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Hybrid Vehicles Ethanol - E85 FlexFuel Is Ethanol good for the environment?
165 messages, Last post on Sep 24, 2008 at 5:25 AM
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Mar 30, 2007 11:05 am) Well, I'm new to this particular thread but I certainly agree. I do see now that the price guarantees on corn have created the biggest year for planting corn since 1944. Naturally that means less soy and cotton are being planted. Wait for the unintended consequences there. We're throwing an awful lot of money at this thing which is likely to be as big a boondoggle as it was 30 years ago. |
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Replying to: fordenvy (Mar 30, 2007 6:22 pm) IMO, ethanol from corn is foolish. Ethanol from waste products might someday have a role as fuel. For us even one electric only and one PHEV would work. Typically each of our cars is driven less than 25 miles per day. There is no reason that both cars need to be capable of making a long trip. A range of 50-60 miles would be adequate most of the time...but it'd need to have that range even when it's below zero here in WI. |
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also why don't they make ethanol out of sugar beets or some other crops like that.
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Replying to: fordenvy (Apr 07, 2007 1:10 pm) His reply to my questions makes for interesting reading. Check it out on today's entry on my blog, the Alternate Route |
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Now all we have to do is figure out how to get rid of another stupid mandate from our Congress. In a report on the impact of biofuels, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said biofuels may "offer a cure that is worse than the disease they seek to heal". "The current push to expand the use of biofuels is creating unsustainable tensions that will disrupt markets without generating significant environmental benefits," the OECD said. "When acidification, fertilizer use, biodiversity loss and toxicity of agricultural pesticides are taken into account, the overall environmental impacts of ethanol and biodiesel can very easily exceed those of petrol and mineral diesel," it added. The OECD therefore called on governments to cut their subsidies for the sector and instead encourage research into technologies that would avoid competing for land use with food production. "Governments should cease to create new mandates for biofuels and investigate ways to phase them out," it said. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&storyid=2007-09- -11T162914Z_01_L11879479_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIOFUELS-OECD-REPORT.xml&src=rss&rpc=23&sp- =true |
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Be sure to check out Senior Editor John O'Dell's newest addition to our lineup, the Green Car Advisor for news and commentary on environmental automotive trends and technologies. Looking forward to all your comments! |
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This one from the UK. A renewable energy source designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is contributing more to global warming than fossil fuels, a study suggests. Measurements of emissions from the burning of biofuels derived from rapeseed and maize have been found to produce more greenhouse gas emissions than they save. Maize for ethanol is the prime crop for biofuel in the US where production for the industry has recently overtaken the use of the plant as a food. In Europe the main crop is rapeseed, which accounts for 80 per cent of biofuel production. Professor Smith told Chemistry World: “The significance of it is that the supposed benefits of biofuels are even more disputable than had been thought hitherto.” It was accepted by the scientists that other factors, such as the use of fossil fuels to produce fertiliser, have yet to be fully analysed for their impact on overall figures. But they concluded that the biofuels “can contribute as much or more to global warming by N2 O emissions than cooling by fossil-fuel savings” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2507851.ece |
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Was it an "ethanol bubble"? Rush To Judgment |
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The energy bill passed the house and has been sent on to be signed. As always, the Devil In The Details factor remains.
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From all of the articles I have read on Ethanol- A LOT.. things appear to be healthy for the environment. Especially when using the cellulosic method. Unlike corn ethanol- there are plenty of renewable resources such as switchgrass, paper sludge, and other biomasses. However, I think there are some main questions to ask about the legislation in the long term - not just for our environment but for our Economic Health as consumers. What about vehicle prices? They are sure to sky rocket What about the price of Ethanol? (it is already close to the current price of gas) What about the BIG OLI companies? (Do you really think they are going to let good ole Mr Clampett take over? Yes, there are benefits to the plan- but at the cost of WHOM? Sacrifice is a mutha...
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