New ethanol plants face an old problem - NIMBY
In recent years America's beleaguered farmers have seen some welcome relief in the form of growing demand for corn to produce ethanol. As new ethanol production plants have popped up they have created new jobs, but it hasn't all been rosy. Everyone wants more ethanol plants, just Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY). People have begun to push back against plans to build new plants in their communities (actually, ethanol NIMBYism is nothing new).
Setting up facilities like the one pictured above in small rural towns can cause a significant increase in traffic and noise. The plants also bring new emissions that some residents fear could taint other local products and produce a rather nasty smell. There is also the not insignificant issue of water demand (see exampes #1, #2, and #3). Producing ethanol from corn consumes a lot of water. That's water that the local residents need for their own use not to mention irrigation for their crops. It looks like the honeymoon may be over for corn ethanol. The cellulosic ethanol developers better get cracking.
Related:
[Source: International Herald Tribune]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ivanj 8:34PM (11/12/2007)
I toured an ethanol plant in Canada recently and it was quiet, clean, and a real tribute to the foresight of our neighbors to the North.
All those Brazilians can't be wrong...even though they use cane, I know.
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Tim 9:41AM (11/13/2007)
Fences can take care of the “view” and scrubbers can clean any exhausts, so I don’t see the problem in rural areas.
Anyway, ethanol from corn MAY not be SO bad if we could process the leftover protein as a food supplement or additive for humans like they do with biodiesel from soy. Right now the corn residue is used as an animal food.
GSPI States: Some Biofuels Add Significant Food to Your Table:
“For each bushel (60 pounds) of soybeans produced only 10 pounds of extracted oil is used in making biodiesel. The other 50 pounds (the soy meal) is used to feed the hungry of the world as one of the best high protein foods available. “
For the complete article:
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/?epi_menuItemID=989a6827590d7dda9cdf6023a0908a0c&epi_menuID=c791260db682611740b28e347a808a0c&epi_baseMenuID=384979e8cc48c441ef0130f5c6908a0c&ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&div=428291328&newsId=20071109005204
The most promising feedstock remains cellosic material.
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