Gas Problem solved...

[Larry Gude]

OK people. I fix.

You get about 300 gallons of ethanol per acre of corn. We need 600,000,000 acres of corn, per year, to make enough ethanol to REPLACE gasoline 100%. We have 900 million acres of farm land in production right now. So, 2/3 of our field food is out the window. We're too fat anyway, so screw it.

You get about 180 bushels of corn per acre at about $2.50 a bushel or $450 an acre.

Wholesale gas is about $2.00 a gallon so it stands to reason that ethanol should be about the same. That's not exact because you'll use some 1.5 gallons of ethanol where you would have used 1 gallon of gas. Don't worry about the factors. Just trust me for now. So you'll shut up about it, we'll correct for gas = ethanol and say that ethanol should only bring $1.35 gallon.

So, 300 gallons (I've read 328, but what's 10% among friends and Exxon share holders?) times $1.35 is $400. 328 times 1.35 is $442 or = to corn.

Now, at present, the best ethanol plants can do is produce ethanol at about $2.20 a gallon, or, lose $.85 a gallon. This is why ethanol is presently subsidized by the federal gov...oops...by YOU AND I.

This will change in time as the supply grows and market efficiencies go to work.

Ethanol is also not as bad for the environment for you mother earth types.

So, we don't need no stinkin' gasoline. Just be prepared for Doritos to go through the roof.

I'll fix that later.

 

[Somdmommy]

OK people. I fix.

You get about 300 gallons of ethanol per acre of corn. We need 600,000,000 acres of corn, per year, to make enough ethanol to REPLACE gasoline 100%. We have 900 million acres of farm land in production right now. So, 2/3 of our field food is out the window. We're too fat anyway, so screw it.

You get about 180 bushels of corn per acre at about $2.50 a bushel or $450 an acre.

Wholesale gas is about $2.00 a gallon so it stands to reason that ethanol should be about the same. That's not exact because you'll use some 1.5 gallons of ethanol where you would have used 1 gallon of gas. Don't worry about the factors. Just trust me for now. So you'll shut up about it, we'll correct for gas = ethanol and say that ethanol should only bring $1.35 gallon.

So, 300 gallons (I've read 328, but what's 10% among friends and Exxon share holders?) times $1.35 is $400. 328 times 1.35 is $442 or = to corn.

Now, at present, the best ethanol plants can do is produce ethanol at about $2.20 a gallon, or, lose $.85 a gallon. This is why ethanol is presently subsidized by the federal gov...oops...by YOU AND I.

This will change in time as the supply grows and market efficiencies go to work.

Ethanol is also not as bad for the environment for you mother earth types.

So, we don't need no stinkin' gasoline. Just be prepared for Doritos to go through the roof.

I'll fix that later.

Well, at least it will fix the Fat thing!

 

[jazz lady]

Gas Problem solved...

:beano:

 

[Larry Gude]

*sigh*...

:beano:

"Automobile Internal Combustion Engine Fuel Source Problem Solved"

Better?


Life with the over-educated.

 

[Pete]

We have hundreds of thousands of acres not farmed anymore. If the corn crop were viable it would start back up.

 

[Larry Gude]

And there's the trick...

We have hundreds of thousands of acres not farmed anymore. If the corn crop were viable it would start back up.

...the current ethanol producers have federal help for the use of their product.

You and I need to get a lease on, say, 100 million acres, hire some farmers, build some big stills (which is how you make this stuff) and get us a lobbyist to get Uncle George to sign us up. Maybe we get the lobbyist first.

The moment anyone starts doing this on a huge scale, oil will go to $20 barell.

 

[desertrat]

O.k, but what happens when the crop fails through a natural process such as drought or locusts? Prices go through the roof.

 

[Pete]

...the current ethanol producers have federal help for the use of their product.

You and I need to get a lease on, say, 100 million acres, hire some farmers, build some big stills (which is how you make this stuff) and get us a lobbyist to get Uncle George to sign us up. Maybe we get the lobbyist first.

The moment anyone starts doing this on a huge scale, oil will go to $20 barell.

We can do it!

 

[Pete]

O.k, but what happens when the crop fails through a natural process such as drought or locusts? Prices go through the roof.

