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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: RationalThought110 on June 22, 2007, 09:47:11 PM

Title: Ethanol
Post by: RationalThought110 on June 22, 2007, 09:47:11 PM

What do you think of using corn and converting it to ethanol?  When corn is planted, the process of fermentation is supposed to release excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

I think it's supposed to be a cycle:  When corn is planted, carbon dioxide helps its growth, then after some of it is converted into ethanol and used for energy, it gets released back into the atmosphere.  So it would go back and forth. 

What do you think? 

Title: Re: Ethanol
Post by: Ehud on July 12, 2007, 08:11:04 PM

Sounds pretty darn good to me.

Title: Re: Ethanol
Post by: snowshoe on July 21, 2007, 09:19:52 PM

We have several ethanol plants under construction in this region of the USA.  Ethanol will help but is not the total answer.
If you made all the corn in the USA into ethanol it would only replace about 5% of present gas usage.  It also takes a lot
of energy to cook the mash, so net energy gain is low.

Hydrogen made by electrolysis with electricity from solar panels is most likely the best fuel for energy self sufficieny.