Why Hasnt Biodiesel Replaced Fossil Oil Yet?

[jankren]

Is it because of oil companies' lobbies as frequently said by conspiracy theorists or there are actual practical obstacles?

[Farnan]

Because land used for food is used to make biodesiel.

Think about it...

Biodesiel and its cousin ethanol fuel are threats to global stability, greater than nuclear weapons.

[athanaric]

Because land used for food is used to make biodesiel.

Even worse - land that used to be rainforest etc. is used to make biodiesel.
In Germany, traditional agricultural habitats are replaced by rapeseed and maize ("corn" for you Americans) monocultures used for biodiesel. Killing biodiversity on the way. Originally sponsored by the "Green Party". Once again this shows how "green" politicians are complete heads who know about nature.

[Holger Danske]

Because land used for food is used to make biodesiel.

Think about it...

Biodesiel and its cousin ethanol fuel are threats to global stability, greater than nuclear weapons.

Yeah, that was the old-gen biofuel... In either case biofuel has the advantage of never being depleted.

[Saturn]

I remember hearing once that it would take a large field of corn just to have enough ethanol for a single 747 flight. Think about it.

[jankren]

So basically alternative fuel is a fantasy?

[Big War Bird]

So basically alternative fuel is a fantasy?

As improbable as it seems, it is much cheaper to go way out on a continental shelf, drill a hole miles below the ocean floor and suck crude oil out of an overgrown straw put it in a tanker, sail it half way around the world to a refinery, put the refined oil back into a tanker and sail it the rest of the way around the world than it is to plant a corn field, do almost nothing for a few months, harvest it, refine it and sneek it into the existing fuel distribution network.

[LegionnaireX]

As improbable as it seems, it is much cheaper to go way out on a continental shelf, drill a hole miles below the ocean floor and suck crude oil out of an overgrown straw put it in a tanker, sail it half way around the world to a refinery, put the refined oil back into a tanker and sail it the rest of the way around the world than it is to plant a corn field, do almost nothing for a few months, harvest it, refine it and sneek it into the existing fuel distribution network.

And this is why alternative fuels suck. At there current stage they are just not practical. Maybe several years down the road, but for now we are stuck with petroleum. Nuclear may work for power production, but planes and automobiles will be running off of oil for the forseeable future.

[eran]

So basically alternative fuel is a fantasy?

Until we will run out of oil, yes.

[Valentin the II]

Alternative fuels are a dead-end. Electric cars are the way of the future.
The only real disadvantage with them (besides the heavy, not-so efficient batteries) was the insane amount of time it takes to recharge one car. Battery swapping may be the answer.

[removeduser_052420]

Bio diesel is the biggest load of in the world. Do you know how much of our food depends on corn? I guarantee you that almost all processed food has corn oil/ corn something inside of it.

So basically alternative fuel is a fantasy?

The stuff we have now, yeah.

[Gelgoog]

alternative fuels are expensive and will only be feasible when we hit peak oil and all the large easy to process oil reserves are depleted. Right now there are a few countries poised to be huge fuel centers after peak oil, one of which is the US with its massive Coal and Shale reserves. The US has 62% of the worlds shale oil reserves which combined with the rest of the worlds shale could account for over 3.3 trillion barrels of oil more then double the worlds estimated remaining oil reserves (1.3 trillion).

There is not going to be one energy source like biofuels that will replace traditional oil. What will happen is that we will see an every increasing usage of wind farms, coal, nuclear plants, biofuels, and solar as a means to offset the ever rising costs of oil. Oil will still be extracted any way possible and it will still fuel most transportation. however with engines becoming more efficient (such as gas-electric engines which can allow 40 miles of driving before the gas engine turns on) we will see high oil prices being not as big of an issue as they are today.

however turning food into fuel is just stupid and inefficient.

[Dr. Oza]

because ethanol is 66% energy released as opposed to gasoline being 100%

also, all current forms of ethanol fuel are by law diluted with gasoline.. 25parts ethanol to 75 parts gasoline

so you still use gasoline...

and until they can make biofuels that release energy equal to that of gasoline... its redundant

and they could farm upwards if land is a problem

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Saturn]

because ethanol is 66% energy released as opposed to gasoline being 100%

also, all current forms of ethanol fuel are by law diluted with gasoline.. 25parts ethanol to 75 parts gasoline

so you still use gasoline...

and until they can make biofuels that release energy equal to that of gasoline... its redundant

and they could farm upwards if land is a problem

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

And how long would it take to produce the amount of energy it took to build upward in the first place?

[Aetius]

And how long would it take to produce the amount of energy it took to build upward in the first place?

Its an eco nuts pipe dream. Look at those people having a picnic, look at those TWO trees.

I live in a huge agricultural area, giant swathes of land are needed to grow anything in the quantities needed for modern society.

That entire tower would at best sustain the block surrounding it.

[Salem1]

Well then, why would you need to make a tower? can't you just make additional platforms on the land and grow stuff there, simulating sunlight on the platforms below the highest one? this wouldn't take up any space besides the ramps needed to get up to each level and it wouldn't be as impractical as a tower. It would be like creating a stacked sandwich... oh yes, I might go on to call it that - Salem's Sandwich Solution...

[Lord Rahl]

$$$

That's all you need to know. Oil costs less at this point. When Katrina hit and everyone was getting scared of gas prices, biodiesel became popular. Now that gas prices aren't $4+ a gallon no one cares about biodiesel. Besides, the future is in natural gas.

[jankren]

$$$

That's all you need to know. Oil costs less at this point. When Katrina hit and everyone was getting scared of gas prices, biodiesel became popular. Now that gas prices aren't $4+ a gallon no one cares about biodiesel. Besides, the future is in natural gas.

But doesnt all the tax money that goes to foreign oil rich governments and the troops stationed there mean that basically the current cheaper gas price is an illusion?

[Poach]

I've always been interested in vertical farming concepts, it certainly seems like a good idea.

Anyhoo, I'm waiting for the day when we get cars powered by Fusion reactors!

[eran]

Why can't we just build farms-tower with a lot of farms in small area?