10% Ethanol, Heads Up!

[dmccarty]

Ethanol has replaced MTBE to reduce pollution. MTBE was bad bad bad stuff since it is very water soluable and can/did contaminate quite a bit of ground water. There were discussions about MTBE when it was first used to reduce tailpipe emissions. I think it was only used in the triangle area of NC during the winter. At least at first. There were some subdivisions in Raleigh that had their wells contaminated from leaks in underground tanks at local gas stations. Which was the worry when MTBE was introduced.

Ethanol then replaced MTBE since a bit of alcohol in your well, errr spring, water is a good thing. We will just forget about the gas that goes with the Ethanol leaking from the underground tanks.

Later,
Dan

 

[beppington]

Government conspiracy no, but politics are at play. Ethanol producers (e.g., ADM, et al.), farm organizations (e.g., Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers), and other interest groups have lobbied various Administrations (Republican and Democrat) and Congress for ethanol mandates.

Exactly.

 

[California]

I saw an interesting article referenced from Digg this morning:

Ditching Ethanol Subsidy Will Save US $6 Billion - Won't Hurt Domestic Production Either

Two new pieces in NRDC's blog illustrate the benefits of ditching Federal support altogether. The first, from the Congressional Budget Office, details how much money eliminating the Ethanol Excise Tax Credit; the second, from Iowa State University, shows that not only would we save money but eliminating the subsidies, it wouldn't hurt production of corn ethanol.

Sasha Lyutse sums up the CBO report:

The CBO report estimated that roughly 11 billion gallons of biofuels were produced and sold in the U.S. in 2009, over 98% of which (10.8 billion gallons) came from corn ethanol. Tax expenditures (essentially foregone tax revenues) in support of this production were roughly $5.16 billion, including VEETC payments of $0.45 cents per gallon for blending ethanol (regardless of the feedstock) and the additional $0.10 cents per gallon that "small producers" receive on the first 15 million gallons they produce.

CBO finds that before they even pay at the pump, taxpayers incur a cost of $1.78 to replace a gallon of gasoline by substituting corn ethanol. continued

 

[mmurphy]

I saw an interesting article referenced from Digg this morning:

Ditching Ethanol Subsidy Will Save US $6 Billion - Won't Hurt Domestic Production Either

But we can each take 2 sides and prove each other wrong. Creative figures are around every where on this subject. I guess some people think ethanol is a fairly new invention. If ethanol industry would go down it would be a much bigger ticket then 6 billion a year.

 

[California]

But we can each take 2 sides and prove each other wrong. Creative figures are around every where on this subject. I guess some people think ethanol is a fairly new invention. If ethanol industry would go down it would be a much bigger ticket then 6 billion a year.

Ok ... I pointed to studies by Congressional Budget Office and Iowa State University. So far it appears that you just make stuff up.

 

[Duffster]

Ok ... I pointed to studies by Congressional Budget Office and Iowa State University. So far it appears that you just make stuff up.

Many anti ethanol articles including this one contradict themselves in the numbers.

Studies are skewed everyday. Anti ethanol's favorite from Cornell has been proven to be wrong many times.

 

[mmurphy]

Many anti ethanol articles including this one contradict themselves in the numbers.

Studies are skewed everyday. Anti ethanol's favorite from Cornell has been proven to be wrong many times.

Could not have said it better myself Duffster.


I will side on ethanol, although I will not say it is perfect.
Like I said in last post depends on what side you are on will be how the out come is shown in favor of that side. Last I knew we are still spending tax payers money in favor of oil and ethanol. My favorite thing is when I put fuel in my car, down the road I go with never a problem with ethanol blend, or straight gas. BTW the carbs that make the ethanol from corn passes through a cows stomache as waste and methane. So ethanol is not wasting food.

California, I was not making a statement against you.

 

[dmccarty]

I will side on ethanol, although I will not say it is perfect.
Like I said in last post depends on what side you are on will be how the out come is shown in favor of that side. Last I knew we are still spending tax payers money in favor of oil and ethanol.

The CBO study referenced earlier said that the tax payer is paying a $1.78 per gallon of ethanol. I don't know of a company that does not get some sort of tax benefit/incentive. The question is which is better for the tax payer. Does Exxon get a tax subsidy of $1.78 a gallon? I would be shocked if it did.

Why should the tax payer be paying $1.78 either for Ethanol or Gas. Both are wrong. And in the case of ethanol the increased price of Corn drives up food costs so we pay far more than just fuel costs.

Later,
Dan

 

[IslandTractor]

BTW the carbs that make the ethanol from corn passes through a cows stomache as waste and methane. So ethanol is not wasting food.
.

That is one of the weirdest statements I've ever seen on TBN.

 

[keegs]

Ethanol has replaced MTBE to reduce pollution. MTBE was bad bad bad stuff since it is very water soluable and can/did contaminate quite a bit of ground water. There were discussions about MTBE when it was first used to reduce tailpipe emissions. I think it was only used in the triangle area of NC during the winter. At least at first. There were some subdivisions in Raleigh that had their wells contaminated from leaks in underground tanks at local gas stations. Which was the worry when MTBE was introduced.

Ethanol then replaced MTBE since a bit of alcohol in your well, errr spring, water is a good thing. We will just forget about the gas that goes with the Ethanol leaking from the underground tanks.

Later,
Dan

Dan...If you couldn't sell your house because it got in your well water would you blame the government?