If you're new here at Alternative Energy HQ, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed for all the latest updates on energy news. Thanks for visiting!

There is a good article in Rolling Stone about ethanol. They examine the whole ethanol policy and agribusiness connections with our politicians. I think it is a good read.

The great danger of confronting peak oil and global warming isn't that we will sit on our collective asses and do nothing while civilization collapses, but that we will plunge after "solutions" that will make our problems even worse. Like believing we can replace gasoline with ethanol, the much-hyped biofuel that we make from corn. Ethanol, of course, is nothing new. American refiners will produce nearly 6 billion gallons of corn ethanol this year, mostly for use as a gasoline additive to make engines burn cleaner. But in June, the Senate all but announced that America's future is going to be powered by [tag-tec]biofuels[/tag-tec], mandating the production of 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022. According to ethanol boosters, this is the beginning of a much larger revolution that could entirely replace our 21-million-barrel-a-day oil addiction. Midwest farmers will get rich, the air will be cleaner, the planet will be cooler, and, best of all, we can tell those greedy sheiks to fuck off. As the king of ethanol hype, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, put it recently, "Everything about ethanol is good, good, good."

My feeling is that [tag-ice]ethanol[/tag-ice] is great for a small impact alternative fuel or blended fuel but we sure cannot go the way of turning our corn crops into ethanol and think we are going to save the country from the evil foreign oil.

Rolling Stone's bottom line take:

In the end, the ethanol boom is another manifestation of America's blind faith that technology will solve all our problems.

Energy Tags: global warming, ethanol

As people become more aware of the damage that has been done to our planet and to the environment, questions have risen about what to do now to prevent further damage. E85 ethanol is the name that a fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline is called by in the United States. Its less commonly found than E10 ethanol which is 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline; most likely because vehicles with specially designed engines (called flexible fuel vehicles) are needed to burn E85 ethanol while E10 can be used in most existing vehicles in the U.S.

Why should a person consider purchasing a flexible fuel vehicle and using E85 Ethanol? In addition to the benefits to the environment that are realized because a person using E85 Ethanol is decreasing the amount of toxins released into the air by using the much cleaner E85, it is a fuel that can (and is) refined in the United States which lessens the countrys dependency on foreign oil imports. E85 Ethanol is also less expensive than gasoline, usually around 30 percent less.

Ethanol E85 is made from starchy feedstock, with corn being its major ingredient. Since corn is already being grown at a tremendous rate in the Midwest, it also signals prosperity for farmers. To date, there are over 600 pump stations in the United States that supply E85 Ethanol. That may not seem like very many stations, but that is twice the number of E85 stations that were in existence two years ago. Because of the focus being given to the environment along with cleaner burning and renewable fuels, the number E85 pumps is expected to rise significantly in the next few years. Currently, the Midwest has the largest concentration of E85 pumps at about 400.

Right now, there are some states, like Florida for instance, where E85 Ethanol is not available for sale to the public. Instead, the fuel is reserved for purchase by Federal fleets. Fortunately, there is talk about adding more pumps to those states that are currently without them in the near future.

What do most people consider the biggest advantage of using E85? Its that E85 ethanol is better for our environment. Not only does it reduce tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions, but it also burns clean because of its high oxygen content. In addition, it is also biodegradable and water-soluble. You know the smog you hate waking up to on some mornings? The fuel can also eliminate the smog by reducing the smog-forming pollutants at least by 15 percent.

Still, one may wonder what else sets Ethanol E85 apart from gasoline. Well, for one thing, the fuel itself has a reputation for offering high performance with a 100+octane rating, which rivals gasolines 87 octane rating. Those who use E85 Ethanol will attest that it gives a superb performance while also heightening horsepower.

The cost factor is also important in your decision to choose ethanol. Today, ethanol is currently being sold at prices approximately 35 percent lower than gasoline. But a persons realized savings will be a little less than 35 percent because E85 typically has a slightly lower fuel economy than regular gasoline. There is also a gas tax break/exemption on Ethanol that helps keep its price lower.

Even if you do not have a flexible fuel vehicle or have availability of E85 ethanol, seriously consider using E10 ethanol in your vehicle. E10 ethanol is widely available and is safe to use in most vehicles. And, even though it only contains 10 percent ethanol, it still releases fewer toxins into the air then regular gasoline making it a better choice for the environment. And, in order to help speed up the availability of E85 ethanol where you live, lobby your government representatives and let you know you want E85 available to you. And, the next time you go vehicle shopping, consider purchasing one of ever growing number of flexible fuel vehicles available.

Doreen Ruplinger

Dorrie Ruplinger is a featured contributor at GotEthanol . For information about E85 ethanol and the history of ethanol, visit us.

Many farmers in Kentucky are trading in their tractors and overalls for oil derricks and wildcatting gear. With the price of oil reaching an all time high and the family farm becoming more and more obsolete, the attraction of getting rich by striking oil on the family's back forty is becoming harder and harder to resist. And not without promise, with current geological readings estimating that nearly five billion barrels of oil reserves could be tucked away near Kentucky's famed coal mines of old.

