Can I run B20?

[Al]

Pete,
Hopefully you don't believe that the production of biodiesel is
the whole reason for the loss of the Amazon Rain Forest. Anyway, I
did a search for soybeans to see if the only use was biodiesel. It's
not. Here is a link that shows that soybean is used for the
following items:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean
6.1 Oil
6.2 Meal
6.3 Flour
6.4 Infant formula
6.5 Substitute for existing products
6.6 Other products

The biodiesel movement realizes that soybean amoung other types of
oil will not be able to keep up with demand. The researching portion
of the movement is trying to develop an algie based biodiesel.
Biodiesel is a renewable resource. Does not produce smog or
contribute to global warning.

I am not looking to get into a big debate here. Just want to make
sure people don't think the rain forest is dissapearing for biodiesel
consumption. In my mind, it's dissappearing because the world is
becoming more populated and requires resources. The land owners are
trying to better themselves financially as depicted below.

I found another website that shows the economic effect of the each
landowner for parcels in the Amazon.
http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

The latest statistics show that rainforest land converted to cattle
operations yields the land owner $60 per acre and if timber is
harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if these
renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will
yield the land owner $2,400 per acre.

I live in a coastal state where Big Oil has carved it up so they can
put pipelines in from the Gulf to transport the oil to refineries.
We loose 35 square miles per year to coastal erosion. To me, its
important to not support Big Oil since diesel is $2.839 a gallon
today. What is it going to be in 5 years? We must develop
alternative fuels or our economy will be in jeaporty

http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2005/09sep/gulfcoast.cfm
Indeed, the region has enormous impact on the entire country:

The wetlands offer protection for the pipelines, roads and varied
infrastructure that enable the transport of more than 25 percent of
the oil and gas consumed in the United States.
Eighty percent of the oil and gas produced offshore passes through
the area.
Thirty percent of the nation's fisheries catch originates here.
The world's largest port system is sited here.

So I strongly believe we should be concerned about our own homeland
before we have concern for another country.

Al Johnson
Mandeville, Louisiana
'96 BMC B100
'04 VW Passat
'03 Dodge 2500 B100
'93 Dodge 2500 B100

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson
wrote:
>
> Do it your self/homemade bio diesel is one thing... and may be a
> useful way to get rid of wast cooking oil. However, commercial
> biodiesel is generally made from soybeans ... and the Amazon rain
> forest is being destroyed to grow soybeans. Starting in the 90s,
new
> varieties of tropical-weather tolerant soybeans were developed.
> Brazil is now the largest exporter of soybeans in the world. While
> most Brazilian soybeans are shipped to Europe, soybeans are a
> commodity product where one soybean is much like any other.
>
> Don't believe me? Take a look at the January 2007 issue of
National
> Geographic. The cover story is on the disappearing rain forest and
> growing soybeans in Brazil.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> aeonix1@...
> On the road at Johnson City, Texas
>
>
>
> On Apr 23, 2007, at 9:07 AM, Al wrote:
>
> > <snip>The biodiesel is going to be better on engines and better on
> > the environment. <snip>
>