Comments on: Pawlenty. Wow. https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:34:55 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1282 TB Sat, 28 May 2011 19:39:52 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1282 Corn ethanol is a racket. The companies that thrive on it are textbook examples - literally - of government subsidies of corporations. As you point out, biofuels make sense only if made from agricultural wastes or low-maintenance crops that grow in places unsuited for food crops (algae might be one example, or switchgrass). Historically, the function of a cow has been to take the undigestible (to humans) cellulose that covers much of the planet, and turn it into things humans can eat. This basic idea tends to get lost when we feed cows people food. Biofuels are the same way. The ideal biofuel would be made from an otherwise useless weed or something like that. Wonder if anyone's tried making it from kudzu... Best long-range idea might be to engineer a plant or algae specifically for fuel. Either by normal breeding or genetic engineering. I know a lot of work is being done in this area, but it's been a while since I checked in on the industry. Corn ethanol is a racket. The companies that thrive on it are textbook examples – literally – of government subsidies of corporations. As you point out, biofuels make sense only if made from agricultural wastes or low-maintenance crops that grow in places unsuited for food crops (algae might be one example, or switchgrass).

Historically, the function of a cow has been to take the undigestible (to humans) cellulose that covers much of the planet, and turn it into things humans can eat. This basic idea tends to get lost when we feed cows people food. Biofuels are the same way. The ideal biofuel would be made from an otherwise useless weed or something like that. Wonder if anyone’s tried making it from kudzu…

Best long-range idea might be to engineer a plant or algae specifically for fuel. Either by normal breeding or genetic engineering. I know a lot of work is being done in this area, but it’s been a while since I checked in on the industry.

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1279 ER Sat, 28 May 2011 18:43:21 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1279 Has anyone actually sat down and calculated the energy budget (not just the economic tradeoffs) for ethanol? It takes energy to grow crops, lots of it. Fertilizer, chemicals, farm machinery, irrigation, silage drying and storage, transport, processing and refining, and finally, distribution and marketing; I wouldn't be surprised if we needed more fossil fuel energy to make biofuel than we got out of it when we burned it. Fermenting agricultural wastes like the Brazilians do makes sense, but this biofuels thing is lunacy. Are politicians (and farmers) so conscienceless that they simply don't care? Surely, they've done the math. Has anyone actually sat down and calculated the energy budget (not just the economic tradeoffs) for ethanol? It takes energy to grow crops, lots of it. Fertilizer, chemicals, farm machinery, irrigation, silage drying and storage, transport, processing and refining, and finally, distribution and marketing; I wouldn’t be surprised if we needed more fossil fuel energy to make biofuel than we got out of it when we burned it.

Fermenting agricultural wastes like the Brazilians do makes sense, but this biofuels thing is lunacy. Are politicians (and farmers) so conscienceless that they simply don’t care? Surely, they’ve done the math.

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1262 TB Sat, 28 May 2011 15:54:44 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1262 <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/28/romney-hey-i-like-ethanol-subsidies/" rel="nofollow">And then there's Romney.</a> Sigh. And then there’s Romney. Sigh.

]]> By: mcfly https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1239 mcfly Sat, 28 May 2011 00:07:47 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1239 As always Eri, you have a wonderful way with words. I appreciate honesty in politics as much as anyone, and it can make the electorate snap to for a while, but I don't think it's sustainable in the long run. How does that old saying go about relationships..."love is not enough." In politics, I don't think honesty is enough. Sooner or later, only lies will do. As always Eri, you have a wonderful way with words.

I appreciate honesty in politics as much as anyone, and it can make the electorate snap to for a while, but I don’t think it’s sustainable in the long run.

How does that old saying go about relationships…”love is not enough.” In politics, I don’t think honesty is enough. Sooner or later, only lies will do.

]]> By: Eri https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1188 Eri Thu, 26 May 2011 23:55:02 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1188 I hear the screech as he plummets to earth, nosediving himself into oblivion. I hear the screech as he plummets to earth, nosediving himself into oblivion.

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1185 TB Thu, 26 May 2011 21:33:17 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1185 Well, heck, you better cut back on the cajun food then. Well, heck, you better cut back on the cajun food then.

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1184 ER Thu, 26 May 2011 21:10:05 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1184 Take a deep breath, bucko. That ain't ear smoke. :) Take a deep breath, bucko. That ain’t ear smoke. :)

]]> By: ER https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1183 ER Thu, 26 May 2011 21:07:41 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1183 Hysteria? Moi? Tom, I don't come here every day spamming the premises and selling my snake oil, desperately trying to get someone, anyone to listen. The Republican party is finished, unless Obama can't turn the Bush Recession around. So far he's only succeeded in stopping it. But you're terrified the economy will improve substantially by election time. That's why you guys hate him, and will do everything you can to undermine him, no matter who gets hurt. You're afraid you've seen your last tax cut. And now, you'll have to excuse me. I have to go watch "Hardball". Toodle-oo! Hysteria? Moi? Tom, I don’t come here every day spamming the premises and selling my snake oil, desperately trying to get someone, anyone to listen.

The Republican party is finished, unless Obama can’t turn the Bush Recession around. So far he’s only succeeded in stopping it. But you’re terrified the economy will improve substantially by election time.

That’s why you guys hate him, and will do everything you can to undermine him, no matter who gets hurt. You’re afraid you’ve seen your last tax cut.

And now, you’ll have to excuse me. I have to go watch “Hardball”.
Toodle-oo!

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1182 TB Thu, 26 May 2011 20:56:07 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1182 Almost as much fun as getting you down to Primal Rant mode. I can see the ear smoke on the weather radar. :) Almost as much fun as getting you down to Primal Rant mode. I can see the ear smoke on the weather radar. :)

]]> By: TB https://www.habitablezone.com/2011/05/26/pawlenty-wow/#comment-1181 TB Thu, 26 May 2011 20:42:14 +0000 http://184.73.169.189/?p=1196#comment-1181 <blockquote>"Tom, you should know by now, the last election don’t mean squat. It’s the next election that matters."</blockquote> Odd. Not what I heard from everyone after 2008. It was the End of the Right, and the dawn of the Great Progressive Future. How did Time magazine put it? "We are all socialists now." What was the title of Carville's book again? "40 More Years. How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation." <blockquote>"What you should be worrying about now is how the Right has squandered what little progress it made then by slavishly promoting all these knuckle-draggers, trailer ladies and hillbilly Hitlers in your futile effort to rile up the redneck Right into a cross-burning frenzy. Not even the Tea Party wants anything to do with your voodoo budget."</blockquote> Heh. No hysteria there! At least Republicans are showing up with budgets. See <a href="http://184.73.169.189/2011/05/25/budget-votes-in-the-senate/" rel="nofollow">thread below.</a>

“Tom, you should know by now, the last election don’t mean squat. It’s the next election that matters.”

Odd. Not what I heard from everyone after 2008. It was the End of the Right, and the dawn of the Great Progressive Future. How did Time magazine put it? “We are all socialists now.” What was the title of Carville’s book again? “40 More Years. How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation.”

“What you should be worrying about now is how the Right has squandered what little progress it made then by slavishly promoting all these knuckle-draggers, trailer ladies and hillbilly Hitlers in your futile effort to rile up the redneck Right into a cross-burning frenzy. Not even the Tea Party wants anything to do with your voodoo budget.”

Heh. No hysteria there! At least Republicans are showing up with budgets. See thread below.

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