cellulosic ethanol

[Freak]

So I spoke with a farmer who informed me that he burns more fuel in his tractors than the ethanol produced by the corn he grows. I looked it up in Wikepedia, and sure enough, we burn 1.2 gallons of fossil fuel to produce 1 gallon of ethanol from corn. Worse, my Dad uses E85 when the price is right, and it reduces his gas mileage by about 20%.

In other words, corn ethanol actually increases our oil dependence. Rich. (the farmers & oil barons, that is).

Cellulosic ethanol, supposedly will work, but we're not there yet.

[tradewinds]

True, but...  where is ethanol grown?

Answer: Iowa.

Noticed that state in the news lately at all?


.... sigh

[Freak]

  - And politics is the answer, of course.
 
So now we pay more for corn (& animals which eat corn) & gas. Politics generally don't interest me, but this total waste infuriates me.

[BearlyLegal]

- And politics is the answer, of course.
 
So now we pay more for corn (& animals which eat corn) & gas. Politics generally don't interest me, but this total waste infuriates me.

It's interesting that Brazil runs almost 100% of it's energy supply off of vegetable based ethanol. How do they do it?

[Freak]

sugar cane b/c it's more efficient.

[BearlyLegal]

sugar cane b/c it's more efficient.

Ah cool.

[BearlyLegal]

Or... Nuclear Power and Hydrogen-Powered vehicles.

[Freak]

Or... Nuclear Power and Hydrogen-Powered vehicles.

Instead we fund & enforce ethanol to the tune of billions in subsidies.

[Freak]

the real solution to problem of oil dependence?

everyone else: drive less.

[BearlyLegal]

Non-Industrial motor vehicle energy expenditures account for less than a quarter of our national energy expenditure. Even if we halved our driving habits (which would be damn near impossible), we'd still be totally dependent on foreign oil. Behavioral changes are nice to talk about but not a real solution. We don't live in the stone age anymore, and humanity has reached a point where we need a source of energy to maintain our standard of living.

Unless we are willing to return to the dark ages, we need an energy alternative to oil and we need it now. "Conservation" is a pipe dream.