The cons of Ethanol?

[Zuru]

I was half-paying attention to the news the other day when they said something about the myth of Ethanol being so completly wonderful and splendid. I only heard the first part of it about it coming from corn and that politicians were using it to get some popular votes from U.S. folks such as me.

As I as I knew, Ethanol came from corn and I was only assuming other such products and that it was one of the sources that industries were working on to create a cleaner, greener car.

So can anyone fill me on what I missed? What're the cons of Ethanol and other such products?

I think I overheard someone mentioned something along the lines of world hunger but I wasn't sure.

[ZombieG]

Even if it were God's gift to vehicles and power plants, Ethanol would hurt us more than help us.

There is not enough farmable land on the planet to fuel every car owned by people in America, much less the rest of the world. Not to mention, you think there's a problem with hunger now?

[Reku]

Well, if Oil Refineries were replaced by Artificial Corn Farms, that'd probably help fuel... something—especially if the corn was genetically engineered with only fueling cars in mind (think: "Supah" corn... a corn to rule them all!).

But then you'd have people complaining about fueling your cars with genetically-altered corn babies.

[Mindlessmaniac]

From what I have been able to discern:

Pros: Cheap, easy to make. can be added to gas for current engines with no issues. Reduced level of pollution

Cons: Lower energy content = fewer miles per gallon. The production of it requires almost as much energy as it creates, when going with corn based ethanol. This means the energy that goes into farming corn, as well as extracting ethanol, and I'm guessing those big tractors don't have herds of hampsters on wheels to run it.

[Shalashaska]

It turns out that corn makes my tortillas. Gr...

[Xioz]

To combat Ryan's statement about not enough farmland: http://www.ebaumsworld.com/tags/pot-bust/

Just adapt the concept to corn... not pot... and please don't make it a spoonerism and adapt it to porn.

AND

Q: Will we deplete human and animal food supplies by using corn and other grains for fuel production?


A: No, actually the production of ethanol from corn uses only the starch of the corn kernel. All of the valuable protein, minerals and nutrients remain. One bushel of corn produces about 2.7 gallons of ethanol AND 11.4 pounds of gluten feed (20% protein) AND 3 pounds of gluten meal (60% protein) AND 1.6 pounds of corn oil.

We're using the unhealthy byproduct of corn to make ethanol, so really... we're killing two birds with one stone.

[Shalashaska]

It's going to take a long while before we see ethanol taking on the giants behind the oil industry. Right now the Exxon and Shell are like Pepsi and Coke in the industry and the alternatives (bio-fuel, ethanol, etc.) are like Shasta and generic brands of soda. Not only is ethanol a bit cheaper in its quality, but the people behind it don't have much pull in any lobbying committees. I did a research assignment in high school on bio-fuel, which is basically cow manure, and it was just getting started off. That was about six years ago and now it's rumbling in larger circles, which circles dictate which fuel we use is beyond any of us.

[ZombieG]

To combat Ryan's statement about not enough farmland: http://www.ebaumsworld.com/tags/pot-bust/

Just adapt the concept to corn... not pot... and please don't make it a spoonerism and adapt it to porn.

AND



We're using the unhealthy byproduct of corn to make ethanol, so really... we're killing two birds with one stone.Whenever you mechanically separate anything, it's rarely ever "healthy."

Not to mention, to people that need corn, starch is what they need, as it produces carbohydrates that the body uses more than anything to store energy.

[Xioz]

Which is what we have potatoes and grain for. I mean... sure... we're going to take some hit in our food industry... but no one is going to starve if we use some corn to make Ethanol.

And especially if we grow it hydroponicly, we'd expand our yield by (and this number just came out of my ass) 10 fold.

[Chaos Bard]

I can tell you one thing. If we run out of tortillas/nacho chips, I'll be pissed off.

What we SHOULD do is adopt the soylent system.

[Ferret]

I remember reading something about Danish scientists using the undigestible parts of the corn plants such as straw and the likes to produce ethanol.

[Chaos Bard]

Oh. Well.

....*waves hands* EVERYONE! SOYLENT!

Or we could, y'know. Um. Stop using cars.


but dat be silly.

[Grim Oyster Kvlt]

I remember hearing a story once about some dude who made a car which ran off Kool-aid. Not sure if it was for real or not, but that'd definitely be something interesting to see.

[Shalashaska]

Soylent sounds good. But then you'd get all the bleeding-heart pro-lifers complaining about babies and such being used to power a car to take a woman to an abortion clinic. Is that what we really want?

[Chaos Bard]

Soylent sounds good. But then you'd get all the bleeding-heart pro-lifers complaining about babies and such being used to power a car to take a woman to an abortion clinic. Is that what we really want?

Yes....?

[Solitary Seraph]

Soylent sounds good. But then you'd get all the bleeding-heart pro-lifers complaining about babies and such being used to power a car to take a woman to an abortion clinic. Is that what we really want?

Mmm. Babies.

"LETS BOMB THE BUILDING AND SAVE THESE PEOPLE FROM BURNING IN HELL!" "OKAY! DAMN YOU SOYLENT! YOU USE YOUR SOYLENT GOODNESS TO FUEL BABY DEATH!"

[Mindlessmaniac]

What concern that I've heard is the sheer amount of farm land that will need to be dedicated to farming corn. Not just corn will take a hit, as corn bites into farm land for other products. Then, you always have the risk of overzealous famers overplanting and depleting the soil. Also, if there's a famine, or a drought, we're all screwed. That is one of the reasons why people tend to like things that don't have to be grown, which is part of the reason people like the idea of hydrogen fuel cells. It's one of those things that are there, and we don't actually destroy it either, all that is churned out is pure H2O.

[Shalashaska]

Hydrogen? So you're talking about making everyone's cars into little Hindenburgs. Yup. That'll work. In time we'll start to see less stupid drivers, because one accident and BOOM!

Natural selection at its finest hour.

[Lunar Shadow]

I read something recently that they are not just using corn, but sugar beats and wheat as well.

[Mindlessmaniac]

Hydrogen? So you're talking about making everyone's cars into little Hindenburgs. Yup. That'll work. In time we'll start to see less stupid drivers, because one accident and BOOM!

Natural selection at its finest hour.

Yes, liquid hydrogen is a stupid idea because it's combustible, how silly of me. I'll just go back to my ethanol enriched gasoline, because the fuel for an internal combustion engine is obviously safer. Oh wait...

[Viccica]

I demand my corn rations, dammit.