Paul Killinger

Study Shows Ethanol Energy Efficiency Is Growing

So if corn ethanol is so viable, what about sugar? Sugar ethanol contains 6X (!) the energy of corn at a comparable cost. The U.S. has ample acreage to produce sufficent sugar to replace e-85 entirely.

If your goal is to promote renewable vegetable based fuels to replace our dependence on foreign oil, then, you should be touting sugar, NOT corn for this purpose. But you WON'T, which means you're all about the corn industry, NOT energy independence.

Ethanol: Our Answer to Reducing U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil

It's going to be interesting to see how the new Congress defines "Pay-Go" if NObama wins the election.

Let's see, two trillion for SS and Medicare, another for free health care (Esp. for illegals - Oh, sorry, excuse me, undocumenteds), a half trillion each for Green energy and tax giveaways (Excuse me, stimulus) to people who didn't pay taxes in the first place, and another trillion or so before the next election just in case we missed buying anybody.

That about sums it up. Maybe we can pay for it by just skipping the funding for our national defense entirely. The Russians and Chinese would certainly favor that, not to mention the terrorists (Sorry, enemy non-combatants).

Ethanol: Our Answer to Reducing U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil

"Live Green, Go Yellow." I never heard that one before. But it sums up the current status of America QUITE NICELY!

It would take GM to come up with that. After all, they've got to do something to deserve the $50 billion handout the D's and their Green minions (or is that Greens and D minions?) have voted them.

Ethanol: Our Answer to Reducing U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil

You know, we taxpayers bailed out the broke corn farmers, which is where this inane product came from. Now they've got a world full of hungry mouths to feed, and can remain prosperous.

But, no, not satisfied with that, this is how they repay us. Pigs at the government trough (81 cents a gallon's worth, not to mention milk at $4 a gallon), and nothing else!

Ethanol: Our Answer to Reducing U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil

Certainly, ethanol has a place in U.S. energy production. It's making it from CORN that's stupid.

No amount of vote buying, lobbying, propaganda and poor science can change that. None of this alters the physical fact that it takes MORE energy to make the product than is DERIVED from it.

This is simply a case of Medieval conjuring at work. Indeed, the Sun will orbit the Earth, we'll make gold from lead, and the ICE will run on water before corn ethanol makes economic sense!

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

Sensible post, Tom.

Sugar ethanol could work here, we could easily plant more and they practically have to give it away throughout the Caribbean. But the big problem is we'd have to convert every gas station in the U.S. to be able to use it.

So electrics are the answer. We'll have to upgrade our electric grid to use them, though. And we need more oil to get from here to there. Also, thus far, we have no policies (...translated into English that means ending existing environmental moratoria) to allow any of this to happen.

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

King Corners,

Since corn ethanol is so competitive with other alternative fuels, then you wouldn't mind if the Congress eliminated its various corn subsidies and ended sugar ethanol tariffs, would you? Good, then you can get the corn lobby to tell Congress about their new position today. Give me a break!

You know, I was in the front row supporting you guys when farmers were going broke some years ago for ag subsidies, so you all could survive and we'd have affordable food products. But, now, like every other government handout, you've just become pigs at the trough.

You can gloss it over any way you like, but corn ethanol makes as much economic sense as steam locomotives. So long as you're getting yours, you don't care if gas and milk are both $5 a gallon!

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

Bud,

It takes 1.3 barrels of oil (...or the energy equivalent) to make a barrel of corn ethanol. Sounds like the rest of the Congressional energy policy to me!

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

GT,

Well said!

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

Mixter,

The country agrees with you. That is, everybody but the corn farmers and the Congress.

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

A bottle of rum vs. a bottle of Jack Daniels, the answer was right in front of him. Maybe he didn't imbibe in either one...?

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

Jack,

Henry didn't know that sugar contains 6X the energy of corn.

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

Tariffs on Brazilian sugar-based ethanol make as much sense as instituting tariffs on foreign oil. Brazil runs its entire auto fleet on sugar, and we could grow our own!

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

Oh, I forgot, suing OPEC... Right!

Ethanol Is Dead: How You Can Still Profit From It

In this current energy climate, it is foolhardy to be betting against the future of corn ethanol. Congress instituted this mandate, and has so far shown no signs of doing ANYTHING responsible to attempt to slow price increases or secure our nation's future energy supplies. What are they doing that leads you to believe they're going to start now...?