G2G: Recent Comments

Comment on Deathanol

Aureon Kwolek — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:18:54 GMT

Also being developed is Algae production from the waste products of corn ethanol and sweet sorghum ethanol refineries (Green Plains and GreenShift). Algae will be grown on CO2, waste heat, and nutrient rich waste water effluent. More efficient, highly sustainable and profitable first generation ethanol. The Real Next Generation Ethanol is a solution of 65% ethanol and 35% water, reformed inexpensively, onboard the vehicle, into hydrogen on demand. Ethanol-water reformers adapt to internal combustion engines, as demonstrated by Chinese automaker DongFeng. Onboard ethanol-water to hydrogen reforming is a perfect match for fuel cells, which are 3 times more efficient than ICEs. When 35% water is left in solution at the ethanol refinery, the distillation cost is cut in half. You get cheaper ethanol. The reformer not only strips all the hydrogen from the ethanol, it also strips half the hydrogen from the water. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will be charged onboard by small hydrogen on demand fuel cells powered by ethanol-water. Hydrogen power with no hydrogen infrastructure needed.

Comment on Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX)

Charlie Peters — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:20:25 GMT

”Unlike MTBE, little is known about the impacts of ethanol releases into groundwater or the environment. However, because ethanol is the primary ingredient of beverage alcohol, which is classified by the California Proposition 65 Committee and other cancer experts as a human carcinogen, many are concerned about the possibility that ethanol may pose a cancer risk. Additionally, independent researchers have determined that ethanol in groundwater can extend plumes of other more potent gasoline carcinogens (benzene, toluene, etc.) up to 25%. In addition, ethanol is less effective than MTBE at fighting air pollution, and due to transportation and supply problems, will likely increase gasoline prices.”

Stella Sez, Hemmings Motor News, July 2000

http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/capp/july.html

Comment on Ethanol Producers in Trouble as Corn Sets New Record

david j phillips — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:56:52 GMT

Given likely increases in net interest obligations (borrowings needed for timely completion of facility expansions) combined with narrower commodity spreads (falling ethanol prices combined with rising corn costs), does anyone expect the liquidity outlook at Aventine to improve come 2009?

http://industry.bnet.com/energy/2008/06/20/how-golden-is-aventine-renewable-energy%e2%80%99s-future/
My Best,

David J Phillips
Contributing Energy Analyst
CNET/BNET

Comment on My Interview with David Pimentel

Carl Brannen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:43:06 GMT

The studies showing corn ethanol requires more energy than it takes are proved wrong by the simple economic fact that it's profitable to do the conversion, even in the absence of government subsidies.

Papers by the deep ecologists show that it is energy inefficient by saddling ethanol with energy costs that they do not saddle gasoline with. It also requires energy to make gasoline and move it around.

Re "more risky energy source than gasoline, due to large weather-induced variations in corn yields."

All it takes is a couple of missiles off the Iranian coast and this "more risky" statement will become obviously, in retrospect, silly. Oil is far more risky than corn. Anyone who doubts this should examine the price charts for oil and ethanol over the last 100 years.

Comment on The Price VeraSun Pays for Corn

edge — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:37:04 GMT

Tom, I can't believe that you wrote that! With the price of corn going to the moon, my kids are acquiring a taste for Crude Oil instead of Corn Flakes...and it is much cheaper :)

Comment on The Price VeraSun Pays for Corn

Tom — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:30:29 GMT

Ethanol is a horrible, horrible thing. It's even worse than oil. It drives massive deforestation in countries like Brazil, increases food costs and reduces food supplies in poor countries. What person in their right mind would place their lunch in their fuel tank?

Nuclear, Solar, Wind - not Ethanol.

Ethanol is the reason I switched my vote from Hillary to McCain. The environment is more important than Iraq.

Comment on David Pimentel Responds to Fellow Blogger, C. Scott Miller

Eric — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:24:49 GMT

Even in today's world where the science of thermodynamics and intelligent reasoning can provide logical answers, politics is still the driving force for moving forward. It's not as though Pimental does not offer alternative scenarios. The problem in searching for energy solutions is based on the readily available and high energy content in crude oil, coal, and natural gas. These sources are, economically, very difficult to replace. If we didn't have these sources to convert corn to ethanol, the truth would be known and we would be building nuclear power plants, wind farms, and solar panels to make the fuels and materials we need with electricity. Biomass might provide a local solution to some, for example switchgrass or wood, but superbug enzymatic technologies to convert cellulose and lignocellulose have not been developed and may never be; cellulose is very resistant to microbial attack and has been for a billion years. It seems more likely that gasification of biomass will be the process of choice, from which the syn-gas generated will be used to make methanol. Methanol can also be made from electricity (which can be used to make H2) and CO2. Methanol can then be used as a liquid fuel or to make olefins and other chemicals which are used to make materials that are presently derived from crude oil. See Olah et al. "Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy."

Comment on Ethanol's Crush Spread Plunges/Bush Praises Ethanol Yet Shows Concern

Pat Foster — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:34:29 GMT

I picked up your articles on E*Trade and started reprinting them on the business section of the West Michigan News Company. I drive a 1983 VW Rabbit pickup with a diesel engine, and it runs on grease. I've been recommending Isuzu who has the best 3 cylinder diesel engine in the world. They have stated they cannot sell in the US, but 60% of Europe's cars last year were diesel. Bio-diesel does not need to use food products, just like the US does not need the oil companies running our government.

Comment on Corn Skyrockets/Verenium Wins Grant

poetryman69 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:19:42 GMT

Stop funding the terrorists!

No more Oil Wars!

Energy Independence Now!

Drill in Anwar.

Build more nuclear power plants

Use More coal.

Use more natural gas

Turn trash into energy

Double the efficiency of windmills and solar cells.

If France can do nuclear power so can we.

If Brazil can do biomass/ethanol power so can we.

If Australia can do LNG power so can we.

Domestically produced energy will end the recession and spur the economy.

Stop paying oil dollars to those who worship daily at the alter of our destruction.

Preserve our Civil Rights and defend our Freedom by ending dependence on foreign oil.

Comment on Ethanol-Pipelines Soon to Come?

Hal Puchalski — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:25:09 GMT

Hip Hip Hooray on the pipeline development!
Unfortunately however,in spite of continued scientific and technological improvements in many areas of the ethanol industry, the oil supporters will continue to deem it "bad fuel" whose increased use is causing the worlds hungry to starve.
When will credit be given to those who see a serious problem...continued dependence on oil..and much worse foreign oil.. get the respect they deserve.