Has anyone examined zfacts.com?

[PurgedVoter]

Someone here on DU posted the chart from this page:

http://zfacts.com/p/480.html

It shows a neat graph that pretty much nails modern republican presidents. I went to the site and was quite excited until I tried to follow the math on this page:

http://zfacts.com/p/60.html

This is some of the most rigged math I have ever seen. Someone does not like bio-fuels and is quite willing to rig evidence. Is zfacts this far off base on everything? That would be sad because I really like the first graph. I am now trying to check the math on the chart. I hope it holds up.

It took me a while, but I got the numbers from the whitehouse.gov budget history and did a rough check on it. The graph looks pretty close to correct. I did see one error or oversite, Clinton actually lowered the numbers.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Hate to tell you, but that's an old story

Biofuels are presently quite expensive relative to most other forms of energy. As the price of oil increases, they will become more competitive, but right now, they are pricy.

The "selling points" of biofuels:

1. The ability of a nation to produce biofuels represents an energy "floor". In other words, even if all petroleum use stopped, there would be an alternative that could be used. It might be expensive and require rationing, but it would be prevent a 100% shutdown.


2. Aggressive promotion of biofuel programs could conceivably knock the price way down. In the USA, the main biofuel program is the production of corn-derived ethanol as a gasoline additive. But more productive crops may be available, biodiesel may be a better solution dollar-for-dollar, and algal biofuels may be more productive without requiring land use.


3. Better agricultural technologies could make biofuels more economical, especially the oil-producing algae which could supply the vegetable oil needed for biodiesel.

zFacts is a good site; but the figures on biofuels are similar to those I've seen for over ten years. The value of biofuels lies in their potential -- which is why I personally support their use. Better that we work out the problems today than have to do it in a hurry the day we face a petroleum shortfall. That day is coming soon, and we (as a nation and a world) are still not facing that unpleasant fact.

--p!