Iowa’s ethanol industry, which exists only because of federal and state subsidies and mandates, reportedly may collapse if it cannot build massive statewide networks of pipelines for distributing and burying the carbon dioxide emitted by its ethanol plants. These infrastructure projects would require taking farmers’ land through eminent domain.
You might suspect that ethanol, as a plant-based alcohol, is an environmentally friendly fuel. It is not. Yes, the carbon dioxide emitted by burning ethanol is theoretically recaptured by the next crop of corn, but that tailpipe-to-cornfield carbon balance isn’t the only factor. For example, ethanol evaporates much more easily than gasoline, which is one reason the EPA restricts its summertime use.
Although many experts and scientists doubt this will work, it could be a very innovative solution to the problems caused by rising CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. But as you might guess, building hundreds of miles of pipelines across Iowa means running pipelines across farmers’ lands. Iowa state regulators currently have the power to take land from landowners for the sake of building pipelines.
Ethanol is a waste. Costs more, doesn’t save any energy, and ruins engines.
Good riddance.
Valero & BlackRock want to build a 1,300 mile long, 1 mile-deep pipeline to bury carbon DIOXIDE - which is natural & what we exhale & is what plants NEED to make OXYGEN. Carbon DIOXIDE is not the same as carbon MONOXIDE that comes out of tailpipes -- but nobody points that out👇
Are they going to pay for this land or just take it
Humans put out more carbon dioxide than those do so I guess we all should stop breathing