Friday, January 27, 2006
Ethanol Can Replace Gasoline
Recent reviews of previous studies show that corn ethanol is break-even energywise. Bio-mass ethanol would be a plus. Both are about same in greenhouse terms. And both look really good in terms of energy independence and sustainability. An unheralded feature of many new cars is that millions of cars on the road today can run on it with only minor modifications.
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Kendall said, "And both look really good in terms of energy independence and sustainability."
Kendall,
Corn-based ethanol is neither renewable nor sustainable, despite what the new study says.
Farmers still must have nitrogen fertilizers made from natural gas in order to raise corn.
Corn-ethanol does have a positive return on energy, but unfortunately, that extra energy is not in a form that can be used to make more ethanol.
Making corn-based ethanol relies on consuming fossil fuels, and the new study doesn't change that fact.
Ethanol in some form may lead us to energy independence, but it can't be corn-based ethanol until farmers learn to raise corn without needing nitrogen fertilizers.
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