Is ethanol a scam?

jtsanders
Tue, 18 May 2010 21:59:44 +0000
General Discussion

If you think so, tell us where and when it becomes one.

I’ll start: Ethanol in the USA has been oversold. It helps corn farmers make more money, but I doubt that it is a cost effective replacement for gasoline, even as E85. The cost of E85 vs. the reduced mileage doesn’t do anything but make money for ethanol distillers and corn farmers that participate.

I think the story is different in Brazil, where they can grow sugar cane densely enough and cheaply enough that it can be a reasonable replacement for gasoline. When it becomes feasible to extract ethanol from plant stalks on a large scale, then it may be an attractive option here.

45 posts - 21 participants