Corn alcohol (as in ethanol from corn???).
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Originally Posted by Ribos  ASIDE from?
You're saying that you think corn alcohol, which is remarkably inefficient to produce in quantities that would satisfy the international scale, is the better option over the most common element in the entire universe, the consumption of which yields no pollution whatsoever?
I would love to hear your reasoning. |
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Ethanol is NOT the answer.
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In fact, I do agree on these counts (based on current utilization of biofuel feedstock)
Apparently, on paper, it may sound nice......but in most cases, certain biofuels are less energy efficient compared to regular crude oil (unleaded fuel in this case). So unless efficiency and yields would be greatly optimized WITHOUT significantly harming its prices on the food market (on local and international levels).
Where I'm from at least, they started implementing E5 and B1 here. Sure not a problem.........however it gets problematic once legislative mandate requires to increase the blends to E10 and B2. I really dunno if some cars can run and/or survive with it lest risk having its fuel lines corroded. That and energy efficiency seems to have slightly decrease instead........yet the fuel prices are slightly increasing instead (since our biofuels are currently imported from Australia....until year 2011 when local biofuel production in the Philippines would be initiated).
That and the country also became hard hit by the 2008 global food price crisis (because of increasing biofuel demand both here and abroad). Apparently, this is what happens......and that is why that dude from the UN made that comment (when he said that biofuels are a crime against humanity).
Nevertheless, it is important to improve on it EVEN FURTHER (as in increase its energy content, reduce its negative effects on land and decrease its need for water as well as reduce the emissions produced during the process)........if biofuels are to ever fully take off as a successor to crude oil for vehicles......that and such is necessary if biofuel as a whole would want an even better reputation.
Though more importantly, it would be best to DIVERSIFY. In this regard, NEVER fully depend on just one type of feedstock or source material. In short, do not depend on food crops but also, integrate the use of non-food crops (such as biomass, GTL, plants). This makes sure that any biofuel used for production and consumption leaves little-to-no impact on food prices.
However, if you ask me, if we are talking about the "holy grail" of biofuels, then I think the answer simply lies.......in ALGAE:
Algae fuel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anyhow, if anyone wants to read up on biofuels, then just hit on the wiki site.
Biofuel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Then from there, you can read the articles there as well as links to other bio-fuel related topics, pros and cons of biofuel, improvements to biofuel technology and etc........and of course the website/references that the wiki article(s) link or links to
If you were to ask me, then I suggest that you and anyone should read up on these as these are very informative topics and discussions and it really makes you think about the impacts (both positive and negative) of biofuels in all aspects, levels and perspectives. So that each and everyone may fully know how biofuels affect you, your next door neighbor, your country men, people overseas as well as the environment, whole societies and communities as well as the energy, finance and even automotive sectors.
So go ahead
