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offto.net Modern Debt Solutions.. We are excited to finally make available this much needed system to the public. After a tremendous amount of ...

is advance debt solutions ok to use?

Jul 09, 2007 by scarlett | Posted in Credit

thinking of useing this company has any one heard of them or used them

Probably... No.

Instead look for a non-profit organization that helps consumers with debt. Such an organization exists here in the U.S.. I believe the equivalent organization in the UK is:

http://www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk/

You should double-check that they really are who I think they are (since I'm not from the UK), but I believe they are where you want to start. Their website is loaded with helpful FREE advice.

Beware of any organization that offers to "consolidate" debts for you. You may really just be getting a loan from them that gathers all your debts together so that THEY can profit off your pain!

Has anyone heard of Mutual Debt solutions?

Apr 29, 2008 by jessiedil | Posted in Personal Finance

I got a call from this company and everything sounds great. But I can not find them on the BBB site and I can't find anything about them anywhere else except their website. Their website looks funny and doesn't have a privacy policy like most companies. I know everyone's answer is to take care of this myself and all that jazz but I think it has long past time for me to do that. I have 11 credit cards and all are at the point of collection. If I can get someone to work on behalf of me that would be great. If anyone has any suggestions if this is a good company or one that is a good company PLEASE let me know. Thanks so much in advance!

Indeed there is nothing that I can put my finger on and shout "scam" at the top of my voice BUT, lots of bells are ringing

(a) indeed the website is poorly made and basic for what would be a professional organisation
(b) the spelling & grammar is atrocious! e.g. "harrasing" is spelt wrong and "dont" would not be used. The whole tone of the site strikes me as written by a non-native English speaker
(c) The logos of the authorities it claims to be members of are poorly copy/pasted and for the one - it does not register firms but individuals and gives a level (gold/silver/bronze) but this company is not mentioned
(d) Another company http://sec.edgar-online.com/2002/07/29/0000950144-02-007691/Section4.asp is registered as located at the address given by Mutual Debt solutions
(e) It is not registered with the BBB

Therefore if I had this many concerns with a company I would not take it any further....... but I guess that is your decision

How do I get out of a contract for deed? or get a loan w/a high debt to income ratio and low credit score?

May 01, 2007 by Nina T | Posted in Renting & Real Estate

My husband deserted me and my daughter and his name is still on the contract. He gives me no $$ support. I gross only $2300/mo. A mortgage broker told me my debt to income ratio is too high to get a loan and that my credit score, 545 is too low. They want $180/k for the house and they want me to pay the property taxes, $2700 and since my husband left me with the financial burden and I don’t have his whereabouts. I hate this bind I am in, can anyone give me some advice? My payment is $1000/mo and I am living on paycheck advances to buy food because of the high house payments which are not being credited to anything, really…The mortgage holders are lawyers and are having the payments taken out of my paycheck through a collection company and aren’t even having the payments reported to the credit bureau to help improve my credit score? I need a quick solution since my husband has been gone for 7 months now. Help?????

get some support...file for it

then raise your credit score by fixing your credit. if you dispute bad stuff that is "wrong" then the credit bureaus will try to validate if it's wrong .... if they cant prove it which alot of time they cant, then it gets deleted or changed to positive. works well.

then get another cc with higher open balance and transfer the little ones....then kite the cc for a bit to make the credit co's think u can pay your bills then ask them for a credit line increase.....

Paying off debt?

Jan 08, 2008 by Jerry Springer | Posted in Credit

I have a few credit cards that are maxed out. Like many others, the amount I pay on them doesn't even put a dent in the amount due.

Has anyone tried those debt solution companies like in the commercials? Do they work?

Thanks in advance.

Yes. DO NOT USE CREDIT SOLUTIONS

DO NOT USE CREDIT SOLUTIONS!!!

After having been with Credit Solutions for more than a year now, I’ve come to the realization that the company promises more than it can deliver.

