Comments on: The Problems With Ethanol

By: Fries Can Fuel Your Car! | Dabbler.ca

Fries Can Fuel Your Car! | Dabbler.ca — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:31:26 +0000

[...] into the production of ethanol is far greater than the energy output once you put it into your car (ethanol from corn, switchgrass, and wood biomass requires 29%, 50%, and 57% more energy, respectivel…). Not only that, but ethanol also offers far lower mileage than either conventional gas or diesel. [...]

By: sleipner

sleipner — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:41:27 +0000

From what I understand about switchgrass, Jim is correct. The theoretical advantages are clear over other sources, the quantity of ethanol present in the material, and the quantity of material that can be created per unit energy, effort and land is clearly superior. The problem is, the techniques for liberating that energy efficiently are still mostly in the theoretical stages, since in switchgrass, the ethanol, though there is more of it per unit mass, is bound much more securely into the material than with corn or soy, and currently requires fairly high energy expenditure to release.

The biggest problem with ethanol is that it is generally perceived by the public (pushed by the media) as being a “green” energy, when it is in fact anything but that (as of yet). So by pushing “green” ethanol, politicians get to avoid going against their lobbyist contributors and working on the real problems, power generation plants, auto emissions, and foreign industrializing nations, among others.

In some ways, ethanol is similar to hydrogen, in that it is a fancy storefront with no store behind it…something they can trot out to make it look like they’re doing something while making minimal investment and effort, demanding no sacrifice by anyone to fix the problem.

By: Jim S

Jim S — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:27:03 +0000

I don’t understand how an accurate estimate of the energy balance of switchgrass can be made at this point. Frankly, it’s the most speculative of the ethanol sources. We don’t know how much ethanol will come from a given amount of switchgrass. One thing we do know is that it won’t require the kinds of levels of insecticide and other energy intensive methods that are used for corn. I really wonder about the claims.

By: sleipner

sleipner — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:44:15 +0000

Actually switchgrass ethanol supposedly shows promise, but there needs to be a lot more research before it becomes commercially viable from a cost and energy balance standpoint.

The main reason the blowhards have been going full steam ahead for ethanol is because of the farm lobby – they love the idea of huge demand for their product that drives up price everywhere. That plus politicians have long since become used to the idea of adding 2 + 2 and coming up with 7.

By: machete

machete — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 01:22:11 +0000

Sugar ethanol, from what I understand, is the way to go.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:57:19 +0000

But since the Hollywood pundits and political blowhards are pushing for ethanol, it MUST be better! They’re always right!