Last night (it is now 4:59 AM on the 27th of October), I had the opportunity to see a screening of a new movie- Freedom. This semi-documentary was directed and produced by Rebecca and Josh Tickell. And, no, it’s not about the Bill of Rights, but about the use and production of ethanol fuels in the United States.
Their agenda is to convince Americato augment the production of ethanol fuels. That there has been a concerted effort by the petroleum industry to shut this avenue of fuel source down. The film was informative, and, as is true for most documentaries, primarily one-sided.
It is absolutely true that we can produce ethanol in America and reduce our dependence on oil imports. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what Brazil has done for its own economy (by legislative force), which does, indeed, afford it energy independence. Most automobiles in Brazil are powered by 100% ethanol (not the 10% that is the norm here in the US). It remains to be seen if Brazil shift this focus, now that it has found massive deposits of oil off its coastline. (One can only hope it still shall rely on its sugar-cane [locally grown] ethanol to power its automotive use.)
The film also explains the changes that have been made by ethanol plants in the US. How much the production efficiencies have increased. It also avers that, while corn growing requires a boatload of water, that water primarily comes from rainfall and not irrigation. Therein lies one of the ‘flicks of the hand’ that need more study. You see, during its peak growth, corn needs 0.3 inches of water a day (2 inches a week). That may be what falls in the Corn Belt, but we have corn to ethanol plants in the Carolinas, Gulf States, and the West. None of these areas reliably receive such rainfall during the growing season. So, irrigation is needed- and that changes the energy AND water balance claimed by the movie.
So, we may want to limit our ethanol from corn to certain regions. And, expand ethanol production to other agricultural feedstocks that require less water. But, right now- not including the water needed to grow the feedstocks- ethanol needs about 4.7 gallons of water per gallon of product- for the better run facilties (many still use 11). Compared to the 3.2 gal (to a high of 4.4) per gallon of crude for petroleum (NOT tar sands). Neither of these values include cooling water, which is typically 100% recycled. So, all these plants need to be situated where water is not in short supply.
The film also stresses the pollution from the Deepwater Horizon spill and the Athabascan tar sands projects. That this would not occur from ethanol plants. I would love to say this is true. And, as I have reported (many times including here and here, just for starters), the Deepwater Horizon disaster was man-made- by greed among Halliburton, BP, and Transocean, with a total lack of regulatory pressure from the US government. Kind of akin to the Wall Street fiasco that caused the Great Recession (with no executives still prosecuted from either of these two disasters). Given that ethanol production is being pushed by evangelists (who are businessfolks), one would expect better care- but, that does not always hold as the business expands and new entrants enter the fray (or Big Oil purchases existing facilities).
(An aside- not mentioned once by the movie. Ethanol fires burn hot and fast. And, most fire departments are not equipped to deal with ethanol fires. As ethanol use expands, these ethanol depots will become even more widespread. We need to have those regions with alcohol depots equipped and trained to deal with ethanol spills/fires.)
The real issue is that ethanol NEEDS to be among our feedstocks for motive fuel. What we can or can’t do for electricity is vastly different than what is needed for transportation, given current technologies. (Why is no one working on a new replacement engine?) We can switch to higher levels of ethanol use in our vehicles. Certainly as high as 30% for current vehicles manufactured by GM and Ford. (I believe this is true for Chrysler, as well, but I lack the data.) That is a domestic fuel source- which greatly affects our balance of trade. And, we can do so in similar fashion to the way Sunoco used to dispense its gas- by blending at the pump to the desired (or acceptable) levels chosen by you and me (the consumer). It’s time.
Was this movie produced with the help of the massive corn subsidy monies perhaps?
Marie:
I don’t think it got money directly from any subsidy. But, some of the the supporters of the cause are venture capitalists funding alternative energy (not just ethanol) who want a clean slate to be available for evaluating all fuel choices in the US.
