Recently we discussed the need to keep biodiesel production close to where the crops are grown to make the ecnomoics work.
This month’s Oregon Business Magazine has brief article (“Putting the biodiesel plant in the farmer’s hands…literally“) noting a potential technology to do the refining at a micro scale.
One response to “Small-scale Biodiesel”
The truest comment is on the lines of “if tolls won’t pay for a bypass, maybe it’s not needed.”
I am surprised the Oregonian is so ignorant of the financial realities of this state, including ODOT.
1) There is very little money available for capital improvements: ODOT figures a $500 Million annual shortfall. Maybe because there’s been no gas tax increase since 1993.
2) It is a zero sum game. Building a $500 million bypass will take the next 20 years of available funding for the whole state. Is the Oregonian advocating doing nothing everywhere else in the state to deal with a minor roadway’s problems?
3) The OTIA projects are being built mostly with borrowed money financed by mortgaging the next 20 years of federal and state gas tax revenues.
Shameful for the big O to fall for the “free lunch” false solution. Tolling is a good measure of whether there really is a market for a transportation product. There doesn’t seem to one in this case. So, why do we want to build a bypass?