Mercedes to go Green. ALL Green. No Petroleum by 2015.

[nando]

yeah, instead of burning oil from the ground, we can burn our food! take that ethipoia! ;)

[Jand3rson]

x2

I just hope in the future when everyones green, they will have something to swap into our e30's

I'll just find a 524td and swap that engine into my E30, and make my own biodiesel.

[joshh]

Is it too late to call BS?......ok,ok

I don't see it happening. And wouldn't that make their cars weigh in at 5k instead of 4K?

[rwh11385]

yeah, instead of burning oil from the ground, we can burn our food! take that ethipoia! ;)

you actually don't use up the protein feed value in making ethanol. google DDGs. the corn still goes to its intended purpose after having its starch energy transformed into biofuel

the corn being used isn't even for human consumption...

*the more you know*

[atomic]

I'll just find a 524td and swap that engine into my E30, and make my own biodiesel.

I am already thinking along those lines but not only have it able to run on biodiesel but then be able to switch over to 100% veg oil...

[Sam Cogley]

you actually don't use up the protein feed value in making ethanol. google DDGs. the corn still goes to its intended purpose after having its starch energy transformed into biofuel

the corn being used isn't even for human consumption...

*the more you know*

Instead of "the more BS info paid for by Big Oil."

[Erick]

you actually don't use up the protein feed value in making ethanol. google DDGs. the corn still goes to its intended purpose after having its starch energy transformed into biofuel

the corn being used isn't even for human consumption...

*the more you know*

The incentives to plan such corn are so great that farmers are starting to plant more corn than food itself. I think that's the point nando is making.

[rwh11385]

Instead of "the more BS info paid for by Big Oil."

One of my friends, actually 2, work for Exxon and have very programmed, ignorant hatred for ethanol.

The incentives to plan such corn are so great that farmers are starting to plant more corn than food itself. I think that's the point nando is making.

No sense make you. Farmers aren't planting food? Corn is still used in the feed chain after being used for ethanol.

[nando]

you actually don't use up the protein feed value in making ethanol. google DDGs. the corn still goes to its intended purpose after having its starch energy transformed into biofuel

the corn being used isn't even for human consumption...

*the more you know*

oh really? is that why the price of corn, rice, soy, barley and hops has skyrocketed across the globe? (ask ze germans how zey feel about bier prices) is that why they're leveling forrests down in south america so they can plant crops for ethanol production?

ethanol isn't the savior of the enviroment or the economy. is it an alternative to oil? sure. But think of it this way - gas prices go up. What can I do? Simple - use less. I can carpool, ride a bike, walk, bus, etc. etc (and I have reduced my fuel use by half, even getting poorer MPG). But food prices go up 300% (in the case of some staples like rice). How do you eat less?

[rwh11385]

oh really? is that why the price of corn, rice, soy, barley and hops has skyrocketed across the globe? (ask ze germans how zey feel about bier prices) is that why they're leveling forrests down in south america so they can plant crops for ethanol production?

ethanol isn't the savior of the enviroment or the economy. is it an alternative to oil? sure. But think of it this way - gas prices go up. What can I do? Simple - use less. I can carpool, ride a bike, walk, bus, etc. etc (and I have reduced my fuel use by half, even getting poorer MPG). But food prices go up 300% (in the case of some staples like rice). How do you eat less?

Price has corn has skyrocketed for 2 reasons (make that three after this past month).

1) Oil prices. Transportation costs are up which affect every industry. Why is oil demand up? Years of using emerging Asian markets for cheap labor gave them more income, and now China has a lot of cars to power as well as other energy needs. (Ethanol and the increased production over the recent years has helped to keep crude oil and gas prices down)

2) Asian demand for high quality protein. They have more income and want more meat which drives up demand for the feed corn.

[3) the flooding and heavy rain last month ruined some acres and prevented some from planting so this will be a bad year and corn prices are UP]

A lot of people correlate increased food prices on ethanol production but only 4% of that can be attributed to ethanol, the rest are other factors - most strong is the rise in energy costs which ethanol is helping to regulate.

Brazil has been using sugarcane for ethanol production for years. We aren't influencing them much down there. We simply wanted to catch up and now have surpassed them in ethanol production.

It's not my fault you misplace blame for food price increases, but you can do your part to reduce demand for energy - but ethanol helps to reduce demand for oil as well.

