Friday, April 4, 2008

Two things about ethanol

  1. Leaving aside the energy required for water purification and irrigation, farm equipment, and transportation, to grow corn in the high density intensive way we do today requires a lot of nitrogen fertilizer, and it takes a whole lot of energy to make nitrogen fertilizer. You get way less fossil fuel replacement out of ethanol fuels made from corn than the fossil fuels that go in to making it. The only reason it looks economical are the ridiculous reality distorting government subsidies to corn growers.
  2. To you really think it's a good idea to have "gas for cars" and "cheap food for the population" directly compete in the market? Really?

The Dot Corn Bubble

Article on the distorted economics of corn and ethanol fuels and India