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No More Oil For Me

February 19, 2007
Viewed 3133 times.

I finally bought a house and I'll be happy to post pictures here to share. It's wonderful to have something to call my own and be able to spend time making improvements.

One of the things I'd like to change about the house is the heating system. I've got a really old oil furnace that is actually in great shape. What isn't great, though, is the fuel.

I've learned that I can easily use B20, a 20% blend of biofuel and oil, now, without any changes. My next step is to convert the furnace to use B99, which is 99% biofuel. The stuff is made right down the road and costs just about the same.

One of the reasons I chose the house was its close location to MAX, Portland's electric commuter train. My car now sits in the garage all week while I ride into work. I'd like to replace my car soon with one having a diesel engine and run biofuel through it as well.

There are so many advantages to biofuel over oil. Most people think of it as the environmently friendly thing to do. My biggest reason is to eliminate support of foriegn oil.

As an American citizen, I see many of our political problems being based on our oil consumption. We're bound to governments on the other side of the world and have been forced to get involved in matters that shouldn't have much to do with us.

I believe the U.S. will eventually follow the lead of countries like Brazil and figure out that being energy independent should be our first priority. But until then, I'm going to do everything I can as an individual to help the change.

6 Comments
Comment on this

02:45 AM Jan 09 2008
Wako Paraguay	Bio Diesel it's great!!! You are doing the right thing. Hopefully everybody think and do the same...

02:45 AM Jan 09 2008

Wako
Paraguay

Bio Diesel it's great!!! You are doing the right thing. Hopefully everybody think and do the same...

01:23 AM Mar 24 2007
elspet Indonesia	Hi, having a great plan is good. What you have done is the best you can do since it isn't your authority to run the government. One more thing you have to do is to provoke your other friends,,,hehehe,,,LET'S SAVE THE WORLD!!!

01:23 AM Mar 24 2007

elspet
Indonesia

Hi, having a great plan is good. What you have done is the best you can do since it isn't your authority to run the government. One more thing you have to do is to provoke your other friends,,,hehehe,,,LET'S SAVE THE WORLD!!!

08:10 PM Mar 16 2007
nideyang China	your artical are good ,will you contract ma

08:10 PM Mar 16 2007

nideyang
China

your artical are good ,will you contract ma

02:14 AM Mar 09 2007
ana.mihova Bulgaria	Hi I support you through this and it's hard to me to belive that the country with so many brain potential and mohey resourses can't develope oil substitute.May be there are something more that we know. And as you can imagine many of the reachest people of the world which are oil producers shall lose their power!!!1

02:14 AM Mar 09 2007

ana.mihova
Bulgaria

I support you through this and it's hard to me to belive that the country with so many brain potential and mohey resourses can't develope oil substitute.May be there are something more that we know. And as you can imagine many of the reachest people of the world which are oil producers shall lose their power!!!1

01:19 AM Feb 22 2007
Stitch United States	It's a interesting theory. Dependency on oil does cause lot of serious internal and domestic issues. I watched a special program from CNN about Ethanol in Brazil a year ago. It was very interesting. I was impressed with what they have achieved. It's about time for the U.S. to do something about it's CO2 admission. Alternative fuel can be a good start. If Brazil can do it, the U.S. can do it, too.

01:19 AM Feb 22 2007

Stitch
United States

It's a interesting theory. Dependency on oil does cause lot of serious internal and domestic issues.

I watched a special program from CNN about Ethanol in Brazil a year ago. It was very interesting. I was impressed with what they have achieved.

It's about time for the U.S. to do something about it's CO2 admission. Alternative fuel can be a good start. If Brazil can do it, the U.S. can do it, too.

11:27 PM Feb 20 2007
andula Slovakia	I think, you are right. We should protect our environment like individuals and fight for cleaner habitats.

11:27 PM Feb 20 2007

andula
Slovakia

I think, you are right. We should protect our environment like individuals and fight for cleaner habitats.

Modern Dreams

June 15, 2006
Viewed 2710 times.

I'd like to buy a house. But I'd really like to build a house.

Something modern. Something not traditional. Something energy efficient and close to downtown.

I've never built anything in my life. But I have a feeling that I could pull this off. After looking at a lot of homes, I'm learning what I like and don't like.

I wish my grandfather could have designed me something. He was an architect.

house

14 Comments
Comment on this

10:13 AM Jan 08 2008
Wako Paraguay	I read a couple of your blog notes and you write so well... its like your open diary or something... A couple of years ago I try to build something in my father's house... but finaly I move to an apartment... Its better to me, but someday I'll build something too.

