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Re: Renewable Energy Stuff (was citizenship silliness) (fwd)




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> Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 13:46:02 -0600 (MDT)
> From: Jim Burnes <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: Renewable Energy Stuff (was citizenship silliness) (fwd)

> I think you misunderstood.  They are claiming "gasoline equivalent
> gallons/acre" -- not that 1 gallon of hemp oil = 3 gallons of gasoline.
> And were not talking about "burning" hemp in that sense.  In this
> particular case were talking about hemp-based biodiesel.

How many gallons of gasoline can you raise on an acre?

Actualy the point I was trying to make is that it's comparing apples and
oranges. Until it's in a dollars/gallon for each of them format no real
worthwhile comparison can be made.

> Raising a full acre of hemp in that matter is something I don't have the
> data on.  However, hemp is widely known as a low-maintenance crop -- that
> translates little to no fertilizer.  After that we have the price of the
> land/month, servicing loans on the farm equipment, labor costs, taxes,
> energy, water etc.  Typical business overhead.   And for that 1000 galgas
> eq/acre.

Well don't forget crop rotation since the hemp is going to deplete the soil
if you simply grow three crops a year (which is possible this far south).
There is also the issue of water, hemp is a plant that needs lots of water
and is very sensitive to light levels/times, tempearture and pH. Hemp also
leeches nitrogen quite heavily.


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