GoodFuels

New ethanol site launched

The Renewable Fuels Association launched their newest online venture today - Choose Ethanol.

The new website features a section dedicated exclusively to E85, plus a news center and quick facts. You can sign up to stay informed about the ethanol discussion as well as follow RFA on twitter, facebook, youtube and flickr.

This is a great place to point not only those who have basic questions about ethanol as a motor fuel, but also those who wish to delve deeper into what ethanol can do for the country, like how ethanol can improve national security.

Be sure to spread the word about this site. It’s great resource that will surely develop as the go-to place for up to the minute information on ethanol.

Click here to visit Choose Ethanol.

photo by whatknot.

New study: ethanol not threat to environment

Radio Iowa had this story late last week:

A new study published by the “Ethanol Across America” group says that production and use of ethanol is not causing the deforestation of rainforests. The study suggests that deforestation is more likely the result of cattle production.

Sneller (head of Ethanol Board in Nebraska) says it’s evident there’s very little deforestation taking place and what little tree-cutting is happening is typically related to the use of grassland and forests for cattle production and to a limited extent, for soybeans. In Brazil, for example, that deforestation is done mostly for human uses of the land, rather than fuels.

Sneller continues to say that ethanol production is improving and that the fuel is much better for the environment than petroleum.

He says, “The new report is one that reaffirms what we’ve heard from the University of Nebraska and others that ethanol, particularly made in today’s plants with the newest technology, makes a significant contribution to greenhouse gas reductions, particularly relative to refined gasoline products.” Supporters say ethanol is becoming more efficient and economical to produce, while oil will become more expensive and continue to do environmental damage.

Land-use change is a complex issue and will continue to be studied for years to come. Studies like this bring us closer to the truth.

Photo by crustmania.

Impact of ethanol on farmers

Via Daily Finance:

In an interview with farmer Brent Porteus, past president of the Ohio Corn Growers Association, Daily Finance discusses the corn market and “prospects for the future”.

When asked how ethanol impacted his farming operation in the past year, Porteus has this to say:

“The impact of ethanol is not as great as many people believe. It’s still only a part of the market — last year, three billion bushels. Sixty percent of our corn production is used to feed livestock, while over two billion bushes went to export last year, up 6 percent. Last summer, China was buying commodities, since they were a bargain due to the weak dollar. The spike in grain prices occurred when oil prices went up and the stock market declined, and money looking for a safe haven flowed into commodities. This ‘perfect storm’ was what drove prices up steeply for a couple of months. It wasn’t a corn problem; it was an energy problem.”

As for the food vs fuel debate, he believes that this country’s farmers will be able to renewable fuel and feed the country at the same time:

Porteus points to the dramatic increase in our nation’s yield per acre over the past 30 years. In 1978, the U.S. corn harvest was about 6.3 billion bushels; in 2008, 12.1 billion. He believes that, with new planting technology and improvements in the corn stock, farmers will be able to increase their yields to serve the ethanol industry without driving up food prices. Also, as the USDA points out, only 19 percent of our food cost comes from the cost of grains and seed oils.

Interesting interview. Read the whole thing here.

Photo courtesy of rsgreen89.