Ethanol. Do you really think it is the answer?

Question

Do you really think that ethanol is the answer to our fuel issue? What have YOU actually researched on the issue? Are you just making your desicion on what you have heard from the 'experts' on TV and in the news? Ethanol seems to be the buzz word for alot of political canidates at the momment, will this issue sway your vote?

I am glad to see that not everyone is buying into the hype.

Answer 1

No research really, just some brainstorming.

So, here we are, with billions of gallons of oil within our own country underground and just off of our own shores.

We're at war with the Middle East, who essentially control the entire World's economy seeing as how oil and oil production not only maintain economic growth through things like fuel, chemicals and lubrication, but also as a market that probably has the most impact on all of the other world financial markets. They can turn off the spiggot at any moment and send this entire planet into a 1920-30's style depression.

Instead of going ahead, and drilling for our own oil, we remain dependant on the very people who we're at war with, endangering the oil supplies more and more everyday with our own actions as well as the threat of retaliation for our actions (they've burnt their own wells before).

So now, our "brightest" solution is burning our FOOD SUPPLY. Corn, sugars and yeast that are used in production of our food supply are now going towards the fuel for transporting itself across the country, and in time, will surely fuel the trucks that deliver oil and gasoline...ironic. These stocks not only feed us, but our livestock as well. So now, we're going to endanger the ENTIRE food and agriculture chain and for what? Political correctness?

We haven't built a refinery in how many years now? Yet prices and taxes keep seeming to go up. I was pretty certain that their's got to be some sort of return on investment...like every other business venture in the world, yet somehow, we've been complacent with just giving up more and more money just for the opportunity to watch gas prices go up more and more, so we can pay....more money.


So while I agree that we need to get off oil for multiple reasons....everything from the environment to the potential for World War...we also need to be realistic and not do something so stupid as to burn our own food supply. We need to go ahead, and build our own wells and refineries again. We should be able to supply oil to ourselves at much cheaper rates than we'd have to if we kept relying on terrorist nations, each of whom have their own little individual factions of America-haters who would love to see us crumble financially. We should also allow more nuclear power plants to be built. Somehow, after 30-40 years of use and relatively flawless performance records, nuclear technology is still considered dangerous in 2007! Wouldn't you think that we've made some advancements since 3 Mile Island, which was human-error and wasn't even catastrophic?

Besides, hydrogen is still a few years away from being implemented and as readily available as oil.

Answer 2

While ethanol is a biofuel from renewable resources, there is a downside.

First, there is the issue of it taking almost as much energy to produce as it provides.

Second is that the federally pushed demand for ethanol has raised corn prices so that, although corn farmers can get off government subsidies, it has added cost to those who use feed corn for their animals, such as dairy and beef farmers, increasing those prices.

Then there's the cost of government subsidizing gas stations to put ethanol pumps and tanks in.

And if the price of crude oil drops, the bottom will fall out of the ethanol market, because it is only cost effective when oil prices are high.

On the other hand, it is an alternate fuel source that reduces our dependence on oil imports. But by how much and at what cost?

My general tendency is to be against government subsidies. Government doesn't have enough knowledge to be able to pick and choose which industries should thrive.

Answer 3

I was born, grew up in, and have returned to "corn country." Yes, I have given this matter much serious thought, and done some reading on it. No, ethanol is not a practical solution, and in the long run a bad idea.

1. It takes more energy right now to produce the ethanol than what we might actually save on a fuel to fuel comparison. Until we figure out efficient ways to use the whole corn plant, we may not have an efficient, real way to produce an energy saving ethanol fuel.

2. I still remember Barry Commoner's speech on our graduation at Knox Class of 83. He made clear that the corn production is very exhaustive to the soil. Corn production is one of example of monoculture gone rampant. It also results in much less diversity in plant species.

3. The production of ethanol is another case of government subsidies propping up an inefficent sector of the economy. Hard as it may seem for big agriculture, we need to stop subsidizing what the market does not really bear on its own.

I make my decision based not soley on what I hear on the electronic media, but also by what I read, my discussions with farmers and farm workers, local business folk, voters, and people with knowledge and experience in the energy and farm trades. I'm a working class man, very mobile, with a wide range of interests. I keep an open mind, & continue to reëxamine the arguments & reasoning.

