Comments on: Tobacco Goes from Dark Side Villain to Biofuel Hero

By: Gary Thacker

Gary Thacker — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:03:00 +0000

how many pounds of tobacco to equal a gallon of fuel thats the question.Is this a realistic option sure you can do it but is it worth it?

By: Paul Russell

Paul Russell — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Pepole might have to pay more to kill themsevles aka smoke. And this is a bad thing why? As the price goes up, the number of smokers is likely to do down. Fuel plus lower smoking rate, If that’s not a Win-Win situation then I don’t know what is

By: Paul Russell

Paul Russell — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Seams like Tabbaco might be in the same boat as Canabis Sativa [Industrial Hemp], which could be used to make a whole host of useful products, as Roosterglass mentioned, And fuel, but this lumped in with it's ''evil twin'' Marijuana

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:03:00 +0000

Oh, industrial hemp will get you high but you’ve got to smoke a lot. A lot.
We used to grow hemp for rope, paper, dollar bill paper – that sort of thing up until the end of WWII. Some of the seed made their way to stream banks in the Midwest and folks a bit older than me had their early experiences from those low-quality plants.

That we don’t allow industrial hemp is even dumber than our marijuana laws. Even Pat Robertson, right-wing Bible-thumper, has called for marijuana to be treated like we regulate alcohol.

I don’t know if industrial hemp is the best of all possible plants for fuel/fiber, but leaving it out of consideration is pretty much stupid.

By: Roostersglass

Roostersglass — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Hmmm… turning a tobacco plant into something beneficial! Can we think of another plant that could be used for lots of things (more than fuel) that are beneficial? A plant whose combustion process in its fuel form does not harm our atmosphere? That can also be used to make fiber, building material, and yes even plastic which is biodegradable? One acre of this plant can produce as much paper as four acres of trees; and can replenish in around 100 days instead of 50-100 years of said trees. Oh yeah….Industrial HEMP! And don’t worry folks it doesn’t get you high. I think this may be a better place to put our tax dollars. IMO. :0)

By: I'm not Barry

I'm not Barry — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:38:00 +0000

OK, it takes 1.5 units of corn ethanol to produce 1 unit of corn ethanol. If we take enough corn mash for 5 units, we end up taking two units away. The balance of 3 is burned (Uh, converted to CO2 and H2O). The industry is not commercially self sustaining (economic enough for competitive markets). Never mind the cold emission aldehydes it emits that politicians and promoters pretend do not exist.

It does seem tobacco, like corn, is a good candidate for quickly absorbing and converting CO2.

Pardon the pun, but I am not sure it is not just another pipe dream.

If tobacco, corn, and algae are so wonderful in converting CO2, then why are they not promoted in raw form for absorbing the excess CO2 that is warming the world? (That, of course, assumes you ignore the reflective characteristics of CO2, and blame it for all the world’s weather.)

By: Kevin Mulvina

Kevin Mulvina — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:50:00 +0000

They have been chanting the new verses of the Koran for over a decade “There is no safe level of tobacco smoke” Even though this international high drama ad agency hymn, affords no useful information, it has risen to the top of the fanatical hit parade’s top ten and held that position for years now.

Will we be forcing the Airport employees to inhale the dreaded smoke, forcing them to go home to their children every night laden with the smell of third hand tobacco smoke? with no concern for their health risks? Who will protect the children?

It does seem logical that bartenders are more valuable than baggage handlers and De-icing crews, but selling this to the left of left politically correct, might spark up world war three. At very least among the ad agencies who create the six o’clock news every evening. The use of tobacco is sacrilege and the heathens who would dare afford a living to tobacco farmers, deserve to be drawn and quartered. So says our beloved Father and government always knows what is best for the children, of all ages.

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:04:00 +0000

lol

By: Tropical Day

Tropical Day — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:22:00 +0000

Just think about the poor jet engines forced to take up tobacco products from birth. Is GE behind this? Just think, a jet engine forced to inhale tobacco continuously for hours, chain smoking day and night. They would be cancer ridden in no time, death at a very early age. GE would make a fortune in the process! I bet they will spike the nicotine in the fuel so the jets will refuse to run on any other bio fuel. Think of the smell. Do you really want everyone to smell like they spent the night in a redneck dive bar.

How could we! Where is our moral imperative. Maybe GE is not behind this. There good people building precision equipment. No, my bets are on big tobacco. They had a great run in north america but the numbers are in decline brought on by science and education. The rest of the world is bound to follow.

Big tobacco has been in search for the next victim? Dog’s? Cat’s? No, no person would subject a pet to certain death. No, society would send you to prison for subjecting a pet to tobacco. Engines, jet engines! They are the perfect victims. Kings of consumption.

Just kidding…

It’s a great step in making affordable bio fuels. Can tobacco be grown in an environmentally friendly manner.

By: Kevin Mulvina

Kevin Mulvina — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 03:29:00 +0000

In New York they are banning smoking in Central Park and very soon, even on a public sidewalk. If a single cigarette constitutes enough danger to require a paternalist government bureaucracy to entitle banning smoking out of doors, as a public health agenda, now informs the science. How on earth are we going to convince anyone that this new bio-fuel can be considered safe enough to use? If you consider the exhaust from a single aircraft by volume, produces more smoke on takeoff, than all the cigarettes consumed in world history. How many will die as a consequence of second hand tobacco smoke emitted from every internal combustion engine in America? Or is the convenient lie that no one truly believed, about to be exposed for what it represents. The comfort of a majority at the expense of a minority. A majority who are more than willing to steal from others, while taxing what the experts and fanatics represent as an addiction.

It will be fun to watch as the new age reefer madness, comes to it’s inevitable conclusion, along with many political careers as the “me too” parrots are exposed for what they really represent.

It was always about the money.