WORLD POPULATION

6.6 Billion people3.7 Billion malnourished

U.S. FOOD CONSUMPTION

2,200 lbs/person/year

Solar Energy Captured by Plants

All Plants = 0.1%Photovoltaics = 20%

FOSSIL vs BIOMASS

0102030405060708090

100

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

Biomass vs. Hydropower

Biomass Thermal = 3%Hydropower = 3%

Corn Production Inputs

Energy = 14 InputsFor average corn production260 gallons of Gasoline/Acre

Major inputs

Nitrogen FertilizerFarm Machinery and Fuel

Energy Inputs in Corn Production

Energy inputs to produce corn8 million kcal /Acre

Ethanol Processing

Corn (22 pounds per gal. Ethanol)Food for 10 people

Processing Ethanol

“Beer” = 10% ethanolWaste Water = 90%

Ethanol for Gasoline

95% ethanol (5% water content)Must be 99.5% ethanol

More energy required in conversion

Ethanol Energy Costs

Total Energy Inputs = 28,000 kcal/galEthanol Energy Output

19,400 kcal Minus 40%

Omissions Help Ethanol Return

• Farm labor omitted• Farm machinery omitted• Processing machinery omitted• Hybrid corn omitted• Irrigation omitted• Environmental Impacts omitted• Excess by-product credits 60%

Environmental Impacts

• 1,700 gallons of water / gallon of ethanol• Soil erosion more intense than any crop• Nitrogen fertilizer• More insecticides• More herbicides• More carbon dioxide• Air pollution

Sewage Effluent

12 gallons of sewage effluent per gallon of ethanol produced

Ethanol Production

DOE = 5 billion gallonsTotal oil = 1%20% of all corn

100% U.S. Corn

Total oil = 7%All U.S. and Brazil’s ethanol = 2%

Costs to Beef Production

Removal of Corn from livestock and Other products results in

$20 billion food costs to consumers

By-Product Credits

Byproducts = 60%Replacement for Soybeans = 9%

Subsidies for Ethanol

$6 billion/yearEthanol subsidy 60-times greater/gas

Burning Corn/Food

Ethics3.7 billion humans malnourished

Higher meat, milk, egg prices

SWITCHGRASS FUEL

10 t/ha/yr yieldEthanol = minus 50%

Cellulosic Problems

2-4 times more biomass than cornMore processing to secure starches

WOOD FUEL

3 t/ha/yr

Ethanol = minus 57%

Ethanol from Wood

5 kg per liter of ethanol = wood2.7 kg per liter = corn

57% more fossil energy

Lignin Fuel

25% of Wood is Lignin“Backbone” of trees

LIGNIN FUEL

Acid Dissolves LigninFrees Cellulose CellsStarches and Sugars

Lignin Fuel

Lignin in WaterSeparation Energy

1 kg Lignin = 1,000 kcal

Ethanol from Wood

30,000 kcal per gallonof ethanol produced

57% more fossil energy

Environmental Impacts

Global warmingSoil erosion

1,100 liters of water per liter

SUNFLOWER OIL

Production = 1.3 kcal: 1 kcalSunflower seeds = 26% oilBiodiesel = minus 118%

CANOLA OIL

Canola yield = 1,600 lbs/ASeeds = 30% oil

CANOLA OIL

Input/Output 1.7/1Energy = minus 65%

Soybean Production

Production = 1 kcal: 2.5 kcalSoybean oil = 18%

Biodiesel = minus 32%

Jatropha

Seeds = 30% oilGrows in arid regions

500 lbs/A/yr

Jatropha

Highly toxic to humansHighly toxic to cattle

Diesel Fuel Production

2 BTU Coal = 1 BTU DieselNo agricultural disturbance

No oil imports

BIOMASS ENERGY

Thermal = 3% U.S. EnergyElectric = 1 kcal: 7 kcal

6¢ / kWh

BIOMASS ENERGY

City of 100,000 people500,000 Acres of sustainable forest

1 person = 5 acres of forest

HYDROPOWER

10,000 kWh = person/year40,000 gals of water/person1 kcal: 24 kcal 2¢ / kWh

HYDROPOWER

75,000 ha Agricultural LandAquatic Ecology

WIND POWER

2% of U.S. Electric1 kcal : 5 kcal

7¢ / kWh

WIND POWER

13,000 ha (5%)Birds, Noise,

Esthetics

PHOTOVOLTAICS

1 kcal: 7kcal25¢ / kWhCleaning

PHOTOVOLTAICS

3,000 haChemicals

Transmission = $290,000/mile

HYDROGEN

1.4 kWh = 1 kWh Hydrogen3 kWh coal = 1 kWh Electricity

4.2 kWh = 1 kWh Hydrogen

Hydrogen

Tank 3 X$3 gasoline = $6 hydrogen

Difficult to handle

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy = 46 quads17% of total U.S. land area