Not again?

[Norman_E]

How much Brazilian rain forest will be cut down to grow fuel for this?
Its pretty idiotic anyway, given that a lone woman in a sailing yacht has done the circumnavigation faster than the record they are trying to beat, going the hard way, not taking the soft option via Panama and Suez.

 

[flaming]

What a total joke. About as green as a turd and just as useful.

Cable and wireless did it to prove the wave piercing stuff offshore, what exactly is this proving?

 

[Norman_E]

If it goes, it will be proving you can con some idiot into sponsoring anything!
If a sponsor does emerge lets get up a campaign to boycott them for damaging the environment.

 

[flaming]

I'm pretty sure that should a sponsor be announced the combined letter writing talents of this forum could be very easily brought to bear.

points to make include - not green, biofuel produces more CO2 than regular diesel.
Last time out they killed a man.
Still slower than a single woman and no engine.
It's been done before (minus the biofuel bit)

The whole project is absurd.

 

[sarabande]

I agreee that it's a project not worthy of any sponsorship, but can you give the reference to biofuel producing more CO2 than ordianry diesel please ?

 

[flaming]

[ QUOTE ]
I agreee that it's a project not worthy of any sponsorship, but can you give the reference to biofuel producing more CO2 than ordianry diesel please ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Certainly.

Biofuel myths.

 

[pyrojames]

It all depends on where you do you CO2 accounting. Purely looking at engine emissions it may, over the "life" of the fuel generation it is unlikely to.

 

[pyrojames]

Not actually a reference is it? Rather an opinion article commissioned by the "Agence Global" which appears to be rather at odds with general opinion. Quote:

Agence Global (AG) is a specialist news, opinion and feature syndication agency. The magazines and authors we syndicate are leaders in their fields or areas of expertise, and offer points of view that are often at variance with the mainstream of U.S. and international media. Think of it as "Uncommon Commentary."

Probably not the most balanced judgement around, and rather, I suspect, heavily supoprted by industry lobby groups. We all know how powerful they are in the US.

 

[flaming]

That article is by no means the only source of that opinion, just the first reference I came across using Google.

Which incidentally is free and easy to use, give it a whirl!

 

[pyrojames]

Perhaps you should look to one of the professional bodies such as the Energy Institue for some less biased information. Google gives the results you want to find. Put in the right search words, such as "biofuels myths" and hey presto, support for your position.

 

[Norman_E]

This thread is drifting. The point is that it does not matter at all whether bio-fuel gives off more CO2 or not. This record attempt will burn tons of fuel and create a lot of CO2 to prove nothing. Whilst the Brazilian rain-forest is being cut down at an alarming rate to ranch cattle, there is now concern that the demand for bio-fuel is is adding to the destruction of rain-forest.

 

[pyrojames]

Agreed on all points.

 

[flaming]

[ QUOTE ]
Agreed on all points.

[/ QUOTE ]

So we broadly agree then!
Excellent.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Norman

Fully agree with you on this and as a forum we should do all we can to protest.

Question is apart from reporting the event, does IPC have a view on the attempt?

Will Motor Boat and Yachting support this total waste of resource or will they be as disgusted as the rest of us?

 

[Sgeir]

I do not deny that there may be a positive role for biofuel production, but, like Norman, find some the claims, and the implied ethics, to be questionable. The damage in Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines caused by the drive for biofuel production is well documented.

Aside from the rain forest destruction, the world's lungs being ripped out and burnt to clear the way for biofuel agriculture, there is also concern that biofuel production may result in poorer and undernourished countries switching from food production to biofuel cash crops in order to satisfy European and North American demands for energy. This could create even worse imbalances in world food production and consumption.

I'm also unsure about the RYA's role in all of this; "Go Green - free power for all". Really?

Is there really that much surplus chip pan oil?

 

[boatmike]

Totally agree.. The Cable and Wireless boat was designed by Nigel Irens and built at Vospers. I was in fact the project manager (of the build not the whole thing) It had a serious objective which was to prove that a narrow hulled trimaran (not wave piercing actually) could be very fuel efficient. The trip was easily completed in the time and maximum advantage was taken of each stop to publicise the project. It would have been very easy to do it more quickly by going faster and stopping less. It's VERY easy to design a power boat that would go around faster if you don't give a fart how much fuel you burn. Bloody stupid thing to prove. Like climbing everest with a rocket pack up yer ass.... /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif