E-85 Ethanol why????

Question

It takes more oil to make. It gets less mpg. It costs more. It's sucking up America's corn crop. It actually burns dirtier. And it's bad for engines. Why is it being promoted? I'm willing to listen to opposing points of view. Are my opinions/conclusions wrong?

Answer 1

You are right on!  It does suck up a crop that could be feeding starving people.  And it's energy density is very low.  It destroys rubber fuel lines.  The production takes tons of deisel energy.  They burn natural gas to heat the fermenters.  Why use it?  I like wood better--It grows just as we need it. Make elecrticity with it, then use it to charge electric cars or make hydrogen to power hydrogen cars.  Even ethanol from cellulose has faults, because if we harvest switch grass it will kill the animals that naturally make a home in it--and there are many.  Now, making it from trees is not such a bad idea, as long as we use the waste, not the good lumber part.

Answer 2

Because it's renewable and not foreign oil.

Which means after Earth runs out of oil, we can continue being dumbasses without switching to a fully renewable, actually eco-friendly solution such as electric cars charged by a home solar station.

Answer 3

Couple of reasons; the green hemp people jumped for joy when they found out that you could run cars off corn, because you can always grow more corn. Crude Oil is a nonrenewable resource.

They don't care that its more expensive, lacks all the lubricants that normal diesel has, and uses resources that we really don't have.

Everyone's on this green tree hugger kick right now, so much that it makes me sick.

Answer 4

Well youre partly right.

but.  its not dirtier...in fact it is cleaner burning because of the added oxygen and  no sulfur.

its not "bad" for engines that are set up for it.

for those engines not rated for it, it is hard on the rubber hoses, not the engine itself.  its easy to switch the hoses however.

it has fewer BTU's per pound, so it take more fuel to perform the same work......lower gas milage.

Ive owned an E85 truck for 8 years.....tried it once or twice...not great performer, but the air is better with it.

So.  If you dont drive very far or do very much with your vehicle, E85 is a good option if you want to make a personal statement about the Air.  otherwise....its not too economica.

oh...and it still has the same issues as other cars when it comes to producing Nitrogen Oxides....no difference there.

wer

Yes, Cellulosic Ethanol is the next step, however, the enzymes needed are another production items  developed from the petroleum industry.  If you could develope them also from the ethanol stream....that would turn the tide.

wer

Answer 5

The thing about ethanol is its more useful in increasing the octane rating of fossil fuels. On its own it gives a lesser mileage   becoz of its low calorific value... Some fuels ve a high calorific value but low in octane rating.

Answer 6

drwer2

pointed out a few things, but if you want the positives I can think of at least three.

1. Reduces carbon dioxide, since ethanol is organic the corn sucks up carbon as it grows.

2. Reduces dependence on oil.

3. boosts local economy in corn growing areas

While those three are good corn ethanol as you have pointed out has many serious problems.

Hopefully if Cellulosic ethanol can be developed to a commercial level in the near future it will rectify most of the problems with corn based ethanol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosic_...

Answer 7

It's being promoted because the corn farmers and big agribusiness profit from it; it costs everyone else money (and air pollution in LA from increased evaporative emissions), but they can't out-vote the farm states and the presidential candidates have to prostitute themselves to Big Corn to win in Iowa.

Answer 8

there is NO good reason. anything that creates fumes, creates pollution.it is being promoted simply because someone wants to make $$$ off of a new way of polluting the planet. your conclusions are RIGHT ON THE $$$!

have-a-loving-day!

Answer 9

People have stopped drinking in this stupid cuntry . So we have an abundance of white lightnin to get rid of.

Answer 10

it actual burns cleaner and it is good for engines because it can dissolve some obstructions.

it is mostly being promoted by the farming lobbyists. as you said it increases the demand for corn so that's more money for farmers.

ethanol may have some potential if they can get it from other souses. eg alga, grasses. also genetically engineering bacteria to produce other alcohols such as propanol may solve more problems but currently ethanol from corn is just a waste of time and money.