[DeepSpace9er]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080403/corn_at_6.html?.v=6

Using food products for alternative, less-efficient fuel= stupid political idea. There are so many corn byproducts, such as cornsyrup, which is in EVERYTHING sweet these days, that will go up in price due to this political nonsense.

[BloodEagle]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080403/corn_at_6.html?.v=6

Using food products for alternative, less-efficient fuel= stupid political idea. There are so many corn byproducts, such as cornsyrup, which is in EVERYTHING sweet these days, that will go up in price due to this political nonsense.

Corn is overproduced, silly.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

The big problem is that now ethanol is the big thing a lot of wheat growers switched over to corn.  Check the prices on wheat if you want to see something.  It's more than doubled which means everything is going up from beer to pizza to steak.  Anything that is made from or feeds on grains. 

[BloodEagle]

I've linked to this before, but everyone should give it a look-see.

[blowfish]

From what I've heard, ethanol from corn is a bad idea.  It takes a sh*tload of corn to create just a small amount of ethanol, and producing a gallon of ethanol produces almost as much carbon as burning a gallon of gasoline.  There are much better alternatives, including cellulose and algae, though those need to be researched more before they become practical.

[Zoltan]

The big problem is that now ethanol is the big thing a lot of wheat growers switched over to corn.  Check the prices on wheat if you want to see something.  It's more than doubled which means everything is going up from beer to pizza to steak.  Anything that is made from or feeds on grains. 

Yes, but many farmers are switching to wheat, because high prices mean big profits. The real thing that will make wheat and other crops rise in price is the increasing cost of petroleum.

@blowfish
Algae . I mean I've seen the research thats being done on that, and it's about the least practical thing I have ever seen.

[blowfish]

*Looks through old biology papers* What I heard is that algae shows promise, but is not practical right now.  You can get a lot of fuel from a little algae, and it doesn't require very much to grow, but not very many people know how to grow it effectively and it is expensive to grow and convert to fuel ATM.

[Mars]

The biggest problem is people's mindsets. If everyone who could take a bus did take a bus, instead of each driving their own individual SUV, then the planet would be in relatively good shape.

In the US in particular, people need to learn that economic 'freedom' should not include free license to destroy the planet.

[Zoltan]

*Looks through old biology papers* What I heard is that algae shows promise, but is not practical right now.  You can get a lot of fuel from a little algae, and it doesn't require very much to grow, but not very many people know how to grow it effectively and it is expensive to grow and convert to fuel ATM.

My university has one of the world experts on algae in terms of using it as a fuel source. Trust me it's a joke.

[Kosh]

Using food products for alternative, less-efficient fuel= stupid political idea.

Maybe so, but at least it was an attempt (even if it was in vain) at trying to solve a serious problem. After all, what is the US's great plan for getting off of oil? Pray for a miracle?

[Bobboau]

I think sugar beats would have worked better.

[Davros]

since you can make alchohol from corn why in the hell would anyone use it to make petrol

[DeepSpace9er]

After all, what is the US's great plan for getting off of oil? Pray for a miracle?

Do we really need to at this point? We have enough oil supplies of our own to last us well into mid century that politicians refuse to allow to be extracted and additional refineries built, yet in the next breath complain that we need to reduce our imports of foreign oil. What do they think this country runs on? Trying to force it by raising the prices is going to have a huge negative impact on every sector of the economy and bring us into recession. Its not the way to introduce new technology.

[Kosh]

Do we really need to at this point? We have enough oil supplies of our own to last us well into mid century that politicians refuse to allow to be extracted and additional refineries built,

You're basing that on what exactly?

Trying to force it by raising the prices is going to have a huge negative impact on every sector of the economy and bring us into recession. Its not the way to introduce new technology.

So the $100+ per barrel oil is just a vast conspiracy by the Sierra Club?

[Bobboau]

nice thing about high cost oil is that alternative energy sources now are more economically viable, for instance, thermal depolimerisation becomes profitable above the $80 mark.

[BloodEagle]

nice thing about high cost oil is that alternative energy sources now are more economically viable, for instance, thermal depolimerisation becomes profitable above the $80 mark.

Tell that to BP.

[DeepSpace9er]

Isnt the idea to have cheap energy so as to not stall economic progress? Not have alternatives that prevent access to cheap energy?

[Kosh]

Isnt the idea to have cheap energy so as to not stall economic progress? Not have alternatives that prevent access to cheap energy?

You haven't answered the question, where did you get your info about the US having enough oil reserves to last into mid century?


The reality is that cheap energy is quickly becoming a thing of the past. It's not an issue of whether or not the oil runs out, it is that oil production follows a bell curve. The problem is that the world is quickly reaching the peak of that production bell curve. The oil industry knows about it, the government knows about it, but most of the american public is absolutely clueless. Why should the oil industry build new refineries if there is going to be less and less oil to refine? Where is the profit in that?
In any case, America is facing a serious crisis over this because most people live in the suburbs and depend on their cars to drive 20, 30 or more miles to go to work. You have to drive at least 10 miles just to buy groceries in most places.