[agildeta]

The comment that ethanol cannot be 'the oil replacement' because it takes too much energy to make it in the first place is mistaken. Oil has high energy density, is comparatively easy to transport and handle, and is comparatively cheap. Ethanol has comparable properties but is comparatively expensive. If oil gets expensive enough, it'll make sense to make use of our electrical capacity and /or huge coal reserves to make ethanol. (Which is not to say I'm pushing ethanol as 'the fuel of the future' or whatnot, just pointing out that the point was not properly thought thru.)