Ethanol

[GregF]

The Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandates that 15.2 billion gallons of ethanol be produced this year.

Dr. Thomas E. Elam's findings include:

•Ethanol, because its energy cost is higher than gasoline and because of its negative effect on fuel mileage, added about $14.5 billion, or 10 cents a gallon, to motorists’ fuel costs in 2011.
•Increased ethanol production since 2007 has had no effect on gasoline production or oil imports, contrary to supporters’ claims.

•Corn used for ethanol production rose 300 percent from 2005 to 2011, increasing from 1.6 billion bushels to 5 billion. (Ethanol production now uses more than 40 percent of the U.S. annual corn supply.)

•Corn now represents about 80 percent of the cost of producing ethanol compared with 40-50 percent before implementation of the mandate.

•Corn prices jumped to more than $6 a bushel in 2011 from $2 in 2005.
•The rate of change for the Consumer Price Index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs increased by 79 percent while it decreased by 41 percent for non-food items since the RFS was revised in 2007.

•Ethanol production costs and ethanol prices have all but eliminated a market for ethanol blends higher than 10 percent.

•The United States exported 1.2 billion gallons of ethanol in 2011.

[Shopguy]

WTF??

[ScottE]

Another government failure.

[cvslawrence]

I would also add that e15 blend has now been approved for sale at the pump.

Be very careful not to put e15 in your boat, as it will ruin your fuel system and potentially ruin your engine.

I feel ethanol has caused more problems, ie. higher consumer prices for food, destruction of fuel systems, lower fuel economy, not to mention the amount of diesel fuel and coal required to produce it.

Corn liquor belongs in a glass, not a fuel tank

[HandymanHerb]

Corn liquor belongs in a glass, not a fuel tank

Amen, give me my corn in a glass

[jrolin1]

Ethanol - good in your glass, not in your gas.

[GregF]

Not bad right off the cob either.

I suppose you all know the microwave trick?

[gramps]

Ok Greg tell us the microwave trick.

[HandymanHerb]

Like it on the grill, you don't need any other food to go with it, any where but in fuel tanks

[BobG]

Like it on the grill, you don't need any other food to go with it, any where but in fuel tanks

Hey that sour mash is good for something!

[ronb]

So a while back one of my facebook peeps posted this picture (I cut off her head to protect the innocent)

ethanol spill.jpg (17.97 KiB) Viewed 2537 times

Y'all know I live in ND (its in my profile...) so you know we have a few corn refineries around here and large coal mines out West and even farther out west there's oil in them thar hills... so I like to support what's going on around here (very very low unemployment also), but... Making Ethanol from food instead of biomass or decomposing biomass is plain stupid.

One funny thread I found while looking for my fb friend got her shirt was very informative..


http://e85vehicles.com/e85/index.php?topic=3787.0

(don't botter reading the whole post, its mostly e85 lovers bragging about how much we will love each other when we are not burning fossil fuels)
This is the only really fun part of that whole article...

Ahhh Haa!
Did my research looking to determine if there is truth in advertising... and ....
I found the evidence.
Yes.
Ethanol HAS been spilled on the beach before.....
but it did not cause the beach to close:
Proof that the D.C. Subway ads are correct- and meet the "truth in advertising" clause:

EthanolSpill.jpg (67.33 KiB) Viewed 2535 times

bahaha...

FWIW, we've got e85 at almost every pump in town here, mostly due to the ethanol plan that is just 20 miles West of us. My wife's new SUV (2012 Tahoe) is a 'Flex Fuel' vehicle and I thought about burning e85, but then remembered how much it caused problems with carbs (needing larger jets) so even if the fuel is cheaper, we will lose MPG, so its probably not worth it....but for some reason I am thinking about getting a diesel for my next vehicle so I can burn used cooking oil...

-ron

[rbiederwolf]

In my county you can only find non ethanol gas at the marinas (IE on the water) for about 1.25/gal more. Thus I thought that maybe there was a law that you could not have non ethanol at regular gas stations.

However I was in the FL Keys last week and almost all the gas stations had a REC 90 ethanol free pump. This is what they sold as their mid grade for only 30 cents/gal more.

Does anyone know why your average gas station (i.e. not on the water) does not carry ethanol free for boaters?? In my coastal town many people trailer their boats and fill up regularly with the ethanol gas because it is so much cheaper than the non ethanol at the marinas. If they had a non ethanol pump I would think they would attract every boater in town????

[BobG]

OK, so the US Auto industry has solved their ethanol problems...why can't the US Marine Industry do the same?

That's just stupid!

[HandymanHerb]

Ethanol is not good for any engine and it soaks up water like a sponge, if you don't believe it, get a glass jar fill half full with ethanol fuel and place in front of a fan to simulate wind blowing over you vented fuel tank.

Check it every 15 minutes

Here I found it for you on your tube, now you dont have to do it .

[screwball]

One of the very few advantages of living is SoCal. Ethanol won't pass California Air Resources Board. Only a very few E-85 gas stations in the state.