Environauts - 17/05/2010

In 1893, German inventor Rudolph Diesel published a paper entitled “The Theory and Construction of a Rational Heat Engine” which described a motor in which air is compressed by a piston to a very high pressure, causing a temperature spike where injected fuel is auto-ignited and efficiently burned in the expanding compression during the down-stroke. This basic concept results in a simple, safe, cool, highly efficient engine that could run on locally produced vegetable oils – and therefore level the playing field for those who otherwise couldn’t compete with the large steam-powered Industries and Shippers of the day.

Unfortunately, in the early 20th century Big Banks and Financiers were already doing everything in their power to support their Oil and Forestry interests, and thus assure the dominance of Petro-Chemical industries. So instead of seeing how Diesel’s vision would have played out, we’ve had to wait until the combined and destructive effects of Financial, Energy, and Environmental crisis’ here the 21st Century, would obviate the ideals and benefits that Rudolf Diesel had envisioned for Society over a century ago…When he built his first engines to be run on the same types of Bio-Fuels that we now have available today, and which could have cut Coal and Oil out of the picture from the very start…

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