Date:         Wed, 25 Feb 2004 19:26:30 -0500
Reply-To:     David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Subject:      Re: unclas gas prices..  and what they'll be this summer
Comments: To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@sbcglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <LNEGIFOFAGFAMGHJMFKBOEHLCBAA.wilden1-1@sbcglobal.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Stan Wilder wrote:
> Because you use more energy farming the corn and distilling the ethanol
> then you get by burning the ethanol you end up with.  It's a net loss!
> --
> David Brodbeck, N8SRE
> '82 VW Diesel Westfalia
> '86 Volvo 240DL wagon
> ---------------------- Clip --------------------------
> That sounds just fine to me.
> Do you think the labor in farming, production and distribution will replace
> the Jobs that are being shipped out of the US as we converse?
> I'd rather NOT be buying foreign oil if we could get close to the price with
> ethanol and engine oils from castor beans.

By "energy" I actually meant fuel usage...you don't get enough ethanol
to run the tractor to cultivate the corn, the trucks to haul it, and the
distillery to distil it.  Our agriculture style is highly
petroleum-dependent.  The only way to make that up in labor would be to
switch to a less mechanized form of farming.

--

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 VW Diesel Westfalia
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon