It hurts if it requires more than a gallon of fuel to make a gallon of ethanol, which is currently the case. Actually, since a gallon of ethanol does not produce the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline, it's even worse.
While I agree that drilling in ANWR is not particularly disturbing to the environment, I think your diagram is quite misleading, BP. While it is true that the actual drilling platforms are quite small, there must be roads to the platforms. Plus, the unfamiliar noises and smells given off by the platforms and along the roads travel for a very long way. And in the unlikely event that there was a major accident, such as a blowout, the damage could be quite widespread.
You are correct, Wildcat. Ethenol is a boondoggle. Plus there is a lot of controversy as to whether ethanol may damage engines. It is nothing more than another farm subsidy.Wildcat said:
Remember, moonshiners have to cut a lot of wood to fire the stills. You can also use propane, natural gas, or other fossil fuels but I'm sure you can see the problem w/ all of these fuels.
You are correct, Wildcat. Ethenol is a boondoggle. Plus there is a lot of controversy as to whether ethanol may damage engines. It is nothing more than another farm subsidy.
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It can also be used for any unconventional approach to a problem, which is why I picked it as a user name. For example, some now popular rifle cartridges (such as the .22/250) were originally "wildcat" cartridges, basically combining different bullets and casings to make a unique one.BTW, "wildcat" is a term for an exploration well drilled in areas with not much previous drilling. Posting in this topic is particularly appropriate for you, Mr. Cat.
It all has to be distilled, which requires energy. And the crop it comes from requires plowing, sowing, harvesting, transporting, etc. All of which use large amounts of fuel.
Maybe, but if this slideshow isn't misleading, the caribou seem to get over their shock and awe quickly enough...
Okay, here you're getting into cost vs. benefit analysis. Tell us the likelihood of a major accident (with 1 being certainty and 0 being impossibility), and we can multiply that by the cost of that accident, and determine the expected cost.
Wildcat, BP... too many oil references going on here...
No, the fact that you still have a VCR makes you one.
No, the fact that you still have a VCR makes you one.
No, but not knowing how to use the apostrophe key on your keyboard does.
Yep the caribou are doing nicely. Of course, there are other forms of life there besides caribou. Birds in particular are very sensitive to noise pollution.
All I'm pointing out is that there is an environmental footprint and a fairly significant one. Plants and animals that live in extreme environments are particularly sensitive to small changes in those environments. This is not to say it can't be done with minimal impact, but it must be done carefully.
Yep. 'Cause that's where the oil is. But just because you can do a thing does not mean you should do it. We will drill ANWR eventually. I don't believe that this is the time to do it.
It is currently possible to crack hydrogen from bio-fuels, most notably bio-diesel. Small-scale recombiners are already on the market. Unfortunately, i'm not familar with the actual energy ecomony involved; so I can't say whether it's a net-gain or net-loss tech.
"Alcohol is not the solution. Alcohol is merely a solvent. Beer is the solution."Ethanol as birth-control, that's the brewer's solution.
I've heard it said that alcohol is not the solution, and I agree. Alcohol is a solvent. A solution also requires a solute, which is the tricky bit.
Boo Hoo Hoo...now we have to pay $3.50 a gallon...the sky is falling...the sky is falling...SOS! save our SUVs Mr. Bush!
Meanwhile in Holland it's $6.48 USD a gallon, $5.80 USD in Sweden, $5.79 USD in Britain, $4.24 USD in Japan...(cite). $3.50/Gal is getting off easy!
{edited to add}
(heres a cool link gasbuddy.com )