Leading Critics

Ok, found a couple of guys who apparently are leading the critique against Ethanol.

Q&A on Ethanol Issues

Interesting points... I think his major issue is using only Corn to produce Ethanol, which I believe is not required.

This paper attempts to rebut the position that it takes less energy to make ethanol than one gets out of it. I hope that's not true, but I'm certainly not in a position to judge myself.

This is another pretty good summary article: UC scientist says ethanol uses more energy than it makes A lot of fossil fuels go into producing the gas substitute

Maybe I'm misunderstanding... does E85 Ethanol = the Ethanol that is described above?

D
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E85 is a mix of ethanol and traditional gasoline.

Pretty much anyone who knows anything about biomass conversion knows that corn is not the best crop to convert to ethanol. For terrestrial crops, the ideal candidates are oilseeds. For aquaculture, various types of algae are. The primary reason we grow so much corn is that it makes a great source of high-calorie feed for cattle. The vast majority of corn grown goes to support dairy & feedlot operations. I don't think the USDA thinks we'll be growing corn in 50 years to grow ethanol, but rather that it's an intermediate step. It takes a long time to convert a farmer who's dad and grandad have been rotating beans and corn forever to move over to growing sunflower seeds. The knowledge and equipment required to make the switch are staggering.
— Rob S
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