My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on August 22, 2005

“The morning after” the great CinciTDI “Intake Cleaning” GTG, or party depending on your perspective, sort of left me melancholy. The August GTG day is now gone after a long time in coming, and was even more successful than I envisioned. The real THANK YOU goes to Bruce for the mechanical aptitude and ‘nuts and bolts’ preparation to cover all the possible glitches; I don’t know what you could have done better except perhaps bringing your twin brother? Your generous giving nature make me proud to be associated with this group. I WILL speak for all of us and offer a big group “thank you” to Bruce for everything he has … AND CONTINUES to do for CinciTDI.

The day started about 0830 and things were already quite muggy, but once the parts started coming off and the sweat flowing, I didn’t hear anyone complaining? Tim Hunter’s tarp and the extra shade canopies made working in the hot sun bearable as we were able to park cars nose to nose in able to share tools and shade. The afternoon wind and rain was a nice break as we’ll all stood for a few moments holding everything in place. I don’t recall any major problems, although there were a few leaks when a few intakes went back together. Everyone brought drinks and plenty of extra water and heard several reminders to stay hydrated … I think Eric left the biggest sweat puddle and pile of intake ‘gunk.’ : ) It is amazing these cars can continue to run blocked that much.

A couple of things that might have missed the eyes of folks with their heads buried under their own hoods were the multiple maintain items that Jerry was able to accomplish on his 2005 Passat TDI Wagon …. a PD. He was going to tackle the Intake cleaning as he is aready over 90,000 miles. (That might have been a sleeping bag and toothbrush in the back seat???) Anyway Jerry was happy to get the regular maintenence items … and felt doing his intake cleaning while a dozen others were going on might be overkill, considering nobody here has taken the PD intake off yet. (It did look accessable though, once the airbox was out) Ernest was able to check some codes and reset his CEL as were a couple of other cars. Dan was the most comical considering the 3 leaking new injectors … it would have been interesting to have been hiding in the back seat listening to his wife on the way home. 🙂 We found out that Tom can’t be trusted to take cookies home to his wife and I highly doubt she even got ONE! : ) I hope ‘young’ Charles feels better as I know he wanted to do his intake. He arrived a little late and under the weather, but help by running the intakes to the car wash with others demonstrating the blasting of the final ‘gunk’ out. Maybe we can get your car done another weekend, nevertheless we appreciated all the extra ice and help while under the weather?

Even ‘famous’ Dave was their working on his Jetta TDI Greasecar!

I know I’ve probably neglected the many others that gave of themselves and in particular went overboard to help clean up. Eric and Tim after completing their own intakes cleaned up the final extra intakes that were soaking; that was over an beyond, but I know Bruce appreciated not having to take filthy intakes home. (also Eric, thanks for taking the many gallons of dirty solvent with you) BTW, Dan … thank Kristin for keeping Brenda company and helping set up and clean up all the food.

This group is amazing … the way everyone selflessly worked together in making sure each car was put back together and every tool back to its rightful owner. I can’t imagine hanging out with a nicer group of people. Brenda and I want to thank each one of you for bringing the extra food and drinks (Potato salad and chips for the week!) There were a few items left behind; if they go unclaimed, I will toss them in the ‘community toolbox.’

The CinciTDI group deserves a pat on the back as this was perhaps the most productive GTG I’ve every part of. Great job.

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Volkswagen | 2 Comments »
Tags: cincitdi, cleaning, gtg, manifold, richc, tdiclub

Posted By RichC on August 16, 2005

In keeping with ‘desultory‘ in my blog, I ran across some useful advice from a specialty produce distributor in regard to storing and ripening fruit. Karen Caplan of Frieda’s Inc. suggests that you rinse peaches, nectarines and plums and place in a shallow wire basket for ventilation after purchasing, rather than putting them in the “killing zone.” (ada: refrigerator).

By placing a ripe banana ‘nearby’ the emitting ethylene gas helps ripen other fruit which is particularly helpful for the many unripen fruits purchased in today’s grocery stores. According to Karen, the only fruit that should be stored in the refrigerator are apples and that the 34 to 55 degree temperatures ruin the flavor of fruit and do little to lengthen the time you can store them. Most all other fruits, including berries, should be kept out of the refrigerator. (she suggest spreading berries out on plates in a single layer)

Also a trick that most of us probably already know is to more quickly ripen fruit you can place it in a paper bag or wrap them with newspaper. What you might not have known (I didn’t) is that placing a banana in that same bag will ripen the fruit more quickly. Do not place this bag in an area where temperatures are lower than 55 degrees or near a window where it will be exposed to excess heat or the sun. Unfortunately for my household, breaking the ‘fruit in the refrigerator’ habit is going to be a challenge.

