective of open-sourcing alternative energy technologies. By "open source" we mean the open sharing of instructions of how to build and replicate fundamental energy concepts. We focus primarily on the ‘free energy’ modalities that tap into inexhaustible energy reservoirs -- such as solar, wind, wave, tidal, geothermal; as well as less-conventional technologies such as cold fusion, zero point energy, radiant energy, and magnet motors. We also address other closely-related fields such as waste remediation, recycling, and water purification and derivation.
We seek to bring knowledge of suppressed technologies into more conventional arenas, by increasing awareness and scientific rigor, as well as by facilitating the necessary business, financial and legal collaborations needed for success.
"Ere many generations pass, our machinery will be driven by a power obtainable at any point in the universe. This idea is not novel... We find it in the delightful myth of Antheus, who derives power from the earth; we find it among the subtle speculations of one of your splendid mathematicians...Throughout space there is energy. Is this energy static or kinetic? If static our hopes are in vain; if kinetic – and this we know it is, for certain – then it is a mere question of time when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork of nature." [Nikola Tesla, in a speech in New York to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, 1891. Quoted from back cover of his biography, Margaret Cheney, Tesla: Man Out of Time].
There is no information like this on the planet. Thank God for Tom Bearden and the Cheniere Press volunteers for getting this information out to the public!"
L.S., Colorado, USA, February 26, 2008
The Tom Bearden Website Lt. Col Thomas E. Bearden (retd.)
PhD, MS (nuclear engineering), BS (mathematics - minor electronic engineering)
Co-inventor - the 2002 Motionless Electromagnetic Generator - a replicated overunity EM generator
Listed in Marquis' Who'sWho in America, 2004
Technical Papers 8 April
2008
Free Energy and Overunity Section 4 April
2007
Antoine Prioré's Healing Machine
Financed by the French Government and World Health Organization
Cured thousands of cancer cases and other cellular afflictions 4 Nov., 2001
34 Flaws in Classical EM Theory
(Maxwell's Theory is 136 years old, and has been severely mutilated) 6 July 2005
The Missing Infolded Electrodynamics
(85 slides - includes Cold Fusion) 16 April, 2001
Books and Booklets
The Future of the Solar Energy Business.... from Whisky & Gunpowder financial News
Nicholas Parker, co-founder and chairman of the Cleantech Capital Group, also says this breakthrough is 'among the hottest spots for venture capital.'
In fact, in the first months of 2007 up to 100 venture capital firms invested 1.1 billion in this one explosive new sector.
That's an 800% growth in venture capital money into this particular source over the past 10 years. In fact, word is that venture capitalist investments could be as high as $9 billion by 2009.
The Sovereign Individual (Advertising Supplement to International Living)
There’s Only One Commodity that Can Save America Now…(And Your Retirement)
It’s not oil (though it may soon heat your home and power your car).
It’s not cotton (though your new suit or blouse may be made from it).
Nor is it iron or steel (but it has far-reaching industrial applications)…
Best of all: It’s Home Grown.
In fact, America is its #1 Producer…
Geothermal Energy Report from Whiskey and Gunpowder by Byron King
Geothermal Energy -Investing in Heat
I would like to take a look at another way to invest in heat. That is, we will look at a company that is part of the industry that extracts stored heat energy from the crust of the Earth -- namely, geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is heat (the “thermal” part of the word) derived from the Earth (the “geo” part). Geothermal energy is the energy contained in the hot rocks, and the hot fluids that fill the fractures and pores within the rocks, of the Earth’s crust. Under the right conditions, geothermal energy can be utilized to generate electricity, and this is why we are interested.
Geothermal Energy: An Investment In the Future
Whiskey and Gunpowder Geothermal Energy Report
Geothermal Energy
We have found the company that is ready to lead the way on this exciting new energy technology. The company is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated companies in the field of geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is one of the cleanest, most abundant sources of energy on the planet and now is the time to know as much as possible about this great new investment. This companies technologies and its subsidiaries engage in the geothermal and recovered energy power business. Before we get into the details of this business, lets take a closer look at what geothermal energy really is.
