Philip Winestone wrote:
If all gasoline suppliers were to supplement their fuel with 10%
ethanol, that's simply 10% less gasoline used.
It is not that simple. The amount reduced would depend upon how much
oil is needed to produce the ethanol. That subject is sharply
disputed, but as far as I know even the industry flacks agree that a
great deal of oil is needed. The industry claims the overhead is 60%.
Assuming that most of that is oil, and not coal, the use of 10%
ethanol would reduce oil consumption by 5%.
I do not think there is a slightest chance we can ever supply 10% of
gasoline with ethanol. We would starve to death.
Of course you might run the ethanol production industry on ethanol
itself, reducing oil inputs to zero. But in that case the cost of a
gallon of ethanol would be $10 or so and the energy overhead would be
outrageous. As things now stand, no tractor or ethanol factory boiler
is fired by ethanol, or as all oil wells, refineries and tankers are
powered by oil.
- Jed
- Re: Farrell responds to Pimentel regarding ethanol Jed Rothwell
-
