U of M poo poohs corn ethanol

UGUIDE

UGUIDE

Active member
Report in Agweek by the University of Minnesota basically claims that corn ethanol provides no advantages over gas and may pollute the air more than gas. MNMT may be right.

The report went on to say that cellulosic ethanol plants differ in that they can generate they own power unlike corn ethanol plants that have to use outside power to convert corn to ethanol.

Man, I guess it is really "buyer beware" in the energy market.
 
Caveat emptor for sure! I recently watched a documentary here on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) about the intense demans for "green" products have led companies and regulators to come up with all kinds of products and producedures to satisfy this demand, but that in some cases it's little more than a little green sticker to make the consumer feel good abotu themselves...
How does the pheasant hunting/habita/conservation community view the issue on increasing corn monoculture for ethanol production? The reason that I ask is that it is often discussed in waterfowl groups as a great evil in terms of the loss of duck habitat. Since pheasants love corn, is it viewed as badly in the pheasant community? I guess that monoculture is never good - too much corn and not enough other habitat, roosts etc...?
-Croc
 
Sorry - MY BAD! I just saw the other thread about ethanol - lots for me to read and learn there! thanks!
-Croc
 
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The problem with energy policy, fiscal policy and every other policy the govt has is that there is that they end up being reactive instead of proactive. When we make policy in reaction to a crisis, it will never be as successful or as well thought out as it would have been if it were implemented prior to the crisis.
 
Per an article in the papers whose name we do not mention, they have developed an ethanol specific corn that converts starch to sugar more efficiently. Food corn growers do not like the possibilities harvests will get intermingled etc. Ain't it a wonderful world!?
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I saw a great study on line, comparing round trip travel, L.A. to Vegas. Apples to apples, everything was identical in order to have the most accurate results. The results showed the ethanol produced less MPG, costing the consumer roughly 20% more money than the gasoline, overall. The results also showed, ethanol not burning as efficiently as gasoline did, in fact produce more damaging emmisions.

I wish I could remember the web site. All I did was google Ethanol vs. Gasoline.

It was very interesting.
 
Yes, I can buy that, here in Spokane they have a law that in the winter from November to February. We get to burn nothing but Ethanol. Most of the people hate it, for their gas mileage drops dramatically. This is suppose to get our winter air cleaner due to the lower emissions of the Ethanol. Boy these studies are sure making a joke out of that. If we are over in Idaho for something (30 miles away) we fill with gas over there to get some "Good Stuff" in our vehicles---Bob
 
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