To start, and most importantly, Credit Solutions makes statements during its sales pitch which are not only misleading but downright false. The prospect is lead to believe that Credit Solutions has a relationship with the credit companies and can therefore act as an intermediary to get the Credit Companies to wait while the client puts money into a savings account and thereby compiles money to work toward a settlement some day in the future. I, personally, remember this statement almost word for word as it was one of the most compelling reasons for taking on Credit Solutions.

Nothing is said during this sales pitch about how a credit card company can still go the legal route (Arbitration, and then a Lawsuit) at any time, other than to strictly point out that Credit Solutions will not act legally on the client’s behalf. Though this ‘disclaimer’ is made and made clearly, it is glossed over when the prospective client actually asks if lawsuits are something to consider. “They almost never happen.” is the response. (Of the 12 credit accounts I have handed over to Credit Solutions, 4 have gone to Arbitration AND 2 others to Court. This is a whopping 50% of one client’s accounts!)

Besides the misrepresentation of the legal possibilities, Credit Solutions gives the client the impression of an efficient and professional office only until such time that the client actually needs to contact the company with a problem. Calls are not returned the same day, and most times not at all. When asked about Arbitration, the standard response is “We don’t handle Arbitration.” -thus leaving the client uninformed and ill-prepared. Those 'Client Service Representatives' who do offer to handle this subject tend to again gloss over the legal aspects as if Arbitration is merely a minor inconvenience. Should anything resembling a legal aspect arise, they are quick to lean on their disclaimer so clearly outlined in the contract. "We are not a legal representation." When brought around again to the misleading statements outlined above, their response is "Do you have that in writing?" The statements, of course, are never put into writing.

Credit Solutions insists you fax them all forms and papers received. They constantly say that faxes will be received “into your account” within 3-5 days. This again, is a big problem as many times faxes have not been found in my account for 2 weeks or more after they have been faxed! It’s hard to feel comfortable with a company which doesn’t know its own shortcomings. When the fax is a legal letter, it makes things even worse.

When things do come to a legal head, the client is left with a feeling of desperation. No amount of ‘We don’t do legal perhaps you need to get a lawyer’ will alleviate the feelings of betrayal from a company one is paying (and paying heavily!) supposedly for their expertise (as well as the fabled relationships with the credit companies.) Fear and anxiety cannot easily be swept away when the client is left sitting by the phone hoping that SOMEONE from the company will call AND that they will be able to help.

In contacting Credit Solutions, the client is put through a security check and then into the phone maze. Credit solutions’ phone maze is irritating to say the least. Besides being asked to confirm one’s client status not only on every call, but by every person the client speaks to, the phone system will also drop calls, give vague directions and circular forwarding before the client becomes angry and hangs up. Everyone that the client does actually speak to in person promises to pass on phone messages, but as already pointed out: returning calls to a client with a problem appears to be of low priority. The client is left angry, disillusioned and without recourse, as legal problems loom in their immediate future. As for voice mail, it is sublime to suggest that it is a joke with Credit Solutions. I have NEVER had anyone return a voice mail message and in fact, was told by one 'Credit Specialist' that no one ever checks the voice mail.

Would I have signed up with Credit Solutions had I known the problems? No. Will I stay with them now that I am more educated on their practices? Well, since I’m still paying the ‘service fees’ monthly, it seems more than likely. I will spend my time as best I can doing what I can to educate other prospective clients of this company about its misleading practices and performance problems.

Can anyone recommend a good debt settlement company?

May 03, 2007 by james | Posted in Credit

We've looked into several, but not sure who to go with. I've heard that Credit Solutions has serious issues with customer service, so that's definitely one we want to avoid. But any other recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

my uncle had about $40,000 in credit cards and he ended up settling for about half with freedom debt relief. check them out at freedomdebtrelief.com

he was very happy with the attention he got from them. if my debt keeps piling up, i'll be calling them soon! :)

Solving Credit Card Debt?

