Posted by Mike (WA) on December 03, 2010 at 13:05:14 from (69.10.196.7):
In Reply to: Re: Total waste posted by jdemaris on December 03, 2010 at 09:27:12:
I always wonder what figures are included in those calculations- ethanol detractors used to say there was a net loss in energy to produce it, but come to find out, they were including the solar energy that grew the corn- which is obviously incorrect, because solar is there for the taking, and has no cost when a plant is growing from it. I notice no one adds the solar energy when calculating the cost of growing a bushel for feed.
I think a better manner of accounting is simply a head-to-head comparison of which use of corn (or whatever feedstock) has the most value in the final product. This only works if you take out the subsidies, of course. But if the value of ethanol from a bushel of corn is worth more than the beef or milk you can produce from it, so be it. And of course, the "value" of the ethanol is directly related to the cost of gas and diesel.
I do agree that corn is probably not the best feedstock in the long run- sugar cane (and maybe beets, in the north?) are probably more efficient. Brazil seems to be doing OK with cane ethanol.
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