[benebob]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

Good to see a sense of humour coming back to this discussion.

Ethanol being produced from green crops [can be sugar cane, can be corn, can be lots of things] ensures it is CO2 neutral, because the CO2 it releases to the atmosphere is re-absorbed in the growing process. As CO2 is known to be a major contributor to global warming, then by that definition using ethanol fuel is a Good Thing, at least it's less harmful than gasoline.

It is costly to produce at present, but not gallon for gallon. Production percentage costs in the US can be around 75% mark, but in Brazil their advanced production distillation methods with sugar cane are way better, about 25%, so improvements are on the cards for the future.

The only grey clouds on the horizon are the ones you mention Ben, massive production will require massive acreage. This in turn will use up possible food production acreage, and world food surpluses are being used up very quickly over the last few years.

So there is yin and yang, as with everything else.

Because ethanol fuel comes from a renewable source, unlike oil, which is dwindling, it has to figure as a fuel for the future. Propane can be generated from coal stocks too, so there will always be a place for that fuel as well in reciprocating engines, so long as the price structure suits.

Joe

Sense of humor is always there. You don't spend time in a super competative architecture program w/o being able to both take it or receive it. As for your 75% that doesn't include everything. The real costs are in transportation of the product to facilites, actually farming it, distilling it (which is typically done in coal burning power plant areas built around the time oh say Mr. Mummert was born). Energy wise you get about 80% of the BTUs out of a gallon of e-85 as it takes in btus to produce it. That's pretty green even with fuzy math! Cough... cough... choke... choke...

As you say Columbia is doing well with their production which is true but those crops don't grow here well and honestly if anyone here believes the gov't is gonna allow the only crop that would be cost effective to be grown (hemp) in the US you need to put down that bong. Reason its corn is we pay through taxes for something like 20% of the corn grown in the us that usually is scrapped as giving it away to starving people would result in get this... lower prices for corn so unlike gas which is taxed beyond belief (up to a $1.00 in some states (yes I've been to Ireland so you'd DIE for that tax on gas) e-85 is subsidized by on average $.65 a gallon directly and $.90 indirectly.