Is it such a good idea?

[doc]

With our goverment actually susidizing the production of ethanol from corn, we seem to be shooting ourselves in the proverbial foot.
The amount energy required to make a gallon of ethanol is slightly less than the amount produced. However the real problem (my opinion) is this production is causing the price of many food items to go up. Meat prices are up since the corn normally used to feed stock is now being used in EtOH production. By-products from corn are all up and many foreign countries depending on corn for food may have the prices so high they cannot afford it or there may be no corn available.
Sugar cane, swish grass and other organics produce more EtOH with less energy required.
Seems like the farmer is the only one making out now. The governor of Georgia just suspended the tax on off-road diesel to 'help out' during this energy crunch.

If we are going to require this "greening" of America it certainly seems we could find a more efficient way than using the corn needed by so many and so much of the world... but then this is the government.

[doc]

With our goverment actually susidizing the production of ethanol from corn, we seem to be shooting ourselves in the proverbial foot.
The amount energy required to make a gallon of ethanol is slightly less than the amount produced. However the real problem (my opinion) is this production is causing the price of many food items to go up. Meat prices are up since the corn normally used to feed stock is now being used in EtOH production. By-products from corn are all up and many foreign countries depending on corn for food may have the prices so high they cannot afford it or there may be no corn available.
Sugar cane, swish grass and other organics produce more EtOH with less energy required.
Seems like the farmer is the only one making out now. The governor of Georgia just suspended the tax on off-road diesel to 'help out' during this energy crunch.

If we are going to require this "greening" of America it certainly seems we could find a more efficient way than using the corn needed by so many and so much of the world... but then this is the government.

[MtManLee]

I saw a special documentary on the science channel that showed it took more energy and ten times the diesel fuel to make ethanol. Because not only the tractors using it but the trucks hauling the corn and machinery to make it and then the trucks to haul it its cost 10 times more to make than they can ever sell it for.
Also saw another article that showed that ethanol vehicles got as much as ten miles less per gallon than regular unleaded vehicles.
To me that makes little sense.

[Bill Davis]

When America starts pumping all the oil it has available, and building the refineries to process it, we will be a lot better off.

[tmar10]

I have to agree with all of the above. Corn is not the answer and until we decide to drill for new oil and build new refineries, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the high cost of oil.

[historyljc]

I must admit, it makes as much sense to me to take food off my table and put in my fuel tank as it does to take fuel out of my tank and put it on my dinner table.

To err is human. To really screw up you need a computer. To foul it up beyond all possible recognition or repair, get the Federal government involved!

[RustyJC]

Whether it's ethanol from corn or biodiesel from rapeseed oil, anytime we take arable land out of food production and put it into producing fuel, we're going to feel the results throughout the food chain in terms of availability and price. Burning food for fuel certainly doesn't seem like the right answer.

Rusty

[moldmkr]

Iowa State University is working on using Switch grass to produce ethanol, If htey can get that process refined then that will put the corn bac on the dinner table. I also heard that switch grass will produce more ethanol per ton than corn. Hope they can get it figured out soon.

[Every Miles A Memory]

What doesnt make sense to me is the fact that they're just moving from one product to the next, rather than coming up with something completely different and renewable!

Hasnt anyone realized that the Sun comes up every single day?!? Why not figure out how to use that rather than keep re-inventing the wheel