Ethanol and the MPG Reduction Conspiracy

This is my 2 cents. But it appears that this ethanol conspiracy, (which is supposed to be saving its citizens dollars by not importing oil), is in fact slowly increasing the MPG cost on our pockets.

Last year, when 4.3 percent of gasoline was ethanol, vehicles got 1.4 percent less miles per gallon than they would have on non-ethanol gasoline, she said. This year, with a mandate of 6.3 percent, the average MPG will be reduced by 2.1 percent, she said.

Survey: Gas prices rise 9 cents in 2 weeks

This is preposterious because the cost of oil has already hit 107$ USD / barrel, and its just not enough money for these barrel-barrons, they want to steal more money from our pockets without us even knowing it!

By reducing our MPG, and then telling us its ok....why? Because we're subverting terrorism??!!

I know that some of you might say that Ethanol as a substitute in gasoline is supposed to save us money at the pumps, but where are these magical cheap pumps at?

Every pump i've been to in GA that advertises ethanol, is no cheaper than any other pump out there. As a matter of fact they're usually at the more expensive pumps.....

Ethanol is nothing more than an illusion to make us believe the goverment is acting. It can not replace fossil fuels. It will reduce MPG and raise the cost of food.

While its being made in small amounts now and raising the cost of food, what will happen when its made in large volumes. We will be faced with the choice of whether to use food for fuel or feeding people. Considering that there are millions in this world already without food, I think its foolish to use food to feed our dependence on oil.

I am closing in on a total freakout everytime I read that ethanol "is the super-friendly eco-fuel of the fututre".

I'll tell you what it is; a dead frekin' end.

Food that starving people need.
Rainforest, that are on the brink of extinction, are being cut down to grow more crops for ethanol. This goes for all type of forests and as we already know the vegetation on this planet in general and rainforests specifically is the only cure for this global fever that will kill us all.
Ethanol is not so clean either; emissons of ground-level ozone is just as harmful, if not even more so since it has a more direct hazardous effect on humans, plants and animals.
It takes gasoline to produce ethanol and in some cases, as ethanol from american corn, it is almost 1-1, you need almost a gallon of gasoline to produce a gallon of ethanol.
Around here, it is slightly cheaper with ethanol, but it still doesn't add up in the long run since prices for crops go up and with that prices for dairy products, bread and meat. This increase of food costs has become very apperent where I live. Especially bread and dairy products. I am worried.

How DARE they call this "bio-fuel"?
I feel disgusted.

I tend to agree with you. Like others have said, ethanol does, in no way, benefit the environment in comparison with traditional gasoline. It's all an illusion to make the people think the government gives a flying *fruit* about domestic energy production.

From The Volokh Conspiracy

When we assume the ethanol production process is fully renewable, it would take all the corn in the country to displace about 3.5 percent of our gasoline consumption — only slightly more than we could displace by making sure drivers’ tires are inflated properly.

Even small diversions of corn supplies to ethanol could have dramatic implications for the world’s poor, especially considering that researchers believe that food production will need to triple by the year 2050 to accommodate expected demand.

Ethanol is the biggest scam I have ever seen. We have only one gas station around that doesn't use ethanol in their gas, and it costs the exact same to fill up with, only difference is I get over 50 miles per tank better gas mileage! I've tested it several times in several different conditions, ethanol decreases gas mileage, so then you need to fill up more, putting more money in their pockets.

Corn Ethanol is the most worthless crock of crap the government is forcing down our throats, causing us to spend more money on oil and drive up the price of corn.

Conspiracy? Not Really! As the elite "Green" groups continue to demand and sue for less carbon footprint our political leaders bend with the wind. As a result E10 is now with us to stay... at least for a season. Where the rubber meets the road, my Matrix's 33 mpg with a lead foot and ethanol free fuel has been crippled by the "green" movement and now gets 27 mpg with a light foot and reduced speed. So let's see... 100 gallons of ethanol free fuel takes me at least 3300 miles. 100 gallons of E10 allows me 2700 miles. That means 18.5 more gallons of E10 to go 3300, or 1.85 gallons of E10 and 16.65 more gallons of reg. gasoline. Again, with E10 I consume 90 gallons plus 16.65 gallons totalling 106.65 gallons of regular to travel 3300 miles. With regular unleaded (E10 free) I only consume 100 gallons. My carbon footprint with E10 is almost 7% greater. Conspiracy....not really! Stupidity!!!

I thought I was the only one. This is the most preposterous fraud that has ever hit the face of this nation. The companies that make ethanol, the lobbyist that got all the bills started to mandate ethanol, and the politicians that are invested in the ethanol companies....are all making money hand over fist. The sad part is that they are duping most of this nation as most of this nation is sitting back thinking....this is good! We're burning more gas now then we did before. Any person that can do 3rd grade math can figure that out. Johnny drives 100 miles on 5 gallons of straight gas, Johnny drives 100 miles on 6.25 gallons of E10. Gas and E10 cost the same at $4 per gallon. Which fuel would you rather use and why?

With my current job I travel to Brazil and have been there three times. Brazil's ethanol business is huge. I like this Brazilian ethanol business for one reason and one reason only....the people have a choice over which fuel they can buy....100% gas, 100% ethanol....or blend the two as they like. Giving the consumer a choice, that's what it's all about. Our politicians are a bunch of arrogant pinhead blood sucking dogs that will take personal prosperity over the good of the people and the country. If they really think they are reducing our dependence on foreign oil by mandating ethanol, then they are too stupid to understand why we are not, and thus too stupid to hold office, and therefore should be impeached. A bunch of good old boy attorneys that take care of other good old boy back slappers....first and foremost. This country is awesome. Our government is a joke.

I think we went about ethanol wrong here in the US with the whole corn ethanol thing there are better ways to do this .. look at brazil for example they have been on ethanol since the early 80's and they still have cheap food there but they are using by products of of sugar cane , we should at the very least be using sugar beets here and more likely we should be using algea it has 10 times the amount of ethanol as corn and it just so happens that every lake river stream creek and ocean has some to help us get started until we can create farms to harvest algea from...

Thanks, guys.....I was wondering where my MPGs were going!

Some of you might remember my posts about ethanol from last year. I was a hardcore ethanol proponent because I truly beleived that it was a good thing.
As it turns out I was totally wrong.
I was excited about it too, being totally wrong, it means that I have learned something.
Here are the facts as I see them,
1. Ethanol production takes away valuable food production.
2. It drove the cost of corn to an all time high, a temporary but false boon to farmers.
3. Ethanol must be burned to create power, the result of which is air pollution, no matter which way you cut it.
4. Modern vehicles with ethanol fuel capability are NOT any more efficient than gasoline engines.
5. There is no real point to ethanol fuel for cars, period.
These are just my opinions.

Google: josh tickell

Was on with Jay Leno last night and related how Ford made
ethanol carburetor for farmers and Rockefeller backed and changed
the temperance movement to prohibition.

He promotes bio mass production of ethonal and not the use of food
producing farming. A thirty story bio building is one of his proposals.

Google: ethanol rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller & Alcohol Prohibition