corn ethanol

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Comment by Lou De Frog on November 15, 2008 at 3:02pm

Nathan
It takes 20 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of corn. - It uses fertilizer/ pesticides made from fossil fuel and fuel to run the tractors. Then 1.3 calories of corn to produce 1 calorie of ethanol. Canadian investment in ethanol is an indirect farm subsidy. The processing plants are owned by farmers and the waste from the plants are fed to the farm animals. Ethanol is produced from the sugar in the feed stock - and there is a lot more sugar in sugar beet or Jerusalem artichokes which can be grown on garbage rather than prime agricultural land. As Paul pointed out, your engine produces less power with the ethanol additive.

It would make much more sense if we grew something like jatropha and used the oil in diesels which actually are more efficient with the bio fuel.

There are a lot more problems in the world that will shut us down long before we run out of oil. Please look up a free environmental education course I have posted on 'my page' blog in the (view all) section. Your input would be appreciated.

Comment by Robert Jackman on July 22, 2008 at 8:06pm

To answer Your question, I am running E-85, in a 82 Subaru Legacy, 3 parts to 2 parts 87 pump gas.

The engine does not knock, and as a result, my daily commute is in 5th gear at about 40 mph. I get the same mpg as with pump gas. details below.

http://tinyurl.com/5nftmm ACBAG FARMY

I save an average of 50 cents a gallon and redirect over half my transport dollars to American business.

Comment by Robert Jackman on July 22, 2008 at 7:58pm

I have no problem with using methane to fire ethanol distillation which is possible when a feedlot is integrated, the manure is digested to make methane and then the residue is returned to the field for the next crop's fertilizer needs. "Alcohol can be a Gas" shows us how to make more with less, often using waste products like sewage to grow cattails, netting methane and ethanol without any other water, fertilizer input.
http://tinyurl.com/56rrda ACBAG site

http://tinyurl.com/5nftmm ACBAG FARMY

Comment by Nathan Campbell on July 11, 2008 at 9:28pm

That is sad. The government should be spending more money to build up biofuel capacity. Canada is investing taxpayer dollars to build 200 million gallon per year facilities in Ontario. The government needs to loan Federal Reserve money to the biofuel industry to guarantee expansion.

Question about your company: have you received any work for ethanol plant upgrades? Most ethanol plants lack corn oil extraction technology. Gasification equipment could also be installed to replace natural gas usage. I think that there is great opportunity to improve the ethanol plants that already exist.

Comment by Azureth on July 11, 2008 at 6:13pm

I work for a company in Kansas City as a senior structural steel detailer. Our company is threatening to close because of the recent back peddling in the ethanol industry. Mr. Glenn Smith, CEO has become one of the most educated and innovative minds regarding these alternate fuels, yet is unable to sell his product, ideas or even get jobs in this field because of this cut back. This is sad. Our engineering department has hundreds of years of combined talent in construction and design of facilities that could make this country stand on it's own two feet again, but our government and it's financial mongers are crushing us all. In my department alone we are afraid of losing our jobs because of the loss of work from these facilities. I believe in Mr. Smith but I'm afraid he's fighting a losing battle.