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Hobie working on green propulsion system- Methanol Fuel Cell
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Author:  denizen [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie working on green propulsion system- Methanol Fuel Cell

That quote about the military reminds me of the National Lampoon "True Facts" item I found very amusing in about 1973.
It was picture of a nulcear bomber with the capability to destroy about 20 cities with hydrogen bombs....but they were bragging about the fact that the jet engines met the EPA's pollution control requirements of the Clean Air Act.
Whew! Thank goodness for that! Can't have our bombers causing air pollution!!!!!!
It is strannge but true that this country spends so much on the military that a lot of new civilian technology comes out things made possible by military spending when it can't be afforded at first by the public and NEAH is just part of that phenom. Take my $200 GPS for example and also our $79 fish finders (sonar). Personally, I'd rather we spend the money first on Livingry rather than Weaponry. Bucky Fuller once said it would be cheaper to drop tractors and seeds by parachute on SE Asia than what we'd spent on bombs so they could feed themsleves and be less likely to feel the need for war......How treasonous! :)

Author:  Polecat [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie working on green propulsion system- Methanol Fuel Cell

God, I love you guys. :D I'm gonna stop readin papers, watching TV, and jus start readin forums. Until I lookd emmup I wouldda thotta "epotimus" was a green "hippo" and a "pedantic" wassa "tick" with lottsa legs. :mrgreen:

Author:  Tom Ray [ Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie working on green propulsion system- Methanol Fuel Cell

denizen wrote:
As for hydrogen, it can come from solar and wind but there's a new process where we may count on future cheap, clean, abundant hydrogen with a method of "artificial photosynthesis" or low energy hydrolysis discovered by Chemist Daniel Nocera at MIT. It was hailed by Fortune Magazine as one of the game changing technologies which has the power to turn this whole environmental and economic situation around.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html


That is an amazing leap in solar technology.

Author:  denizen [ Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie working on green propulsion system- Methanol Fuel Cell

At the moment methanol does come primarily from natural gas (the cleanest of the fossil fuels)...........
But then there's sugar beet pulp methanol as a renewable source.....and beyond.

Quote:
The ultimate goal of the project is to adapt the methanol producing bacterial genetics to a wide range of agriculture and forest
product waste streams. For instance, the international wood and pulp industry produces over 700 million
tons of waste lignin per year. Converting this biomass has the potential to power up to 20 million methanol
fuel cell vehicles.

http://www.methanol.org/pdf/RenewableBi ... etPulp.pdf

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