Taxes and Bio-diesel...a thought

[odleefs]

While I don't think Bio-diesel is used in sufficient enough quantity to justify this, yet, how long until Uncle Sam starts to want to add tax to those using bio-diesel or other alternative, tax-free fuels on our highway and by-ways?
Furthermore, if they don't tax these fuels for on-road use, how long until there is an uprising by those that do pay taxes on their fuel?

 

[Bob_Skurka]

It apparently takes more energy to produce bio-diesel than it generates, why would we want to use more of it? For every gallon we use, we actually consume something greater than a gallon of fuel to make it /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[odleefs]

That and the loss of tax revenue does not add up.
Obviously, taxation would decrease desire to use, or in this case, abuse...

 

[RedRocker]

When enough people are using it to make a difference the tax man will cometh. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SkyPup]

The taxpayers are already funding BD, as it is a totally nonprofitable entity without government tax subsidies to begin with since it costs more to make than what you can sell it for. As Bob said, you cannot create energy for free. BD is a losing proposition all around unless it is specifically to reclaim energy from waste biomass. Growing food crops for transportation fuels is a bad idea.

 

[TiminMN]

Biodiesel form soybeans makes 3.2 time the energy than it takes to make. People who say it takes more energy include the solar energy of sunlight on the field to make it negative. Do you include the sunlight that shines on your tractor as part of opperating cost?

 

[SkyPup]

Are you thinking maybe the federal government should tax farmers for their sunlight to recover some of the wasted energy spent on biodiesel production from row crops? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> People who say it takes more energy include the solar energy of sunlight on the field to make it negative. </font>
Every study I've heard of only includes the energy needed to grow the crop, e.g., diesel used in the planting, growing and harvesting of the crop and not the energy from sunlight. Do you have a source for this?

 

[jeepers94]

There was a story in the news last year.This guy was using the free fry oil to run his car.He told of how many miles he had driven and his mpg.About a month later his state tried to charge him road tax on the fry oil.The tax is used to build and maintain roads,and our roads in WI are much better than our neighbors.I don't begrudge paying road tax for road use.

 

[slowrev]

Jeepers,
So I suppose if fossil fuels were pahsed out and solar powered cars became a reality, we would have a sunlight tax on them.