Comments on: Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Tinkering with energy regulation can have disastrous consequences” http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2008/07/03/today-in-biofuels-opinion-tinkering-with-energy-regulation-can-have-disastrous-consequences/ The world's most widely-read biofuels daily Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:30:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Scottla http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2008/07/03/today-in-biofuels-opinion-tinkering-with-energy-regulation-can-have-disastrous-consequences/comment-page-1/#comment-1611 Scottla Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:33:08 +0000 http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/?p=3465#comment-1611 I'll not reprise the pro/con of the food for fuel debate here. What I am curious about is Peter Brabeck-Letmathe's comments about water use and fuel production. !0,000 litres is roughly 2,600 gallons, so his comment suggests that it takes 2,600 gallons of water to produce 2 gallons of ethanol. From where do these numbers come? General production figures I'm familiar with are at ratios of roughly 3:1! It's outlandish claims and bizarre calculations like this that make this debate, at least currently, so ineffective. (As an aside, it's worth noting that it takes roughly 2 gallons of water to complete the production of one gallon of gasoline. These are the numbers that will result from efficient cellulosic ethanol production, if not better.) I’ll not reprise the pro/con of the food for fuel debate here. What I am curious about is Peter Brabeck-Letmathe’s comments about water use and fuel production. !0,000 litres is roughly 2,600 gallons, so his comment suggests that it takes 2,600 gallons of water to produce 2 gallons of ethanol.

From where do these numbers come? General production figures I’m familiar with are at ratios of roughly 3:1! It’s outlandish claims and bizarre calculations like this that make this debate, at least currently, so ineffective.

(As an aside, it’s worth noting that it takes roughly 2 gallons of water to complete the production of one gallon of gasoline. These are the numbers that will result from efficient cellulosic ethanol production, if not better.)

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