Keyline Design Institute
Research and Education in Keyline Design Practices and Concepts
Keyline design is similiar to Permaculture Design yet with specific to broad-acre scale and water and soil restoration. We are undergoing the new formation of a Keyline Design Institute for North America, This group is for all those who have in their hearts and minds the need for Keyline Design Techniques. We are hoping to engage and instigate this conversa ...learn more
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Sep 26, 2007
Updated: Nov 27, 2009
Membership: Open
Semi-Private
Topic: Response to Allan Yeomans' Cuban ethanol post, and Biogas
Posts (1 - 2 of 2)
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Flag comment for removal blendin about 1 year ago
In response to Allan's proposal to trade with Cuba (sugarcane/ethanol). I'll post Allan's email below this post in case you haven't read it and are interested. His site is http://www.yeomansplow.com.au/
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Allan's email:
STRAIGHT TALKING On Ending Global Warming February- March -April Letter 10 Allan Yeomans Australia Author of PRIORITY ONE Together We Can Beat Global Warming
CUBAN TRADE EMBARGO.
BIG-OIL and GLOBAL WARMING
The United States trades with Communist China, so why not Cuba? There is a sick but logical answer. Sherlock Holmes said “first look for he who will benefit”, or “Cui Bono” which is another way of saying the same thing.
Cuba’s main business is growing sugarcane. Using sugar is the cheapest and most practical way to produce ethanol. Every year from an acre of sugarcane you can produce 750 gallons of ready-to-use ethanol. (And it can be done organically.)
If Cuba was allowed to trade freely with the US it could supply ethanol to US motorists at half the price you now pay for gasoline.
When you look at the figures for Cuba you find that 75% of Cuba is sugar cane country. That’s like a paddock one hundred and seventy miles square. It would produce enough to continuously run 30 million cars on straight ethanol. Or 35 million cars on E85, which a lot of modern American cars are designed for.
It is thus very logical for the oil conglomerates and the Middle East oil states to insist, and demand, and to connive, to insure that the Cuban Embargo continues indefinitely.
Other things have also been “arranged” that suit the oil companies. There is a 2.5% duty on imported oil and imported ethanol into the US. So on face value that seems fair but, (and it’s a big “but”) if you import ethanol you pay an additional 54 cents duty on every gallon imported.
With sugarcane ethanol you harvest the sap . With grain ethanol you harvest the nutritious seeds. So sugarcane is the logical choice.
Corn farmers and the oil conglomerates in the US are now subsidized to produce and blend ethanol from corn. The costs have been astronomical and the impact is that just a tiny 1.5% of US fuel is derived from corn farming. Coincidently, the oil industries’ corn ethanol subsidies appear more than sufficient to offset the 1.5% loss in oil sales revenues.
WHAT TO DO ? First eliminate the 54 cents penalty on imported ethanol from anywhere in the World. Secondly, eliminate the trade embargo on Cuba - at least on sugar and ethanol. And lastly, because it would be political impossible to cancel; maintain the corn subsidies to American farmers.
If this makes sense to you, then forward it to who ever you think should read it. Or maybe to everybody in your address book. Or if you prefer send me the email addresses of everybody you feel should receive copies and I’ll send them direct. If you want more information go to our URL www.yeomansconcepts.com.au. And look things up in my book “PRIORITY ONE Together We Can Beat Global Warming”. It’s free to read online.
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