[rwh11385]

Chris, so should you really be hating on ethanol which is helping to keep gas prices down? Or be hating ourselves for "exploiting" Chinese labor for all these years

http://www.iags.org/china.htm

With 1.3 billion people, the People's Republic of China is the world's most populous country and the second largest oil consumer, behind the U.S. In recent years, China has been undergoing a process of industrialization and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. With real gross domestic product growing at a rate of 8-10% a year, China's need for energy is projected to increase by 150 percent by 2020. to sustain its growth China requires increasing amounts of oil. Its oil consumption grows by 7.5% per year, seven times faster than the U.S.'

hina's expectation of growing future dependence on oil imports has brought it to acquire interests in exploration and production in places like Kazakhstan, Russia, Venezuela, Sudan, West Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Canada. But despite its efforts to diversify its sources, China has become increasingly dependent on Middle East oil. Today, 58% of China's oil imports come from the region. By 2015, the share of Middle East oil will stand on 70%. Though historically China has had no long-standing strategic interests in the Middle East, its relationship with the region from where most of its oil comes is becoming increasingly important.

Another contributor to the sharp increase in automobile sales is the very low price of gasoline in China. Chinese gasoline prices now rank among the lowest in the world for oil-importing countries, and are a third of retail prices in Europe and Japan, where steep taxes are imposed to discourage gasoline use.

---

China to have 140 million cars by 2020
China expects to have 140 million automobiles plying its roads by 2020, seven times more than now, fueling demand for transportation infrastructure and services, state media reports.

Li Xinghua, deputy director of the Communication Ministry's Comprehensive Planning Department, predicted that China's auto population would eventually reach around 250 million, or about 150 cars per 1,000 people.

Government statistics show that China produced a record four million autos in 2003, when the number of private cars grew by 80 percent thanks to the country's strong economic advance and growing middle class.

It is estimated that this year's production will top five million units, making China the world's third-largest auto manufacturer after the United States and Japan.

- - -

It seems like a good fucking time to me to pursue more efficient vehicles with less dependence on petroleum. Whether MB is talking full alternative fuel, or just E85 across the board, I'd say encourage it rather than hate on it. The big three will have 50% of their cars E85 ready if the distribution is ready for them by 2012.

Corn will be able to produce enough ethanol for 10% mix in all gas by 2015 and meet the new RFS HR 6 (2007) requirements. The cell wall based ethanol production should be efficient hopefully by 2022 in order to make the other 21 million gallons of ethanol production for use in E85 by the RFS goal as well.

Biofuels was an idea supposed by Henry Ford in 1908, and now by the President, next President, past president Clinton, my senator Bayh and 36 governors (at least). Get with the program and realize the benefits you are already reaping.

[Erick]

No sense make you. Farmers aren't planting food? Corn is still used in the feed chain after being used for ethanol.

I dont know about whatever state you come from, but most of the world would straight up refuse to live off corn for the rest of their lives. :p

- Erick

[rwh11385]

I dont know about whatever state you come from, but most of the world would straight up refuse to live off corn for the rest of their lives. :p

- Erick

Corn is an important feed for dairy, beef, pork, and chicken... do you not like to eat any of these animals?

Education is valuable. Maybe not slinging parts for Harry enough to learn more about what you're making haphazard assumptions about based on some uneducated liberal theory.

[StereoInstaller1]

Heeter, you are a straight up dipshit, but I love your posts.

At least in this thread, you are making logical points, leaving the typical right wing rhetoric and knee jerk reactions out of the discussion...good job, you sound so damn smart I could just cry.

Now, go spend your brainpower making an E30 run off of E85.

Bigger injectors and a custom chip? Gotta bump the compression too? Shave the head and a custom cam sprocket to regain the cam timing, WTF, Mate?

Oh yeah, and find a few more places to buy the crap here in Chicken Saw County...2 locations at all, one is not available to normal citizens.

[rwh11385]

Dipshit? I'm not the one believing stupid statements made by liberal bloggers without doing studies to find the real underlying issues of what they are talking about.

There are now 1,600 E85 stations in the US, out of 160,000 stations total. Sorry you are not lucky enough to have many accessible. 60% of US gas still has ethanol in it and it has helped to reduce gas prices by $.30 - $.40 than if production had not been increased. It's a cheap and enviro-friendly replacement for MTBE and also helps to keep money in the nation and create jobs rather than abroad in a dangerous region.