Text 1537, 86 rader
Skriven 2006-06-03 16:50:00 av Robert E Starr JR (1983.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: Atheists: America's m
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@REPLY: <zJJeg.88148$H71.40092@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com>
On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 12:15:08 +0000 (UTC), Kurt Ullman
<kurtullman@yahoo.com> wrote:

>In article <fhs1825ld8m76n7057qm076qknt06s1fpu@4ax.com>,
> Josh Hill <usereplyto@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> See my reply to Kurt. Not really high, but much higher than it would
>> have been had Bush not delayed action for eight years.
>> 
>> For example, 50% of cars are off the road after eight years, 66% of
>> after ten. And it costs next to nothing to make a car that will run
>> off ethanol. So if you allow yourself enough time, you don't have to
>> scrap /any/ cars that weren't about to be scrapped. But if you delay,
>> you get
>   Cars, but how about other costs. I live in Indiana where the Gov has 
>decided to push Ethanol production as a econ development with "no 
>impact". Of course not... 
>  However: David Pimental, a leading Cornell University agricultural 
>expert, has calculated that powering the average U.S. automobile for one 
>year on ethanol (blended with gasoline) derived from corn would require 
>11 acres of farmland, the same space needed to grow a year's supply of 
>food for seven people. Adding up the energy costs of corn production and 
>its conversion into ethanol, 131,000 BTUs are needed to make one gallon 
>of ethanol. One gallon of ethanol has an energy value of only 77,000 
>BTUS. 
>
>     THIS tidbit is especially damning to the usefulness in real life. 
>_>Thus, 70 percent more energy is required to produce ethanol than the 
>energy that actually is in it. Every time you make one gallon of 
>ethanol, there is a net energy loss of 54,000 BTUs.

You are correct;  it is currently less than a zero-sum game.  But
consider, too that producing gasoline (just gasoline) requires (if I
remember the article correctly somewhere around 120,000 BTU's of
energy to produce gasoline that produces 100,000 BTU's, so we're
wasting 20% of THAT energy, too.  The point being, it is ALSO less
than zero-sum - and technologies for gasohol-ification (if you will)
ARE being improved (including denser farming techniques).  (that said,
to me, ethanol, E85, whatever you want to call it, is a temporary
measure.)
>
>  In addition Mr. P notes that powering the average U.S. automobile for 
>one year on ethanol (blended with gasoline) derived from corn would 
>require 11 acres of farmland, t***he same space needed to grow a year's 
>supply of food for seven people***. (emphasis mine)

See my note above about denser farming.  That is not valid.

>His findings are published in the September, 2001 issue of the 
>Encyclopedia of Physical Sciences and Technology .
>Among his findings are:
>
>  Another interesting fact
>Most economic analyses of corn-to-ethanol production overlook the costs 
>of environmental damages, which Pimentel says should add another 23 
>cents per gallon. "Corn production in the U.S. erodes soil about 12 
>times faster than the soil can be reformed, and irrigating corn mines 
>groundwater 25 percent faster than the natural recharge rate of ground 
>water. The environmental system in which corn is being produced is being 
>rapidly degraded. Corn should not be considered a renewable resource for 
>ethanol energy production, especially when human food is being converted 
>into ethanol".

While mostly correct - at the time - it's NOT human food being
converted to feed our cars.  He destroys a significant part of his
argument, at least in my mind.  (and I'm not a big fan of ethanol...)
>

--

Wes Struebing

I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.
                                                                               
     
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