1. It would work, but only on a very limited basis only. There does not exist enough arable land on earth to fuel the global fleet of over 700 million private vehicles, provide food for everybody currently alive, and also house the population. Doing this on a limited basis would be possible.
2. He caved into the oil companies primarily because of two reasons, the prospect of becoming rich, and also the abundance of the refined fuels. Why manufacture the fuel required to propel your vehicle, when you can just pump it out of the ground for near free? Also, if there was not "financial incentive" (bribes), to do so, Henry Ford would have likely declined to change the fuel that the engines were fueled by.
3. Not at all. All you need is sugar, yeast, and an air-tight container, (a large Gatorade bottle works good for this), to make the brine. Add .5 cup of pure white sugar, and 1 TSP of yeast to 2 quarts of water. Now cap off the mixture so it is air tight, and set it in the sun. for the rest of the day. After the sun sets, place the brew near a warm, (but not hot) source of heat. Once per day, let out the excess air (which is CO2), by opening the lid and letting out the gasses. The brine will be ready in a period of 2 weeks if it is exposed to continual warmth.
It does not take very much warmth, and the distillation process creates heat by itself, as it is an exothermic reaction. After the brine is ready, you will need to create a distillery. All you will need for this is a one gallon jar, and 5 feet of surgical tubing. The extra volume will allow for the air to expand, and force out the alcohol. First, poke a hole in the center of the lid of the 1 gallon jar so the surgical tubing can fit in it easily. Extend the length of the surgical tubing 1 inch below the bottom of the jar lid, and seal the tubing with caulking. After the caulk has sealed, it will now be air tight, and water tight. Make sure there are no gaps in the seal around the surgical tubing.
After your distiller is ready, transfer the contents of your fermenter to your distiller. After you have done this, cap off the surgical tubing so no vapor escapes. Now place the jar over a heat source, and get the brine to a rolling boil. The alcohol will boil off first, which is why you need to cap off the end of the surgical tubing that is free. Next, run the surgical tubing through a cold source such as an ice pack . Make sure there is plenty of room left at the end to place it into a jar to collect the alcohol. After you have the tubing routed through the source of cold, and have the end placed in another jar, (at a lower altitude), about 2 quarts in size to capture the alcohol than the source of the heat, wait for the alcohol to boil off, and collect it in the cooled off jar. After the boiling has stopped, the contents of the second jar will be pure alcohol. Just turn off the source of heat, and re-cap the surgical tubing.
Let the distiller cool to room temperature. After it is cooled off, just add more yeast and water, and the reaction will be started again. Repeat process until your alcohol is to the desired amount. The brine can be reused for about 3 months before needing to start from fresh again. Congratulations, now you know how to make moonshine
Here Lies the United States Of America.
July 04, 1776 - June 23 2005
Epitaph: "The Experiment Is Over."
Rest In Peace.
Eminent Domain Was The Murderer.