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The idea behind ethanol, however, was not strictly economic. It also focused on energy independence. In other words, not counting on unreliable foreign sources to keep providing us with oil. By creating an ethanol industry, we now have the capability of making at least some of the fuel on which our vehicles run, should there be a problem with the supply of oil. It is certainly not THE answer to energy independence, but it's one aspect of moving us in that direction."
There happens to be more than a 'Saudi Arabia' in the western states that the 'greenies' in Washington won't let us touch.
If it takes more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than the gallon of ethanol can produce itself, how does that help energy self sufficiency?
My take on it is that it lessens the dependency on foreign oil. Corn, switchgrass, whatever is used, is grown here, processed into fuel here, and used here. IOW, suffiency does not necessarily mean efficiency. I'm not defending ethanol nor bombarding it, just stating how I understand it to be.
IMO, T. Boone Pickens was right about gradually switching over most forms of transportation to burn natural gas, or propane. It is ridiculously cheap (compared to diesel and gasoline) because of the over-abundance of it here, and more efficient ways of extracting it. I ran an 454 c.i. GMC irrigation pump on propane for 31 years with hardly any maintenance. You had to make yourself change the oil, it burned so clean.
SRH