Roy
Roy, I agree that ethanol is not the end-all be-all answer to our energy crisis. Your points about water consumption, not to mention transportation needs to get the ethanol where it needs to go are key reasons it’s not a viable solution long term.I don’t have any answers here, but do wish more R&D would go into alternative ways of powering things, including, as you mention, a new engine design. It’s scary to think that we may continue down this dead-end path until it is truly too late.
You’ve got those facts right, Lisbeth. When you speak to the filmmakers, they admit it is not the perfect answer- just a first step in weaning us away from BigOil- and opening the door to other alternative fuels.
Roy
I guess propaganda will always be with us. It’s a shame that a good idea is afraid to take a hit if it tells the truth.
I am not quite sure that covers this instance, Ann. I think many documentarians want to present the best facts and feel that their detractors will present the opposite side. It is a problem with most documentaries. This one is less one-sided than most… (A certain Michigander comes to mind, with whose positions I tend to agree, just not his expositions of same.)
Roy
Interesting, Roy. I didn’t hear you mention anything about whether or not any pollution is involved with ethanol production. Long ago, we lived somewhat near an ethanol plant and there was often a terrible smell – any idea what that was from? Just curious. Your article brought back those memories.
Not knowing the feedstock, it is hard to tell, Suerae. My guess is that the plant was biological in its base and you were smelling the yeast that were involved in fermenting the feedstock to ethanol. They have a distinct odor…
I have been involved with water reuse (and solids reuse) for ethanol, so that (a) water shortages in the area are not compounded by the placement of the facility and (b) that pollution to the rivers and streams is not an added component, as well as finding other uses for the solids not converted/remnants of the bioprocess.
Roy
Oh Roy, I wish I could get my brother to comment here. His alternate fuel business went bust because of compliance hold-ups. And there have been better engines, batteries and other similar developed and their patents are held by and large by people with vested interest in keeping them off the market. A friend of mine nearly lost his life working with an inventor of a battery that had a 150yr life. The inventor – sadly is no more. The battery and related patents – vanished.
Roberta:
Yes, there are people working hard for vested interests (oh, wait, we call them lobbyists). I have been involved in alternative fuel research and development on and off for nigh 40 years. And, modified a Stirling engine for a specific use (it worked; the product was licensed – and deep-sixed…)
That’s the purpose of this film. Ethanol is not THE answer, it may be AN answer, but it’s a first step in weaning away control from big oil…
Roy
Your very interesting and thought provoking article just proves there is no perfect cure for any problem we face, and the only way to reach success and manage our planet’s resources is through common sense and cooperation. Something that is definitely not happening between ethanol and petroleum proponents.
Good read!
Cath:
Thanks for joining the fray! And, you are ABSOLUTELY correct! There are no perfect solutions. And, if we keep waiting for one, we will never make any progress. That first wheel was made of rock. It did not handle bumps well. It broke. Now (albeit eons later), we have tires that can run flat for hours, handle bumps, skids, etc.
We need to make better choices each time. Only then can we eventually reach perfect…
Thanks so much for your comment.
Roy
Instead of modifying the post, I will add in some breaking news here.
Rick Perry used Pilgrim Pride’s plane for a ride to lobby the EPA to stop ethanol from corn. That way Pilgrim Pride could get cheaper corn to feed its chickens…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/us/politics/for-perry-use-of-private-jets-as-part-of-job.html?_r=1&ref=politics
Time and again we have seen free energy claims come and go. After watching the movie “Puncture”, I am pretty convinced that The Powers That Be buy out technologies and patents and hide them for their own greedy profits. But now, with the E-Cat already gone commercial, will we see a new paradigm emerge in all sectors of life and the world? It seems you cannot stop freedom. i.e. the Internet.
Well, Leigland, there is so much untruth out there on the internet (there is no truth police on the internet), that one can only hope the truth will out.
What I see more often is that deliberate falsehoods win out (volume- pun intended and both definitions- wise)….
Roy
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