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| Articles about Ethanol |
| Obama, Tom Daschle & the Ethanol Lobby | | 2008-06-24 13:44:03 | | IT’S A GAS! It is a good thing Barack Obama is not in bed, snuggling up to lobbyists, or he could be accused of selling out to the corn/ethanol lobby for votes in the mid-west. Evidently Obama used his ties to the ethanol lobby as a spring-board to the mid-western corn states and his POTUS run. He and Tom Daschle, now a lobbyist for the corn-ethanol industry travel together quite a bit in the mid-west. (Daschle says he is not a lobbyist for the industry, but speaks out for them on occasion). According to the NYTimes, Daschle isn’t the ... | | By: The Pink Flamingo | | |
| | The Folly of Making Ethanol From Food Crops | | 2008-05-21 06:41:13 | | Why is it that stupid ideas find so many followers? European Governments, the US Federal Government, and an increasing number of US State Governments have issued legislation that requires the use of ethanol in cars.Making ethanol from corn was promoted by the US agricultural lobby as the best approach for producing biofuels. None of the decision makers listened to the advice of scientists, who pointed out correctly, that the benefits of ethanol were minute. Ethanol is incapable of reducing consumption of petroleum-derived fuels and of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Almost all of the food producing acreage in the US must be converted to growing corn before a sizeable reduction in foreign petroleum imports can be expected.For the agricultural lobby the financial rewards of the ethanol craze have been spectacular. When future prices of corn began to escalate, more and more farmers decided to plant corn in favor of other crops like soybean and wheat. Predictably, food prices started so | | By: Global Warming Articles - Information on Global Wa | | |
| | Ethanol = Bad | | 2008-05-14 01:10:00 | | Right now on Channel 8 in Santa Cruz they're talking about something I seem to recall saying myself when ethanol first was released and ethanol cars came out: it's bad.Well, it's being blamed for a food crisis, which is exactly what I was saying before. Since ethanol uses something called corn, and we Americans, and much of the world, seem to like this particular vegetable when it comes to food, the result is that food costs are going up, particularly in lovely places like Mexico, which has enough problems as it is with poverty.Here's a word of advice: how about we stop being retarded and thinking about TEMPORARY solutions and get us some PERMANENT solutions instead? Or is that too logical for the world? Where the hell are the Japanese on this? Shouldn't they be firing off a bunch of cars that run off recycled soda cans or something?Yeah.(Don't click the read more, there isn't any more after this!)P.S.: Apologies for the short posts, but in an effort to keep active while this qu | | By: The World in the Satin Bag | | |
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| Direct Mail for Ethanol Gas Stations | | 2008-05-11 06:30:01 | | As more and more Ethanol E85 Gas Stations go in they will need to alert the media and the citizens that they now carry E85 because they will want all those who buy the E85 Ethanol enabled cars to come and buy fuel for them. Carrying E85 Fuel will not be easy because the fuel is somewhat corrosive and therefore there are greater costs in storage and potential liability for EPA and environmental controls to prevent ground water contamination.This means that the economies of scale are paramount and they must sell as much possible to offset such costs. Of course this all means that they must advertise a lot, but that costs money. Is there an inexpensive way to advertise for a new E85 Ethanol gas station?Direct mail and direct-mail marketing coupon packages makes sense to promote the local neighborhood gas station which now has E85 ethanol. Once the local customers come in to buy ethanol, they will tell their friends and their family that they have ethanol near them and the likelihood of th | | By: Global Warming Articles - Information on Global Wa | | |
| | | Ethanol Basics | | 2008-04-28 08:58:38 | | The use of ethanol as an alternative fuel is becoming increasingly popular by ever conscious consumers wishing to do their little bit for the planet. It may even be a better alternative to bio fuel, it seems that it is a lot more pleasant to make at any rate.What is Ethanol? Ethanol is a grain alcohol, or plant mass formula derived from the natural sugars found in bio mass, or vegetation such as corn, wheat, barley, potatoes and sugar cane. This is then processed to make a renewable form of fuel or fuel additive, which is both cost effective and good for the planet. Many cars are able to run on Ethanol and gasoline mixtures. Although at the moment, the mixtures are only a ratio of 10% Ethanol, to 90% fossil fuel.Benefits of EthanolThere are many benefits of using an alternative fuel such as Ethanol, for starters it is a renewable resource, fossil fuels used to make gasoline is not renewable, so one day they will run out, it is because of this that people, have become more aware of alte | | By: Global Warming Articles - Information on Global Wa | | |
