Ethanol May Not Be the Answer
Did you catch the Discover Channel via NBC report on global warming on Sunday? Makes you think, assuming that you can think and don't have ears full of sand from sticking your head in it. So of course I spent time online looking up more info.
I have recently come across a Cornell University news release from 2001 that says it takes more energy to produce ethanol from grain that the process yields (http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Aug01/corn-basedethanol.hrs.html).
Not only does the process eat up energy (something we are short on to begin with) but get this: "Corn production in the U.S. erodes soil about 12 times faster than the soil can be reformed, and irrigating corn mines groundwater 25 percent faster than the natural recharge rate of ground water. The environmental system in which corn is being produced is being rapidly degraded. Corn should not be considered a renewable resource for ethanol energy production, especially when human food is being converted into ethanol." (same news release)
Here's an interesting point though, since that 2001 release all sorts of folks have been jumping up and claiming that ethanol actually has a gain of anywhere from 34 to 67% over the production energy used.
So who is right? Who the hell knows. But the comments about corn production makes sense. Everyone knows that farming the same field with the same crop year after year is not good for the soil. That rotating the crops to keep the soil healthy is the smart thing.
And then there is ANOTHER kind of ethanol in development. Cellulosic. Which is not based on corn and is supposed to be more energy efficient. For more info check out the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site: http://www.ucsusa.org
So instead of investing in hybrid technology the "smart guys" at American car companies like Ford are investing in cars that are E85 (ethanol) enabled. How much sense does this make? So far Ford has the one hybrid vehicle (the Escape) and they apparently plan to stop right there.
If I could afford a hybrid I'd run out tomorrow and get one and you can bet if gas shoots up to well more than $3 a gallon I will have to find a way to make that happen since my job requires travel. Of course they might ease off on that requirement if enough of us complain about the costs. God knows that nonprofits do not pay enough to cover the costs of insanity in the Middle East.
I have recently come across a Cornell University news release from 2001 that says it takes more energy to produce ethanol from grain that the process yields (http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Aug01/corn-basedethanol.hrs.html).
Not only does the process eat up energy (something we are short on to begin with) but get this: "Corn production in the U.S. erodes soil about 12 times faster than the soil can be reformed, and irrigating corn mines groundwater 25 percent faster than the natural recharge rate of ground water. The environmental system in which corn is being produced is being rapidly degraded. Corn should not be considered a renewable resource for ethanol energy production, especially when human food is being converted into ethanol." (same news release)
Here's an interesting point though, since that 2001 release all sorts of folks have been jumping up and claiming that ethanol actually has a gain of anywhere from 34 to 67% over the production energy used.
So who is right? Who the hell knows. But the comments about corn production makes sense. Everyone knows that farming the same field with the same crop year after year is not good for the soil. That rotating the crops to keep the soil healthy is the smart thing.
And then there is ANOTHER kind of ethanol in development. Cellulosic. Which is not based on corn and is supposed to be more energy efficient. For more info check out the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site: http://www.ucsusa.org
So instead of investing in hybrid technology the "smart guys" at American car companies like Ford are investing in cars that are E85 (ethanol) enabled. How much sense does this make? So far Ford has the one hybrid vehicle (the Escape) and they apparently plan to stop right there.
If I could afford a hybrid I'd run out tomorrow and get one and you can bet if gas shoots up to well more than $3 a gallon I will have to find a way to make that happen since my job requires travel. Of course they might ease off on that requirement if enough of us complain about the costs. God knows that nonprofits do not pay enough to cover the costs of insanity in the Middle East.
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