Quote:
Originally Posted by blaSSt
Good article. It does overlook one key point-the feedstock for making the EtOH. From the article:
If you look at my previous post we have used all the garbage, all the tires, 10% of the forests, and all the 'unused land' to produce 2.9 billion gallons per year. That is one seventh of the production assumed in that statement.
Its the same syndrome we've had for oil for years, we'll just make more. So where is the feedstock going to come from?
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Blasst,
I'm admittedly troubled by your statements. I don't have a real argument against it if it's valid. but my own research has found nothing to substantiate it. So taking you at your word, My only response is this:
None of the articles on either side of the ethanol debate give any reference to the fact that there isn't enough resources to create Ethanol on the level needed to offset crude oil costs. I will keep searching today. I haven't focused my searches on "how much ethanol can be produced". It does make sense that trading food for ethanol will affect food costs. However there is no credible link to ethanol and rising food costs. There is a much more likely link to rising oil prices and high food costs. The argument can be made if we get enough ethanol to market we can reduce the food cost to the end consumer. I understand your reply would say that we can't produce enough ethanol to get there. I just have a hard time believing that every modern country would jump into such an endeavor without considering the production capabilities prior to committing to supplying a product like Ethanol.
No disrespect to you, but, you can't be the only one with this information and the rest of the ethanol world is oblivious to it. Every article I've found that debunks ethanol speaks directly to environmental impacts and it's speculated impact on food prices. Also, if you consider Ethanol made from by-products there is very little impact to the environment. As stated in the Fiji sugar article posted by Captain Awesome earlier.
It appears, that we see ethanol from different perspectives. I see it as a credible option, based on everything I've written in this thread, to crude oil, and will have a the rippling impact on global costs as it will introduce competition to crude oil.
You seem to feel that there aren't enough resources, natural or other, to make ethanol accomplish what I say it can. If you are right, then an entire industry along with very high ranking government officials across the globe are gonna look real dumb. I have a hard time believing NONE of them got it right.