Category: Blogs, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: desultory, fruit, kitchen, storage

Posted By RichC on August 15, 2005

Another excellent ‘educational’ EAA284 meeting yesterday at our chapter hanger. We enjoy a brief time of socialization and chatting about the brochures and photos collected at Airventure 2005 over burger and brats fixed by Bob Luken. I know everyone enjoyed the food … as usual.

After the meeting was casually called to order we had a chance to meet Skip Raymond (and his wife) the president of Greene County’s EAA Chapter 382. His purpose in attending was to discern the need for the eight Dayton area EAA chapters in working together. There were comments of networking, pulling together for more ambious events, tech councilors and socialization. He reflect a bit on history of the EAA in our area and the pro’s and con’s of pooling talents in promoting the EAA and aviation. After a lukewater question, answer and opinion session, we focused back on our more pressing needs of volunteer workers and preparation for the Pancake Breakfast and Tail Dragger FlyIn on September 4th. (don’t forget the Airshow the evening of September 3rd)

One of our more talented members, Dick Elliot offered some instruction on tube cutting techniques and angle calculation. (and answered a few question in regards to welding options; he referenced a previous ‘hand’s on’ meeting that many in attendance also appreciated.) He recommended a reasonably priced simple software package from Steel Fabrications in Australia; the simplicity of making intricate angles is amazing using this software and Dick’s technique. What an asset to being an EAA member having people like Dick available to share what he has learned. I hope to have more meetings that include this kind of instruction.

I know that we all appreciated Dick’s time and effort (and his son’s help) in setting up and showing us some of the things that took him hours to master. Thanks again Dick.

BTW … anyone who enjoys aviation and airplanes is invited to the Pancake breakfast … if you have a youngster, we’ll be having Young Eagles introductory flights from 11AM until 2PM.

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Posted By RichC on August 13, 2005

A friend of mine pointed me to a great site from a journalist pertaining to all things automotive. Frank Giovinazzi is the publisher of Car Buyer’s Notebook and a companion Podcast site. He is easy to listen to in his short daily podcasts and works hard to write intriguing articles. His podcasts on biodiesel caught my immediate interest, but I found many of his topics of interest … you might too.

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Posted By RichC on August 10, 2005

With oil prices on the rise again what can we surmise? A couple of days ago, U.S. light, sweet crude for September delivery rose to a record of $64 a barrel. What is interesting is to dig into the ‘crack spread’ between the different grades of refined light oils.

Those in the energy business observe ‘crack spreads’ and how dramatically they affect industries that are fuel intensive, such as shipping and aviation.

Jet fuel for example has had a much wider gap than in 2002. The spread was less than $3.00 per barrel then and is $11 per barrel today. This is extremely painful to airlines who are already cash strapped and suffering from high fuel prices. Fuel cost is only second to labor in the airline industry; they are all struggling to find ways to compete with such large price changes.

Gasoline has also seen changes in the ‘crack spread.’ The difference is $7.75 from a 2002 spread of $4.14 per barrel. That’s a double in spread compared to a quadruple that jet fuel has had. Motorist are feeling that at the pump this summer.

According to the Wall Street Journal, crude oil adjusted for inflation is the highest since November 1982. It still remains below its inflation-adjusted peak price of $94.77 set in April 1980, though. Many traders believe conditions are right for that number to eventually fall, but just as many believe that supply is really not that short and that significant gains are being made to put more crude oil into the system. I don’t believe anyone really knows?

What’s causing the Jet Fuel ‘crack spread’ change, Diesel Cars?
Well if you can believe staff reporter Melanie Trottman, who writes in the WSJ “Heard on the Street Column,” she is places the blame on diesel cars in part. She states, “Jet fuel and diesel fuel have similar components, and soaring demand for diesel-powered vehicles, particularly in Europe, is pushing up prices for both fuels. Greater industrial demand for diesel in China also has played a role. Airline executives complain that refiners, which in the past decade came off a long period of weak profit margins, have been slow to add new refining capacity, which is contributing to the high prices.”

