31 replies to this topic

[tycoonboy388]

E85 will work in any car. Gasoline companies have started a program where they will begin to mix E85 ethanol with regular gas, though I don't know what the ratio of E85 to gas is, and how widespread the program is at the moment. E85 will just burn cleaner and more efficiently if its used in a newer car with an engine designed for E85 ethanol.

E85 ethanol releases fewer greenhouse emissions, which in turns does less damage to the earth.

[Hi its me the new guy]

But it still releases G.H.emissions right?? The ozone layer doesn't look too good right now... if we can produce E85 and everyone in the you.S. uses it, it still might not help. I don't think we'll be able to convince large oil producing countries to convert to E85, i mean it would mainly take out their main way of making money (ex. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, etc...), so its a really big issue...

[tycoonboy388]

Well, corn can't grow everywhere, and obviously the Saudis or the Iranian's will not be able to produce E85 ethanol anyway. Besides oil would still be used for larger industrial plants, and oil is used in making plastics (currently the cheapest way to do so), so its not like we're going to destroy their economies in the process, we'll just use less oil, which will allow us to continue with a newer energy source.

Concerning the ozone layer, we're not helping it by putting a space shuttle or new satelite through it every so often. Though we can manufacture ozone, our attempts to rebuild the layer have been futile. It's going to break apart, the only thing we can do right now is slow down the breaking process by switching over to ethanol, which is much cleaner and more efficient (so our production of greenhouse gases will drop drastically).

[djharkavy]

Hi its me the new guy, on Sep 15 2006, 05:02 PM, said:

But it still releases G.H.emissions right?? The ozone layer doesn't look too good right now... if we can produce E85 and everyone in the you.S. uses it, it still might not help. I don't think we'll be able to convince large oil producing countries to convert to E85, i mean it would mainly take out their main way of making money (ex. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, etc...), so its a really big issue...

Greenhouse gases, and ozone degradation are two different issues.

[Hi its me the new guy]

djharkavy, on Sep 15 2006, 06:07 PM, said:

Greenhouse gases, and ozone degradation are two different issues.

Really? I thought that greenhouse gases was creating the hole because its traping in all the carbon dioxide or was it minoxide (please excuse my spelling) and that the carbon was creating the hole...

[djharkavy]

Hi its me the new guy, on Sep 15 2006, 09:19 PM, said:

Really? I thought that greenhouse gases was creating the hole because its traping in all the carbon dioxide or was it minoxide (please excuse my spelling) and that the carbon was creating the hole...

The Ozone hole was caused by CFCs which were emitted primarily by aerosols. We have stopped using the CFC's for the main part, but they take decades to break down. So the ozone is still breaking down faster than it forms. And, for the record, it is a thinning of the ozone layer, not an actual hole.

Greenhouse gases are gases such as CO2 and Methane which trap infrared energy (after light from the sun hits the earth and warms it) preventing heat from escaping.

There is no relation at all between greenhouse gases/global warming and ozone depletion that I am aware of.

[leo2car]

For the record, prices have been droping in the last few months.

[Sydnias_Wolff]

Because they're trying everything and looking everywhere for that precious black liquid we all know and love. They had a 60 Minutes about this a month back. Alberta (In Canada) has massive oil sand/shale reserves, and we've been tapping in on them for a while now I believe.

Unfortunately, 60 Minutes failed to mention that the fuel yield from converting oil sand into oil is very minimal, and it's very expensive - simply because the converting process involves: 1) Driving a massive load of oil sand down to a processing facility. 2) Heating the oil sand to 500C, and enriching it with hydrogen. 3) Separating the result from waste material.

Regardless, oil prices are going to skyrocket whether we find new reserves or not. THere's only so much oil in the world that can be produced, and after it's all used up, where will we turn?

[tycoonboy388]

It's probably never going to get used up, we're probably going to reach a point first where the reserves become so minimal that no one will want to drill for them and refine them. Thats when the real energy crisis will occur, when the rich people no longer stand to make a profit, they will stop drilling for oil.

Thats why projects like hydrogen fuel cells and E85 ethanol are so integral to our continued survival. As well, they will also help save the earth (as E85 releases far fewer greenhouse gases, and the only wasteproduct of fuel cells is water).

[Hi its me the new guy]

leo2car, on Sep 15 2006, 10:50 PM, said:

For the record, prices have been droping in the last few months.

True, gas prices have been dropping. Last i checked the average price this week was $2.90 in most parts of NY... i think its cheaper in NJ... and why is it cheaper in NJ??!!

[djharkavy]

Hi its me the new guy, on Sep 17 2006, 05:14 PM, said:

i think its cheaper in NJ... and why is it cheaper in NJ??!!

NJ has lower state taxes on gasoline than NY. Therefore lower prices.

They USED to have almost no state taxes on gasoline, and prices were MUCH lower. But they still have less than most states.

[tycoonboy388]

NJ's state tax on gas is still much lower. Remember you're also paying for full service in NJ, even though its mandated (I always laugh at NJ kids trying to pump their own gas), it still has to be considered into the prices.

I think much of NY's gas tax goes into NYSDOT's operating budgets, but I might be mistaken on that.