Why are we still using ethanol?

[Jstpssng]

Yes and no about that. It takes diesel to grow corn, harvest it, and get it to the plant. Run out of oil and how do you grow corn? Running an engine on pure renewable ethanol, (corn), would cost more than the product you are making would cost. I guess you could plant corn and harvest it using electric vehicles run on batteries that you would plug into a vast solar array. But then, you would not need to grow corn for gasoline anymore. Just grow it for food. It's a merry go round. We have more oil than we know what to do with and are shipping it overseas right now. Maybe we need to think of ways to make our engines more efficient and less polluting than growing corn to subsidize a section of people.
Texas flood: U.S. oil exports pour into markets worldwide | Reuters

In addition to your comment-
Unless you are organic, most of your fertilizers are petroleum based. In the 120 years or so that we have become dependent on petroleum, the world population has climbed from <1 billion to somewhere north of 7.8 billion. Trying to go back to the way things were in 1900 will have disastrous consequences.

 

[Redbug]

In addition to your comment-
Unless you are organic, most of your fertilizers are petroleum based. In the 120 years or so that we have become dependent on petroleum, the world population has climbed from <1 billion to somewhere north of 7.8 billion. Trying to go back to the way things were in 1900 will have disastrous consequences.

You are right...I forgot about that.

 

[Grateful11]

Or, maybe not. There is lots of evidence, that the earth is making more oil.

The earth is also making more people. And, they will need to be fed.

The supply of corn is more finite than oil. Ethanol is not the answer.

I've been saying that for years. I say crude is a product of the molten core of the earth being pushed up by the heat. If it's decaying matter, trees and dinosaurs and such why is there so much in the desert areas and the arctic circle and why is it so deep under the surface? We've supposedly already hit peak oil.

Take a look at these numbers:
"In 1974, Hubbert predicted that peak oil would occur in 1995 "if current trends continue". Those predictions proved incorrect. However, a number of industry leaders and analysts believe that world oil production will peak between 2015 and 2030, with a significant chance that the peak will occur before 2020."

 

[JerryK]

It's all those decaying pallets decomposing out in the fields, slowly seeping deep down in the earth and replenishing the vast oil deposits .....

 

[tomplum]

It's all those decaying pallets decomposing out in the fields, slowly seeping deep down in the earth and replenishing the vast oil deposits .....

Someone just HAD to say it! I went to stacking them on their ends. i read on the internet that it is better for the environment.

 

[cqaigy2]

GREED!!

Now that ethanol is an ingrained program - eliminating it would be akin to eliminating Social Security. Political suicide.

I saw what you did there. ingrainded....

 

[MossRoad]

... If it's decaying matter, trees and dinosaurs and such why is there so much in the desert areas and the arctic circle and why is it so deep under the surface? ...

Don't believe in plate techtonics?

Why is oil usually found in deserts and arctic areas? - Scientific American

 

[ray66v]

Oil, and natural gas, may not in fact be fossil fuels.

Hydrocarbons are being found elsewhere in our solar system.

It may turn out to be true, that oil is being formed from primordial carbon, or some other process we don't completely understand.

 

[oosik]

Yea, cqaigy2. They call that something - never remember what it's called.

 

[ovrszd]

Don't believe in plate techtonics?

Why is oil usually found in deserts and arctic areas? - Scientific American

I just let that one slide on by (pun intended).