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| Coskata not the only company claiming $1/gallon cellulosic ethanol | | 2008-03-28 19:17:43 | | Should Coskata be worried? GM's first cellulosic ethanol partner made some waves in January with it's announcement that it can make the biofuel from all sorts of waste products for less than $1 a gallon. While we're still waiting for the fruits of that process, other cellulosic ethanol companies want to get some of the good vibes that promising cheap, truly green biofuel can bring.The Alternative Energy Technology Center has announced that it, too, can make ethanol for under $1 a gallon and this story in Greentech Media says that more such announcements will be coming soon. The company is apparently in the "completion phase" of its biorefinery that should be able to make "20 to 100 tons of ethanol, gasoline, diesel and other products per day," Greentech Media says. For us, the proof will certainly be in the pudding and whoever brings cheap cellulosic ethanol to market first will win our praise - and, more importantly, lots and lots of money, I'm sure. Coskata's Wes Bolsen told Greentec | | By: Auto News: Car Reviews, Car News, Car Shows | | |
| | | Triciclo Pompéo - ethanol powered three-wheeler made for Brazil | | 2008-03-25 15:30:25 | | Click on the image above for more shots of the PompéoThere are plenty of people who would love to have the fuel mileage of a 250cc motorcycle, but choose not to ride one because of the inherent safety problems and the lack of weather protection. Brazilian company Triciclo thinks that they have the answer to this issue, and it's called the Pompéo. Using a small motorcycle engine which is capable of running on either gasoline or ethanol (important for the Brazilian market), the Pompéo is said to have decent performance due to its low weight. Also important is the fact that the machine - which looks kind of like the front half of a car - is fully enclosed, meaning that the occupants will stay dry no matter what the weather outside. Seat belts provide a measure of safety lacking from the typical motorcycle, although in some countries it will be classed as such regardless. Finally, the cost is said to be in-line with a 400cc motorcycle, meaning the Pompéo should be quite | | By: Auto News: Car Reviews, Car News, Car Shows | | |
| | Ethanol: Starve People and Feel Good About It | | 2008-03-13 17:29:52 | | If anyone is wondering why we have a recession in this Country, or close to it, blame our politicians in Washington and Ethanol. It is all their fault, all of it. And I am not just talking about the Democrats.
It takes more energy from oil to produce the same about of energy from ethanol. Yet, politicians subsidizes American farmers not only for the food they produce, but to burn their food...
Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
| | By: Copious Dissent - Your Daily Dose of Liberty | | |
| | First ethanol factory makes headway | | 2008-03-05 22:47:00 | | Representatives of central Quang Nam province have worked with officials of the Japanese-based Viet Nam Economy Research Institute to set up the first ethanol factory in Viet Nam.
The total capital for the project is around 150 million USD and collected by the institute. When the factory comes into operation, it will need 300,000 ha of land to provide 1 million tonnes of cassava each year as | | By: Vietnam Business Finance News | | |
| | Ethanol - False Hope Causing Hunger and Bitterness! | | 2008-02-29 00:11:14 | | In the last few days it seems the news media has been talking about $4 gallon gas coming soon. They are so concerned about the economy surviving and saying the prices of oil is due to the falling dollar. It is not due to the falling dollar. It is due to a [...] | | By: Forgot To Ask | | |
| | | Ethanol Causes Global Warming, Experts Now Say | | 2008-02-07 20:35:36 | | In case you have been trying your best to stop global warming, you must listen to this urgent message from experts. Apparently, Ethanol consumption may lead to global warming now because of the increased land usage needed to produce the fuel. Who knew? If this was a comedy I could not write a better script.
