Alternative fuels
There is a proposal to build a new $25 million biodiesel fuel processing plant at the Port of Albany. It would refine ethanol derived from corn and soybean oils for possible use in automotive combustion engines. Many people think that this is a clean, alternative fuel for the future. However, it is expensive to process these fuels, so they may not help consumers, and there is also concern that diverting agricultural products from the dinner table to the gas station will raise the costs of food. These people see the choice as being between feeding people or making it possible for them to keep driving, and thus they oppose the plant. What are some of your feelings?
Comments
I believe that using Ethanol is a great idea it can save the earths natural resources such as gas and oil. If ethanol will be the fuel of choice then these companies should think about growing more crops seperate from food resources. I personally do not want to use Ethanol if it raises the cost of food. I believe that nurishment is more important than transportation.
Posted by: April Fields | April 23, 2008 10:02 AM
Finding alternative energy sources is something that eventually will have to be done regardless of cost. Might as well spend the money now.
Posted by: Mark | April 23, 2008 12:36 PM
I find it funny that we can spend billions of dollars on a war but are so sketchy to spend money on something that in turn could save our society. Alternative fuel may cost more now but what will happen afterwards? you will never know. So why not dive in now like we do in war?
Posted by: Victoria Zaleski | April 24, 2008 01:29 PM
I agree that we need to spend the money to get an alternative source of energy.
Posted by: Vincent Randazzo | April 24, 2008 01:33 PM
I think that using ethanol derived from corn & soy is the dumbest idea ever. Not only is it expensive to make but more importantly corn is the main food for livestock in america ie; cows. By using corn to make fuel we not only will drive up the cost of corn but the price of meat. There are much more practical alternatives to using ethanol as fuel... such as hydrogen powered engines which does not require the refinement of fuels and their only byproduct is water .
Posted by: michelle audi | April 29, 2008 06:46 PM
I think that using ethanol derived from corn & soy is the dumbest idea ever. Not only is it an expensive process to refine the ethanol from corn... corn is the main food source of livestock in America ie; cows. By using corn for fuel it will drive up the cost of meat. Instead of using ethanol as fuel we should be looking to the use of Hydrogen engines which do not require the expensive refinement of fuel and whose only byproduct is water.
Posted by: michelle audi | April 29, 2008 06:54 PM
I think that finding alternative sources of energy is a good idea and more money needs to be invested in it. Refining ethanol may be expensive, however, until something else is devised, I think it may be a good idea. I feel like corn and soybeans are something that could be easily replaced or grown, and it would possibly increase jobs in agriculture.
Posted by: Maggie Taylert | April 29, 2008 08:24 PM
I think that using refine ethanol derived from corn and soybean oils for possible use in automotive combustion engines is a great way to save planet's resources. We are using up underground resources such as crude oil very rapid rate. As a result, price of those fuel went up very high during last decades and it's continue to going up. I think since we have only limited underground resources, biodiesel fuel processing plant will give us great deal amount of benefits to human life.
Posted by: Mi Jin Choi | April 29, 2008 11:05 PM
InterestingI think that using refine ethanol derived from corn and soybean oils is a good idea, but in the long run its going to run into conflict with food around the world.
Posted by: russell harris | May 1, 2008 12:18 PM
I kind of agree with the people opposing the plant. Finding a new source of car fuel is not of highest priority if you really look at the problems facing our communities. I'm sure the effort and resources would prove to be useful if focused on fighting crime or helping the lower class.
Posted by: Katherine Limato | May 1, 2008 12:49 PM
I think using Ehanol derived from corn and soybean oil is great idea because since we have only limited natural resources. we need to get an alternative source of energy.
Posted by: hyunah kim | May 7, 2008 03:31 PM
I think that we should not be investing such immense amounts of money in biodiesel fuel processing plants which themselves are going to take even more large amounts of money to operate. If anything, that money should be funding more research into finding more effective alternative fuels, that will legitimately help consumers pay for fuel without driving up other costs.
Posted by: moulton | May 8, 2008 01:52 PM