Jan 08, 2008 by La Vie En Rose | Posted in Credit

I admit it. I was 18, young and unwise. (not to mention my mom screwed up my credit but that's another tale) I racked up about $5,000 in credit card debt. Right now, I just want to pay it off but I don't have $5,000 laying around.

I was thinking of trying GreenPath solutions. But I've read some answers and I now have mixed feelings.

Then I was just going to pay the collection agencies but I heard some bad stories about those too.

Any advice on how to handle my debt would be well appreciated especially since I'm engaged and I refuse to marry my fiance until all of my debt is gone. Thanks in advance!

I DO NOT recommend going through any debt consolidation services. All you do is pay money for them to do what you could do for free.

And don't believe the "consolidation firms" that claim they can settle your debt for less than you owe. They technically can, but your credit will be trashed.

They are able to "settle for less" by withholding all credit card payments, which angers and frustrates the credit card companies. The firms will then offer X amount of money (generally around half of what you owe) and sometimes the CC company will take the settlement.

You get away with paying less than you owe, but it hurts your credit like nobody's business.


Here's what I recommend you do:

1. If you have more than one credit card, make a list of them and their remaining balances.

2. Stop all unnecessary "luxury" services (cable, satellite, Friday night movies, etc.)

3. Pay all your utilities FIRST

4. Arrange your CC balances smallest to largest

5. Pay the minimum on the largest balances while paying as much as you can on the smallest balance.

6. After the smallest balance is payed off start attacking the new low balance account, and so on and so on.


This is Dave Ramsey's approach.

I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover". The title sounds lame, but it's a great resource for becoming debt free. I also recommend that you start listening to his podcast. It's entertaining and VERY informative.

It's really admirable of you to want to get rid of your debt before you get married!

Hope this helps!

why do i keep getting rogue sites popping up with full window while im browsing??

May 10, 2007 by Kayleigh | Posted in Other - Computers

they are not pop ups because i have a filter for that but they are full windows that overide my previous window and all seem to be either money or debt solutions and false competitions e.g free playstation?
How do i stop or get rid of these????
Thanks in advance

Your computer is infected with spyware. Download and run a spyware cleaning tool to get rid of those junk from your computer. I will recommend A-Squared. The basic version is free for personal use, and you can download it from http://emsisoft.com/ . After installing it, update first and then do a Deep Scan. It will find and remove all the spyware from your computer. Also, if you are using IE 6, then it's time to upgrade to a better and safer browser. You can use Firefox / Opera / IE 7. But make sure that IE stays your default browser, no matter what other browser you use.
http://mozilla.com/
http://opera.com/

I'm 19 and deep in debt. What can I do? (plus xtra drama)?

Jun 03, 2008 by Tashi | Posted in Personal Finance

I'm only 19 and I have $14000 in credit card debt. That's not including my auto loan. I recently signed up for credit solutions, and they are just making my minimum payments go up and up and up. They say the actually have to negotiate with the creditors before my minimum payments won't make a difference. It's only been two months.
Right now, I am in the National Guard, and it is illigal to do cash advances because of that. The military does not offer personal loans to my knowledge, or debt consolidation or anything like that.
Right now I am barely getting by. I had my truck, but the transmission broke this morning. I was on my way to LA to my new awesome job, and that was my only way to get there. I tried to get a car today, but I'd have to put at least 3k down for banks to even consider. I only have 2k!!! I need an extra 1k and my life would finally fall into place.
what can I do? Please help!!!

Use your 2K wisely by taking the bus, metro, carpooling, etc. while you get your transmission fixed. Even if it can't be fixed, use alternative transport until you have saved up enough to buy a used vehicle. Do some research and find something dependable. 2K will get you a decent used car if you do basic maintenance on it and should have no problems for at least a year. You can help yourself also by cutting your commute. Either find a closer job that you can bike to or move closer to your job. Yeah it sucks but cutting back in everyway possible is what is going to get you financially healthy and teach you some lessons about how to handle your money better.