More: continued here

SOARING DEMAND FOR [tag-tec]ETHANOL[/tag-tec] SPIKES CORN PRICES IN US

Increase in the demand for ethanol resulted in spiking prices of corn and shortage of some popular biotech hybrid seeds in US, since farmers are planting the crop in massive amounts.

Owing to the soaring demand for ethanol, corn prices have also jumped to an unparalleled level in US. Since corn is used massively to produce ethanol there. Consequently, the farmers in the country are all set to plant corn‘s crop in massive amounts this spring. This is creating dearth for some popular biotech hybrid seeds.

"It is a nationwide problem. One reason it is so severe in Kansas is that a lot of the seed available for us is being used to replace cotton acres in Texas and Mississippi. But the shortage is nationwide", Terry Vinduska, sales representative for the Pioneer Hybrid International, Marion, said in a statement that THE HUTCHINSON NEWS published on 14 March 2007.

Several acres of cotton would be planted for corn rather than cotton in 2007, said Vinduska, noting that the corn price had almost doubled in comparison to what it was during the same period a year ago (2006).

As a result of this some of the corn growers in Kansas might fail to find the biotech hybrids, which are corn borer, rootworm or herbicides resistant, added she.

In a statement that THE HUTCHINSON NEWS published on 14 March 2007, Kansas Corn Growers Association’s executive director, Jere White said that he anticipated a considerable growth over the year 2006. He also expected those additional core acres would come from farmers who’re shifting from soybean acres in Kansas.

As per the RNCOS report on “US Biotech Market Analysis”, “With the crisis of energy and surge in the prices of gas that surfaced in the US in recent years, there’s been a tremendous increase in the demand of alternative fuels such as ethanol. Growers in America could improve the production of corn by 39 Billion Pounds over the first decade of planting the biotechnology deprived crops.”

This research report on “US Biotech Market Analysis” provides extensive research and objective analysis of The Biotechnology industry in US. It helps clients in analyzing the opportunities critical to the growth of Biotechnology industry in US. The issues analyzed in this report include: market trends in the U.S Biotechnology industry, where the market will be after five years, opportunities that exist in U.S Biotechnology industry, driving factors for the U.S Biotechnology industry, and so on.

About RNCOS E-Services Pvt Ltd.:

RNCOS, incorporated in the year 2002, is an industry research firm. It has a team of industry experts who analyze data collected from credible sources. They provide industry insights and analysis that helps corporations to take timely and accurate business decision in today's globally competitive environment.

For more information visit: http://www.rncos.com/Report/IM0300.htm Current Industry News: http://www.rncos.com/blog

Energy Tags: biotech, energy

With the crisis in oil and natural gas prices, the continued violence in the Middle East, and the environmental concerns brought front and center by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, alternative fuels have managed to become a topic of conversation in the mainstream media. Unfortunately, not all proposals make sense environmentally. The energy crisis has given the nuclear industry a major boost, despite problems with nuclear waste and vulnerability to terrorist threats, and Republicans in Congress are pushing even harder for drilling on the ecologically fragile Alaskan slopes. Meanwhile the oil companies, in an attempt to keep a stranglehold on the production of energy, are the ones getting billions of dollars in support for developing new technologies, including hydrogen fuel cell and ethanol development. Lets face it: If Standard Oil or Exxon could figure out a way to put a meter on the sun, wed have solar energy in abundance tomorrow. Meanwhile, we really need to challenge this notion of having multinational, multi-billion-dollar companies the ones responsible for doling out our energy needs. Bringing energy production back to our shores from the Middle East, Venezuela, and other political hotspots is only the beginning of a solution. We need every region in this country, and every community in each region, to make energy production a priority. In the Midwest, that can mean a combination of wind, solar, and ethanol or biodiesel production. Farmers particularly vulnerable to a rise in fuel to run their farm equipment could have their own small ethanol or biodiesel plants on-site, growing the raw material and then producing the fuel they need to operate their tractors, combines, and other machines. The Southeast could adopt solar technology on a house-by-house basis; just retrofitting every mobile home in the Sun Belt with solar air-conditioning capability could save billions in fuel demands every year. In the Northeast, a combination of solar energy and wind power in the summer and wind and biodiesel use in the winter, with family farms growing much of the raw material for the biodiesel, could cut the regions dependency on heating oil, propane, and natural gas during the coldest months of the year. And all over the country, using sustainable farming and foresting methods to product corn and wood pellet products would provide still another efficient, low-emissions fuel. Even hydrogen technology makes more sense produced on a local basis as part of a comprehensive energy plan. Hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules into its component hydrogen and oxygen atoms; the hydrogen is then burned, producing more water. Using up massive amounts of water in centralized plants would put a tremendous demand on a localitys water supply, and then would affect the environment in ways not now known as the fuel is burned and the water redistributed around the country. Locally, hydrogen could be produced using solar energy on a building by building basis, and then could be stored and used to fuel cars or for household energy use. The water produced by burning the hydrogen could also conceivably be collected and reused, limiting the demand on the water supply. Thinking locally in terms of energy production and use could serve not only to break our dependence on foreign oil but could eventually free us from relying on corporate entities for our energy needs. That is true energy independence.

Aldene Fredenburg

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com.