[doc30]

Why don’t you post a link showing where it is being done commercially somewhere in the world since you claim it more economic. I recognize the molecular structure is capable of being altered to ethanol if you spend enough energy. Plastics and pharmaceuticals are not ethanol.

I don't waste my time on anti-science luddites. You know nothing of chemistry. Plastics and pharmaceuticals are more complicated to synthesize than ethanol. Ethanol from petroleum is not commercialy done because of competition from farming subsidies that artifically lower the cost of agriculturally produced ethanol. It's the corporate welfare to farmers that prevents oil companies from making ethanol. Take away the oil subsidies and you then have a petrochemical market for ethanol. Scientific AMerican had a very good laymans article on this subject. Bottom line is that it takes about as much energy to produce ethanol agriculturally than you get out of it.

[thackney]

don't waste my time on anti-science luddites. You know nothing of chemistry.

LOL!!! You must be new to the energy threads.

Plastics and pharmaceuticals are more complicated to synthesize than ethanol.

Yes they are. That is also why they are more expensive. Ethanol is rather relatively easy to make through fermentation compared to polymers and pharmaceuticals.

Ethanol from petroleum is not commercialy done because of competition from farming subsidies

Ethanol from fermentation of grains and sugars has been produced in this country far longer than the current subsidies. And fermentation is used in the other parts of the world that do not have the US attempted social engineering.

It's the corporate welfare to farmers that prevents oil companies from making ethanol. Take away the oil subsidies and you then have a petrochemical market for ethanol.

Ethanol and Petroleum are global products. If your claim of economic production were true, we would see it elsewhere in the world.

Scientific AMerican had a very good laymans article on this subject.

I agree it is theoretically possible to produce. I disagree that it is more economical.

Bottom line is that it takes about as much energy to produce ethanol agriculturally than you get out of it.

That is completely off topic. And I suspect the producing ethanol from petroleum would have the same problem. Ethanol is a crappy fuel in many aspects. We should not be mandating its use or using the tax code to give it preference over better fuels.