What to konw about Ethanol Industry ? and the result of this political idea? another state plan ?

Jul 22, 2007 by MISES.ORG | Posted in Economics

Ethanol fuel is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It can be used as a fuel, mainly as a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and is widely used in cars in Brazil. Because it is cheap, easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common materials, such as corn, it is steadily becoming a highly respected and researched alternative to gasoline throughout much of the world.

Anhydrous ethanol, that is, ethanol with at most 1% water, the same alcohol as found in alcoholic beverages, can be blended with gasoline in varying quantities up to pure ethanol (E100), and most spark-ignited gasoline style engines will operate well with mixtures of 10% ethanol (E10).[1] Most cars on the road today in the U.S. can run on blends of up to 10% ethanol,[2] and the use of 10% ethanol gasoline is mandated in some cities where harmful levels of auto emissions are possible.[3]

Ethanol can be mass-produced by fermentation of sugar or by hydration of ethylene from petroleum and other sources. Current interest in ethanol mainly lies in bio-ethanol, produced from the starch or sugar in a wide variety of crops, but there has been considerable debate about how useful bio-ethanol will be in replacing fossil fuels in vehicles. Concerns relate to the large amount of arable land required for crops,[4] as well as the energy and pollution balance of the whole cycle of ethanol production.[5][6] Recent developments with cellulosic ethanol production and commercialization may allay some of these concerns.[7]

According to the International Energy Agency, cellulosic ethanol could allow ethanol fuels to play a much bigger role in the future than previously thought.[8] Cellulosic ethanol can be made from plant matter composed primarily of inedible cellulose fibers that form the stems and branches of most plants. Dedicated energy crops, such as switchgrass, are also promising cellulose sources that can be produced in many regions of the United States.[9]

In the U.S., there is potential to expand the market for ethanol fuels beyond the farm states where they have been most popular to date. Flex-fuel vehicles are assisting in this transition because they allow drivers to choose different fuels based on price and availability. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which calls for 7.5 billion US gallons of biofuels to be used annually by 2012, should also help to expand the U.S. marketThe top five ethanol producers in 2005 were Brazil (4.35 billion US gallons per year), the United States (4.3 billion US gallons per year), China (530 MMgy), the European Union (250 MMgy) and India (80 MMgy). Brazil and the United States accounted for 90 percent of all ethanol production. Also, it should be noted that the United States, now producing at a rate of about 4.6 billion US gallons per year, is widely considered the world’s largest ethanol producer. Strong incentives, coupled with other industry development initiatives, are giving rise to fledgling ethanol industries in countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Columbia, the Dominican Republic and Malawi. Nevertheless, ethanol hasn't yet made much of a dent in world oil consumption.[32]


[edit] Brazil
Main article: Ethanol fuel in Brazil

Gasoline on the left, alcohol on the right at a filling station in BrazilBrazil has one of the largest bio-fuel programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane, and ethanol now provides 18 percent of the country's automotive fuel. As a result of this, together with the exploitation of domestic deep water oil sources, Brazil, which years ago had to import a large share of the petroleum needed for domestic consumption, recently reached complete self-sufficiency in oil.[33][34][35]

Brazil produced around 16.4 billion liters of ethanol in 2004 and used 2.7 million hectares of land area for this production (4.5% of the Brazilian land area used for crop production in 2005[36]). Of this, around 12.4 billion liters were produced as fuel for ethanol-powered vehicles in the domestic market. In Brazil, ethanol-powered and flexible-fuel vehicles are manufactured for operation with hydrated ethanol, an azeotrope of ethanol (around 93% v/v) and water (7%).

