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Yes I remember corn based ethanol, among other alternatives for liquid fuel production, were hot topics during the Bush Administration. If I recall correctly an
by milsorgen 4y ago
Yes I remember corn based ethanol, among other alternatives for liquid fuel production, were hot topics during the Bush Administration. If I recall correctly an issue of NatGeo/SciAm/NewSci wrote that it wouldn't achieve it's goals or benefits and there better avenues such as algae to explore and I believe at least for Brazil, further sugar cane waste utilization. It always struck me as odd to see we've stayed the course on this approach when even in the beginning the numbers weren't adding up.
- hammock 4y agoThe DOE lists three benefits - energy security, jobs and offset carbon emissions. If the net carbon one turns out to be bogus, the other two benefits remain https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_benefits.html https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_benefits.html
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y agoJobs for the jobs god is just the broken window fallacy though. If employing people in ethanol production is hastening the ruination of our environment, lets just give them money not to do that instead.
- hammock 4y agoWe do that too. It doesn’t work: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/29/usda-farmers-conservation-program-507028 https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/29/usda-farmers-conser...
- ch4s3 4y agoMostly it pulls those people away from more economically productive activities. What might those farmers otherwise plant? What about the associated ag businesses? Surely they wouldn't evaporate. And the ethanol processing plants could probably make other distilled products for industrial use.