Truth, Freedom, Self-Sufficiency and As part of the post-war Nuremberg Agreements, Germany was forbidden
to generate ethanol for fuel. The tanker ships used in the war were now
COMMON SENSE
Through the 18th,19th, and early 20th centuries, homemade ethanol alcohol
was a staple for rural peoples around the world. Most farms had an
ethanol crop and still, and depended on ethanol as an excellent solvent,
disinfectant, lamp fuel, and 105-octane motor fuel.
The first and primary fuel for early internal-combustion engines was
ethanol, as it is now in Brazil. Ford’s Model T was a flex-fuel vehicle through
1933, with driver-operated adjustments to accommodate gasoline. Ford
produced alcohol-powered cars, trucks, and tractors for export worldwide.
When asked why he designed cars to run on alcohol Henry Ford replied,
“There are far more farms and stills than gas stations.” “How can we
expect the farmers to be our customers if we are not theirs?”
South America, New Zealand, and the Philippines used locally brewed
ethanol as a clean-burning motor fuel through WWII. Germany had
70,000 potato-growing co-ops for enormously successful ethanol fuel
production for cars, trucks, and airplanes through WWII.
The early petroleum industry was primarily concerned with manufacturing
kerosene for boiler fuel and lamp fuel. The production of kerosene gener-
ates a toxic waste of highly volatile components, which chemists learned to
reconfigure so it would burn in internal combustion engines. Known as
gasoline, this new fuel was an extremely explosive, toxic cocktail composed
of hundreds of chemicals including tar, varnish, toluene, benzene, and sulfur,
to name a few. Although a dirty and inferior fuel, J.D. Rockefeller saw
value in gasoline as an important and growing source of revenue. Its
inherent limited supply and private distribution offered huge potential,
enabling the control and manipulation of America’s transportation energy.
In 1918 Rockefeller “engaged” a small fringe organization called the
Women’s Christian Temperance Movement and “lobbied” the U.S. congress
to the tune of (depending on which report you read) $1.5 million to $4
million (current value approximately $50 million). Members of the Rocke-
feller family sat on the boards of several temperance organizations,
including the Anti-Saloon League.
In 1919 an all-male, liquor-drinking congress passed a constitutional
amendment (not just a law) prohibiting the production of all alcohol, for any
use. Known as Prohibition, this constitutional amendment effectively banned
fuel alcohol, putting hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work,
scrapping hundreds of millions of dollars of productive capital equipment,
and consolidating vast wealth and power into the hands of the few.
Americans were now forced to use gasoline … Mission accomplished!
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available for importing crude oil and exporting petroleum products to all
the “backward” countries still using clean-burning, high-octane, home-
grown ethanol.
Fast forward to the 1970s and oil shortages. The long-term American solu-
tions were the Alaskan pipeline and expanded drilling in questionable and
sensitive areas. Brazil’s solution was to require auto assembly lines to manu-
facture alcohol-fueled vehicles. Brazilian local economies have revived and
are still thriving because of the production of sugarcane-based ethanol and
related industries, based on all the enriched co-products of fermentation.
Brazil (the world’s fifth largest nation) is completely free of imported oil,
and local fuel expenditures are in continuous recirculation, benefiting the
local economy. India (the second most populous country in the world) has
integrated hundreds of ethanol plants into its agricultural systems, providing
transportation fuel and local economic independence. Around the globe,
this is a growing trend.
Why is this a well-kept secret?
What “Everybody Knows” Is Not True
We are experiencing the best covert propaganda machine that mega-
money can buy. Don’t we all know that petroleum is a vital necessity, an
integral part of our everyday lives, and that all the alternatives are weak
and costly substitutes? More than $1 billion per year is invested in telling the
American public what to think about petroleum and its alternatives. Some
examples:
Myth #1: “It takes more energy to produce alcohol than you get from it.”
The Truth Is: For 25 years this subject has been researched and debated
in terms of energy returned on energy invested (EROEI), or energy
balance. “Sponsored” government studies, and those conducted by
“independent researchers,” paint a dismal picture based on gross in-
accuracies, erroneous assumptions, and obvious bias. However, studies
documenting actual, ongoing alcohol production in Brazil clearly show an
energy return of more than eight units of output for every unit of input
(positive 800%). Other factors can enhance this positive balance even
further, including boilers fired from biomass or harvested methane;
permaculture farming with no petrochemical herbicides, pesticides or
fertilizers; and local, decentralized production.
