Just wondering. What you guys thought on the subject. E85 = 85% ethanol (190 proof alcohol) 15% gasoline. Also, gives an octane rating of 105.Though, being on 100% ethenal would get us away from all oil imports. Not sure if all the indy 500 vehicles are runnig E85 this year or just the one vehicle currently on it.

 

You're going to need cheap way to farm and distill the ethanol. Ethanol and biodiesel are both good ideas, but I do not think it is realistic to assume they will *replace* gasoline and heavy fuel oil made from petroleum.

 

Both ethanol and biodiesel have the potential to be viable replacements for petroleum-derived fuelstocks. They also offer a potential way to use our productive farmland that is currently sitting idle (ie paid gov't subsidy to lay fallow). Consider a couple of points:

This summer, I saw biodiesel being sold at select midwestern flying-J truck stops for prices nearly equal to petro-diesel. This despite the artifically low price of oil-based products in the US due to subsidies and questionable economic practices.

Ethanol, while currently expensive to produce in the US, also has huge potential. Brazil has nearly weaned itself from dependence on foreign oil by switching wherever possible to sugar derived ethanol. In a recent history channel special on sugar (an episode of "modern marvels") Brazil's sugar/EtOH economy was profiled. At the time, gasoline was selling for around 2.00/gallon, which ethanol sold for around 0.85/gallon. Thus, biomass does provide us with a potential fuelstock that offers both economic and environmental benefits.

p

 

Is there enough farm land to supply all of our fuel needs? not at current levels of consumption.

 

Well, any source of alternative energy/fuel will have to be phased in as infrastructure and (often times) technology are limiting factors. So, depending on how long a certain alternative fuel takes to full implementation, I'm sure there will be a host of technological innovations that will solve problems that are inherent today. Also, as the cost of extraction/refining oil become more expensive, there will come a day when an alternative energy will become cheaper (and possibly replace it). However, it might not happen in our lifetime...

-Mike-

 

As of right now I'm up for any new ideas that will improve our current condition.