Should we use Corn to make fuel or any other food to make alternative gas when we need it to feed the people?

Question

does this make sense when food prices are going up?

Answer 1

No it does not and it is already affecting food prices in this country as in others. Corn ethanol is worse for the environment than just using gasoline because the net energy gain is so small.

The only good thing that has come from this large corn ethanol push by the bush administration is research into other sources of ethanol. Micro-algae based ethanol for instance is a great, energy efficient way of producing ethanol which yield 100 times more ethanol per acre than corn ethanol.

The first micro-algae bio fuel plant opened up last month and I hope that more will follow.

Unfortunately the last energy bill gave WAY too much subsidies to corn ethanol production, so I do not foresee a reduction in its production until those subsidies run out. These dumb subsidies are a result of uninformed politicians (democrats and republicans) all wanting to "look environmental".

Answer 2

It might make sense if there were a significant net gain in energy from doing so.  But there isn't, and it doesn't.  Just remember: no one ever claimed that Congress was smart.

Answer 3

From your question it is obvious to me that you do not have a clue about corn, agriculture or ethanol.

First the corn for the most part is not eaten by humans and NEVER has been.  It is not sweet corn that you find in the can.  It is not food quality corn that is used for corn meal or grits.  It is field corn that has always been used to feed livestock.  Ethanol refining is a remarkable process.  It uses just the starch from the corn to produce ethanol fuel.  The feed is left over and is fed to cattle, just like it has always been.  In addition some plants use the corn sweetener and it may be in that ice cream you ate yesterday.  There are a number of other products that are still there after the ethanol has been made.

One of the biggest cause of increasing food costs is rising energy costs.  Fuel in one form or another is used all along the way and is a bigger cost of most foods than the raw agricultural inputs used.  So the rising cost of oil has far more to do with rising food prices than ethanol.  In fact to the extent that ethanol has slightly reduced oil use it may have actually helped keep food cost increases to less than they might have been.

The fact is that most of the "facts" about ethanol that people think they know do not come from those in the know who are involved in agriculture or ethanol production.  People far removed both geographically and in their careers from where it happens have been led astray by those who have been hired by the oil industry who do not want the competition.

Also many do not realize the high energy costs involved in a gallon of gasoline.  It takes energy:

1.  To drill for oil

2.  To pump it out of the ground (many times using oil or natural gas from the well itself

3.  Pumping it through a pipeline ( huge compressor engines as big as a house that gobble up fuel)

4.  Oil tanker ships that gobble up oil to run their engines

5.  Energy to pump it into storage tanks at the refinery

6.  Energy to refine the gasoline ( large amounts to crack the oil into gasoline)

7.  Energy used to move the refined gasoline to storage dumps

8.  Energy used in the tanker trunks to take it to your local gas station.

9.  Even a little bit of energy used to pump it into your car.

Plus the economic and political cost of sending money to the OPEC countries many of which use that money against the USA and drain our economy.

One more plus for ethanol - it is a renewable resource - you can grow a new crop every year.

Answer 4

Absolutely not. Food takes precedent.

Answer 5

The corn they use for fuel is not food corn- It's feed corn for animals. It's not really a corn people can eat.

Answer 6

The US is again living in the stone age on Bio fuels.

Corn is one of the worst choices because it contains the least energy for what you get out of it.

Heck, even Russia is now using Pork fat and turning it into Bio fuel along with many other animal and organic remains which are more widely being used to power farm equipment.

The US went charging into it and paid the farmers to grow corn for Bio fuels, forgetting all along that they had few vehicles and even fewer places to produce and distribute it, so what have they done...the UK is buying it!

Only in America where stupid is king!

Answer 7

Out of all corn grown world wide, the current percentage we use for biofuels is only about 1%. But, you need to take into consideration that biofuels are only in their infancy, and already taking a percentage of the world’s food away from otherwise starving people. This percentage is only going to grow, and once convenient tech comes out for it, it will only grow exponentially. I personally feel we need to invest more in electric cars (not gas-electric), and other alternative sources of energy, such as methane, geothermal, and solar energy, but thats just me.

Answer 8

Environmentalists are already addressing your concern by clearing land not presently producing food crops, such as rain forests.

Answer 9

1. The corn used to produce ethanol is feed grain for livestock and not for human consumption.

2. If the producer / grower of the corn can get more money for the crop by selling it a fuel producer then they will and it's their right to do so.

3. Food prices are going up because the cost of transportation (fuel) is going up. Lower fuel costs and food prices will go down.

Answer 10

After they make ethanol, the left over bits are used as feed, so none of its wasted.  I think making ethanol from corn is great.  Two uses for one product, make fuel, then feed the left overs to animals.  Adding value to a product is what America does best.  Two thumbs up for those who then use the manure to make methanol.  The left over bits from this makes great compost for the corn.  Its all one big cycle.

Answer 11

No

there are riots because of famine all over the place

whilst more than half of the worlds food production is diverted to the production of ethanol

http://byderule.multiply.com/journal/ite...

the world is producing more than enough food

,but famines are allowed to happen( if not stimulated )as part of the depopulation strategy,whilst the food goes in to fuel

You are missing the point entirely,

the focus is not on helping people

that is a concept the public hopefully imagines

The focus is on Global control

with about half of the present number of people in it .

That was what was discussed at a Bilderberg meeting in 1998 in Copenhagen ,the Americans suggested a depopulation of the world of 60% ,so why would they now be concerned about feeding the starving ,that is ridiculous and defeats the object.

and you come with this - we need it to feed the people--

who are you speaking for ??????

tel me that

under whose authority ,????

or is this just your own personal   Idea??????

do you know it is considered treason to go against you countries policies ,people used tho be shot for that

Answer 12

There are so many other crops that can be grown and used for biofuel, switchgrass is a prime example.  Corn should not be used, I think its the agriculture lobbyists that pushed for the use of corn.  The fact that the corn is feed corn is of little differance.  This means that feed for livestock is more expensive and this drives up the price of meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs.  Using corn for biofuel when there are non-food alternatives available is just silly.