corn for ethanol good or bad idea?

[frank_f15]

just wondering how the most of you folks feel about using corn to produce ethanol?
My personal opinon is it is not a good thing.

 

[Bird]

Frank, I don't know enough about cost benefits; i.e., how does the cost to produce the corn and turn it into ethanol compare to the value of the ethanol. Being one who keeps very detailed records, I know that my gas mileage has come down a bit on the modern gasoline with ethanol. Just a couple of hours ago, I was reading a news story about how the price of corn went up 80% supposedly in the last year, and now the price of corn and soy beans have taken another big jump because of the flooding in the midwest.

I'd have to admit to not knowing enough to have a really valid opinion, but as for what I think, I think you're right.

 

[czechsonofagun]

IMHO it is a great idea. Me and my buddies do it all the time

 

[Egon]

Yeah, it depends on the end use but the byproduct is always usable as feed!

 

[frank_f15]

hey bird , that is exactly what i was looking for, personal opinions !

 

[bigtiller]

I think it is a good thing but I live in corn country and enjoy the immediate rewards to the economy.

Plus, I have not had a gas line freeze since I started using it 20 some years ago.

 

[ancientlake]

Burning food to create a corrosive fuel that no one wants to use, while in the process using more fuel than you are creating and driving the price of corn and substitutes to stratospheric levels while doing nothing to reduce demand for oil and natural gas. And all of this achieved through a government subsidy that we pay for with our tax dollars. Brilliant!

Having said this, I do believe there is promise in other types of biofuels. Brazil seems to have got it right with sugarcane...

Chris

 

[bigshovel]

Taxpayer subsidised welfare for farmers and lobbyists ,period.

 

[ray66v]

Now that the flooding has damaged a large part of the corn crop, it should soon be abundantly clear that burning food, was a monumentally bad idea.

 

[VA_Joe]

Bad idea. Corn is a significant part of our food chain. The use of corn for ethanol affects the prices for just about everything we eat except seafood. Plus - making ethanol (growing the corn, fermenting, etc.) consumes about as much energy as it creates (i.e. zero gain). With a 51 cent a gallon subsidy and government regulations requiring its use with gasoline - it's just another example of congress artificially picking winners/losers vice common sense.

My two cents.

Joe