Thursday, February 22, 2007

Alternative Fuels Raceway?

There are some folks who want the State of Washington to help fund a Nascar racing track in Kitsap County. Bad idea, as I am not into competition and all that oil consumption.

There is another proposal, in the Legislature, to use our state motor vehicle fleet for giving a push to locally produced bio-fuels. Money for converting school buses, state cars and so forth to alternative fuel.

I put two and two together. How about a state subsidized "alternative fuel race track?"

If the state were to fund something like this, it might be justified as a way to "drive" new technology. Western Washington University has a program for building cars that run on alternative fuel. They have built electric cars, solar cars and so forth. Often, I read that these cars are entered into competitions in various parts of the world.

Maybe even this wouldn't be a good idea.

I hear bio-fuels aren't that good. The amount of energy consumed in growing the crops can cancel the benefit. Today's Bellingham Herald had an article about dairy farmers who are worried that bio-fuel demand is pushing up corn prices, thus raising the cost of producing milk.

I have to have reasonably priced chocolate milk to run my bicycling.

Forget the bio-fuels and the idea of a competitive Nascar track, even my thoughts about an "alternative fuel" race track. I've got to have my chocolate milk.

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