Production and use of ethanol has been stimulated through: (1) low-interest loans for the construction of ethanol distilleries; (2) guaranteed purchase of ethanol by the state-owned oil company at a reasonable price; (3) retail pricing of neat ethanol so it is competitive if not slightly favorable to the gasoline-ethanol blend; and (4) tax incentives provided during the 1980s to stimulate the purchase of neat ethanol vehicles.[37]

Guaranteed purchase and price regulation were ended some years ago, with relatively positive results. In addition to these other policies, ethanol producers in the state of Sao Paulo established a research and technology transfer center that has been effective in improving sugar cane and ethanol yields.[38]


[edit] United States

A Ford Taurus "fueled by clean burning ethanol" owned by New York City.Main article: Ethanol fuel in the United States
Most cars on the road today in the U.S. can run on blends of up to 10% ethanol, and motor vehicle manufacturers already produce vehicles designed to run on much higher ethanol blends. Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and GM are among the automobile companies that sell “flexible-fuel” cars, trucks, and minivans that can use gasoline and ethanol blends ranging from pure gasoline up to 85% ethanol (E85). By mid-2006, there were approximately six million E85-compatible vehicles on U.S. roads.[39]

There is potential to expand the market for ethanol fuels beyond the farm states where they have been most popular to date. Flex-fuel vehicles are assisting in this transition because they allow drivers to choose different fuels based on price and availability. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which calls for 7.5 billion US gallons of biofuels to be used annually by 2012, should also help to expand the U.S. market.[40]

It should also be noted that the growing ethanol and biodiesel industries are providing jobs in plant construction, operations, and maintenance, mostly in rural communities. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the ethanol industry created almost 154,000 U.S. jobs in 2005 alone, boosting household income by $5.7 billion. It also contributed about $3.5 billion in tax revenues at the local, state, and federal levels.[41]


[edit] Sweden
Main article: Ethanol fuel in Sweden
All Swedish gas stations are required by an act of parliament to offer at least one alternative fuel, and every fifth car in Stockholm now drives at least partially on alternative fuels, mostly ethanol.[42]

Stockholm will introduce a fleet of Swedish-made electric hybrid buses in its public transport system on a trial basis in 2008. These buses will use ethanol-powered internal-combustion engines and electric motors. The vehicles’ diesel engines will use ethanol.[43]


[edit] Australia
Main article: Ethanol fuel in Australia
Legislation imposes a 10% cap on the concentration of fuel ethanol blends. Blends of 90% unleaded petrol and 10% fuel ethanol are commonly referred to as E10. E10 is available through service stations operating under the BP, Caltex, Shell and United brands as well as those of a number of smaller independents. Not surprisingly, E10 is most widely available closer to the sources of production in Queensland and New South Wales. E10 is most commonly blended with 91 RON "regular unleaded" fuel. There is a requirement that retailers label blends containing fuel ethanol on the dispenser.


[edit] China
China is promoting ethanol-based fuel on a pilot basis in five cities in its central and northeastern region, a move designed to create a new market for its surplus grain and reduce consumption of petroleum. The cities include Zhengzhou, Luoyang and Nanyang in central China's Henan province, and Harbin and Zhaodong in Heilongjiang province, northeast China. Under the program, Henan will promote ethanol-based fuel across the province by the end of this year. Officials say the move is of great importance in helping to stabilize grain prices, raise farmers' income and reducing petrol- induced air pollution.[44]


[edit] Environment

[edit] Energy balance
Main article: Ethanol fuel energy balance
All biomass needs to go through some of these steps: it needs to be grown, collected, dried, fermented and burned. All of these steps require resources and an infrastructure.

Opponents of corn ethanol production in the U.S. often quote the 2005 paper [45] of David Pimentel, a retired Entomologist, and Tadeusz Patzek, a Geological Engineer from Berkeley. Both have been exceptionally critical of ethanol and other biofuels. Their studies contend that ethanol, and biofuels in general, are "energy negative", meaning they take more energy to produce than is contained in the final product.