Oh, and by the way, what is the energy balance of gasoline? When
we factor in tanker transportation from the Persian Gulf, it’s …
negative 20%!!
Myth #2: “There is not enough land to grow both food and fuel.” Buffalo Gourds - Desert and drought tolerant, freeze tolerant, hilly
900+ gal/acre terrain.
The Truth Is: The easiest means of producing ethanol is from fermenting - Seeds also provide 150% of the fuel oil needed
crops high in sugar or starch. Processing cellulose from leaves and to process the ethanol.
stalks is more involved and increases the ethanol yield of any crop - Seeds are an excellent animal feed source,
dramatically. For the sake of simplicity, we will consider here only providing 5 times the protein of sunflower, and
sugar and starch processing of a given crop. are nutritionally equivalent to soybean meal.
Current corn alcohol production yields 200 to 400 annual gallons per Castor Beans - Dry, arid, mountainous, unirrigated.
acre, cultivated on 72 million acres. Contrary to popular belief, this 320 gal/acre - Greater yields with rainfall.
- Seed oil has over 700 industrial uses besides
amounts to only 5.25% of our nation’s 1.373 billion acres of agricul-
ethanol production.
tural land (which is only 36% of our total land).
Fodder Beets - Cold and temperate climates, well-drained soil,
1,000 gal/acre lots of water.
Jerusalem - Wide variety of soils and climates.
Artichokes - 25–40" of rain or irrigation.
550–750 gal/acre
Mesquite Pods - Dry, arid, unirrigated, mountainous.
340 gal/acre - 70 million acres existing in the U.S. today.
- If fully planted and managed, this acreage
would yield 23.8 billion gallons of fuel.
Little-Known Statistics about U.S. Corn Consumption Prickly Pear - Dry, arid, mountainous.
Animal feed and fuel alcohol...... ............................................................87% 450 gal/acre - 1,300 lbs. oil, 1,100lbs. protein/acre.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). .............................................................. 5% Sugar Beets - Temperate crop or arid with irrigation.
Modified food starch (an industrial product) .......................................... 3% 770 gal/acre
All food products—canned & frozen corn, Sweet Sorghum - Temperate.
breakfast cereals, corn chips, tortillas, etc. ............................................. 1% Up to 3,000 - Rotate with corn or soybeans.
Whiskey........................................... .............................................................. 1% gal/acre, - Planting and distilling 80 million acres
Other, misc. ..................................... .............................................................. 3% based on 2–3 crop (< 6% of U.S. agricultural land) of this common,
cycles per year top-yielding crop would satisfy our annual
The fact is, the conversion rate of corn-based animal feed to food is 200 billion gallons of transportation fuel
pitiful: 10 lbs. of feed grain produce only 1 lb. of beef. The remaining consumption.
9 lbs. are eliminated as manure, creating small toxic mountains in Cattails - Wetlands or manmade marshlands.
feedlots. Unfermented grain is largely composed of starch, which Up to 10K gal/acre - Natural sewage treatment.
cattle cannot digest. (including cellulose) - See below.
Kelp - Offshore (no land required).
Starch universally produces “fermentation bloat” in cattle, requiring
Up to 30,000 - Fast growing: up to 18" per day.
extensive antibiotic treatment. Fermenting that same 10 lbs. of grain gal/acre - See below.
first results in 3.3 lbs. of distiller’s mash, a superior animal feed that
yields 1.17 lbs of beef—a 17% increase in meat production, for a Cattails: Cattails are currently grown in constructed marshes to inex-
third of the input. More food and less manure! pensively and effectively treat sewage. Ethanol yield from cattails
grown in sewage can top 10,000 annual gallons per acre (starch and
Alternative Feedstocks cellulose). If the 3,141 counties in the U.S. each used 6,360 acres (on
Corn (yielding ~250 annual gallons per acre of ethanol) requires prime, average) to naturally process all their sewage in cattail marshes and
level land. Many alternative feedstocks produce more ethanol per acre harvest the available ethanol, we would generate 200 billion gallons
and can be cultivated in various conditions and climates, including on of transportation fuel per year—which amounts to all of our fore-
nonagricultural land. Here is a small sample: seeable requirements of both gasoline and diesel fuel. The required
3 4
 acreage represents less than 1% of our total land mass (obviously,
cattails and sewage don’t require prime farmland).
