Well, I've just been looking at the Sep/Oct Countryside and reading again the articles on corn-burning stoves. I was just wondering whether the concept of actually burning food, when so much of the world is starving and when the environmental cost of that food is so high, is as offensive to others as it is to me.

-- Laura Rae Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), October 08, 2001

Answers

Response to Corn-burning stoves

Not at all. I don't think it's any different from burning wood. We need trees as much as we need food. We're currently using propane, but I for one, would love to be able to use a corn/grain burning stove. That's one resource that is readily replenishable. It takes a lot longer to grow a tree than it does to grow some corn.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not coming down on anyone who uses a wood burning stove! Wood burning/corn burning stoves are much better for the environment than the propane I'm currently using!

Yes, people are starving in this world. Our country does a LOT to help feed the people of other countries. But, we have to keep warm in the winter! That heat has to be generated in some form. Solar panels are probably the best way to go, but not everyone can afford to install them.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), October 08, 2001.

Response to Corn-burning stoves

I don't think that corn stoves will ever have a big market. But, I do think that corn and wood use, as sustainable and renewable resources, have far less impact on the earth than the petroleum products that are extracted.

-- pc (pcha@ludl.tds.net), October 08, 2001.

Response to Corn-burning stoves

To me its more the waste facter thats bothersome. For instance 2 people who live in a 3000 square foot house that need to use a tremendous amount of energy to heat. Also how many people do you know who have gaps around their windows and doors that just let the heat disapear? So a small well sealed house that uses a little corn or wood to heat deserves respect....Kirk

-- Kirk (kirkay@yahoo.com), October 09, 2001.

Cheryl,

Just wondering what you meant about wood/corn being better for the environment than propane. Propane when burned properly gives us water and carbon dioxide. Wood when burning usually gives us water, carbon dioxide,carbon monoxide,various carbon particles in the smoke, many of these including cresote are very harmful to living creatures. Also you have the smoke itself which, although it smells wonderful, is in itself pollution.

I know about the whole self-sufficency thing of cutting your own wood etc.,(did that for 25 years), but I guess I don't get what you are trying to say to us.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), October 09, 2001.

Well, as far as environmental concerns, I am thinking about the petroleum products used on and in the machinery used to produce corn, as well as the petroleum-based herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers used on corn, and the largely petroleum-based power used to produce these items. Just doesn't seem that sustainable to me.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), October 09, 2001.

Bob, propane (and coal, and petrol, and diesel, and natural gas) is a fossil fuel, and burning it releases carbon that was previously locked-up as extra carbon dioxide. Burning a renewable resource doesn't do that particular damage.

Now, I'll admit that my initial reaction when thinking about burning grain (corn) that people could eat was definitely not positive. However, when I got past that and started simply thinking of it as an energy source to be used, it makes sense. In fact, it has some advantages that even wood doesn't have. Notably the carbon that's being used is on a short cycle - like annually - burn it, then store it again in next year's crops - sort of the same advantages as using industrial hemp, for instance. Even wood releases carbon that's been locked up for decades, which is not a good idea on top of all the other carbon dioxide we're releasing into the atmosphere.

On a practical basis, you do have to consider the fact that corn- burning heaters need electricity to work; but if you have a reserve form of heating, and you don't expect to have long-lasting power outages, then the economics of it are worth looking at.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 11, 2001.

I have thought and asked people who use corn for fuel these same questions. Always thought it was sort of silly to have a stove that couldn't keep you warm unless you had electricity. Neighbor had to sit at the local diner for hours until her electic came back on...they were freezing with their corn stove. I think wood or coal would work better.

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), October 12, 2001.

A corn stove may need electricity but so do 90 percent of all oil and gas furnaces and to burn something thats as easily renewable as corn makes sense, as for the food factor- there will always be hungry people in the world as long as their are people who are greedy living among us- keep the peace and burn some corn-

-- Jerry Fogelson (jlffogel@means.net), October 25, 2001.

People who argue that 'burning grain' equals 'burning food' have no understanding of the global economy. People who argue that grain or wood burning produces more pollution have no understanding of the modern supply chain. People who argue that burning grain is for those with alternative lifestyles should watch less T.V. and read more books. People who argue that burning grain for heat will 'never catch on' are going to have very cold great-grandchildren after their closed-minded and media driven desires consume all of the petroleum on earth.

-- George Thomas (jgwthomas@hotmail.com), February 18, 2002.

Gee, George, thanks a bunch for all the inflammatory and insulting, but entirely uneducational and unsupported, input. Flunked debate, did you?

But my sincere thanks for all the other input. Definitely food for thought! :o)

-- Laura Rae Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), February 21, 2002.

I'm wondering if burning corn could scale to the industrial level for a powerplant. I could imagine that this could garuentee alot of jobs for farmers who are currently being paid not to plant crops. Has anyone thought of the larger potentials beyhond home use? Also, are there any corn electricity generators... if the corn can be burned it can certainly turn a turbine and generate electricity.

-- Clark Evans (cce+invalid@clarkevans.com), March 31, 2002.