Harris,
>> Once grain has been produced, the process of destroying it will
generate CO2 and H2O, regardless whether it is eaten directly,
indirectly
via livestock, or burned in an internal combustion engine (although
the
internal combustion engine will produce Nox). Basically,
alcohol-powered
cars are "solar powered."<<
The actual emission from tail pipes is water vapor.
Not according to my book! Under ideal conditions, alcohol (ethanol
or C2H5OH will be oxidixed to CO2 and H2O (conservation of mass). However,
if you use air to burn the ethanol, the high temperatures in the combustion
chambers will produce NOx, a mixture of nitrogen oxides. These oxides can
lead to the formation of smog.
>> And as long as there is no starvation in places
like Sudan, Ethiopia, or Mozambique, go for it.<<
The food problems of these places is of their own political problem.
When I
was young it was the poor starving Chinese.
I see your point.
>>Keep in mind, though, that growing grain also takes energy, in the
form of
producing the fertilizer,<<
You have perhaps heard of organic farming? The land will grow
something no
matter what.
"Yeah, but" how much? Plants need nutrients, besides CO2 and H2O.
They need phosphates, potassium, nitrogen and "essential elements" (copper,
selenium, etc.). If you ship the corn and wheat somewhere else, you have to
supply something to the land to keep the process going. Nitrogen is supplied
by thunderstorms, but the potassium and the essential elements will
eventually be depleted from the soil and then you have to wait for another
ice age to supply the fields with new minerals.
>> gasoline/diesel fuel to plow the field and harvest the corn,
etc.<<
The reason farmers were producing fuel alcohol in the first place
was for
self sufficiency and to use rotting crops.
Agreed. I won't want to hear any more bellyaching from the farmers.
Those lucky dogs; all they have to do is brew up a mess of alkyhol and drive
off in their SUVs.
>>The second law of thermodynamics is tough to beat! <<
Again the reason this died in '73-74 was due to politics (FDA, BATF,
etc.).
Curiously in Brazil even Ford offers a sedan which is alcohol
fueled. Volvo
of course ran a test vehicle (very successful) using vegetable oil
in a
diesel engine.
Now there's a thought! Use broccoli to make vegetable oil and G.W.
Bush will be happy!
Technically there is no problem, just politically.
Agreed.
The
federal governments can deal with large organizations but not
fragmented
ones.
>>As an aside, if we (US/Canada) are really self sufficient in oil
and gas,
why would an OPEC decision to cut back on fuels result in an
increase in
gasoline prices? Why not start up those pumps in Texas, Alaska,
and Alberta
and oil the economy? And, if there is more oil and gas than we can
use, why
is the price going up? If I owned an oil company, I'd sell as much
as I
could now because who knows if the stuff is worth anything in the
future.<<
We are sufficient. Again particularly the Clinton administration is
removing
our independents perhaps for more campaign contributions.
I can't judge that one.
Hey, we ought to be talking Morgans, but I just could not resist.
I've just finished teaching another semester on topics like this.
Chuck Vandergraaf
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