Kelp: If only 2,500 of the many thousands of abandoned oil rigs in the
Gulf of Mexico were outfitted with floating kelp nets, we could
generate 30,000 gallons per acre each year, furnishing all of our fuel
needs, all of our natural fertilizer needs; clean up toxic oil “spill”
residues naturally; and regenerate the existing 20,000 sq. mile dead
zone created by runoff petrochemical fertilizers in the Mississippi River.
Such a system of kelp nets would support the ocean ecology, cool
surface waters, serve as a buffer against hurricanes, reverse the effects
of global warming, and employ idled, local fisherman.
Byproducts and co-products: Each of the above feedstocks can gen-
erate multiple additional income streams substantially in excess of fuel
revenue. Byproducts and co-products provide additional local employ-
ment opportunities, recirculating wealth for the ongoing benefit of the
community.
Waste: Our nation produces an almost inexhaustible flow of refuse from
food and beverage processing plants, restaurants, grocery stores, fruit
stands, and the like. Examples include waste produce, leftover pumpkins,
whey (from cheese or yogurt processing), wine grape pulp, fruit juice,
soda syrup, candy, sugar, baked goods, and much more.
Myth #3: “Ethanol burns hotter, pollutes the air, and is inefficient.”
The Truth Is: Gasoline burns at 1,350° F; alcohol burns at 1,000° F and
is much safer to store, handle, and use.
Energy content: Gasoline has 118 Btus/gallon; alcohol has 80 Btus/
gallon. British thermal units measure heat-generating capacity, and in an
internal combustion engine heat is an unwanted waste product that must
be dissipated through a radiator or other heat exchanger. By contrast,
alcohol’s energy efficiency is 40–46%, compared to gasoline’s 22%.
This is the measure of capacity for performing work.
Pollution: Currently, ethanol is being added to gasoline for the purpose
of reducing virtually every class of pollution. When using straight
ethanol, the reductions in all three major pollutants—carbon monoxide
(CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC)—are so great
that, in many cases, the remaining emissions are immeasurably small.
Alcohol carries none of the heavy metals and sulfuric acid that gasoline
and diesel exhaust do. The evaporative emissions (escaping vapor when
refueling) of straight ethanol are dramatically lower than those of
gasoline.
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Mileage: In an engine designed for gasoline, alcohol fuel may result in
lower mileage. However, with appropriate modifications or an engine
designed for ethanol, this can be more than compensated for.
FACT: The most common flexible-fuel vehicle is the ethanol FFV, with
21 million cars, trucks, and motorcycles in use worldwide.
The True Cost of Gasoline
Even with the unconscionable profits enabled by OPEC pricing, the thirst for
money and control is still not satisfied. Taxpayer subsidies of oil and other
nonrenewable resources are massive and hidden in our preferential and
manipulated income tax codes. The most detailed, documented, and in-
clusive study of this subject has been done by the International Center for
Technology Assessment in Washington, DC. The five primary areas of
accounting were:
1. Tax subsidization of the oil industry (1998–2005)
2. Government program subsidies
3. Protection costs involved in oil shipments and motor vehicle services
4. Environmental health and social costs of gasoline usage
5. Other important externalities of motor vehicle use
These taxpayer costs total $558.7 billion to $1.69 trillion per year—an
additional $8.35/gallon! As a case in point, in 2004 the Department of
Homeland Security awarded oil refineries $65 million for fences,
cameras, and communications equipment. (In comparison, the entire De-
partment of Energy budget for solar energy research was $80 million.)
However, as a government subsidy, only income taxpayers (not corporate
giants) have to pay this tab. The real travesty is that all this money is
continuously sucked out of our communities and out of our country.
