Life energy
Saw this in the headline this morning:
Congress Bicam panel OKs biofuel bill (P35B annual saving seen)
There has been a lot of interest on biofuel and other alternative sources of energy not just in our country but other parts of the world, particularly non-oil producing countries.
Just a few days ago, I noted that Flying V, finally opened their Biofuel Center outlet in Philcoa (Philippine Coconut Authority) compound. Flying V is the first to market biodiesel in the Philippines and uses coconut oil as their additive. Yesterday, my aunt sent me a text message informing me that 2 people are interested in leasing our land in the province and one of them plans to convert the ricefield to sugarcane. I guess the high cost of sugar plus the ethanol prospect has brought back to life sugarcane plantations in Negros.
The bill’s purpose is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel from the Middle East and to reduce pollution in our country. The article even mentioned that the bill will save the country 35 Billion Pesos (P35,000,000,000.00 <-- see? I wanted to stress the zeroes!), that’s a lot of money to be saved!!! I don’t really know how they came up with their figure, even if I’m a CPA, I am not really that good in numbers. However, I’ve read a US article before (couldn’t find it anymore) that says that it is not really cost effective to produce ethanol as an alternate of gasoline considering the cost involved to produce, generate, store and transport is higher. Some also says that the current hype in the US for ethanol is the result of a successful farmers’ lobby. I also found a test (comparison of power and efficiendy of ethanol 85 vs. unleaded gasoline for single cylinder, air-cooled engines) which shows that ethanol fuel efficiency is reduced by 27% and the price of ethanol should be 50% lower than the price of unleaded gasoline for the cost to be comparable. If the bill’s authors computed the savings volume-wise only and not on fuel efficiency then the savings would really not amount to so much. So the savings mentioned by the Bicam is not really reliable, add to that of course is the common knowledge that savings in one government venture most likely ends up as a government expense in another venture…hehehe… but of course the prospect of cleaner environment would form a big factor.
Actually I see the need for such kinds of legislature, we really need to have alternative sources of energy since it is hard to be dependent on other countries and I wish (I pray!!!) the bill serves its purpose and really help in the development and growth of our country considering we have no oil reserves unlike the middle east countries and some of our neighbors. Still I have this crazy recurring thought that there’s actually a HUGE deposit of oil in our country, but the Good Lord is not just allowing it to be discovered at the current moment. He is waiting for the perfect time when most of the government officials no longer serve their interest FIRST and are really concerned for the Filipino people so that the benefit of having oil, of being a rich country trickles down to the Filipino people. And when that time comes, it is not only OFWs (from the Middle EAst and othre parts of the world) that will be heading back home but people from other countries would flock as well. And in which case "OCWs" would no longer be a common term to mean Pinoys working abroad but to foreigners working here.
Hmmm... crazy thought but sometimes BIG things can come from random thoughts (even crazy thought?) who knows it just might happen!
Congress Bicam panel OKs biofuel bill (P35B annual saving seen)
There has been a lot of interest on biofuel and other alternative sources of energy not just in our country but other parts of the world, particularly non-oil producing countries.
Just a few days ago, I noted that Flying V, finally opened their Biofuel Center outlet in Philcoa (Philippine Coconut Authority) compound. Flying V is the first to market biodiesel in the Philippines and uses coconut oil as their additive. Yesterday, my aunt sent me a text message informing me that 2 people are interested in leasing our land in the province and one of them plans to convert the ricefield to sugarcane. I guess the high cost of sugar plus the ethanol prospect has brought back to life sugarcane plantations in Negros.
The bill’s purpose is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel from the Middle East and to reduce pollution in our country. The article even mentioned that the bill will save the country 35 Billion Pesos (P35,000,000,000.00 <-- see? I wanted to stress the zeroes!), that’s a lot of money to be saved!!! I don’t really know how they came up with their figure, even if I’m a CPA, I am not really that good in numbers. However, I’ve read a US article before (couldn’t find it anymore) that says that it is not really cost effective to produce ethanol as an alternate of gasoline considering the cost involved to produce, generate, store and transport is higher. Some also says that the current hype in the US for ethanol is the result of a successful farmers’ lobby. I also found a test (comparison of power and efficiendy of ethanol 85 vs. unleaded gasoline for single cylinder, air-cooled engines) which shows that ethanol fuel efficiency is reduced by 27% and the price of ethanol should be 50% lower than the price of unleaded gasoline for the cost to be comparable. If the bill’s authors computed the savings volume-wise only and not on fuel efficiency then the savings would really not amount to so much. So the savings mentioned by the Bicam is not really reliable, add to that of course is the common knowledge that savings in one government venture most likely ends up as a government expense in another venture…hehehe… but of course the prospect of cleaner environment would form a big factor.
Actually I see the need for such kinds of legislature, we really need to have alternative sources of energy since it is hard to be dependent on other countries and I wish (I pray!!!) the bill serves its purpose and really help in the development and growth of our country considering we have no oil reserves unlike the middle east countries and some of our neighbors. Still I have this crazy recurring thought that there’s actually a HUGE deposit of oil in our country, but the Good Lord is not just allowing it to be discovered at the current moment. He is waiting for the perfect time when most of the government officials no longer serve their interest FIRST and are really concerned for the Filipino people so that the benefit of having oil, of being a rich country trickles down to the Filipino people. And when that time comes, it is not only OFWs (from the Middle EAst and othre parts of the world) that will be heading back home but people from other countries would flock as well. And in which case "OCWs" would no longer be a common term to mean Pinoys working abroad but to foreigners working here.
Hmmm... crazy thought but sometimes BIG things can come from random thoughts (even crazy thought?) who knows it just might happen!
posted by elizabeth | 1:01 AM
1 Comments:
aside from the e85 campaigns there is another campaign called 25x25, "a rallying cry for renewable energy and a goal for America – to get 25 percent of our energy from renewable resources like wind, solar, and biofuels by the year 2025.
I've read somewhere that (even) Bill Gates had started investing in e85 two years ago.
If this pushes through, then this will be good for the economy, the people and the nature.
I just wonder why in our country, our people do not seem to care about this renewable energy which our country has plenty of. Of course we can not expect from the government to be serious about this. they all believe in oil or crude politics.
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