EES 0836 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Solar Irradiance, Corn Oil
3 Apr 2016
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Lecture - 2: why are we even talking about ethanol, we put more energy into agriculture than we get out (in terms of caloric content) by about a factor of 2 10. At least in our modern, petrol-based mechano-farming. Sure, we can do better by improving efficiencies: estimates on energy return from corn ethanol. Controversial: some say you get out 0. 7 times the energy out that you put in. Corn has worked its way into many of our foods: high fructose corn syrup, cow feed, corn oil for cooking. Thus the attraction for corn ethanol (which does get subsidies: can supplant actual food production, driving up price of food. There have been tortilla shortages in mexico because corn ethanol is squeezing the market. After all, we only have a finite agricultural capacity. Both land, and water are limited, especially water: ethanol from sugar cane can be 8:1 favorable. Brazil doing very well this way: but corn is the wrong answer!