10:13 AM Jan 08 2008

Wako
Paraguay

I read a couple of your blog notes and you write so well... its like your open diary or something... A couple of years ago I try to build something in my father's house... but finaly I move to an apartment... Its better to me, but someday I'll build something too.

07:40 PM Jan 23 2007
ding_feelings China	I live in China ,I was born in a small country,but this year, I came to shanghai ,now I hope I will have a home in Shanghai because I love this city. So I must work hard to earn a house ,juat a house ,both built by myself and buy are Ok ,hoho

06:46 AM Jan 22 2007
luciab Italy	Hi John, my name is Lucia and I'm italian. I red what you wrote about you wanting to build your own beautiful house, and let me tell you that's a wonderful idea. Enything is possible if you want it bad enough. Here in Italy people build their own houses everytime. I've known of people working on it only on their time off work. That is on week-end and on holydays. Bye the way, the picture about the house you've posted is the house you want to build or the house that you're leaving in right now? Bye, bye Lucy

06:46 AM Jan 22 2007

luciab
Italy

Hi John, my name is Lucia and I'm italian. I red what you wrote about you wanting to build your own beautiful house, and let me tell you that's a wonderful idea. Enything is possible if you want it bad enough. Here in Italy people build their own houses everytime. I've known of people working on it only on their time off work. That is on week-end and on holydays. Bye the way, the picture about the house you've posted is the house you want to build or the house that you're leaving in right now? Bye, bye Lucy

07:10 AM Jan 18 2007
lydia mousli Algeria	Hello John I think that your dream is easy to realize. My father hase done the same think and aii my family helped him even me, he was younger than you , but he did it, so belive in your dreams. bye

05:28 AM Dec 31 2006
Lonely United Arab Emirates	Hello John, I hope you the best in finding a house or build it. But as Fantasy said that you have to be careful from the debit, because you will not feel that you own your home in that day. I have a big house too, it from three parts. Most of the people think that it’s a place for three families. Unfortunately, we live in a big debts, its about a half million in my country. Now my sisters who work help my father to pay all the debts, in 2010 we will pay it all. I hope the problem pass and live in a peace. Just remember to find what you need not what you desire to have.

05:28 AM Dec 31 2006

Lonely
United Arab Emirates

Hello John,

I hope you the best in finding a house or build it. But as Fantasy said that you have to be careful from the debit, because you will not feel that you own your home in that day. I have a big house too, it from three parts. Most of the people think that it’s a place for three families. Unfortunately, we live in a big debts, its about a half million in my country. Now my sisters who work help my father to pay all the debts, in 2010 we will pay it all. I hope the problem pass and live in a peace.

Just remember to find what you need not what you desire to have.

06:17 AM Nov 05 2006
mhq China	finally,,you will have a house of your own!

06:17 AM Nov 05 2006

mhq
China

finally,,you will have a house of your own!

08:39 AM Oct 21 2006
ERIC15 China	hey,guy ,you have a good dream, so do I. Long long ago I have made my decision to build a beautiful flat ,at the suburban district, with garden and orchard. But I have no so much money now . I have to take my best to make money . It 's a good feeling of have a dream. Don't give up ,try your best. Good luck,boy,you 'll own the house in the new future.

08:39 AM Oct 21 2006

ERIC15
China

hey,guy ,you have a good dream, so do I. Long long ago I have made my decision to build a beautiful flat ,at the suburban district, with garden and orchard. But I have no so much money now . I have to take my best to make money .

It 's a good feeling of have a dream. Don't give up ,try your best.

Good luck,boy,you 'll own the house in the new future.

01:27 PM Oct 18 2006
aliciarc1 United States	*i hope you can biuld too. so need a hand?im only 16 wowwwww i helped build my house at 11 sooooo plz email me at aliciarc1@aol.com thanx bi*

01:27 PM Oct 18 2006

aliciarc1
United States

i hope you can biuld too. so need a hand?im only 16 wowwwww i helped build my house at 11 sooooo plz email me at aliciarc1@aol.com thanx bi

08:17 PM Oct 13 2006
skyangel China	The picture is beautiful!!!

08:17 PM Oct 13 2006

skyangel
China

The picture is beautiful!!!

11:09 PM Oct 06 2006
boris huang China	The house is so simple ,modern and it suit the circumstances very well I'd say.I guess you must be very interesting.Hei,I'm boris ,I come from China .Nice to meet you,my frined.

11:09 PM Oct 06 2006

boris huang
China

The house is so simple ,modern and it suit the circumstances very well I'd say.I guess you must be very interesting.Hei,I'm boris ,I come from China .Nice to meet you,my frined.

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