with our farming technology and great space  it just does not make sense to
me  why we dont pursue renewable energy sources like ethanol
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas, Geoffrey" <Geoffrey.Thomas1@DEFENCE.GOV.AU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 4:58 PM
Subject: unclas gas prices.. and what they'll be this summer

> Or this.  Depends what your feed stocks are. Lots of coal out there.
>
> From the New Zealand Press Association Feb04
>    ASSOCIATE ENERGY MINISTER LAUNCHES 'HYDROGEN TO ELECTRICITY' PROJECT
>
>    Associate Energy Minister, Harry Duynhoven, will today launch the first
> step in a multi-million New Zealand research project designed to produce
> hydrogen from coal for electricity generation, via fuel cells.
>    The Minister will feed the first coal into a pilot gasifer which
> generates hydrogen gas for use in an alkaline fuel cell for electricity
> production.
>    Hydrogen can be produced from water (using electricity) and from coal
or
> natural gas. With more than 10 billion tonnes of coal reserves, the
> equivalent of 50 original Maui gasfields and almost all ideal for hydrogen
> production, New Zealand is positioned to be a leader in the development of
> the hydrogen energy economy.
>    The research project commenced in June 2002 with a $6 million
Government
> investment through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
> (FRST) to CRL Energy Ltd, which has expertise in coal gasification and gas
> clean-up, and Industrial Research Ltd, with expertise in gas clean-up and
> fuel cells. Unitec and the University of Canterbury""'s Department of
> Chemical and Process Engineering are sub-contractors to the programme.
Coal
> producer, Solid Energy New Zealand is providing additional support.
>    Solid Energy and the Coal Association of New Zealand have also
initiated
> and invested in related areas of advanced technological and environmental
> issues. These include developing a hydrogen roadmap for the coal industry
> and technologies and options for managing the CO2 by-product of hydrogen
> production from coal.
>
> Geoff Thomas
> From: David Brodbeck [mailto:gull@GULL.US]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 4:30 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: [VANAGON] gas prices.. and what they'll be this summer
>
>
> On Wed, 25 Feb 2004, Tom Miller wrote:
>
> > Hydrogen technology is the only practical way to get the crude oil
whores
> > off our backs.
>
> It sounds great until you realize the only viable way to get large amounts
> of hydrogen is to extract it from natural gas or petroleum.  At that point
> you realize hydrogen puts us back where we started, except with a lower
> overall efficiency.
>
>
> David Brodbeck, N8SRE
> '82 Volkswagen Diesel Westfalia
> '86 Volvo 240DL wagon
>