SCR (Strategic Corn Reserve)

 

[Larry Gude]

Pessimist...

O.k, but what happens when the crop fails through a natural process such as drought or locusts? Prices go through the roof.

...what makes you think that would EVER happen? Next thing, you're gonna try and tell me Kansas has tornados...

All seriousness aside, it seems the technology is advancing to where it won't be too long until wew can use the stalks and other bio-masses. Geographical diversity, crop diversity. Hell, if they can find something to grow in in coastal states that uses sea water...

 

[desertrat]

...what makes you think that would EVER happen? Next thing, you're gonna try and tell me Kansas has tornados...

All seriousness aside, it seems the technology is advancing to where it won't be too long until wew can use the stalks and other bio-masses. Geographical diversity, crop diversity. Hell, if they can find something to grow in in coastal states that uses sea water...

Something like whales?

 

[willie]

Sugar cane is by far the best. Backfill New Orleans and plant sugar cane. For the rest of the South, forget corn, plant sugar beets.

 

[Larry Gude]

Guffaw...

Something like whales?

...yeah, we get these bigazz underwater hampster wheels, see and...

 

[Larry Gude]

Why...

Sugar cane is by far the best. Backfill New Orleans and plant sugar cane. For the rest of the South, forget corn, plant sugar beets.

...is that?

 

[jwwb2000]

I really don't think I could stand to see another corn field but if it brings down the price we pay at the pump I am all for it.

I saw where there is a guy out in California turning older model Mercedes, which are diesle, and having them run on vegetable oil. He does this for about $750 per car.

 

[dck4shrt]

...is that?

Much much higher yield. In fact, sugar cane/beets aren't an energy sink like corn is. You actually get more energy out of it than you invest into it! Imagine that...
That's why Brazil is actually successful at this, and we won't be.

 

[desertrat]

...yeah, we get these bigazz underwater hampster wheels, see and...

Well, I wasn't actually thinking about using them to generate power, more like a renewable oil source, but now that you mention it...harness them and let them swim in place driving turbines to generate electricity. Now am I dumb enough to actually post this? Ah, what the heck. "Enter"

 

[willie]

...is that?

The yield from sugar beets is 2-1 over corn for ethanol production. Brazil gained their independence from foreign oil by cooking sugar beets.
Correction....I meant to say Sugar Cane for Brazil, we would do well with the beets.

 

[Larry Gude]

Here's the key...

I really don't think I could stand to see another corn field but if it brings down the price we pay at the pump I am all for it.

I saw where there is a guy out in California turning older model Mercedes, which are diesle, and having them run on vegetable oil. He does this for about $750 per car.

...this will NOT bring down the price at the pump much unless we reach a point where we are really producing the heck out of bio fuels. The key things are;

1. If not cheaper, then at least consistent. Bruzilla has always been right that gasoline is in the class of near necessity such as electricity.

2. Elimination of our national interests being tied to and constantly threatened by a bunch of maniacs around the globe.

If this becomes a very big deal, meaning the infrastructure is in place, the distileries, the distribution and so forth, then we could attain a point in time where domestic reserves are equal to the time between the end of a crop time in the midwest and the start of a new one.

In other words, we operate at X capacity and people are using some ethanol, some oil (gasoline) as long as everything is cool, everything is stable. The moment Venezuela or Iran or Russia rattles a sword causing a potential oil price spike, we go to the reserve to get through a short term period, 6 months or so AND plan on planting X million acres of corn/sugar cane/grass/whatever to make up for the oil we will refuse to buy on the world market AND commit, under national interest legislation, to use this new domestic bio fuel once it's harvested and processed.

We could also threaten to ramp up production to export.

Our land and our technology will serve as a sword of Domicles over the heads of energy every azzhat around the globe. They behave or get screwed by US.

 

[Larry Gude]

My understanding is...

Much much higher yield. In fact, sugar cane/beets aren't an energy sink like corn is. You actually get more energy out of it than you invest into it! Imagine that...
That's why Brazil is actually successful at this, and we won't be.

...corn has reached the point where it is 1:2, energy in/energy out, for corn based ethanol with a reasonable potential to make it to 1:2.5 in the near term. It was 1:1 back in the 80's when this was new.

As far as sugar cane, gotcha. That makes it even better.