E85 for American Fuel Independence !

[Garandman]

I have burned 10,000 gallons or more of E85 in my personal vehicles. If all AMERICANS would do this we could spend our $ in the US with American companies and with American farmers. This is about clean emissions and clean air also. This is NOT about food vs fuel. We have an oversupply of corn in US

It's Final -- Corn Ethanol Is Of No Use

The International Institute for Sustainable Development was not so diplomatic, and estimates that the CO2 and climate benefits from replacing petroleum fuels with biofuels like ethanol are basically zero (IISD). They claim that it would be almost 100 times more effective, and much less costly, to significantly reduce vehicle emissions through more stringent standards, and to increase CAFE standards on all cars and light trucks to over 40 miles per gallon as was done in Japan just a few years ago.

This is NOT about food vs fuel. We have an oversupply of corn in US

In 2000, over 90% of the U.S. corn crop went to feed people and livestock, many in undeveloped countries, with less than 5% used to produce ethanol. In 2013, however, 40% went to produce ethanol, 45% was used to feed livestock, and only 15% was used for food and beverage (AgMRC).

The United States will use over 130 billion gallons of gasoline this year, and over 50 billion gallons of diesel. On average, one bushel of corn can be used to produce just under three gallons of ethanol. If all of the present production of corn in the U.S. were converted into ethanol, it would only displace 25% of that 130 billion.

But it would completely disrupt food supplies, livestock feed, and many poor economies in the Western Hemisphere because the U.S. produces 40% of the world´s corn. Seventy percent of all corn imports worldwide come from the U.S. Simply implementing mandatory vehicle fuel efficiencies of 40 mpg would accomplish much more, much faster, with no collateral damage.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Ethanol =GREED pure and simple. Ed

 

[jeff9366]

Wish they would do away with ethanol fuel. Nothing green about it.

~~ X2 ~~

 

[Bird]

Surely, it's no surprise to anyone that our Nebraska farmer members are trying to sell ethanol.:laughing: After all, does any other state produce more corn than Nebraska? For the rest of us, it may not be such a great idea.

 

[Copperhead]

Their is such an oversupply of corn right now, It wouldnt lower feed prices much, it would just force many farmers to change which crops they grow.

What crops would they then grow? Wheat is down relative to historical pricing, oats likewise. Soybeans also. And the list goes on and on. And also, most farmers rotate crops seasonally and do not raise corn on the same ground year over year. So they are already growing other crops. Some folks actually need to check on what farms do than read magazines about it.

 

[Copperhead]

Surely, it's no surprise to anyone that our Nebraska farmer members are trying to sell ethanol.:laughing: After all, does any other state produce more corn than Nebraska? For the rest of us, it may not be such a great idea.

yes, Iowa. Iowa is the largest corn producing state in the country. Followed by Illinois. Nebraska is 3rd. Iowa and Illinois alone account for over 1/3 of the entire U.S. corn production. And well over 90% of that farm ground is not even irrigated.

 

[Copperhead]

Problem with the figures thrown out. Of the entire U.S. corn crop, 20% is used for human targeted food products. Of the 80% left, 40% is used for ethanol production. No one is getting shortchanged. IF they were, the price for corn would go thru the roof because of markets competing for the available corn. Simple economics is lost on so many people.

I'll leave the "green" arguments to others. I really could give a rip about the greenie stuff. I lived thru the days of serious pollution, rivers catching on fire from pollution, serious brown clouds of pollution over most all major cities, etc. We are in far better shape than we ever were during the 50's, 60's, and 70's. I am not a scientist, but I had enough solid scientific methodology in college to know a pile of horse crap when I see it. All of this CO2 is a pollutant nonsense is just that... nonsense. There were significantly higher levels of CO2 during the last Ice Age than now, but we keep getting fed a line garbage about how CO2 leads to global warming while the Antarctic ice sheet has grown to record levels.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I've ran the stuff and was not impressed. Cost me more per mile and was stopping every 200 miles for fuel vs 350. Gas station owners love the foot traffic.

Chris

 

[Copperhead]

That might be well true depending on pricing in your area. In my area as well, E85 is not worth it. But lets look at some other levels.

E0 is currently $2.36 a gallon in my area. Let's say with my 2015 2500HD 6.0L flex fuel I get 15 mpg average with E0. That equates to 15.7 cents a mile fuel cost. E10 is $1.93 in my area. Let's say I lose 1 mpg and get 14 mpg. Based on that, my fuel cost is 13.7 cents a mile. I just saved 2 cents a mile. I use E15, as there is no appreciable mpg difference between it an E10 in my pickup. But the price is $1.86 in my area. Using it saves me an additional 1/2 cent a mile. So using E15 as opposed to E0, I save 2.5 cents a mile. I will concede, at the current $1.68 I can get E85 in my area for, the mpg loss makes it more costly per mile than E15. So I use E15.

While gas stations might like the foot traffic, they hardly get mine. I fuel and pay at the pump and move on most times.

 

[Terry1040]

Wish they would do away with ethanol fuel. Nothing green about it.

Ethanol is 100% renewable fuel. It is totally GREEN. An air quality is not important to you ? important to America ?