Comments on: From the Evils of Ethanol Department http://earth2tech.com/2007/09/10/from-the-evils-of-ethanol-department/ Helping the Earth with Technology Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:36:56 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Greg Souza http://earth2tech.com/2007/09/10/from-the-evils-of-ethanol-department/#comment-1266 Greg Souza Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:00:16 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/2007/09/10/from-the-evils-of-ethanol-department/#comment-1266 <p>Listen, you need one fuel that most of the cars out there can use and it will be ethanol. Biomethane will never be fuel for that is used throughout whole country.</p> <p>If you knew more than Vinod Khosla you sure would be in his position now.</p> Listen, you need one fuel that most of the cars out there can use and it will be ethanol. Biomethane will never be fuel for that is used throughout whole country.

If you knew more than Vinod Khosla you sure would
be in his position now.

]]> By: Jim Beyer http://earth2tech.com/2007/09/10/from-the-evils-of-ethanol-department/#comment-1265 Jim Beyer Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:42:38 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/2007/09/10/from-the-evils-of-ethanol-department/#comment-1265 <p>A gallon of ethanol (75,000 BTUs) requires 25,000 BTUs of natural gas for its production (even if from cellulose), and another 3,500-7,000 BTUs of natural gas used in making fertilizer for the corn. Hint: Drive an NGV.</p> <p>The same quantity of biomass can be used to make twice as much biomethane (energetically) compared with ethanol (when and if they get cellulosic ethanol to work economically). And no drying step is involved. Hint: Drive an NGV (methane is the primary component of natural gas).</p> <p>Juliette is right. Liquid Biofuels are a subtle hoax perpetrated by the convenient interests of corn growers, ADM, automakers (because flex-fuel cars are inexpensive to build) and dumbass Silicon Valley types that don't know what the hell they are doing. On the other hand, E-10 makes good sense, and ethanol is a sensible ADDITIVE to replace MTBE. But it is not a sensible FUEL, and never will be.</p> <p>Open note to Vinod Khosla: What are you going to tell your investors when biomethane is available to consumers at less than half the price of ethanol? (Other than 'oops!')</p> A gallon of ethanol (75,000 BTUs) requires 25,000 BTUs of natural gas for its production (even if from cellulose), and another 3,500-7,000 BTUs of natural gas used in making fertilizer for the corn. Hint: Drive an NGV.

The same quantity of biomass can be used to make twice as much biomethane (energetically) compared with ethanol (when and if they get cellulosic ethanol to work economically). And no drying step is involved. Hint: Drive an NGV (methane is the primary component of natural gas).

Juliette is right. Liquid Biofuels are a subtle hoax perpetrated by the convenient interests of corn growers, ADM, automakers (because flex-fuel cars are inexpensive to build) and dumbass Silicon Valley types that don’t know what the hell they are doing. On the other hand, E-10 makes good sense, and ethanol is a sensible ADDITIVE to replace MTBE. But it is not a sensible FUEL, and never will be.

Open note to Vinod Khosla: What are you going to tell your investors when biomethane is available to consumers at less than half the price of ethanol? (Other than ‘oops!’)

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