Hmm … what’s going to happen when the ULSD hits the US next year and diesel cars sales, which are already seeing growth, are way up? VW and Mercedes are the lone diesel ‘car’ sellers today, but many European diesel manufactures are ramping up to export more diesel to the US.

Afterthought: According to their forecast, hybrids that currently account for 0.5 percent of the U.S. market are expected to conquer 3.5 percent of the American market by 2012. Diesels – a category of vehicles the USA has still not taken to – will grow from 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent. (JD Power)

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Posted By RichC on August 6, 2005

Wow … what an Airventure. According to EAA records, about 700,000 people made their way to the Greatest Aviation Celebration in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this year. That number is well above 2004 and is also reflected in the participants as well. More than 10,000 aircraft visited the Oshkosh area including showplanes over the seven-day convention of 2,927. Of those aircraft, a record 1,267 homebuilts; 924 vintage aircraft; 386 warbirds; 196 ultralights; 130 seaplanes; and 24 rotorcraft were at Wittman Regional Airport.

My son Taylor and I were fortunate to be able to be there for a breakfast and visit on Saturday, July 30th, as were several from our EAA chapter. Although I didn’t see everyone, Eric Pfaltzer, Bob Luken, Brett and Debbie Hunter (and kids), Gordon and Laurie Penner. Also neighboring EAA 610’s president Don Gum and Frank Affinger of IAC 34 were spotted.

Saturday was a fantastic weather day for attending the show, although it also guarenteed a large crowd. While I was at the breakfast, Taylor took the opportunity to sneak into the exhibits early and had an opportunity to talk with Mike Melville of the Scaled Composites X-Prize fame.

Later in the day we were treated with an unplanned final public flight from White Knight and Spaceship One before permanent retirement at the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Burt Rutan commented on the flight characteristics and the loose knit group of ‘geeks’ that built and flew this design into space; he is such a character. He commented that the reason White Knight has afterburners is that “rocket guys like noise” and that he “found them cheap on Ebay.” I will say that watching the flyby was the icing on the cake for this years visit to Oshkosh.

Besides the duty of carrying Spaceship One, White Knight after its delivery of Spaceship One to Washingon DC, will be on loan to Boeing. I’m not sure exactly what they are testing? (stay tuned or let me know if you have information) Scaled Composites was also behind the round the world Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer flight. We had an second ‘first’ when it took to the air and left for its homebase in Kansas City. We were so close, and it was so wide, that we literally had to duck to let the ultra wide wingspanned plane made its way to the runway. It was great to see these two projects considering the success they had this past year.

There were plenty of aviation celebrities at Airventure this year. Patty Wagstaff was signing poster and doing her aerobatics.

Warplanes were probably the next big attraction, as usual. This year there were some 386 warbirds on display and flying. Taylor and I counted over 50 in the sky at one point during the show. It was impressive. From the awesome P38 Lightening (below) to the six B17s that were at the show.

A polished B25 was in the air as well, along with too many others for me to mention or include.

Besides the bombers, there were many more WWII fighters flying. P51 Mustangs and Navy Corsairs made their roar through the sky overhead. Fighter formations and high speed passes with the help of pyrotechnic special effect from crews on the ground, in combination with the medium and heavy bombers, were able to stun the crowd with noise, fire and smoke. It was an outstanding sychronized performance.

Besides the WWI (no photos) and WWII warplanes there were several vintage fighter jets flying and the ususual static displays of present day military planes. I found it head jerking when the jets were introduced behind the prop planes and can only imagine what it was like pitted against one during wartime. My father-in-law remembers clearly while navigating a B26 Martin Marauder in 1944 seeing German jets scream by. It was enough to put some real fear into these heroic airmen. Thankfully fuel, planes and pilots were a scarce commodity by the arrival of the first generation German jets.

Of course their were historic aircraft from the peacetime era as well. I remember planes like the Ford Tri-motors being used to service the Lake Erie Islands for many years when I was younger. There were several of these as well as a couple amphibious airplanes. I particularly enjoyed SC Johnson Carnauba as I have enjoyed reading about the expeditions.

