Posted on 02/21/2006 8:38:26 AM PST by kellynla
The endless fields of corn in the Midwest can be distilled into endless gallons of ethanol, a clean-burning, high-octane fuel that could end any worldwide oil shortage and reduce emissions that cause global warming.
There is only one catch: Turning corn into ethanol takes energy. For every gallon that an ethanol manufacturing plant produces, it uses the equivalent of almost two-fifths of a gallon of fuel (usually natural gas), and that does not count the fuel needed to make fertilizer for the corn, run the farm machinery, or truck the ethanol to market.
The use of all that fossil fuel to make ethanol substantially reduces its value as an alternative source of energy. Ethanol production is expected to hit 5 billion gallons this year, equal to more than three percent of gasoline supplies, and more ethanol distilleries are being built. But if ethanol is to realize its potential, its proponents recognize that they will have to develop new ways to make it. "In this industry, you can't take a parochial view of your business," said William A Lee, general manager of Chippewa Valley Ethanol, in Benson, Minn., United States and former chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol trade group.
(Excerpt) Read more at deccanherald.com ...
"Ha anybody addressed the fact that Alcohol burns clean and invisible? you could get in a wreck and not know that your car is burning up and getting ready to explode. I know that they had this problem in racing."
I would HOPE that anyone who is able to get out of their vehicle would do the same thing if their vehicle were running on gasoline...
GET THE HELL OUT OF THE FRIGGIN' VEHICLE!
With a gasoline/alcohol blend the flames are quite visible.
Good question, though.
you might want to read the article I posted this a.m. from Iowa before you "enlighten" us with any more of your eloquent rhetoric! LOL
He only knows cotton...
Just stuff Ted Kennedy in a huge wine press. Ethanol in unlimited supply.
When you consider the energy required to find oil, produce it, transport it, refine it and transport the result it's amazing that there is any useful energy left. I guess oil must be a pretty good bargain in spite of all of the government roadblocks. Ethanol must not be very attractive or the producers wouldn't need government money and mandates to get people to use it.
Leaves the skin and bones...clogs up the filters...
you seem to forget the most important cost of foreign oil...
The lives of American military service men and women and their families!
drivel?
FYI, I served in the USMC and I have seen enough dead Marines from Middle East wars to last me a lifetime... now when you are ready to enlist; you let me know "Drivel!"
Brazil has been manufacturing ethanol for a decade and they now DO NOT IMPORT ANY OIL with 70 percent of their vehicles operating on ethanol!
if you're going to break wind; keep it in GA! LMAO
And this qualifies you as an expert in the thermodynamics of ethanol production because?
no, what it qualifies me for genius is that I don't want to see any more Marines killed in the Middle East just so clowns like you can have cheap gas...let us all know when you catch up! LMAO
We need to move as fast as possible to develop alternative fuel sources and renewable sources of energy. We should have been doing this back in the 70s. It is necessary for the future of the planet and to end our dependence on Arab dictatorships. It will also help to alleviate our "balance of payments problem".For too long the self serving oil companies have held back development. If they are smart they will turn their research and development laboratories toward the direction of alternative fuels. Its time to diversify if they want to survive as viable corporate entities.
well, here's what some guys from The Wall Street Journal have to say:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06012/637006.stm
Massive conversion to ethanol might be an expensive and complicated proposition...
but taking a full accounting of the cost of paying for foreign oil
AND subsidizing people that want to kill us might make the choices a lot clearer
for the average citizen.
whatever it costs;
it's a lot cheaper than one dead Marine.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
What is the difference between methanol and corn whiskey?
" Look south to Brazil. Over 75% of the fuel is ethanol."
yep, I posted an article last night on what's been going on down in Brazil for the past decade.
Between the Brazilians and ethanol and the French and nuclear; we could learn a lot!!!
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