Ethanol! What is it and is it a good idea?

First off what is Ethanol? You here about it all the time from the news and politicians. Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling crops that have been broken down into simple sugars. In the United States, ethanol is generally made from starch crops such as corn or sorghum. Ethanol production consumed about 11 percent of all U.S. grown corn in 2004. That number is expected to grow in years to come.

I don't like the idea of using food to produce fuel for vehicles. The amount of corn required to produce 32 gallons of ethanol (enough to fill pick-up or SUV) will feed one person for one year. Corn prices are already rising.

To make the existing oil last a little longer, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we are going to move away from oil that has only 2-3 major uses fuel, lubrication, plastics and move towards a resource "food" whch we all need to survive?

When more and more farmers begin growing corn instead of wheat, barley, alfalfa, soy etc. because of the huge demand for corn and the high price it commands, what will happen to the market for these other grains? They will be in short supply and the prices will rise. Who wants to pay more for food so that there vehicle can burn E85! This is crazy! Don't use food to run your car!

Brief Take

I no longer feel guilty at the gas pump. I now feel guilty eating beans…

I was reading Fox News and found this article in the Science section:

Researchers: Moose Gas Hurting Environment Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Researchers in Norway claim a grown moose can produce 2,100 kilos of methane a year, equivalent to the amount of CO2 caused by an 8,077-mile car trip, der Spiegel reported.

Norway’s national animal releases methane through burping and flatulence, as do cows, considered more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. There are estimated to be more than 100,000 moose in Norway.

Thoughts

Well its Monday and my 4^th semester is done. Its hard to believe its been 2 years sense I first showed up at Boyce College as a young shy freshman scared and uncertain about my calling into the ministry. Now two years have passed and I have changed so much. It is amazing to see were I was when I first came to Boyce verses were I am now. God has changed me in so many ways. I feel that I have moved away from milk and have moved onto solid foods. The main things God has taught me is patience! Waiting on God timing sense he knows best even though we think we know best and letting his will be done, not mine!

Even though I have come along ways I have along ways to go as Gods word continues to teach me and show me were I need to grow. I must fight the good fight and finish the race. Now that I am home there has been many distractions that have kept me from spending time in Gods word and in prayer with being home for the first time in 3 months. Distractions like Video Games! I have no papers to write, no chapters to read and no tests to study for. So I have spent a lot of time catching up on playing halo! Today I have made a stop to that! I have turned off the Xbox and unplugged it. I am making sure that Christ comes first. This morning I got up grabbed a notebook, pen and my apologetics study Bible and began reading in Ephesians, my favorite book of the Bible and began reading it and taking note and putting my thoughts on the verses, letting it soak into my mind and really meditating on it. On this blog I plan on posting some of my notes and thoughts on the word and of coarse other things that I find worth talking about.