"The reality is that [US] consumers are willing to pay high prices."

[rback33]

I must say when I first saw this thread I thought, "great just what we need ANOTHER thread like this that Mike will have to close." There has been a lot of food for thought thrown out which we all have to discern on our own. Sully, I agree it is hard to discuss ethanol plants with out politics, but it's a fine line we all have to walk.... besides there is a new one going up 5 miles from where I sit.. it's going to help save the earth...

 

[Sully2]

I must say when I first saw this thread I thought, "great just what we need ANOTHER thread like this that Mike will have to close." There has been a lot of food for thought thrown out which we all have to discern on our own. Sully, I agree it is hard to discuss ethanol plants with out politics, but it's a fine line we all have to walk.... besides there is a new one going up 5 miles from where I sit.. it's going to help save the earth...

As far as Im concerned..they are all crooks. And its not going to get better until Im appointed "Emperor for Life".....

 

[Casey1]

Ethanol doesn't have to be made from corn does it? Doesn't Brazil use sugar cane, the part that is left over from refining sugar, to produce Ethanol?

 

[joerocker]

Ethanol doesn't have to be made from corn does it? Doesn't Brazil use sugar cane, the part that is left over from refining sugar, to produce Ethanol?

Yes...and if we did that here...we'd have to be eating a LOT of sugar.

The problem is the HUGE amount of fuel we use. You can't GROW something that is going to supply a million barrels of fuel a day...

 

[SkyPup]

Ethanol doesn't have to be made from corn does it? Doesn't Brazil use sugar cane, the part that is left over from refining sugar, to produce Ethanol?

No, it can be made from using genitically recominant E.coli utilizing yeast glycolytic genes inserted into its genome and using cellulose biomass as well as other landfill and municipal wastes.

Recvcling tree stumps, forest debris, grain harvest waste, animal waste and carcasses, etc. could produce way more ethanol than Brazil makes with sugarcane without destroying the environment in the process like Brazil has done.....

 

[deereman64]

Would I have to be upwind of that process?

 

[SkyPup]

Would I have to be upwind of that process?

LOL - YOU BET!!!

 

[rback33]

Would I have to be upwind of that process?

I would deviate from Sky's response in that you would not HAVE to be.... You would most likely WANT to be however.

As others have said, ethanol does not have to come from corn. I get the impression that the plant that is going up down the road intends to use a lot of Grain Sorghum, er milo in my neck of the woods.

 

[joerocker]

Recvcling tree stumps, forest debris, grain harvest waste, animal waste and carcasses, etc. could produce way more ethanol than Brazil makes with sugarcane without destroying the environment in the process like Brazil has done.....

That stuff NEEDS to back into the ground! You'll end up with nothing but sand if you take away EVERYTHING that is grown to make ethanol.

 

[cp1969]

That stuff NEEDS to back into the ground! You'll end up with nothing but sand if you take away EVERYTHING that is grown to make ethanol.

Very good point.