Why is Ethanol the targeted choice Alternative Fuel?

Question

I just saw an article that gives a bunch of reasons NOT to use corn-based Ethanol. Especially since it's one of our base grain foods. Why aren't they going with Biodiesel - the veggie van, that was a great example. Plus in Texas, there's a ton that runs all of their garbage trucks off greenenergy made from their landfill. Which they've in turn made into a fuel processing area. If you watch YouTube there are tons of alternative energy choices we could be making in the US. How do we get more people to discover what we have the ability to do now; then while we set it up and use it, continue to try improving it.
Why is it that things that make sense are so hard to get acted upon?

The largest problem with Ethanol is that it uses up fossil fuel to produce it. It isn't efficient in production or in use. It doesn't equal out production cost/energy to consumption/usage. So besides taking away a food source (read labels - corn, corn syrup, etc ) it also is more costly to produce it. Especially since they're using old energy to create it. While biodiesel has been used for decades on farms and is cheaper to produce. So political seems to be the key to backing it would seem. How about a grassroots movement to choose biodiesel? Just as many states have chosen to honor the Kyoto plan dispite the gov't not signing it. If they won't do what we want, we enforce it state by state. If the gov't has stopped working for the people - then the people need to start working for themselves.

Answer 1

Well, it seems that the oil companies and their political interests like ethanol, biofuels and hydrogen because the petroleum corporations can still control the infrastructure and distribution of those fuels. This doesn't mean that it is in our best interests to play along.
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There is a better choice, one which we are being fed disinformation about so that we will not consider it.
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Look what has been developed despite NO HELP or subsidies from our government:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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The Phoenix electric pickup truck can:

-Travel up to 250 miles per charge
-Carry 5 passengers plus cargo at 95mph.
-Charges batteries in as little as TEN MINUTES.
-Has batteries that last 250,000 miles (never need replacement.)
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Yes this is a real car. They are being built for fleet customers right now. And your media isn't even telling you about it.
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-The cost to drive on electricity is only a penny or two per mile, which beats all the other alt-fuel choices.
-Pollution is also very low, even when powerplants burn dirty fuel, because of the high efficiency of electric vehicles.
-And maintenance on EVs is also extremely low, because electric motors have only one moving part - they can run for decades with no service.
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Answer 2

Starr, those who are in control of energy production only care about their profits. While Ethanol is a good fuel, there are other tings that we can do, IF we want to. The complaint for ethanol is that it takes away from our food grains, what isn't generally known, or thought of, is that the spent mash can be used as animal food. So, first we get to use the sugars from it, the corn, to make fuel, then we give what is left over to animals to eat. That does punch a hole in the idea that the corn that would go to animals is lost, or the grains that would go to human food is reduced. Both of which do not have to be true, with proper management of the spent mash.
So far as using bio diesel is concerned there is an algae that could be cultivated, easily, whose body weight is 50% oil, from which bio diesel could be made. No one in the energy industry is knocking down any doors to disseminate this information because it could adversely affect their profits. Bottom line, their needs and desires come first, we the consuming public take a far back row seat.

Answer 3

That's because there are more plants available and we have been growing corn and wheat and /or rice for many many generations now. Technology has gotten better over the years. Producing ethanol should be more feasible because as you already know plant produces alcohol if you process the brewing right, and that gasoline and ethanol chemical makeup is closely related. This makes more sense than digging up holes in the earth and ocean, and eventually our earth will contain many hallow holes all over the Globe causing future catastrophe like earthquakes because eventually the earth crust will fall into that huge hallow holes shifting the earth crust around more and more and faster than we can do anything to stop it. Good enough, yes?

Answer 4

We need less politicians in the act. Corn is political. Garbage doesn't seem to be. Brazil uses a lot of ethanol but that comes from sugar cane, so that doesn't work for US. Hydorgen is a "coud-be" but has no political clout.

Answer 5

Ethanol is beneficial on three fronts;
1. It enhances engine life and performance as it increases mileage and fuel economy.
2. Blended with petrol or gasoline it decreases the fuel consumption of a country by 15 % and reduces the fuel bill of a developing country like India by approx 18% amounting to 18billion dollars annually.
3. It increases social responsibility compliance by developing countries by reducing ozone depletion levels by reducing greenhouse gases released by burning fossil fuels.

Answer 6

money plain and simple. if we found a cure for cancer how many people would be looking for work? money talks,why should companies hurry when every year they make a bigger heavier fatter S.U.V.to suck up the arabs gas. DISGUSTING AND INSULTING TO ME AS AN AMERICAN. SCREW IT. NOT MY PROBLEM? I HAVE TO WORK IN THE MORNING.DUHHHHH!