I briefly enjoyed (ran out of time) looking at the many new Sport Pilot Aircraft as well as the many new planes and kit aircraft. I’ll include just one photo of the many beautifully built and maintained airplanes; heres a great looking Pitts Model 11 Superstinker.

I did get chance to walk over to the Sonex display (my project) and talk with several of the guys in the builders tent. Unfortunately the display was closed up but I did take a couple photos of parts I’m contemplating. (lights on the wingtips, landing lights and fiberglass stab tips)

Now that the show is over and we are back home preparing for our own local FlyIn, I realize how much I enjoy being a member of this great organization. I hope my small participation and enthusiasm will keep the EAA alive for many years to come. From a small grass strip like ours focused on flying and maintaining antique aircraft to the edge of space and back, I’m proud to be part of the EAA

.

Category: Aviation | 9 Comments »
Tags: airventure, aviation, eaa, oshkosh

Posted By RichC on August 2, 2005

I had planned on updating our trip to the Canadian Rockies daily, but as with most vacations, the time went by way too fast, besides that, the days were long and tiring. My son and I flew into Calgary, Alberta the last week in July and were picked up by Jeff, a long time friend in Canmore. Thankfully he monitored our flight delay that connected in Chicago and didn’t have too long to wait. The Calgary International Airport is extraordinarily nice and wouldn’t  be a bad place to sit and wait … although we didn’t.

The terminal is an internet ‘wifi hotspot‘ and has multiple leather lounging chairs scattered throughout. The customs area is well organized and expedited our entry into Canada and obviously it has undergone an efficient 9/11 security update.

Our drive toward Canmore and the Canadian Rockies was warm and sunny. We had just missed a few days of cooler weather and rain, up to 4 inches. Canmore is an old mining town that is surrounded by provincial parks which has created a building boom and land shortage as development has increased. The property value has increased quickly as interest in a vacation homes or the early retirement mentality has taken hold. Interestingly, Robin Williams was in town the week we were there and a property up the street was sold to another Hollywood celebrity. Our focus was on the hiking and mountain biking and enjoying the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, although my friend Jeff did take us to Murrieta’s Westcoast Grill for a classy meal. We unpacked and settled into a fantastic home, owned by Jeff’s brother Conrad, with wonderful views of the mountains. (the Three Sisters are prominate peaks from a deck on the main floor)

Our first day was a tourist day and we loaded up the Toyota Landcruiser and heading for Lake Louise. The place was inundated by people from all around the world, especially Japan. There were a group of German students staying at the Chateau Lake Louise that we noticed in the airport upon arrival, but thankfully they looked to have been recovering from a long flight.

Thankfully our start was relatively and we headed toward Mirror Lake, the Teahouse, Lake Agnes and the beehive. (this was a trail I hiked in 1976 and 1989 so I enjoyed the memories) It continues to be a popular day hike and offer outstanding views of the lake below and a ‘spot of tea’ for those interested. About half the way up to the teahouse, there is a resting point at Mirror Lake where several trails including horse trails, meet. From this point there is an outstanding view of the beehive of which the backside has switchback trails that can be hiked by those with strong legs and good balance.

Once to Lake Agnes, the teahouse offers an outstanding view of Lake Louise, the glacier and Chateau below. College age students spend their summers working and sleeping in the teahouse and return to the Chateau once or twice a week to shower. (they bunk in the loft) What a great hike. If you only have a short time to spent in the area, this one is a great hike.

Another area that we wanted to see was Kananaskis Country One of the great hikes in this area is from the lakes to the top of Mt. Indefatigable. The first part is entirely woodlands and is ideal bear country ( make some noise) and the second segment is rocky and very steep leading to a summit at over 7000 feet. We had great views of the lakes below and even though there is sun, the winds can get be a bit chilly.

I photographed flora and fauna most of the trip. I stopped at about every different flower along the trail, and there were many. I still have to catalog them, but that’s for another time. We didn’t see any bears although there have been several attacks this summer. There were also several recent articles and postings around the area cautioning hikers and backpackers to be on their guard. Elk, deer and goats were everywhere but we only saw one moose.

