Why Ethanol?

M

MarkO

Member
I am on my hobby horse again about ethanol blended fuel.

This week I have been on the road quite a bit in my chrysler t&c awd, about 1000 miles.

Because of where I have been I have been able to fuel up with non-ethanol blended fuel.

Surprise, surprise, I have been able to go 10% further on every gallon of gas.

Would someone please explain to me in small words and simple sentences how it is that I am saving the environment by using more gas when I use ethanol blended fuel?

Now that al gore has admitted publicly that perhaps using ethanol wasn't a good decision, do you think we can send him the bill for all of the added expense we have been subjected to in order to use ethanol blended fuel?
 
In politics, science and sense don't matter. Our oregon gov kulongoski is all about "climate" this or that and has state mandates for ethanol fuel and other green alternatives. Only recently he relented a little with hb 3497 for non-ethanol fuel at the pump for non-highway use.
Add to that are grain consortium and companies building ethanol plants, plus we know corn is a gov't subsidized crop.

Two side effects in my life so far is reduced mpg in my rolling iron and a helluva lot of karo in my food.

Bill al gore?! Shoot, he's even got immunity to a scan or pat down at the airport; though I know where his carbon credits can go.
 
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Ethanol subsidies called “a pure waste”


an article from newsmax.com

the federal government has been subsidizing ethanol production with a tax credit since 2004, but those subsidies are a waste and should be ended, one expert argues.

The government began offering a tax credit worth 51 cents for each gallon of gasoline containing 10 percent ethanol in 2004, and lowered the credit to 45 cents in 2008.

Last month the environmental protection agency (epa) decided to raise the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent for late-model cars.

But the $5 billion in annual subsidies for ethanol made from corn will expire at the end of the year unless congress acts, and “it’s time to let ethanol subsidies die,” says ronald bailey, science correspondent for reason magazine and author of the book “liberation biology: the scientific and moral case for the biotech revolution.” he offers several reasons for ending the ethanol subsidy:
the increased demand for corn to produce ethanol has resulted in a sharp rise in corn prices, increasing food costs for people and animals. Higher feed costs have led farmers to cut their herds—the number of beef cattle in the u.s. Fell in July to the lowest level since 1973, and the number of breeding hogs also fell to near record lows.
Rather than reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, ethanol production techniques actually produce higher levels of emissions than refining and burning ordinary gasoline, according to an analysis by the epa.
Despite claims that ethanol will make the united states less dependent on foreign oil, ethanol production has in fact not reduced oil imports.
The u.s. Ethanol market “is so saturated that American refiners are now exporting ethanol-laced gasoline to europe,” bailey points out in reason magazine. “this exported gasoline still receives the 45 cents per gallon tax credit, so that means u.s. Taxpayers are subsidizing european drivers.”
the ethanol subsidy lowers fuel prices at the pump, encouraging drivers to consume more gasoline, which in turn boosts demand for oil imports and raises oil prices.

Bailey cites a cornell university economist who shows that the ethanol tax credit is a “pure waste as it involves huge taxpayer costs while increasing greenhouse gas emissions, local pollution, and traffic congestion.”

bailey urges the lame-duck congress to “end this fiscal madness” by letting the subsidies expire on dec. 31.
 
The very short answer is -- archer daniels midland - their lobbyists / their politicians.

I do not travel thru the midwest (iowa, nebraska, etc), but I think ethanol blended gasoline has been available there for many years (decades?).

The longer story involves "oxygenated" gasoline...

At some point, the "feds" (I think) came up with a requirement to lower emissions at high altitudes in winter.

The "oil companies" came up with mtbe.

I first ran across this additive on the west slope of Colorado in the early 1990's. At that point, it was only used in the "winter blend" / "high altitude" gasoline (as far as I know).

As the emission requirements became more strict (CA, mayben's favorite "state of reality"), the "oil companies" "sold it" to CA and it eventually was used all year / nationwide.

The problem... Mtbe was found to be a carcinogen (surprise, surprise - and, of course, what is gasoline?).

Because of poor (non) maintenance of gas station tanks, gasoline with mtbe leaked into the soil and contaminated a number drinking water wells - in CA and around the country.

CA (I think, and possibly other states) finally forced the oil companies to end use of mtbe. It took a number of years to phase it out.

One of the oil company politicians tried to put a rider on a bill that exempted the oil companies from the liability (costs) of cleaning up the mtbe "spills" -- not successful that time, but maybe they were successful later.

"nobody" found a suitable replacement -- archer daniels midland "won" with the politicians "casting" ethanol as a "green fuel.

Plus, "they" voted for the sudsidies that dick mentions above.
 
I haven't added my "opinion" to this thread as I think it's already well known around here.

Until we all rise up and tell the bastards no more this shit is only going to get worse.

The ethanol subsidies are being re-authorized before your eyes right now in this fuckin' lameazz "lame duck" session.

And in typical government fashion, the shit will continue to hit the fan going forward. You kids can kiss yore actual use of this old iron goodbye, no need to budget for anymore engine maintenance 'cause it ain't gonna be a runner:

higher ethanol fuel wrecking gas pumps « the greenroom
 
At Christmas I used the t-all to drag the trailer to my brothers for a few days of family time. Which required fueling with ethanol along the way.

Last week I needed to drag the equipment trailer to town. Needless to say, the t-all is having fuel issues again.

Yesterday we went to my brother's house in the mini-van. Last week I fueled up with ethanol and was getting 17.9 mpg. Yesterday I fueled up with non-ethanol cenex 87 octane fuel. I got 22.8 mpg.

Unlike sam I am who likes green eggs and ham, I do not like ethanol in my fuel. Not here, not there, not anywhere!
 
Ya wanna get rid of this e10 and beyond shit? Just vote out every member of the house and senate in both your state and the fuckin' federal government.

Then vote in new, first time members and tell the bastards what to do. They work for us, we do not work for them!

This entire ewhatever shit is only going to get worse, the bastards that are forcing the shit through have a huge, government funded enhancement program going on that must be turned off now.
 
The country can't grow enough corn or whatever biomass material to keep up with our gas(fuel) demands. Imagine feeding our families and cattle with grain when the fuel giants are buying it all up stilling it all up to keep our our appetite for energy satisfied.

Alcohol is only guud for 2 things.........
1) racing cuz @ 6-1 stoichiometric nothing in available liquid form cept for nitromethane (ch3no2) makes more power

2) drinking

need I say more? :gringrin:
 
Robert kenney said:
the country can't grow enough corn or whatever biomass material to keep up with our gas(fuel) demands. Imagine feeding our families and cattle with grain when the fuel giants are buying it all up stilling it all up to keep our our appetite for energy satisfied.

Alcohol is only guud for 2 things.........
1) racing cuz @ 6-1 stoichiometric nothing in available liquid form cept for nitromethane (ch3no2) makes more power

2) drinking

need I say more? :gringrin:
Click to expand...

Not only can we not grow enough corn but we take all the corn from other countries.. Who should be feeding their people with it, but instead we take it and they starve a little more.
 
michael mayben said:
then vote in new, first time members and tell the bastards what to do. They work for us, we do not work for them!

This entire ewhatever shit is only going to get worse, the bastards that are forcing the shit through have a huge, government funded enhancement program going on that must be turned off now.
Click to expand...


Finally, somebody who gets it!
 
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