A 2006 report by the U.S. Department Agriculture compared the methodologies used by a number of researchers on this subject and found that the majority of research showed that the energy balance for ethanol is positive. In fact, a large number of recent studies, including a 2006 article[46] in the prestigious journal Science offer the consensus opinion that fuels like ethanol are energy positive. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that fossil fuels also require significant energy inputs which have seldom been accounted for in the past.

It is also important to note that ethanol is not the only product created during production, and the energy content of the by-products must also be considered. Corn is typically 66% starch and the remaining 33% is not fermented. This unfermented component is called distillers grain, which is high in fats and proteins, and makes good animal feed. [47]

In Brazil where sugar cane is used, the yield is higher, and conversion to ethanol is somewhat more energy efficient than corn.[14] Recent developments with cellulosic ethanol production may improve yields even further.[48]


[edit] Air pollution
Compared with conventional unleaded gasoline, ethanol is a particulate-free burning fuel source that combusts cleanly with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water. The Clean Air Act requires the addition of oxygenates to reduce carbon monoxide emissions in the United States. The additive MTBE is currently being phased out due to ground water contamination, hence ethanol becomes an attractive alternative additive.

Use of ethanol, produced from current (2006) methods, emits a similar net amount of carbon dioxide but less carbon monoxide than gasoline.[49] If all bioethanol-production energy came from non-fossil sources the use of bioethanol as a fuel would add no greenhouse gas.[50]


[edit] Manufacture
In 2002 , monitoring of ethanol plants revealed that they released VOCs (volatile organic compounds) at a higher rate than had previously been disclosed.[51] The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) subsequently reached settlement with Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill, two of the largest producers of ethanol, to reduce emission of these VOCs. VOCs are produced when fermented corn mash is dried for sale as a supplement for livestock feed. Devices known as thermal oxidizers or catalytic oxidizers can be attached to the plants to burn off the hazardous gases. Smog causing pollutants are also increased by using ethanol fuel in comparison to gasoline.


[edit] Greenhouse gas abatement
Corn ethanol has received much support on environmental grounds primarily because of its role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the evidence for this claim is mixed.

A recent ten-year forecast of ethanol production by the USDA places 2017 corn ethanol production at 12 billion US gallons and growing at only 2% per year. This estimate, together with a parameter publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), indicates that this near-maximum level of ethanol production will abate GHG emissions by 0.13% (~1/10 of 1%) of current US GHG emissions. However, this does not hold for all greenhouse gases. Another study has suggested that replacement of 100% petroleum fuel with E85 (a fuel mixture comprised of 85% ethanol and 15% petroleum) would significantly increase ozone levels, thereby increasing photochemical smog and aggravating medical problems such as asthma.[19][20]

This value reflects increases in corn area and the use of 30% of the corn crop for ethanol. It also apparently takes into account anticipated improvements in corn yields and ethanol production. The PNAS value is a 12% reduction in greenhouse gas emission relative to the "net emissions of production and combustion of an energetically equivalent amount of gasoline."

The January 2006 Science article from UC Berkeley's ERG, estimated this parameter to be 13% after reviewing a large number of studies. However, in a correction to that article releases shortly after publication, they reduce the estimated value to 7.4%. None of the other values needed to complete the calculation are controversial.

GREET model maintained by Argonne National Labs in Chicago has produced a series of publications on GHG abatement through ethanol. The latest of the studies is [21]


[edit] Land use
Large-scale 'energy farming', necessary to produce agricultural alcohol, requires substantial amounts of cultivated land. Some have claimed that land is acquired through deforestation, while others have observed that areas currently supporting forests are usually not suitable for growing any sort of crops.[52][53] Related concerns have been raised regarding a decline in soil fertility due to reduction of organic matter[54], a decrease in water availability and quality, an increase in the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and potential dislocation of local communities.[55]

