A retired PCS executive writes;
Chapter 1: Have you been noticing that PCS, PotashCorp’s, stock has been skyrocketing in the last 6 months. Know why???….Kyoto Madness….GHG emissions. Sounds funny but here is the real reason. It’s all economics… If you go to PCS’s annual meeting this next month..You will hear Bill Doyle, CEO say that an emerging market for PotashCorp is the bio fuel demand…. Which requires… corn… and guess what, corn demands potash.
So the corn is being sold as fuel rather as food. Methanal producers are willing to pay more for a bushel of corn than food producers (good for PCS and good for farmers). In additon acreage for other crops such as wheat, sorghum, soy, cotton, lentils etc.. are being re-sowed to produce corn stock for methanol.
American farmers will produce corn for fuel rather than food if they can get a better return. Replacing acreage to corn will cause a rise in price for the other agricultural products as they become short in supply as acreage is reduced. (bad for the consumer)
American meat production that has historically increased by about 2 % per year, is in decline as feed (corn) is going to the production of fuel rather than producing protein for animals.
Chapter 2: China’s output of protein has increased. This is the second punch in the increase of PotashCorps share increase.
It takes 2 lbs. of grain to get 1 lb. of chicken, It takes 5 lb. of grain to get 1 lb. pound of pork, and 7 lb. of grain to get 1 lb. of beef.
China’s GDP has been increasing, and when you now have a multi billion population with disposable income, they are wanting to eat better, and that will mean they want MEAT. (Refer to any PCS publication in the last 2 years) . In addtion, the Chinese see a growing market in North America for Grain as the Americas use their grain for methanol.
Where does all the pet food come from lately…. See the call backs….Kate you have dogs… where is your dog food produced? Where do you think people food will produced in the future?
So in the end, North Americans will grow food to produce gas, and the Chinese will grow food to feed us. (hopefully a little better quality than the pet food) The ironic thing about this is that we North Americans had the most efficient GHG and low polluting technologies available to produce food, and we are now going to turn our Ag business over to a Third world country that doesn’t give a hoot about CO2 emissions..
But if you analyze this we have slowly turned over other manufacturing industrys to China (where do you think Walmart gets their stuff from).
China is adding 500 coal powered electrical plants in the next 10 years to meet their energy and new manufacturing production requierments. If you do the math, that’s about a coal fired CO2 monster every month. How many power plants does Canada build each month, let alone each year?
Flash! Flash! China is not signatory to Kyoto.
China is gearing up to provide the goods to fulfill the world market that will exist when we shutdown our manufacturing sector in a self flagelation penance, as preached by Dion, Layton, Suzuki et al… in the name of Kyoto.
China’s yearly Increase in CO2 equals the total amount of CO2 that Canada produces in a whole year. So if Canada was to turn off everything that produced CO2 ie…. cars, Suv’s, etc , all electricty, all home heating, all transportation, air travel, etc…we would have only achieved 1 year of grace as China’s increase in 1 year will equal all that we produce. Why in God’s name would we accommodate the transfer of Canadian manufacturing to a less efficient Chinese theatre?
Such is life.
I just can’t stop thinking of Sheryl Crow’s loony idea of using a mere square of toilet paper per visit. Being a rational sort, I’ve come to the conclusion that she must have either a blow-dry bidet or a colostomy!
Any other thoughts?
We’ll need nuclear power for the extra electricity.
The GREENS They lied about DDT they lied about a dead earth they lied about the rainforests they lied about the whales they lied about the seals they lied about the spotted owls and their stilling lying about global warming
Justthinkin and Belisarius,
Too easy.
There is overnight recharge capacity in the grid for 180,000,000 electric vehicles without stress to the grid.
Air conditioners are far more demanding. That*s why there are brown outs in a heat wave.
Air conditioners are becoming much more energy efficient, much as the new refrigerators are.
Some hybrids like the new Ford Escape may not require plug in at all. The battery pack is kept up through braking and downhill or coasting.
The solar panel auto roof will be practical soon. Plug-in demand will become minimal or not required at all. = TG
I posted this last exchange on my blogsite, along with the photos of the new EscapeHybrid and a post about these being used as yellow cabs in NYC, delivering 11 years of service [equiv.] and saving $250,000 in gas money. Click TG below.= TG
TG, you are so out to lunch.
I know I should not be responding to a troll.
Braking “recharge” replaces some, some of the energy used in accelerating the vehicle. A few seconds worth. What about the hours of energy needed to propel the vehicle on it’s journey ??
Ron in Kelowna,
You arguement with me is in error.
Your frustration is with Ford. Read a link or two and discover their words, not mine.
I notice you are sensitive to coming changes in the automotive world. I hope your employment is not at risk. = TG
This is the wording from Ford Escape page.
Introducing another reason to love city life. Escape Hybrid delivers an impressive 34 mpg in stop-and-go driving situations.* It actually uses no fuel when you’re stopped in traffic or driving at low speeds when running in pure electric mode.
Escape Hybrid’s innovative nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery is completely sealed and securely encased. It’s stored neatly at the flat load floor of the spacious cargo area. What’s more, the regenerative braking system recharges the NiMH battery each time you brake, so there is never any need to plug it in.
When it comes to warranty, Escape Hybrid has you covered – and then some. In addition to the standard 3 year/36,000 mile limited bumper-to-bumper plan, Escape Hybrid comes with an extended 8 year/100,000 mile limited warranty covering Hybrid components, bringing you solid peace of mind for the road ahead.*
*Unique Hybrid components covered under the 8 year/100,000 mile limited warranty are: High voltage battery (non-California emissions states) eCVT and DC/DC Converter. 10 year/150,000 mile limited hybrid battery warranty in CA, ME, MA, NY and VT.
============ Ford website
I am self employed. Just pro battery – anti-gas.= TG
Lest anyone think battery drive is only light weight.
Pure electric beating out hybrids in UK commercial vehicle market. [ Brits smarter than average ]
Their logic is easy to follow: there are no hybrid CVs available on the UK market, but companies like Smith Electric Vehicles of Tyne and Wear, were displaying a . . .
**new generation of battery-electrics comprising repowered versions of established diesel-engined models, notably Ford Transit vans and chassis-cabs at 3.5 tonnes gvw and the Avia chassis-cab (dubbed the Newton by SEV) at 7.5 and 9 tonnes.** In the UK, hybrid CVs are in the prototype stage and the EVs are already on the streets (see, for example, this post). [link needs fix]
autobloggreen.com/2007/04/26/pure-electric-beating-out-hybrids
-in-uk-commercial-vehicle-marke/#comments
tinyurl.com/3db24b
One big push for these clean trucks is the planned Low Emission Zone (LEZ) restrictions in London.
Smith Electric Vehicles use Zebra sodium nickel chloride batteries instead of lead-acid type. Newspress learned that these power packs are about 80 percent lighter than lead-acid units with the same energy storage and deliver more performance.
========== Autobloggreen.com
= TG
Employment ?? I am retired.
I am not against anything, as long as it works, feasible, and all that. The proof is in the pudding, sorta thing.
I am, however, against scams and hoaxes. Seen far too many in my day.