Are Biofuels Still Economically Feasible? 186
thefickler writes "With falling gas prices, and the end of capitalism as we know it (otherwise known as the credit crisis), the
biofuels industry is not looking as viable as it once was. Indeed biofuel production has fallen well short of expectations, with biofuel companies closing down or reducing production capacity. It appears that the industry's only hope is government support."
Biofuels are worst than the problem. (Score:1, Informative)
So we destroy a food source just to fuel a very inefficient vehicle .... sure that is the best solution ... for idiots.
With biofuels you get: ... polluting the local water supply.
- 30% of the millage you get with the regular gas. This means you have to fill up the gas tank 3 times more than before. And bip-idiots call that efficient.
- Increase in the cost of FOOD. Since biofuels are more profitable (specially if subsidized), more farmers will switch from food to fuel farms.
- Higher pollution. Since the plants are no longer for food consumption, farmers can use what ever chemicals they want to "make more fuel"
That is just a few cons of biofuels .... I still can't figure out what is are the pros.
Re:They never were (Score:5, Informative)
Corn is not the only way to make ethanol. There are far better ways. Just look at how many different sources you can make drinking alcohol from. Ethanol is the same thing, just distilled to 200 proof.
you got whiskey (corn), rum (sugar, and you can grow sugar beets just fine in most of the US), wine (grapes or practically any fruit or berry. France actually is doing this with a lot of their surplus wine.), sake (rice), vodka (grains, potatoes), etc. All of those are potential fuel ethanol sources.
Re:They never were (Score:5, Informative)
Typical AC, you are absolutely wrong.
There are many companies existing right now that can turn landfill waste into bio-deisel. The process is completely self generating meaning they use energy from the process to run the system. Many designs are completely sealed systems meaning they do not vent anything into the environment.
Google: "biodiesel from landfill" and see for yourself. Another: http://www.cleanenergyprojects.com/ [cleanenergyprojects.com]
Re:STILL? (Score:3, Informative)
Why does everyone assume that corn (and why is it always corn...) used for ethanol comes directly out of the human food stream allotment?
Human consumption and ethanol production combined pale in comparison to the amount of corn used for animal feed. Also, more corn is grown each year. So the percentages may shift around giving a slightly larger slice to ethanol production but the human use slice, while slightly less percentage wise is out of a bigger pie. And frankly, the less corn shoved into animals the better. Most animals can't handle a high corn diet without needing a lot of antibiotics. Send corn off to the ethanol plant and find something better to send to the feed lots. One thing which is better than corn is the mash left over from making ethanol. It's basically predigested corn. Still not win-win but it'd be better than what we're doing now.
Look at the usage of corn and just try to keep a straight face next time when you blame ethanol for rising food prices.
Re:They never were (Score:4, Informative)
Good point. I also like diesels in general as they have better characteristics (inherently better efficiency, more torque, and the engines last practically forever due to the heavier construction) for most people. Sure, they can be problematic to start in the cold, but that's why Andrew Freeman invented the block heater.
I'm not a fan of methanol though, as it's fantastically toxic (blindness, death, etc.), and can be absorbed via the skin, whereas ethanol is much less so. Also, methanol burns almost invisible.
Re:Who writes these shit articles? (Score:3, Informative)
UPS is already investing in electrics. Lots of their transports are short-range (from the local depot to your door, though city traffic) with relatively small loads, which fits perfectly with small electrics.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4234572.html?page=2 [popularmechanics.com]
Re:Are the alternatives economically viable? (Score:5, Informative)
You might want to watch the story of Brazil's petroleum independence and almost total conversion to ethanol:
http://current.com/items/89112645/the_world_s_sugar_daddy.htm [current.com]
Re:Are the alternatives economically viable? (Score:1, Informative)
Wow you obviously haven't read any of the material released in the last year and a half. When corn is used as the feedstock the energy yield is marginal however several companies have increased the yield considerably. Coskata for instance can use any carbon based material as a feedstock and produces a much more efficient result, and Petroalgae has a process that can produce 14000 gallons of diesel/acre per year. So if we stop using food as fuel and use more energy intense renewables it is completely viable.