I never understood why I could never find E85 at any gas station on the west coast. It was once tersely explained to me that it was "bad for the environment". Yet, the Brazilians have been powering vehicles with ethanol since the late 70s.
I have to wonder if everyone who likewise owned a hybrid or EV knew that there was a chance some child in the Congo was mining the cobalt used to manufacture the batteries.
Unfortunately I don't believe we live in a perfect world. Every solution to climate issues just seems to shift the problems elsewhere. Success is declared when the issue disappears over the horizon.
Correct. However, Brazil's gasohol program was developed as a response to shortages produced by the 1973 oil crisis. Sugar cane is plentiful in Brazil, unlike Nebraska; it was not chosen for its carbon properties.
The carbon properties can be a nice side-effect of something selected for other reasons though.
I have no idea about brazilian gasohol, but that’s basically the story of french nukes, they were motivated by geopolitics and economics (the 1974 “messmer plan”, the plan actually led to overbuild as electricity demand did not pick up anywhere as much as expected), but resulted in french electricity being one of the least carbon intensive in europe if not the world, and basically only beaten by countries with ubiquitous hydro.
I have to wonder if everyone who likewise owned a hybrid or EV knew that there was a chance some child in the Congo was mining the cobalt used to manufacture the batteries.
Unfortunately I don't believe we live in a perfect world. Every solution to climate issues just seems to shift the problems elsewhere. Success is declared when the issue disappears over the horizon.