RE: Corn? We don't need no stinking corn!

[Ken Westerlund <kwesterlund@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Tony,
Well said.
Probably the only reason we use ethanol is ADM and the other lobbyists from
the mid-west corn states.
Let's move to newer technologies and save the oil for our older Mopars!
Regards,
Ken 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Brummett [mailto:brummett@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 3:50 PM
To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Corn? We don't need no stinking corn!


Don, I respect your automotive and mechanical knowledge, and really
appreciate every post you make on the list here, but dismissing a
report like this because of the "liberal media" really does everyone a
disservice.

Using your example, a barrel of oil in the ground in the middle east
isn't comparable to a field of corn stalks as the combine rolls in,
it's more like silos of corn seed at the Pioneer factory before
planting season.  "Ready to use" also handwaves over a lot of details
about growing the corn (planting, fertilizer, land use) or getting the
ethanol to your local gas station (not compatible with pipelines).
That said, the guy in the video also handwaves over a lot of details
like how you get the water to the desert, or the fuel out.

The fact is, there isn't a consensus about what the energy
cost/benefit ratio is for corn ethanol.  In the few minutes I could
spend looking this afternoon, I saw everything from 0.5 (costs 2 gal
to get 1 back) to 1.3 (costs 1 to get 1.3).  It all depends on who's
making the report and what statistics they include in their
calculation.

It does seem that using corn is just about the least efficient way to
make fuel.  These algae systems or cellulose conversion look like
they're a lot more efficient, they just need more engineering effort
to scale it up.  Besides, in the long run, using your food as a raw
material to make fuel is just a bad idea.

It's a pretty safe bet to say that the way you gas up your car today
is going to be a lot different than what it's going to be in 20 years.

-- Tony  brummett@xxxxxxxxx


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