Do vegetable based fuels take more energy to produce than they make?

Question

If so than whats the point other than fell good bullcrap

Answer 1

Depends.

Some fuels are borderline advantage when it comes to energy. Some of the early corn ethanol production was a loss (energy wise).

BUT we are in the learning process of how to do it. Corn ethanol is getting much better and very few recent calculations still claim a net loss based on current practicies and technology. Recent studies claim over twice as much energy out as it takes to make.

Once we get the system working, projections are that Sugar from sugarcane and Cellulose ethanol will be about 10 times as much energy out as it takes to make it.

Solar electricity was so inefficient that until recently the energy used to make solar cells it would never be returned in the life of the cell. The improvements in technology make solar energy worthwhile now (energy wise) but it took decades of research when it was a net loss.

Technology takes time to become effective. It is the capitalist bean counters that will find the best solutions for both the energy balance and the environment in this case. The net loss energy technologies will be abandoned and the ones that produce more energy than they take to make will spread.

Answer 2

I think the "jury is still out" on this one. It's too new and more work needs to be done on this. Everything involved has to be considered. From the fuel used to process and ship the original seeds of the crop to be planted, the fuel used to plant, cultivate and harvest to the process itself. Let's assume that there is a net gain. What happens to the price of corn or whatever is used? It will go up. Look at the tortilla prices is Mexico because of increased corn usage for ethanol. Either way people will pay. So we have to ask ourselves should we pay at the pump or at the grocery store?