First, we are told in the 1970s that global cooling and overpopulation were imminent. ...
Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
| | By: Copious Dissent - Your Daily Dose of Liberty | | |
| | Review: Deadly Brew, the Human Toll of Ethanol | | 2008-01-29 10:38:26 | | I saw the Bloomberg documentary Deadly Brew, the Human Toll of Ethanol, which aired last Thursday and I have to agree with some of the criticisms that UNICA levels at the film. The documentary, which focused on the working conditions of cane cutters in Brazil, gave both sides but seemed to favor the workers a little more than the owners. As you can see in the video above, they do that close up thing to one of the owners, a technique that makes anyone look evil. In the end, whatever they got wrong or one-sided, I am not too concerned with labor conditions of Brazilian ethanol worker. Let me explain.The documentary starts out by saying most sugar cane in Brazil is cut by hand. At the end however, the documentary says industry projects that will change very soon, up to 80 percent replaced by machines and the remaining 20 percent will run the machines. So, even if there is a problem, cutting by hand is going away. The documentary also mentions there are laws in place, enforcement groups, fines and even unions. The laws are ignored, says the documentary, enforcement lax, fines too low and unions (while numerous) weak on the national level. I don't mean to seem flippant but that's about as good as it gets in the world.For countries like China, which wants to be a major ethanol exporter, you won't have to use the term virtual slavery when talking about working conditions: It will be slavery! If this were a perfect world, I would agree with EU's interest in trying to change the working conditions around the world. In reality, the best I hope for is some kind of label on the country of origin for ethanol in hopes of shining a light on the problem. We don't know where our food comes from, so I won't hold my breath. What do you think readers: am I wrong to think weak unions and low fines is not a major problem?Related: Brazilian sugarcane industry not happy with "Deadly Brew" documentary Bloomberg to air documentary about Brazilian ethanol worker labor conditions [Sour | | By: Auto News: Car Reviews, Car News, Car Shows | | |
| | The US according to Lutz: ethanol, yes, diesels, not so much | | 2008-01-29 04:01:00 | | Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Tech, GM
In the fuel economy and future tech debate, the hybrid vs. diesel vs. hydrogen fuel cells vs. smaller cars and smaller engines always provokes a fair bit of discussion among Autoblog commentators. At this point, no one yet knows what’s going to win since nobody knows how the [...] | | By: Car O Focus | | |
| | The Case Against Ethanol | | 2008-01-11 23:17:05 | | I've long been an opponent of ethanol as a viable source of alternative energy for America. At best it's a short sighted and inefficient attempt at energy independence at worst its just another way to subsidize corn. Over at Scientific American the recently published an article showing the results of a five year study on switchgrass and found that acre per acre it produces over twenty one times more energy than ethanol.But yields from a grass that only needs to be planted once would deliver an average of 13.1 megajoules of energy as ethanol for every megajoule of petroleum consumed—in the form of nitrogen fertilizers or diesel for tractors—growing them. "It's a prediction because right now there are no biorefineries built that handle cellulosic material" like that which switchgrass provides, Vogel notes. "We're pretty confident the ethanol yield is pretty close." This means that switchgrass ethanol delivers 540 percent of the energy used to produce it, compared with just roughly 25 percent more energy returned by corn-based ethanol according to the most optimistic studies. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is partially funding the construction of six such cellulosic biorefineries, estimated to cost a total of $1.2 billion. The first to be built will be the Range Fuels Biorefinery in Soperton, Ga., which will process wood waste from the timber industry into biofuels and chemicals. The DOE is providing an initial $50 million to start construction. "Cost competitive, energy responsible cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass or from forestry waste like sawdust and wood chips requires a more complex refining process but it's worth the investment," Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said at the Range Fuels facility groundbreaking in November. "Cellulosic ethanol contains more net energy and emits significantly fewer greenhouse gases than ethanol made from corn."Additionally switchgrass can be grown on land that is of marginal use to farmers meaning that farming i | | By: Dyre Portents | | |
