Re: [T3] ethanol

[Steven Ayres <comwest@att.net>]

<x-flowed>=> Is it cheaper to make ethanol than gasoline, energy-wise?

Not at all. The energy in petroleum was built over aeons of sunlight and 
pressure. Making a fuel that even approximates that much useful 
quick-burn energy requires that we input a whole lot of energy to make 
up for the short time we have to produce the fuel. (I know, we input 
energy to refine crude oil, too, but nothing like as much.) And that 
doesn't count the petro component of growing the raw materials 
(fertilizers, fuel for farm machinery, etc.). If you watch the 
commodities markets you'll also see the prices on raw materials (corn, 
cane, sugar, etc.) ramping up quickly as investors see the petro pinch 
coming. It's not looking real sustainable right now.

In terms of high-energy sources, what we've got most of, unfortunately, 
is coal, and you can bet there are a lot of engineers working on turning 
that into liquid or gaseous fuel.

Whatever we use in the medium term, I expect it'll be transitional to 
pure electrics. Burning *any* fuel is screwing up the atmosphere.

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
'66 KG1600

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