Answer 4

Not unless they charge the public 2 dollars a gallon, because each gallon of ethanol has only two thirds of the BTU energy content of a gallon of gasoline. Therefore if gasoline is selling for three dollars a gallon then the most you should be able to charge for a gallon of ethanol would be two bucks. You're only going to be able to drive two thirds of the way on that gallon of ethanol versus a gallon of gasoline. Hydrogen is an even worse case scenario. A cubic yard of hydrogen has very little BTU's available unless it's concentrated in the form of Hydride's but that would be more expensive because of additional processing costs! What they need to select for a fuel alternative is the fuel with the least processing costs and the highest energy BTU's available. A good indication of BTU's available would be the boiling point of the substance,the higher the boiling point the more energy you can expect, but you also need to consider the rate that it can and will release that energy! Otherwise you would find boiling lava as the best choice when it really wouldn't be best!

Answer 5

I have researched Ethanol. I think it is a great answer, because it addresses more than just the fuel issue.

If we stop subsidizing growing corn and not growing corn, then use Ethanol to boost demand, our farmers will actually have to work to get paid!

From there, you use the money the gov't was paying corn farmers to put research into practical hydrogen fuel cell or electric cars.

Ethanol is a wonderful short term solution (would be signifcantly longer term than normal fuel, but not a final solution).


They have already improved the effeciency somewhat--one thing is that now the ethanol can be removed from corn, then the corn fed to cattle with on issues.

Answer 6

in case you took each and every kernel of corn that became produced in the U. S. final 365 days and switched over all of it to ethanol, it would quantity to approximately 12% of the U. S.'s gas intake. And that would not even element in the capability required to supply the corn. then you definately could desire to contemplate the shortcoming of corn as a foodstuff source, the two for people and animals. The constrained progression of ethanol to this point has already led to foodstuff shortages (and price rises) in international places that can least arise with the money for it. Mexico, working example, is feeling the crunch through fact corn-based tortillas are a considerable foodstuff source.

Answer 7

Probably not based soley on the fact that it's being pushed so hard. At the very least it's a stop-gap measure.
However, having ANY alternative fuels available that do not require special cars (or re-engineering) will help... Although I can't imagine our entire nation going out and buying new, smaller, slower cars in the interest of using more eco-friendly fuels. Though the rest of us might join in if it hurts OPEC enough!
I like the idea of bio-diesel, and it's something my hubby and I have considered when we can finally get back to the US and buy a house. But even that is a finite resource since it requires used cooking oil from restaurants. (A brilliant idea--nasty waste oil into useable fuel with super-low emissions that smells like french fries! Who would have thought!?... Recycling at it's best!) Anyway, I know McD's makes a lot of fries, but it's bound to run out of oil at some point... But they'll start charging to take what used to be waste off of their hands.
Mostly we need to continue pursuing better technology.

Answer 8

Yes, the politicians are hyping Ethanol because they have to address the gas price issue. However, if you actually look at the whole Ethanol process, it is not a viable source for the future becuase it takes too much gas to produce. Gas for the irrigation systems and water that we are running out of. Gas for the equipment to mow the corn and trucks to haul it to the factories and then to process it and gas to run the trucks to haul the refined product. Also, with the nation growing as fast as it is, there is not enough farm land to grow enough corn for the demand that the nation would make if that were the sole fuel source. We still have to make corn to feed livestock for meat (beef cows, chickens, pigs, etc.)

Answer 9

It was used in the late 70's and 80's and was called Gasohol, it leaves deposits in your engines internal working parts. The deposits will ruin your engine and your fuel system. Most people that owned cars then already know this, so this will be just another hype as you said and not a viable solution in the long run. Diesels can run it though, but it creates even more pot ash deposits that pollutes the air. The answer to the fuel problem is a mass transit system like they have in Japan, Germany and France right now, and a reduction and dependence on automobiles.

Answer 10

NO!!

The first thing it IS doing is raising food prices. Bought a gallon of milk lately?

Next, currently to make the fertilizer, transport the fertilizer, filly up the tractors, transport the corn, process the corn, it takes OVER 1 GALLON of OIL to make 1 GALLON of Ethanol. And the point of this is?

Yes there is a better way. Just do some research or look at my energy policy.

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