“Why shouldn’t it be vilified?!
at best it converts about 1 gallon of oil into 1 gallon of ethanol.”
For the sake of argument...when, not if, it becomes cheaper to produce ethanol vs. a gallon of gas, would it change your mind?
“sucks up enormous amounts of water
can’t be transported far because of its hygroscopic properties”
I think this is already begin worked on...Pipeline transportaion, etc...it’s just a matter of time that this problem is resolved...
“requires fuel systems with special corrosion-resistant materials”
Already engineered and worked on. Already proven that vehicles E-85 and other cars overseas have no problem with this fuel. Old cars...yes...definetly a problem.
“depletes our soils”
You mean edible corn also depletes our soils? We should ban corn altogether!!!
“causes untold amounts of fertilizer runoff”
Just like many other crop (food or commercial)....
“starves the world”
I think we’re depriving the our country less than 10% of the corn to ethanol....Do we want to feed the world or not?
“All of this because celebrities, gutless pandering politicians and a few lunatic fringe envirowackos outlawed domestic exploration and drilling.”
I’ll give you this one...it is a crime what our politicians are doing. And I fully agree that ethanol should not be subsidized...it should stand on its own. If ethanol was not subsidized and it was significantly cheaper than oil (someday), would all of you change your mind?
What’s not to like about this “fuel”?
It’s an option...not a full replacement of oil...Everyone who supports oil (including myself) have nothing to worry about oil ever being replaced by ethanol. But we should be the leaders in this world to work and develop other fuel alternatives. Right now, we are over exposed to one product. It’s like having your 401K all 100% fat and happy on one stock that has done well, but then you find out that it is Enron stock.....
We need to have a couple of aces in the hole. We need to work around our politicians who are too heavily drunk on oil and can’t make a good energy policy...
I admire some of the oil companies that are beginning to diversity their energy portfolio and are doing heavy research into alternative fuels..but their hands are tied...
Let me be more blunt. Where is the logic in using a costly chemical process to convert a natural liquid energy source (ie, oil) into another liquid form (ie ethanol)? From an engineering economics perspective, this makes no sense at all. It’s a complete waste of resources with no economic benefits, just costs.
I admire some of the oil companies that are beginning to diversity their energy portfolio and are doing heavy research into alternative fuels..
I don’t have much admiration for an OIL company that funds their attempted destruction by trying to be something else.
If they are an energy company, and would like to do research into expanding the energy base, fine, but let’s not get sucked into doing it because ya gotta go green or were going to bleed you dry after we vilify your industry for all the worlds ills.