The final day in Canada was a mountian bike ride from the higher country in Kananaskis to the town of Baniff, famous for the Banff Springs Hotel (photo below). The trail was called Goat Creek and followed the mountain lake to its meeting with the Bow River. What a terrific ride as at least the elevation change was ‘down.’ (thankfully) There were some challenging grades, but we did finally make it for a late lunch at a great spot in Banff called Brunos. Barbequed buffalo burgers were the fair of choice … I’m not sure if it was the riding or the tasty burger? Nevertheless we had a great ride.

All in all, it was a memerable trip. Tons of photos, funny generational buzzwords and laughter. I had fun improperly using words like “shredding and cheddaring” as we worked our way down the mountains. Of course I also did the annoying “TDI, TDI, TDI” as we crossed a VW diesel; I think I was skating on thin ice with both my son and Jeff. 🙂 It sure was nice to be able to enjoy the company of your son and best friend … I only hope it continues for many years. (ahh … but the trip is not over. I hope to detail Airventure 2005 as we detoured to Oshkosh on our trip back to Cincinnati … AND it was the best yet!)

Category: Friends, Misc, Personal, Photos, Recreation, Travel | 8 Comments »
Tags: alberta, canada, canadian rockies, canmore, jeffp, rockies, taylor, vacation

Posted By RichC on July 24, 2005

I continually am grateful for those voluteering to fight terrorism abroad, assisting people trapped under brutal murdering dictators or extremist fanatics and exemplifying the decency Americans stand for. There isn’t much doubt that serving our country in the armed forces is a high risk business. One such capture enemy video clip opens ones eyes to exactly how intimate and dangeous serving in Iraq can be. This is made clear when watching a capture enemy video tape of a sniper taking a shot at one of our medics: download the 2 meg WMV Mediaplayer clip. (Reposting from Jack Army’s Blogspot)

Comments from Jack Army:

The video footage recovered from the snipers van showed this team was likely involved in at least two sniping incidents during the course of the day. The team appears excitable during the first attempt which failed to hit their indented mark. The second detailed attempt depicts the successful engagement of the medic. In this engagement the sniper takes his time even as his spotter cries out for him to shoot more quickly. The snipers disciplined shot scored on the SAPI plate of the Medics IBA inside the 10 ring.

The van which the AIF sniper team used was modified to conceal the shooters presence and to make it easier to evade capture. With the absence of the rear window and the attachment of the window screen the cameraman/spotter and sniper were able to conduct surveillance of potential targets without discovery. AIF cut a small 1-2 inch square hole in the top portion of the screen for these observation purposes.

The van was patterned after the Washington D.C. snipers.

After viewing the video you realized what a close call PFC Stephen “Doc” Tschiderer had. Thanks to our excellent equipment and training, this medics life was spared, although only barely.

From: Steve Tschiderer [edited]
Date: July 3, 2005 3:31:23 PM EDT
Subject: Thank you for saving my life

Dear Point Blank,

First let me say thank you for saving my life!! I am forever grateful!!!! My name is PFC Stephen Tschiderer, and I am currently deployed to Bagdhad, Iraq. Yesterday July 2 2005, I was on patrol and while proving security around my Humvee, I was shot by a sniper. This sniper was useing a Draganov sniper rifle with AP rounds. The round struck me at an angle and did not come through the SAPI plate. enclosed are some pics of the plate and what the round did to me, which thanks to you guys is only a small mark. My family and everyone that knows me sends our thanks and keep up the GREAT work.

THANK YOU AGAIN!!!
PFC Stephen “Doc” Tschiderer
E Troop 101 CAV 256BCT
Bagdhad, Iraq

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Posted By RichC on July 22, 2005

I’m probably not the only one, but I’m addicted to tech ‘gadgets,’ no … let me correct that … any ‘gadget.’ I have this insane weakness for interesting new toys. They are most definitely ‘wants,’ but not necessarily ‘needs;’ a lecture my kids hear far too often. Is it a ‘need’ or a ‘want?’ The latest ‘gadget’ is called the Slingbox from Slingmedia.

After seeing an article by Walt Mossberg in the WSJ, I just had to have this little gadget. Basically it connect your home tv/tivo/dvd/dvr signal to your broadband (cable/dsl) router and sends the signal to a registered device over your network, including out over the internet. (my interest in being able to connect when away from home) BTW … here is an MP3 audio interview (rightclick/saveas- 1 meg) with Walt Mossberg talking about the Slingbox.