California and Sweden Sign Agreement
to Jointly Develop Biomethane
and Other Renewable Fuels
Thursday, 29 June 2006
Sacramento, California USA and Sweden
In a ceremony held at the Ministry of the Environment in Stockholm, representatives of the Kingdom of Sweden and the State of California signed an agreement pledging the two governments and their related industries to work together to develop bioenergy, with a particular emphasis on Biomethane.
“Through a strong working relationship between its industry and government, Sweden is showing how bioenergy can be developed in a cost-effective manner that benefits its economy and environment. We are extremely pleased to have signed this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will provide a basis for intensified collaboration between Swedish and California officials to develop a thriving bioenergy industry in California,” said Joe Desmond, Undersecretary for the California Resources Agency.
In particular, Sweden has been a global leader in terms of converting biowaste, largely agricultural material and residues, into usable Biomethane. This gas is then used to either generate electricity, residential heating, or as a transportation fuel.
More than 8,000 vehicles in Sweden are powered by a combination of natural gas and Biomethane. The vehicles include transit buses, refuse trucks, and more than 10 different models of passenger cars. There are more than 25 Biomethane production facilities in Sweden and 65 filling stations. The Swedish Biomethane industry has been growing at an annual rate of about 20 percent over the last five years.
According to the Swedish Gas Association, more than 50 percent of the methane used to power Sweden’s natural gas vehicles now comes from biological sources, up from 45% last year. Natural gas vehicle sales in Sweden are increasing at the rate of 25% per annum.
Sweden was motivated to develop its Biomethane industry because it has no natural gas reserves, to more efficiently manage its waste, and to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Accord. Since Biomethane is developed from methane sources that would normally release into the atmosphere, it’s considered one of the most climate friendly fuels. Methane (and Biomethane) is 21 times more reactive as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2). Sweden is currently meetings its objectives and schedule as outlined in the Kyoto accord.
Biomethane is developed by heating up and breaking down biomaterials in an (Anaerobic Digester) digester. Among other raw materials, Swedish operators feed their Anaerobic Digesters with slaughterhouse waste, swine manure, and even grassy crops. After the materials breakdown over a 20 day period, technology is then used to remove the impurities and produce Biomethane. Once cleaned-up, Biomethane is 98 percent methane and easily meets the Swedish and California pipeline standards.
The Memorandum of Understanding can be accessed on the California Resources Agency Web site:
FOXFIRE CONSTRUCTION
Earth, timber, straw, stone, and solar energy are traditional building components used for thousands of years. In today’s urbanized environment, we view these natural materials in a new context:
Green building is resource-efficient building, using systems that minimize the use of polluting, harmful, non-renewable materials. Green building promotes the use of local products and materials instead of those requiring transportation from distant places. It minimizes our impact on the environment and produces healthier living spaces.
We can see immediate benefits by using natural features and materials like earth, timber, straw, stone, and the sun’s energy in a project, including:
¯ Cost savings
¯ Increased comfort
¯ Better health of occupants
¯ Better use of natural resources
¯ Reduced pollution
¯ Reduced maintenance
¯ Personal care expressed in craftsmanship
¯ Increased resale value
By its very nature,natural building is regional and unique.
There are no universally appropriate materials — design and material selection depend on local geology and climate, on the requirements and character of the chosen building site, and on the specific needs and desires of the homeowners.
Venture Capitalists Invest $3.4 Billion in Renewable Energy in 2007According to a report recently released by Greentech Media, $3.4 billion was spent on renewable energy projects in 2007, an increase from the $2.3 billion spent in 2006 and $800 million in 2005.
http://www.naftc.wvu.edu/NAFTC/about/eNews/Feb08/index.html
"The spirit of the times may alter, will alter.Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest and ourselves united. From the conclusion of [their] war [for independence, a nation begins] going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of [that] war will remain on [them] long, will be made heavier and heavier, till [their] rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion."
Thomas Jefferson