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Is Ethanol our ticket out of The Middle East?

muggle said:
Quoted price was by "producers" of ethanol.
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I just got back from the dentist...can you expand on this statement? I'm not understanding what you wish to express here. :eek:
 
So what have you gotten out of this thread, Motokid? I mean besides scorn and ridicule from our European members just because we tax our fuel less then their own governments.

Even if ethanol is an answer, do you believe for a minute that there is enough farmland to put a dent in our oil dependency? I don’t think so. Nor do I believe that if we had enough land (we don’t), that every special interest group from environmentalist to the cattle industry would fight it.

Ethanol can only be a small part of the solution. The US has huge untapped oil reserves in Alaska and off shore that will need to be developed sooner or later. Coal could be part of the solution because diesel fuel can be produced that is cleaner burning then what is currently being used, and at a smaller price. Shale is another possibility.
 
Why would the tree huggers and cattle industry fight it?

I've repeatedly stated I don't see it as "The Answer" to all the energy problems America faces in the future, but at some point we've got to start moving to cut back on foreign oil. Science is moving forward and getting better results from ethanol. It can be added to what we currently use without major modifications to the entire transportation industry.

Combined with biodeisel, and hybrid technology, ethanol could be a major help in decreasing the strangle hold OPEC has on our lives.

As China and India ramp up, foreign oil is going to have a higher demand and the Middle East will gain more strength and power.

I think what's caused so much debate about this is the Replican Pres. got behind it a bit. First the left complains about how the right is doing nothing for the environment and then they complain about this. I think all I've learned is that there's such deep hatred for Bush that no matter what he syas people will fight against it like a rabid pitbull.

I'm not a Bush supporter, but I'll give him credit for making a stand on this issue.
 
We are 'beating-a-dead-horse". Same things are being stated over and over. my opinion is that Ethanol "may" be part of the solution but is still not viable and economical yet. The technology still needs more development. When some studies (not affiliated with the Ethanol industry) show that it takes more energy to produce ethanol than what you get out of it then I want to see more non-affiliated studies.

Hydrogen is still where most of our research should be directed as the potential is by far the greatest and could make us energy independent completely.

End of my discussion.
 
Robert said:
The US has huge untapped oil reserves in Alaska and off shore that will need to be developed sooner or later. Coal could be part of the solution because diesel fuel can be produced that is cleaner burning then what is currently being used, and at a smaller price. Shale is another possibility.
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The fact remains(and I realize that I'm repeating myself here), that at some point we will have sucked, chipped, chopped and dug every last drop of petroleum product from the surface pf the earth. Do we really want to wait until the very last moment before we being to explore and utilize alternate forms of energy?

Future generations will be undoubtedly be shocked, shamed, baffled and scandalized and by our nearsighted behavior.
 
There is some talk around whether or not oil is a finite volume of liquid.

I've heard that in some cases wells that were once thought to be pumped dry have suddenly produced more oil.

There's also the question of where exactly oil comes from. Once thought to be the byproduct of dinosaur matter and such some think there's a huge potential for oil to be under the artic. Where would that have come from?

Supposedly there's oil under Yellowstone, and off the coast of California and Florida.

I wonder then if there's a conspiracy to promote ethanol and what's the potential payoff for doing that? Why would there be so much press about it and why would the Pres. make mention of it if the studies don't back up what everybody is saying? Why would Brazil be having so much success with ethanol if it's not a wonderful alternative?
 
StillILearn said:
The fact remains(and I realize that I'm repeating myself here), that at some point we will have sucked, chipped, chopped and dug every last drop of petroleum product from the surface pf the earth. Do we really want to wait until the very last moment before we being to explore and utilize alternate forms of energy?

Future generations will be undoubtedly be shocked, shamed, baffled and scandalized and by our nearsighted behavior.
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Stilllearn, I believe you’re correct in saying that we shouldn’t wait, but I also see no reason to jump into anything. There is plenty of research going on for alternative fuels for purposes of providing new sources of energy that is both clean and renewable. I believe some of the alternatives can be ready as soon as the support infrastructure can be put into place. Perhaps it’s just a matter of investment capital.

It appears to me that we're all basically in agreement about this. We in the US vote with our wallet and for good or for bad, we’re currently voting for high fuel prices and few alternate fuels.
 
muggle said:
LMAO, that is if the IRL is in existence in 2007. No one goes to see their races.
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That's true. What the heck happened to that sport? I used to watch before the split happened. I get tired of watching oval racing so the IRL lost me.

Did trying to be the F1/Nascar equivolent destroy open wheel racing in America?

Andretti, Unser, Mears, Fitapaldi, Nigel Mansell (spelling????).....I loved that stuff. Too bad it's all but died.
 
You wanna discuss racing come on over to my topic on sports on TBFand we will discuss. Paul Gentilozzi, now one of the owners of CHAMP (used to be CART) helped our team a lot when we were racing in Trans Am. However.......:(
 
Hot Off The Presses

http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/28/news/economy/offshore_drilling/index.htm <-- clicky

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With oil prices near record highs, the House is set to vote Thursday on whether to allow domestic oil drilling off the East and West coasts - a proposal that has bitterly divided the oil industry and most environmentalists.

"The outer continental shelf contains enormous amounts of energy that can keep jobs in America and lower energy prices," said Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources.

"This is a proactive approach to give states protection and increase energy at the same time."

The bill, which has bipartisan support and is sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), would lift a long standing ban on drilling in most federal waters outside the Gulf of Mexico, which extend from three to 200 miles offshore.
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I say have at it. Can't be any more dangerous than shipping all the oil into the country. Lets go get what's right under our own feet.
 
Ethanol plants are springing up left and right where I live. A lot of farmers are excited about it as they don't have the best prices for sales. This looks to be quite promising.
 
SFG75 said:
Ethanol plants are springing up left and right where I live. A lot of farmers are excited about it as they don't have the best prices for sales. This looks to be quite promising.
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My guess is you still have me on your "ignore" list,....which is why this post seems kinda out of place following what came directly before it....:rolleyes:
 
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