The ethanol industry gets state and federal subsidies also. From 1968 to
2000, ethanol subsidies totaled $16.6 million. (Contrast that with $65
million for fences around oil refineries!) Farmer-owned cooperatives now
produce much of the alcohol in the U.S. This increased economic activity
has turned out to be crucial to the survival of non-corporate farmers.
The local economies in areas with an ethanol plant are much healthier
than those in areas without. Moreover, since the capital generated by
ethanol production and sales recirculates in the U.S., $3 to $6 in sales tax
receipts are generated for every dollar of ethanol subsidy.
FACT: Since 2007, Indy race cars have competed on clean-burning,
nontoxic, 100% biodegradable, 113-octane ethanol.
Advantages of Natural, Regenerative Farming Practices
Without question, petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides, and other
products are harmful to people and ecosystems. The most horrendous
effects occur when the dose is so small that our bodies don’t recognize a
substance as dangerous. For example, we assimilate estrogen-mimicking
chemicals in pesticides and plastics as if they were the actual hormone
itself. In the U.S. we spray well over 1 billion pounds of petroleum-derived
pesticides on our food every year. The amount of herbicides may be in
excess of 4 billion pounds yearly. This totals 15 pounds of poison per
person, sprayed directly on our food every year. Prostate cancer, breast
cancer, and infertility rates have all closely followed the rate of exposure
to agricultural chemicals in our food and water.
These chemicals are also toxic to the microlife that is responsible for soil
fertility, and to the natural predators of pest insects. So voilà! We now
need petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides … in greater and greater
quantities. Much of America’s farmland now contains less than 2% organic
matter, a threshold below which soil biology collapses, and with it the
fertility to grow crops. More and more chemical fertilizer is needed to prop
up food production on devitalized, contaminated soil.
A nationwide transition to organic farming is urgently needed; however, it
simply will not work as a monoculture-based system. A Mexican campesino
using simple hand tools to grow a polyculture of corn, beans, and squash
can produce, on a dry-weight basis, far more food per acre than the
farmer of the most modern Midwestern cornfield.
An integrated ethanol-food enterprise, designed with permaculture princi-
ples, uses crop rotation for soil enhancement (without any depletion), recy-
cling organic matter and building topsoil depth and biological activity. In
this integrated system, fermentation byproducts, along with soil fungi,
earthworms, toads, bats, beneficial insects, and livestock, are all respected
and participate in an elegant, harmonious system that not only sustains itself
but actually regenerates land, air, and water.
The Possibilities Are Immense …
For the 200 billion gallons of petroleum-based
transportation fuel we consume each year in the U.S.,
we are bleeding $600 billion from our local economies
annually. What would our neighborhoods be like if this
money and more was continuously recirculating in our local communities?
Schools? Teachers? Police/fire? Libraries? Affordable housing? Parks &
Recreation? A community-scale, permaculturally designed integrated food
and fuel model is an opportunity to naturally and sensibly provide
ourselves with everything we need.
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What Can We Do?
A hundred and fifty years ago our country was split in two over the
inherent right of the rich and powerful to brainwash, subjugate, and
exploit others for the purpose of free labor. Back then, profits trumped
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Today, our purpose in society is clear: keep working, keep paying, keep
buying, keep borrowing. We are being seduced into continuing to inflate
this bubble. For those of us who are waking up, it is imperative to stop
expanding, wasting, and destroying. How do we do that?
Together, Let’s Take Personal Responsibility for Our
Own Food and Fuel!
First, let’s start doing our own thinking and asking lots of questions:
- What can I do personally?
- How creative can I get?
- How and with whom can I collaborate?
- How can current systems be restructured to benefit all?
- What possible solutions exist outside the box?
- How can we transcend the status quo so as to yield multiple, synergistic,
symbiotic benefits?
Let’s talk, let’s collaborate, let’s create our world consciously.
SunDance Fuel ™
An Independent Fuel Producers Network
Regenerative Agriculture for Food and Fuel
For more information, write info@SunDanceIndependentFuel.com
Alcohol Can Be a Gas!
This material is largely based upon the book Alcohol Can Be a Gas!
Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century, by ecological
biologist and permaculture farmer David Blume (International Insti-
tute for Ecological Agriculture, August 2007).
For more information, visit www.AlcoholCanBeAGas.com.
This document bears no copyright; please distribute freely.