10% Ethanol

[Bill R.]

Here

Are you really not aware of the reason that MTBE is being phased out? Have you seen the clean up costs to date for it? Here's a little report on MTBE that you might want to read

I'm not saying MTBE was the answer, but ethanol isn't either the way our politicians have mandated it!

It costs more energy to produce than a gallon of gas. We don't have the facilities or capacity to produce ethanol for the MTBE that's being phased out. It can't be carried in pipelines and injected into the production process at the refinery like MTBE can. It has to be trucked to the refineries and mixed in from the tankers.

Now, do you want to know how many refineries, already running at capacity because we have not built a new one in 25+ years, are equipped to handle that new process, all the while changing over from winter to summer mix refining?!?!

You think gas is expensive now... just wait. Talk about a sellout to the Midwest corn lobby!

It just hit the Krogers here.

[DallasBill]

I'm totally aware. I already said it's not the answer.

[Dash01]

1.) The corn-based fuel additive makes a wonderful subsidy for Archer Daniels Midland and the other corporate citizens on K Street, who own the best congressmen that money can buy. The US taxpayer covers that cost. That, coupled with all of our various aspects of Middle East policy, makes for an effective bottom-line cost of fuel at ~$5 to $6/gallon. In other words, even though we pay ~$2.75/gallon at the pump, by the time we pay for corn subsidies and middle east involvement, the real price is much higher. And, the corn subsidies mean that US agriculture has such a surplus that it floods the market, putting Mexican subsistence farmers out of work, so they sneak into the US to feed their families, paying little or no taxes into the bargain. They do, however, get "free" medical care at the taxpayer's expense at the local hospital.

When the dollar drops even further (many economists predict a major decline) due to government deficits and borrowing, then fuel numbers will get a lot worse, since we are a net importer of fuel.

2.) Corn is not necessarily the best or most efficient way to produce domestic fuel. Other crops work better, as the Brazilians found with sugar cane. Fortunately, some scientists are working on algae-based fuel derivatives, including some with genetic engineering to make more productive algae. I wish they'd hurry up.

[BillionPa]

E10 gas lowers my gas mileage by more than 10%, therefore I am using MORE foreign oil by using it. If i use ethanol free Shell V-Power gas with acetone treatment, my mileage is about 25-30% higher than with E10, and I get significantly more power and low RPM torque.

[sKilled]

Hmmm ethanol, yummy.

[DallasBill]

E10 gas lowers my gas mileage by more than 10%, therefore I am using MORE foreign oil by using it. If i use ethanol free Shell V-Power gas with acetone treatment, my mileage is about 25-30% higher than with E10, and I get significantly more power and low RPM torque.

Thanks for the tip... I'll see if it's here in Dallas.