Ethanol Use in US and Brazil Rises Sharply
In Europe, not so much…
Brazil, which has to a large degree lead the ethanol charge because of its ability to use sugar cane for ethanol production rather than corn, now relies on the biofuel for 16% of its energy needs. This puts ethanol at #2 in Brazil for largest energy sources, right ahead of hydroelectric, which accounts for 14.7% of electricity production. Both of these sources, however, are behind petroleum, which is the largest energy producer in Brazil.
In the US, on the other hand, ethanol still does not play such a prominent role, even though 23.7% of the annual corn crop is going to create biofuels. The market share that ethanol commands in the US will likely only increase, especially as new technologies allow for the production of cellulosic ethanol and sources other than corn come into vogue.
- » See also: Biofuels Breakthrough: Making Fuel From Air With Engineered Microbes
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Even though ethanol seems to be one of the waves of the future, this year production was actually down in Europe, even though that loss in production was made up for by imports from ethanol-rich Brazil. Globally, ethanol only contributed 1.3% to oil consumption in 2007, but that share does appear to be rising rapidly, especially as US politicians push ethanol subsidies and Brazil continues to ramp up production in order to satisfy world demand.
Posts Related to Ethanol and the Food vs. Fuel Debate:
- USDA Says Ethanol Accounts for Only 3% of Increased Cost of Food
- “Perfect Storm” Inflating Food Prices Worldwide
- Biodiesel Myth (Or Fact?) #23: Biodiesel is Raising Food Prices
- Europe’s EPA Advises Suspending Biofuel Targets
- 2015: 30% of US Corn Harvest Will Be Gasoline
Source: agra
Image credit: Jeffrey Beall under Creative Commons
If you would like to clear up much of the myths surrounding biofuels I suggest reading this point counter point betweeen Dr. David Pimentel, and Dr. Bruce E. Dale, both prominent leaders in the biofuel debate.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/85/8551cover.html
I know that 3 oz of actone per 10 gallons of gasoline gives maximum mileage boost, is 10% the maximum for ethanol?
[...] read more | digg story [...]
Ethanol is not evil, ethanol is merely alcohol, men have been making it with the help of yeast for at least 5,000 years. The egyptians brewed beer and the world did not end.There will always be hungry people in this world as long as there are people in this world, to blame ethanol is to have a rather simplistic view. Ethanol to be sure can be made from better things than corn, but corn is being used for whiskey, beer, soft drinks animal feed and pelletized for use in heating stoves, shall we attack every use of corn that isn’t for human food? Fix the broken governments, that can’t make sure everyone knows how to grow their own food, clean the water, fix the soil, it will do more good than blaming corn from half a world away.
I used to think ethanol was a fraud, but, …
The process of growing next year’s (preferably sugar or cellulose) crop for ethanol, through photosynthesis,
takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, storing it in both the product to make ethanol out of, and the roots of the plant grown (though soil organisms decompose the left-over roots into some carbon dioxide again) and it’s reabsorbed by the following year’s crop for ethanol
for ethanol!
For debunking of ethanol myths, visit:
http://www.alcoholcanbeagas.com
sugar is the only way to make ethanol 99% of the product grown and it wont affect food costs .you can use the sugar cane to produce the fuels to drive your tractor,you can use the sugar cane to drive your power station to extract the ethanol,you can use the bi, products to feed stock,you can use the last residue to make paper. and on the lighter side use all the sugar to produce ethanol and reduce our reliance on petroleum based product will reduce obesity iand tooth decay in our up and coming children of the world And all i say is get rid of the monopolies and let your local farmers make the money to invest in your country and keep the profits where they belong not in a lot of coporate offices
Wow…you guys are being brainwashed by the oil companies influence… I grew up in Brazil … and for over 30 years, people have been using Ethanol (from sugar cane) to fuel their cars there - Every gas station there have gas and ethanol - Car engines have ‘flex’ technology which allows for any type of fuel, or even a mix of them - So if one day you’re going to work, and gas is too much, put alchool, and vice-versa - The oil companies try to block any information coming from Brazil regarding the use o ethanol there - How many people here knew that brazil used ethanol for so many years? …Ya, I thought so..
I do agree that CORN Ethanol might have a few problems because of it’s ratio of its amount of corn per amount of alchool. And also because corn itself it’s a very consumed food item.
I believe the solution is for the developed countries to buy ethanol from sugar cane, from developing countries like Brazil, and african countries. This way we get our ethanol, food prices do not go up, and as a plus, we would help poor countries with more jobs in the ’sugar and alchool’ industry segment.
One problem thou… currently, brazilian ethanol exporters face a 50% tarrif when exporting into the US …yes, 50% … well, that’s to protect the corn ethanol producers …but again, if we end up going with another solution (like hydrogen, etc), the corn e. producers would be in trouble anyways…
stop the law on importing ethenol john mc cvain can do it we can have our suvs back gm ford chrsler can stop firing and hirind the unions will vote 4 mc cain and wont have a chicargo gangster comunist presedent im a jweish guy from ny tat will vote 4 john
bull crap we need it from brazil corn closing car factories 2 expensive from corn from brazil everone goes back 2 work only hurt the arabs and the sock monkey
Please make use of punctuation… Can’t understand what you’re saying…