Date:         Tue, 27 May 2008 16:58:28 -0600
Reply-To:     Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Ethanol..Corn only?
In-Reply-To:  <000e01c8c037$28fa84a0$4001a8c0@gateway.2wire.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

"This talk about Ethanol mixed into pump gas. Can one only make Ethanol fromCorn, or does any fermenting plant produce it? Did I imagine readingsomewhere that our Gov. decreed corn to be *the* designated bio-source forethanol over other plants that might be more productive when turned into'go-juice'? Like sugar cane, sugar beets, etc? Seems like using only cornis a waste, since corn is also a pretty widely eaten food source for humans"
 
 
If 100% of the corn we now use for various purposes (most is used for animal feed products, along with soy) was used to make ethanol, it would still only make 20% of the fuel we need today. 
 
Soy is likely much more economical to use for ethanol. Carbohydrate that is now being researched by C5-6 Technologies, using enzymes to convert soy and cellulosic materials into biofuels. So, the "waste" part of our current uses of soy is what is being converted into fuel. The return is 3.7 energy units to 1 invested, vs .88 to 1 for petroleum, and 1.3 to 1 for corn. It seems that the biggest loser is the land. It is overused now and adding production of ethanol, whether via corn, sugar cane, beets or soy, the land becomes that much more overused. Fuel is not the answer. Change is ... changing to other modes of ambulation down the roadway ... the roadway produced from petroleum prodects! We've painted ourselves into a corner big time.
 
Van content .... I got the rear tire mount "jewelry" from Gary Lee today. Can hardly wait to apply it tomorrow. He is truly an artist. Even his packaging for shipment is flawless and effective ... to give no credit to FedEx :)
 
Bob Stevens
'87 Syncro Westy
 
 
 
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