also, subsidies for ethanol do not properly distinguish between E30 and E85. subsidies could be based on ethanol content so that E85 is cheaper to produce

Who was the President at the time?

Overall, using E85 reduces fuel economy by about 20 percent. In other words, a tank of E85 ethanol will take you only about 80 percent as far as a tank of conventional gasoline. Running on conventional gas, the V6 Chevy Impala, for example, is rated at 21 mpg city/31 highway. Running on E85, the same Impala is rated at 15 mpg city/22 highway.

Not only will you consume more fuel using E85 ethanol, you may pay more per gallon. Rising demand, limited supply, and extra costs associated with the transportation of E85 all play a role in its pump price.

All this while Congress in thier infinite wisdom passes higher fuel standards while supporting E85 ethanol… you gotta love this group of bungling idiots. Plus I just want all of you who drive hybrids and hate BIG OIL to sell your Gas eating death traps and go get yourself a safe E85 Tahoe.

You might as well just use gasoline because you’re burning less oil into the biosphere.

Ethanol also gets less MPG and creates smog that might be potentially more life threatening (or retain more UV rays).

How about the electric car?

You guys shouldn’t suppress technology like Big Oil.

Why are you advocating it?

Make gasoline $10 a gallon and you’d see a sharp reduction in CO2 emissions.

- corn ethanol’s energy consumption for farming, distillation, and distribution is many times that of oil. Most large new corn processing plants are being designed to burn dirty coal.

- corn ethanol cannot be inexpensively distributed via the oil pipelines, it’s too corrosive – it must be trucked. Separate storage facilities for ethanal must be built and that drives up the true cost.

- the corn ethanol industry lobbied congress heavily and has recieved billions of dollars, it’s controlled by big-money interests, not the farmers. The true cost of ethanol is closer to twice the pump price.

Reagan killed Carter’s solar tax incentives, we need those back even more strongly – places in Europe buy back solar-produced electricity for 8 times the rate since it would cost them that much to build new plants.

Research in cellulosic alcohol production needs to increase greatly – energy from bacteria and yeast can be produced without requiring huge chunks of arigable land.

Programs need to be put in place so that neighborhoods and communities can build small solar and wind generating stations at little or no cost that can serve many households.

Being anti-corn ethanol is not being right-wing or reactionary or anti-progress. I’ve spent many hours researching corn ethanol, I used to be a big supporter. I’m as rabid a liberal as you can find. Focusing on corn ethanol distracts from implementing real alternatives, we don’t have the time to afford.

No, that was Bill Clinton.

Then you drive one.

Tom Harkin and this bill?

Let’s see…Tom Harkin blocks the reduction of the ethanol tariff to prevent importing cheap ethanol, Tom Harkin proposes subsidies to ethanol makers, and now Tom Harkin wants an mandate of ethanol consumption…..

Pork, pork, pork, for the farmers!

However, how much more forest land are you folks going to allow the United States to plow under to grow enough corn to keep us mobile? Or were you figuring we could make the ethanol directly from trees?

Mathematically, ethanol doesn’t work…unless we all plan on drinking plenty of it so we don’t have to worry about the dwindling food supply.

Ethanol does one thing, and one thing only: It does get the discussion rolling, and demonstrates the possibility of alternative fuels. But unless you all can accept the clear-cutting of our trees at near rain-forest levels, ethanol is simply a red herring.

:)

Now, I understand women. :D

Comment by Juan C

You could be talking about so many possible things I’m left here scratching my head and chuckling to myself. Thanks Juan.

Comment by RUCerious

His bozonium levels are at critical mass. You’d think his physics PhD should have warned him.