[spinestein]

[...the energy content in a gallon of Ethanol is well known to be about 76,000 Btu/gallon of ethanol. Gasoline by contrast contains about 50 percent more energy at 114,000 Btu/gal. ... As Ethanol is mixed with gasoline, the energy per gallon of the mixed fuel drops, being diluted with the less energetic ethanol. The E85 mixture (85 percent Ethanol) contains 83,260 Btu/gal. Obviously, this is less energy than is in the gasoline itself, and as a result, the mileage will therefore drop.]



This is a red herring argument. We don't care how much energy is contained PER VOLUME if we can just add more to the tank (and we can). What IS important is the cost/benefit PER UNIT OF ENERGY of our fuel.

Ethanol is not the magic solution that some people are hyping it to be, but it does have numerous advantages in many applications (such as in powering our personal transportation) where it's better to have a renewable fuel which burns cleanly and takes CO2 out of the air as it's being produced to balance the CO2 emitted when burned. This it certainly does better than fossil fuels

Beware of partisan hacks engaging in zealous propaganda FOR or AGAINST particular energy sources.

[MosesKnows]

This is a red herring argument.

You really need to clarify your assertion that energy per volume is a red herring argument since we purchase our fuel by volume.

In the mean time, I wonder if we haven't missed the point of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. How does a nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil? One way would be to discover an alternative energy source to foreign or domestic oil. That holds the promise of being feasible into the future. Another way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil would be to use our domestic oil. That would reduce dependence on foreign oil barrel for barrel. Yet another way would be a compromise, substitute an alternative energy source for part of the foreign oil required by the refinery to produce gasoline for the internal combustion and diesel engines.

However, if the point is to reduce our dependence on foreign oil without an increase in cost then none of these are practical. At this time, one gallon of diesel fuel can move forty tons at a fuel cost of $3.00. What existing, or potential future, source of energy can equal this efficiency?

There is much I do not know about the feasibility of ethanol. The more I learn the more it seems to provide a political solution rather than a scientific solution. The questions are simple questions but correct answers seem elusive. How much energy is required to produce ethanol? Recall that ethanol is just another name for alcohol and alcohol can be made from many things. Does alcohol produced from sugar cane or beets provide lower cost or higher energy than alcohol from grain?

Answers to these questions are plentiful but separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult for the layman. One thing seems obvious, reducing dependence on foreign oil at a lower cost than foreign oil is someone’s pipe dream.