| | Exploring Ethanol | | 2007-12-26 18:41:33 | |
What is the deal with corn-based ethanol? Politicians always seem to talk about it, especially when they are in corn growing states. The news media will give us a quick segment, usually resulting in more questions. This year I have heard several negative reports on ethanol. I have seen no reports which dispute these claims. Low energy returns, habitat destruction, and the increased costs to our food supply leave me wondering about the benefits of ethanol. Last week there was an interview on National Public Radio, which was very informative. It requires realplayer which can be downloaded for free. I highly recommend listening to this interview and encourage you to draw your own conclusion.I am becoming greatly concerned about the impact on our food prices. Corn impacts a lot of the food we eat, from the corn syrup used in many products to the feed for the animals that give us meat. In an economy where many people are struggling we can't afford this kind of impact. If it were | | By: Miscellaneous Reflexions | | |
| | | Ethanol plant in tri-county area? | | 2007-07-09 17:39:00 | | Ethanol plant eyes tri-county, county officals skeptical
A number of ethanol companies have been coming to Charleston proposing plants; more than a dozen have “kicked the tires” in Berkeley County in the last year, said Al Kennedy, project manager for Berkeley County Economic Development.
The newest prospect in the Lowcountry is International Bio Energy Virginia LLC.
“They’ve told us (they are looking at Charleston),” said Warren Harris, economic development director for Chesapeake, Va. Harris and his colleagues in Chesapeake have worked feverishly to land the plant in their region. “I’m trying for them not to go to Charleston.”
International Bio Energy is a Switzerland-based corporation with its U.S. headquarters in Virginia. Currently, the corporation is working on three separate sites to launch ethanol plants; one of which in the United States. The other two will be located in Hungary and Germany. Eventually, the company plans to have | | By: Charleston's Home Port | | |
| | Ethanol,Methanol and Ethylene glycol poisoning | | 2007-06-27 14:40:00 | | EthanolOverdose of ethanol (ethyl alcohol or"alcohol") is very common. Alcohol potentiates the CNS-depressant effect of many drugs. It initially causes disinhibition and later ataxia, dizziness, dysarthria, and drowsiness. In severe poisoning may be coma with respiratory depression, hypotension, hypothermia, and a metabolic acidosis. Hypoglycemia is a particular problem in a children and may occur after some hours. Death may result from respiratory failure or aspiration of vomit.For an adult, the fatal dose of ethanol alone is 300-500ML absolute alcohol. Whisky and gin usually contain 40-50% ethanol. Rarely alcohol intoxication cause lactic acidosis (Especially with the patient with liver diseases or taking biquanide hypoglicaemic drug) or ketoacidosis (due to dehydration and hypoglicaemia in alcohol).Treat Supportively:Maintain clear airway and adequate ventilationCheck blood glucose every 1-2 hours in severe poisoningEmergency measurement of blood ethanol is rarely helpfulCorrect hypoglicaemia with glucose not with glucagonLook sign for injury, especially head injuryGastric lavage and activated charcoal are ineffective in ethanol intoxicationDo not give fructoseMehanol PoisoningMethanol is used as a solvent and in antifreeze. Ingestion of >60ML of methanol (in Adult) may cause fatal poisoning, the toxic effect due to the metabolites formaldehide and formid acid. Methylated spirits is a mixture of ethanol and water with only 5% ethanol and toxicity is almost entirely due to ethanol.Clninical featuresMethanol initially cause only mild transient drowsiness. Serious toxicity develops after a latent period of 8-36 hours with vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, blurring of vision and drowsiness leading to coma. There is a severe metabolic acidosis, hyperglicaemia, and increase serum amylase. survivor may be blind due to optic nerve damage and Parkinsonian Problem.ManagementProvide gastric lavage less than 1 hour since ingestionMeasure ABG (Analys Blood Ga | | By: SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE INFORMATION | | |
