Comments on: Ethanol could harm water quality, says NRC

By: deborahbyrd

deborahbyrd — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:25:31 +0000

Brian, I could not agree more.

Deborah

By: Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:18:48 +0000

The key to solving this problem will require a large reduction in the amount of energy being consumed. That means the consumer has to live with less energy, which will require a shift in thinking. By looking into the past we know that humanity survived and thrived without the wholesale use of fossil fuels. A collapse of the current system is a mathematical certainty. We can change the way we think, this would require each one of us to look at the problem with complete honesty. To maintain a society based on petroleum energy or any deriviative is a path to suffering, both for man and nature. Using ethenol is not the solution, restructuring our society will take time, let us not waste our selves on dillusion.

By: George Curtis

George Curtis — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:21:45 +0000

Ethanol from corn has never looked like a good idea for motor fuel per even simple analysis. For vodka and industrial alcohol (the normal usages) it is fine, and not a major usage for corn. Corn is food.

George Curtis

By: deborahbyrd

deborahbyrd — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 18:37:49 +0000

I agree, Hope. Ethanol seemed like a good idea at first. But it is looking less and less appealing.

By: hope

hope — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 18:22:11 +0000

It is difficult to see policy makers continue to make decisions about alternative energies, with disregard to what scientists are reporting and a growing disconnect, it seems, from the whole concept of sustainable alternative energy resources. Research and studies as Deborah presented above, report that ethanol from corn products is not a sustainable alternative energy. Aside from environmental and economic implications, what about the fact that in producing ethanol from corn we are using fossil fuels to farm the corn products to make them into non fossil-based fuels, what have we changed?

“According to scientists in New York and California, it takes more energy to make ethanol than you get back in fuel savings. More precisely, says David Pimentel of Cornell University, it takes the equivalent of 1.29 gallons of gasoline to produce enough ethanol to replace one gallon of gasoline at the pump. Instead of making the nation more energy self-sufficient, ethanol production actually increases our need for oil and gas imports, Pimentel says.”

Excerpt taken from a 2005 San Diego Union-Tribune article displayed on California Senator, Diane Feinstein’s senante website. (http://feinstein.senate.gov/05speeches/ethanol-oped.htm)

Isn’t the whole point of studying alternative energy sources on a national level to find sustainable solutions?

By: deborahbyrd

deborahbyrd — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:29:02 +0000

Veggie,

I don’t know if we’ll get people to stop eating meat, but it’s true that agriculture accounts for something like 70% of fresh water use around the world.

Deborah

By: veggie

veggie — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:25:37 +0000

yeah, ‘growing ethanol’ will use too much water. want to save water? stop eating meat. what does it take, the amount of water to displace a battleship, to bring 1 pound of beef to market?