Posted on 04/23/2006 9:03:02 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp. With over 30 million successful U.S. road miles hemp boidiesel could be the answer to our cry for cheaper fuel. We have spent the last century polluting our beautiful country with our petroleum based fuels that could have easily been replaced with fuels derived from hemp. It would only take 6% of our U.S. land to produce enough hemp, for hemp fuel, to make us energy independent from the rest of the world. Help us teach America the truth. Make yourself a human billboard that speaks only of the truth because the only thing standing between hemp being illegally and legal is ignorance.
What is Hemp Fuel?
Hemp stems are 80% hurds (pulp byproduct after the hemp fiber is removed from the plant). Hemp hurds are 77% cellulose a primary chemical feed stock (industrial raw material) used in the production of chemicals, plastics, and fibers. Biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester based oxygenated fuels made from hemp oil, other vegetable oils or animal fats. The concept of using vegetable oil as an engine fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 using peanut oil as fuel.
Why Hemp Fuel?
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. It can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. Biodiesel is safe to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable as sugar, 10 times less toxic than table salt, and has a high flashpoint of about 300 F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 125 F.
Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp.
Biodiesel is a proven fuel with over 30 million successful US road miles, and over 20 years of use in Europe.
When burned in a diesel engine, biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor of petroleum diesel with the pleasant smell of hemp, popcorn or french fries. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel in the US to complete EPA Tier I Health Effects Testing under section 211(b) of the Clean Air Act, which provide the most thorough inventory of environmental and human health effects attributes that current technology will allow.
Biodiesel is 11% oxygen by weight and contains no sulfur. The use of biodiesel can extend the life of diesel engines because it is more lubricating than petroleum diesel fuel, while fuel consumption, auto ignition, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel.
The Congressional Budget Office, Department of Defense, US Department of Agriculture, and others have determined that biodiesel is the low cost alternative fuel option for fleets to meet requirements of the Energy Policy Act.
Hey drug warriors - what's your position on this? You can't get high off of industrial hemp - it is the equivalent of smoking a telephone pole. Should this product remain banned too?
Why, of course...to 'Keep On Truckin.'
I have a friend, an engineer, that actually did the math--we would have to cover the US with hemp from sea to shining sea (including non-arable land) to meet our energy needs.
Everytime I see this type of thing mentioned I remember an old Laugh-In "News of the Future" about President Ronald Reagan (considered funny, since he was only governor of California at the time. even funnier to me, since I saw this episode in '87 when he was president) deciding to do a trial run of marijuana as a fuel alternative. At last report it is unsure if it really made a difference in pollution, but no one really seemed to care.
I'm sure the author was talking about it in a gasoline context. Other energy for stationary establishments such as homes or businesses should come from nuclear power.
Hemp isn't a good modern crop because it gums up processing machinery.
The author said it's more lubricating than petroleum. What machinery are you talking about? Factory or industrial equipment?
Far out
Sounds like it's only being suggested for diesel replacement, not gasoline.
It can also be used to make rope. You know... for that rope shortage... we have.
I'm for hemp, bio-diesel, Wind turbines, solar PV cells, Hydro, and yes, even Nuclear.
IMHO People shouldn't focus on the "one magic bullet" to energy independence. We should bust our butts trying anything.
I'm also now pretty convinced that the Saudi oil pimps and the Texas oil pimps are not friends of the United States. I say screw them all.
Machinery used to process hemp. The government of Canada has studied the use of industrial hemp, and determined that it doesn't work well with modern processing methods. Also ask yourself why hemp isn't a big money maker where it's legal to grow.
Pathetic!
Ha! Exactly... Seems people want to go out of their way to find some reason to grow this stuff. "It can do anything!"
just an attempt by the pro-legalization crowd to latch on to the energy crisis to get their drugs legalized.
The best crop for an alternative fuel has already been identified - switchgrass. Pres. Bush was ridiculed for including it in his SOTU address, but he is right. It traps the maximum amount of CO2 below ground, provides far more energy than corn above ground, and is environmentally friendly and costs less to grow. The only reason we don't use it now is corn subsidies have provided an over-capacity for corn (and an over-incentive to grow it).
And as far as I know, smoking it doesn't turn you into a lazy moron.
Cool...I've been looking for a rope salesman.
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