| | AUSTRALIA: Ethanol Blend Petrol Soon To Be Law | | 2007-06-23 22:21:00 | | NSW motorists will soon save four cents a litre on petrol when the State Government passes a bill to mandate minimum ethanol petrol blends.The Biofuel (Ethanol Content) Bill 2007 was introduced into parliament last night as Premier Morris Iemma took a swipe at the Federal Government for failing to introduce such a national scheme. If passed in both houses of state parliament, the bill will mandate that the cleaner fuel ethanol must comprise at least two per cent of total petrol sold in NSW by October 1.“A two per cent mandate is a good start toward greater fuel security and less reliance on fossil fuels,” Mr Iemma said.“It’s a win for motorists who can save approximately four cents per litre using ethanol blended fuels.”Mr Iemma said the bill proposes a mandate that petrol companies can adopt and offers a way to avoid future petrol supply constraints and price shocks. He said the Federal Government continued to pay lip service to biofuels without initiating national ethanol m | | By: energy BLOG | | |
| | Mitsubishi to Build Ethanol Plant on Hokkaido | | 2007-06-21 11:03:00 | | Mitsubishi Corp, Japan's biggest trading firm, and Kirin Brewery Co Ltd, the No. 2 brewer, will join in a government-backed “green” fuel project by building an ethanol plant on the northern island of Hokkaido.A Mitsubishi spokesman said yesterday the domestic ethanol business was one of its main areas of interest. Mitsubishi had previously imported plant-origin ethanol for industrial use, and in March took a 10% stake in an ethanol production company in Brazil.The Japanese government has been promoting the use of non-fossil fuel at home to combat climate change.A consortium formed by the two companies and unlisted Osaka-based Japan Chemical Engineering & Machinery Co Ltd won a plant order for the project of some six billion yen (US$48.5mil) as a new stock company founded yesterday.Hokkaido Union of Agriculture Co-operatives, a lead manager of the project, has said the government is expected to shoulder half the cost.Construction would start in October with production starting | | By: Autos Space | | |
| | Ford Ethanol-Fueled Hybrids Hits the Road | | 2007-06-15 19:34:00 | | DEARBORN, June 13, 2007 (FCN) -- The first E85 Escape Hybrids have hit the nation's streets as Ford delivered three vehicles to the Department of Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Governor's Ethanol Coalition (GEC).A total of 20 E85 Escape Hybrids will be delivered to select fleet customers in six states.E85 Escape Hybrids combine hybrid and flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) technology. An electric motor powers the vehicle at low speeds and a gasoline internal combustion capable of running on fuel blends up to 85 percent ethanol kicks in a higher speeds."As a leader in both hybrid vehicles and in vehicles capable of operating on ethanol-based fuels, Ford is the ideal company to bring both technologies together for the first time," said Sue Cischke, Ford's senior vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering."The Governors' Ethanol Coalition has worked cooperatively with Ford for more than two decades," said Nebraska Governor and Coalition Chair Dave H | | By: Autos Space | | |
| | | The ethanol-from-corn and food vs. fuel debate: Ethanol has its problems | | 2007-05-25 03:17:00 | | Is the energy obtained from ethanol from corn less than the energy required for its production? Do people care enough about the irrefutable negative environmental consequences?With regards to the first question, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) would have us presume and accept that seeking a way to produce ethanol with a sufficient net positive energy as a replacement for gasoline is a futile academic undertaking with little or no value for public policy debate. However, this premise defeats the goal of "think outside the box" academic exercises carried out by academicians and researchers searching for answers. And a number of ramifications surround the second concern, e.g., sustainability. Is the technology sustainable? What other factors do we need to consider here? Soil erosion? Soil depletion? Where do we go from here then?Ethanol has been heavily touted as a magical elixir to solve every conceivable economic, environmental, and foreign policy question. A vocal proponen | | By: The AnitoKid Chronikos | | |
| | Ford Motor Company Receives “EUBIA” Award for Its European Bio-Ethanol Vehicle Pioneership | | 2007-05-15 22:05:11 | | Ford Focus Flexifuel
The European Biomass Industry Association (EUBIA) has granted Ford its “2007 EUBIA” award, as a recognition of Ford’s European pioneer ship in the area of bio-ethanol powered flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).