The release date of the product was early July, it was postponed twice and sort of frustrating as each ship date grew close; it shipped on July 20th. In keeping with “Finagle’s Law” (aka: Murphy’s Law), my Slingbox arrived while I was out of town. Anyway, today I set up the box which is pretty straight forward for those familiar with connecting the plugs on the back of TVs. You first connect the signal you wish to work with to the box, then the network connections. There are multiple options for the variety of hookups, but I found that starting simple is perhaps the wisest. The next step in my case was a bit tricky, but as long as you have DHCP enabled on your router things should work fine. (if you have multiple routers, be sure the Slingbox is on #1)

Next, install the software onto the computer you wish to use the Slingbox on. Its a self installer the has an updater and yes there is already and update and glitch with certain serial numbered boxes. (the price you pay when you must have a new gadget!) The installation ‘could’ go well, depending on your hardware situation as the auto config installer tries to make it easy. In my case I needed to ‘manually’ configure my router to work. That said it worked well on my home network and streams a signal through its proprietary software and viewer called “SlingPlayer.” (screenshot from my notebook below)

I was impressed with the better than average quality of the small images that one usually sees with video streams, but its still not ready for full screen viewing IMHO, so don’t toss your TV just yet.

Next was a run to my local Panera Bread WiFi spot. (using it requires a broadband connection) It must have been set up correctly because I was instantly connected to the channel I had running at home. There is a latency though when it comes to changing channels, etc. Such is the nature of using the internet as your remote control I suppose. (maybe 2-3 seconds?) They do include a feature that devotes more bandwidth to the control and stutters the video/audio, but its still not instant. (kind of like satellite TV latency) Nevertheless the signal was fairly good and I did not experience a signal drop in the stream for the 30 minutes I watched. I captured a blerp of MP3 sound test from my morning coffee shop visit today. I’ll send out a plea for help here … any really good ‘shareware’ program available that will capture the video and audio stream? (I might play with HiDownload Pro when I have time)

As for price, I paid a little over $200 on a preorder from BestBuy.com. So far so good, we’ll see just how much I used it when traveling. I’ll give it a good test next week while in the Canadian Rockies doing some hiking and fishing. (I am suppose to have broadband where I’ll be stating in Canmore! 🙂

Category: Technology | No Comments »
Tags: media, sling, slingbox, streaming

Posted By RichC on July 20, 2005

David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell University claims there is no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel.

“The United States desperately needs a liquid fuel replacement for oil in the near future but producing ethanol or biodiesel from plant biomass is going down the wrong road, because you use more energy to produce these fuels than you get out from the combustion of these products,” he said.

Point:
Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a study of the energy input-yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for producing biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. They assessed inputs such as energy used in production of pesticides and fertilisers, running farm machinery and irrigating, grinding and transporting the crop, and in fermenting/distilling the ethanol from the water mix.

Their study found that, for ethanol production, corn needed 29% more fossil energy than the fuel produced, that switch grass needed 45% more and that wood biomass required 57% more than it produced. For biodiesel production they found that soybean plants needed 27% more energy than it produced and that sunflower plants needed 118% more.

Counterpoint:
The Cornell study actually has 1-1/2 pages that details how it arrived at its opinion on ‘soy’ based biodiesel’s efficiency and the media articles even less; the study used data from 1990 agricultural information and completely ignored the value of the soymeal, glycerin, etc. (BTW: note that Dr. Pimentel and Patzek head the UC Oil Consortium at Berkeley)

On the other hand, The US Department of Energy’s study, using recent agricultural data from the US Department of Agriculture (2002) concludes something far different from the heavily publicized Cornell story. Their report concluded that for every one unit of fossil energy used in this entire production cycle, 3.2 unit of energy are gained when the fuel is burned, or a positive energy balance of 320%. This study started with bare soil and took into account all the energy inputs associated with growing and harvesting soybeans: transporting and processing the soybeans into oil and meal, transportation and production of the soybean oil into biodiesel, and transportation of the biodiesel to the end user.

This 286 page PDF study can be found at National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

It is disappointing that the Pimentel study gets so much press when a far more detailed report, using more recent data, is available to the media. Just like the NYTimes writer interviewing select hybrid owners and using only comments that supported the story’s objective, I believe that most of the 200+ recent releases of the Cornell study have mislead their viewers and readers too.

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