Are we changing manure and saw dust into ethanol or methanol?
I thought those components made methanol.
An additional problem with ethanol is corn is a major part of feedstock for animal production.
The competition for corn can only make meat pricess increase.
There are many, better answers than ethanol.
Synfuels come to mind. Technology is existing and proven.
Hitler ran a major part of his war effort on it and, I think, South Africa used this when the boycotts were the toughest.
Here in the US, coal is cheap and plentiful, synfuels is a real viable alternative. I don't think it's terribly dependent on the quality of the coal, either.
Wyoming has started some major work on synfuels.
Here, in Pa., we have a lot of old "boney piles" sitting around from the pre-reclamation days.
Not long ago, the number that was used a lot was $45bbl oil makes a lot of stuff start to become economically feasible.
However, the government will put their money where it's least efficient and polititically most expedient.
Throw the ethanol tax credits into the mix and you have a very distorted market.
Larry