The award ceremony last Friday marked the end of EUBIA’s 15th biomass conference in Berlin. During one week, approximately 1,400 experts from more than 80 countries had debated the future potential and challenges of bio-energy use.
“We are proud to receive this award”, said Jan Brentebraten, director, flexifuel and alternative fuel vehicles strategy, Ford of Europe. “Flexifuel technology is already available today and it’s affordable, not only for the environment, but also for the customer.
“We’re committed to pursuing a portfolio of technologies with the ultimate goal of reducing CO2, and we see Flexifuel as one of the most affordable options, provided a sustainable bio-ethanol fuel infrastructure conti | | By: Car O Focus | | |
| | Ford Motor Company Receives "EUBIA" Award for Its European Bio-Ethanol Vehicle Pioneership | | 2007-05-15 15:02:00 | | Ford Focus FlexifuelThe European Biomass Industry Association (EUBIA) has granted Ford its "2007 EUBIA" award, as a recognition of Ford's European pioneer ship in the area of bio-ethanol powered flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).The award ceremony last Friday marked the end of EUBIA's 15th biomass conference in Berlin. During one week, approximately 1,400 experts from more than 80 countries had debated the future potential and challenges of bio-energy use."We are proud to receive this award", said Jan Brentebraten, director, flexifuel and alternative fuel vehicles strategy, Ford of Europe. "Flexifuel technology is already available today and it's affordable, not only for the environment, but also for the customer."We're committed to pursuing a portfolio of technologies with the ultimate goal of reducing CO2, and we see Flexifuel as one of the most affordable options, provided a sustainable bio-ethanol fuel infrastructure continues to grow."Ford is a market leader and the market pioneer | | By: AutoBeat | blog Auto news, reviews, concepts, auto | | |
| | Alternative Ethanol Fuel Won’t Improve Future Air Quality | | 2007-05-12 08:39:31 | | Ethanol is produced biologically by fermenting sugar with Saccharomyces yeasts. Under anaerobic (meaning in the absence of oxygen) conditions, when yeast metabolize sugar, they produce ethanol and carbon dioxide. Bioethanol (meaning ethanol production derived from crops) is the most common renewable fuel today and is derived from corn grain (starch) and sugar cane (sucrose) (1). Thus, ethanol is an inherently renewable eco-friendly resource, contributing nothing in itself to greenhouse gases. However, a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) concludes that if every vehicle in the U.S. ran on ethanol-based fuel, the number of respiratory-related deaths and hospitalizations would likely increase.
You read that right, widespread use of E85 would likely result in an increase in respiratory-related deaths and hospitalizations.
Stanford University atmospheric chemist Mark Z. Jacobson, author of the study said (2):
“Ethanol is being promoted as | | By: Highlight HEALTH | | |
| | How Corn Ethanol is Bad | | 2007-02-03 01:15:00 | | Cross posted on Thoughts on Global Warming:President Bush has been touting ethanol as one of the best, if not the best alternative to gasoline. It doesn’t produce as much carbon dioxide. It can be made in America, using American madegrown resources like corn. That quality is not a bonus, it’s a weakness.For ethanol to be productive as a fuel, it MUST be made with agricultural waste. By using good corn, you’re being counterproductive. Using corn for ethanol misuses perfectly good food that could be used to feed people. Second, it increases the price of corn. Third, it ravages the soil where it is grown. Fourth, last but definitely not least, it’s not nearly as efficient as politicians would have you think. Corn is grown on farms. Farms don’t pick themselves. Gasoline powered machines fertilize, water and pick the corn plants. The gasoline used drastically lessens the effectiveness of corn ethanol. David Pimentel of Cornell and Tad Patzek of UC, Berkeley, calculate that produc | | By: Thoughts on the World | | |
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