As demand for ethanol fuel increases, food crops are replaced by fuel crops, driving food supply down and food prices up. Growing demand for ethanol in the United States has increased corn prices by 50% in Mexico.[56] Average barley prices in the United States rose 17% from January to June 2007 to the highest in 11 years. Prices for all grain crops trend upward, reflecting a progressive increase in farm land devoted to corn for the production of produce ethanol fuel.[57] Prices for U.S. corn-based products, including animal feed, also rise. This translates to higher prices for animal products like chicken, beef, and cheese. June 2007 cheese prices rose to $2 per pound on average, increasing 65% over the same period in 2006. As milk prices in the United States, approached $4.00 per US gallon, [58] many American restaurant franchises announced price increases for their products to compensate for rising food costs.[59] [60] [61]

Alternatively, cellulosic ethanol can be produced from any plant material, potentially doubling yields, in an effort to minimize conflict between food needs versus fuel needs.[62] Instead of utilizing only the starch bi-products from grinding wheat and other crops, cellulosic ethanol production maximizes the use of all plant materials, including gluten. This approach would have a smaller carbon footprint because the amount of energy-intensive fertilisers and fungicides remain the same for higher output of usable material.[63] While the enzyme technology[64] for producing cellulosic ethanol is currently in developmental stages, it is not expected to be available for large-scale production in the near future.[65] Moreover, the production of ethanol for fuel raises a number of land scarcity issues, regardless of what production method is employed. Many analysts suggest that biofuel strategies must be accompanied by fuel conservation restrictions. [66]


[edit] Renewable resource
Ethanol is considered "renewable" because it is primarily the result of conversion of the sun's energy into usable energy. Creation of ethanol starts with photosynthesis causing the feedstocks such as switchgrass, sugar cane, or corn to grow. These feedstocks are processed into ethanol (see production).

The environmental and economic benefits of non-cellulosic ethanol - including corn ethanol - have been heavily critiqued by many, including Brad Ewing of Environmental Economics & Sustainable Development[67] and Lester R. Brown of Earth Policy Institute.[68] The main criticism dwells on the increasing costs of corn for food as the demand for ethanol production increases. It remains to be seen [vague] if ethanol production can overcome these problems.

Current, first generation processes for the production of ethanol from corn use only a small part of the corn plant: the corn kernels are taken from the corn plant and only the starch, which represents about 50% of the dry kernel mass, is transformed into ethanol. Two types of second generation processes are under development. The first type uses enzymes to convert the plant cellulose into ethanol while the second type uses pyrolysis to convert the whole plant to either a liquid bio-oil or a syngas. Second generation processes can also be used with plants such as grasses, wood or agricultural waste material such as straw.


[edit] Replacement of petroleum
Only about 5% of the fossil energy required to produce ethanol from corn in the United States is obtained from non-US petroleum.[69] Current (2006) United States production methods obtain the rest of the fossil energy from domestic coal and natural gas. Even if the energy balance were negative, US production involves mostly domestic fuels such as natural gas and coal so the need for non-US petroleum would be reduced. Developed regions like the United States and Europe, and increasingly the developing nations of Asia, mainly India and China, consume much more petroleum and natural gas than they extract from their territory, becoming dependent upon foreign suppliers as a resultThe science of Economics is generally defined as the study of scarcity management. Absent scarcity and alternative uses of available resources, there is no economic problem. As such, the subject of economics involves the study of choices as they are affected by incentives and resources.[70] Since land and agriculture have historically served the world as utilities for food production, many believe the alternative use of agricultural resources for ethanol fuel production imposes an artificial scarcity of food on a global scale.[71] [72] [73] [74]

