The production of ethanol…

The production of ethanol from starchy agricultural residues was a method employed as an option to waste treatment in the corn and sugar processing industries. It was also used here in Ontario in the paper iindustry as an alternative to biological waste treatment. However in the US the corn growers receive assistance from the government to produce corn from the ethanol program.. Roundup ready seeds supplied by Monsanto , and fertilizers and pesticides are employed to do so. In essence the Petro and big Agro have tiken over. The total carbon footprint of ethanol production in this manner has never been correctly assesed . When taking into the high demand for chemically produced fertilizers and liquifying and saacharification enzymes required in the fermentation process , plus the cost of disitlllation and the subsequent treatment of the stillage the process is energy negative and carbon costly. Do not underestimate the carbon dioxide produced from the fermentation process itself. Has the Ministry truly given consideration to all of these aspects. Another concern is the use of antibiotics in the fermentation process which are used to suppress bacterial growth which would deplete alcohol yield. These have been found in the spent grain from the process which is then fed to animals for human consumption. Concerns of low level antibiotics in the food chain are the reason we have the new super resistance we see today. If the ministry is serius about reducing carbon dioxide I would suggest taking measure to reduce the CO2 from waste water treatment plants activated sludge process by employing enhanced primary treatment and BNR. This area has been long overlooked and is a major source of carbon dioxide.

[Original Comment ID: 211418]