Bio-Fuels

2007-12-28 04:57:00

The following is an excerpt from JJ Dewey's forthcoming book entitled, "Fixing America."

Bio-Fuels

The most talked about bio-fuel is ethanol. Many from both sides of the environmental spectrum.

The advantages of ethanol are that it burns cleaner than regular gas and reduces our dependence on oil. Some claim that it reduces pollutants and carbon within the engine extending its life. There seems to be no disadvantage.

But....

I talked to a mechanic a while back who told me what he thought was a major problem of which most are not aware. He said that because it burns hotter than regular gasoline that it causes the O-rings to harden causing engine problems. He told me that if I wanted to get maximum mileage out of my engine to not use it often. He said using it one tank out of ten may be useful to keep your engine clean, but not to use it regularly.

Another major drawback is that it requires a tremendous amount of energy to create this energy source. The main source for ethanol in the United States is corn and when the energy to run the farm equipment, create fertilizer and run the refineries to create the ethanol is considered then the energy savings becomes negligible. Some contend that it takes more energy to create ethanol than it releases and others a little less but all have to concede it is like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. We borrow energy to create energy.

Another problem is that bio-fuels made from food products causes the cost of such products to rise dramatically. This not only creates hardship for people in the United States where corn, milk beef have risen because feed prices have risen but this also means that food exports to the third world will decrease and prices will rise. Corn prices in Mexico have gone through the roof thanks to ethanol production consuming so much of it. Unfortunately, things will only get worse because do-gooders in Congress are mandating ethanol production be increased.

The elephant in the room that tells us that ethanol from corn will not be a big part of any long term solution is this: If we converted all the corn produced in the United States to ethanol, leaving none for animals or humans to consume, this would only give us enough fuel to replace 12 percent of our gasoline.

Truly, any mandate that forces us to convert a higher percentage of our land to corn or corn to ethanol is not in our best interests.

Another major problem is that more ethanol production requires more land and the land be used more often. This country and the world is very limited in the amount of farm ground available. We will be lucky to have enough to feed the world let alone have excess to turn into fuel.

Right now ethanol production provides about enough energy to power the United States for one day. We are paying a high price for such a small benefit.

Some are under the illusion that producing one gallon of ethanol is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline. The truth is that it takes 1.53 gallons of ethanol to equal the energy in one gallon of gasoline.

For more information, read about the basic story on ethanol mileage and cost.

Then if we already do not have enough to be concerned with, a recent news story tells us that a big problem is being created by nitrogen fertilizer run offs in the Corn Belt states. This waste is making its way to the Mississippi River and then to the gulf where it contributes to a growing 7900 square mile dead zone where there is such oxygen depletion that fish, crabs and shrimp suffocate.

Read more about how the Ethanol craze is worsening the Gulf 'dead zone.'

When all things are taken into consideration it seems to make much more ecological sense to drill for oil in ANWAR, (or anywhere for that matter) where only a couple square miles will be affected.

So what effect do bio-fuels have as far as releasing greenhouse gasses? Advocates say none and here is their logic. Bio-fuel only releases the CO₂ that was taken in from the atmosphere from the plant in the first place; therefore there are zero overall increases produced in CO₂.

Not so fast. A lot of energy is needed to grow the crops and this includes gasoline, oil, coal, natural gas and other energy sources. Even if clean burning natural gas is used this means that more coal has to be burned somewhere else. Because it takes as much or more energy to create bio-fuels as they save then there is not much help here in reducing greenhouse gasses.

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
-- Western Union internal memo, 1876