CA: Taking diesel out of farm air - ...replace diesel engines with electric models..

The Sacramento Bee ^ | January 25, 2004 | Jennifer M. Fitzenberger --

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Tractors, like this one in Fresno, and diesel pumps are spewing particulate matter and smog-forming nitrogen oxide into the San Joaquin Valley air.

Farmers who want to replace their pollution-spewing diesel engines with electric models might get help from the state Legislature.

[76834]

Fantastic Idea:
Makes a lot more sense than the congresscritter out there..

[ridesthemiles]

Wait, next they will be going after semi tractor trailers. Idiots.

They already are. A few years ago, they changed the fuel formula for diesel sold in Calif. Only one BIG problem: The new formula ate all the o-rings out of the engines and left tractors, drivers and their loads stranded all over the place. MORE JUNK SCIENCE is pushing all these ideas.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This thread has drawn a good crowd!

Got to get off for a bit!

[okie01]

Just put over head wires above your field like the electic buses use. Boy that would really work great.

Especially if you were growing hops. Would save on the suspension cable for the runners...

Aesthetically, a John Deere with a pantagraph mounted over the cab would be kinda cool...

[U S Army EOD]

I was considering a shed like in bumper cars but the sunlight couldn't get to the crops. I am not as dumb as I appear.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Aesthetically, a John Deere with a pantagraph mounted over the cab would be kinda cool...

Don't mention it, some Demon politician will think it was a good deal and subsidez it!!

[Willie Green]

If anyone wants to dent Diesel or soot emmissions, go kick Linda Daschles pet airlines for a reality check. At most carriers running at 40% capacity average, we could kill 50% of all air traffic and save the world. But that's not good, our gubmint sells those routes to feed the beast. The airlines might want their money back and they would find good cause to stop servicing cities like Pierre and Sioux City. But think how much clearer the skies will be?

IMHO, a sensible alternative would be to construct electrically powered mass-transit (such as high-speed rail and Maglev) in our nation's most densely populated regions and urban areas. Such infrastructure would be competitive for trips roughly between 100~450, reducing both inefficient short-hop air travel as well as some automobile travel.

It's not a panacea, but would be a sensible step towards reducing our transportation infrastructures dependency on petroleum. Of course, such a solution would require an increase in our electrical generating capacity. Nuclear power would be a suitable source.

[U S Army EOD]

That makes to much sense they will never go for it.

[JustAmy]

With all the hoops the American Farmer is being made to jump thru, it is a miracle there are any farmers left.

When several people get ill from eating imported food products, the consumer starts to yell about tighter controls. Only problem, these tighter controls only apply to the higher priced American products which the consumer ignores for the cheaper imports.

[tubebender]

My BiL gave up the lease on the Marks Ave 40 acres and the ranch across the street from them. The owner of that ranch hired him to farm the place for a fee. They are on the Fowler Ditch I believe...

[Amerigomag]

Most people just park their tractor to the pump

PTO hasn't been used for some years in the central San Joaquin Valley on a commercial scale. This is article about 100 to 150 HP stationary diesel engines pumping high volumes of water on the east side of the valley and huge Caterpillar diesel engines on the west side of the valley pumping from several hundred feet.

A few specialty PTO rigs as still used but they're specialized for siphon pumping from large canals. These mobile giants are built on a D8 frames and the finished platform contains tractor, pump and a 48", hydraulically articulated siphon pipe. They must me mobile as they crawl along the canal bank to water each crop check individually.

Along the secondary roadways on the west side of the valley there are still examples of massive electric motors, moved only slightly away from their old well heads, because PG&E regulated them out of existence.

I stopped using a small 12 HP electric in 1997 to irrigate a 40 acre walnut grove because the power bill was exceeding $1,500/mo from May through September. A 75HP diesel could do a better job for 1/2 the cost including the payment for the rig.

[76834]

Great idea and very practical, but:
The envirowhackos wont let you build nuke plants, cant drill for oil, cant drill for gas, now they are raising hell about wind energy birds sometimes fly into them. etc etc.
They wont be happy until we are all living in old cars or cardboard boxes.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Interesting!

[JustAmy]

I'm not sure how much water the Fowler Water District gets. I do know that Consolidated gets very little. I believe the Fresno Irrigation is the largest.

Now I do pay Raisin City Irrigation Taxes. Get no water, there isn't even any canals. LOL ...... but it is only about $1 per acre. That is $1 for absolutely nothing!!

[Willie Green]

That makes to much sense they will never go for it.

LOL! I know. I usually get flamed every time I mention it!
But it's one of those solutions that stick out like a sore thumb.
It's gonna have to happen sooner or later.
We might as well quit wasting time and roll up our sleeves and start building 'em.

But as long as I'm solving Kalifornia's infrastructure problems, I might as well put in a plug for nuclear desalination as well. With their population growth, they're gonna need to get fresh water from somewhere!

Concern over fresh water supply is becoming increasingly common in our nation due to pressures from drought and population growth. Our coastal states are frequently evaluating the viability of desalination systems to provide their fresh water needs. Desalination is an energy intensive process, so it is quite common for these facilities to be built in close proximity to electric power plants. For this reason, it is also reasonable to consider the use of nuclear desalination as a potential option.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Sen. Dean Florez wants to lower growers' electricity bills, enticing them to make the voluntary switch and spare the sky a hefty dose of pollution.

And pass on the cost to the rest of the California population.....in the name of CLEAN AIR.

Y'all won't mind, will ya?

[NormsRevenge]

Re: your "treadmills at the borders" idea.. you should patent it. ;-)

It would serve multiple purposes,, not only could illegals work for their passage into the golden lands north of the border, we would also weed out the infirm and sickly, and just think of all the weight loss that would result as well (Hell, let's make it a form of workfare for the welfare dependent at the local level as well).

And the dessert would be all the "free" energy that could be fed into the power lines so we don't have to build more nukes and natural gas fired power plants.

[tubebender]

Is that old drag strip that Blackie Gagian (sp) built on Manning still there? I met Blackie when I worked for Carl Dyer in Bowles in the early 50s...

[U S Army EOD]

Maybe they can make fission work someday. What people don't understand about nuclear when they worry about the very long time of the decay rate in the waste, is that it is confined to a very, very, very small area.

[U S Army EOD]

You will never get to live in card board boxes at that time because you can't cut the trees down to make the card board.