Meanwhile, the United States Department of Energy, finds that for every unit of energy put towards ethanol production, 1.3 units are returned.[75] Another study found that corn-grain ethanol produced 1.25 units of energy per unit put in.[76] As yields improve or different feedstocks are introduced, ethanol production may become more economically feasible in the US. Currently, research on improving ethanol yields from each unit of corn is underway using biotechnology. By utilizing hybrids designed specifically with higher extractable starch levels, the energy balance is dramatically improved. Also, as long as oil prices remain high, the economical use of other feedstocks, such as cellulose, become viable. By-products such as straw or wood chips can be converted to ethanol. Fast growing species like switchgrass can be grown on land not suitable for other cash crops and yield high levels of ethanol per unit areaCritics argue that ethanol is a fancy way of using solar power. The processing and production, as well as burning of ethanol would not significantly improve carbon emissions over the current use of gasoline. Instead, critics propose the widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles (zero emissions vehicles) combined with increased use of nuclear power and solar power.


[edit] Problems
Fuels with more than 10% ethanol are not compatible with some fuel system components.[81][82]
Examples of extreme corrosion of ferrous components,[82] and internal separation of portions of rubber fuel tanks have been observed in some vehicles using ethanol fuels.[citation needed]
Formation of salt deposits, jelly-like deposits on fuel strainer screens
Can negatively affect electric fuel pumps by increasing internal wear[82] and undesirable spark generation. [83]
Is not compatible with capacitance fuel level gauging indicators and may cause erroneous fuel quantity indications in vehicles that employ that system.[84]
Not always compatible with marine craft, especially those that use fiberglass tanks.[85][86]
Decreases fuel-economy by 15-30%; this can be avoided using certain modifications that would, however, render the engine inoperable on regular petrol without the addition of an adjustable ECU, or use of multiple ECUs to run the engine on multiple fuel types. [87][20]
Support for biofuels could keep petroleum prices high in the USA (NY Times - [27])
Tough materials are required to overcome ethanol's corrosive nature, and the high compression ratio needed to make an ethanol engine as efficient as it would be on petrol; these would be similar to those used in diesel engines (which typically run at a CR of 20:1[88], versus about 8-12:1 for petrol engines [89].) Diesel engines cost significantly more than similar-sized ordinary petrol engines as a result of the more advanced materials used in their construction.
Whether the energy balance of ethanol - that is, whether the fuel contains more energy than was used to produce it - is positive or negative is debatable [90][91], as is whether or not the land used to grow the crop was obtained by, say, chopping down a rainforest, in which case the ethanol produced is just as unenvironmentally-friendly as fossil fuel due to the carbon released by the dead plants. [92]

I think my husband made a big financial mistake...help plz...?

Jul 30, 2008 by guamtinkerbell | Posted in Credit

We are in debt...about 20,000. My husband has signed up with Credit Solutions...a credit reduction company. I have already told him not to resort to debt consolidation so he is going the route of credit reduction instead. But something in my gut is telling me that we can't trust these Credit Solutions people. My husband is paying them a little over 100 a month for their "services" and after 3 months I have yet to see them even begin to do their job. I told my husband to call them up and light a fire under their butts. But they just keep throwing promises in his face and now I am on the verge of a panic attack. (we are living comfortably, but on a paycheck to paycheck basis almost)

ANY ADVICE would be greatly appreciated...thx in advanced

It look like your intuition has been correct. This organization promises a lot but does very little (except make money).

You were right in your suspicions. Here is a link to read 810 reports filed by others regarding companies called credit solutions. You will have to scroll through them to find "Credit Solutions" as it is quite a common name, but they are listed there. I did notice that they always use a standard rebuttal form when someone files a complaint. strange!!!!!!
http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q5=credit+solutions&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search%21

However, rip-off-report has posted a statement that Credit Solutions has improved due to numerous complaints. Here is the link to read this letter
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/264/RipOff0264955.htm

If I were you, I would make him read these reports, then drop the compnay cold turkey and use the following link to find help with your problems
http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/cc_approved.htm
Govt approved credit counseling agencies.


Hope this answers your question, even though it's not what you may have wanted to hear.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The advice contained herein is for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as Legal Counsel nor Legal Advice.

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