I haven't really jumped on either side of this discussion, but I know there have been a few threads on here about ethanol in fuel and its pros and cons. Came upon this article and thought i'd throw some more fuel on the fire

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...cstillwell.DTL

 

Yeah newer cars I don't think it's much of a problem. I worry about old engines like late 80's to mid 90's.

 

you couldnt pay me to use that crap, new car or not

 

 

Unfortunately there is 10% ethanol in all Oregon gas.. I'd guesstimate that its killed my gas mileage by 15% or more.

 

my car is leased. i'd fill it with horse dung if it would still run at 80%+ power and save me some cash.

 

+1

 

minus all the power and physical effects of the gas arguments, it was interesting to read ethanols effect on markets and agriculture. I do think the giant subsidies for corn are a problem

 

We can still find it without, but yes, i see the same typical reduction from 10%

 

Federal law now requires 10% in all states. FL just switched over. I see signs now on the pumps.

 

When all the oil runs out, ethanol will be the only thing that I'll be able to use to run my red barchetta

We've had 10% ethanol up here in mass for awhile now... (a year or more I think).

 

I have completley cooled off on the support for ethanol. if i can't drive my integra and get 30 miles to the gallon with it than come up with a better option. I am more excited about the new diesel motors that are coming out. i think hondas diesel motor got something like 63 MPG. this new revision of old technology is were it is at.

 

ethanol is some politician's wet dream that sounds good, but actually has so many drawbacks, I would say it is more detrimental to our environment, fuel efficiency, economy, and wallets overall.

but, hey, it sounds good on paper and makes good pr

 

Just a fancy farm subsidy with gross environmental consequences.

 

Ethanol FTL

 

one day somebody with a brain will be in government.

 

You guys are missing the point... Ethanol might not be a great idea now, but most of you won't give a shit about the enviroment or lower fuel economy when gas is $10 a gallon, and ethanol is $4 a gallon... I might be dead before I see it happen, but eventually we're going to have to run our cars on something other than fossil fuels. That gives us more than enough time to mitigate the downsides of ethanol...

You can't make more oil, but despite it's drawbacks, ethanol is a renewable resource that can be grown.... Corn is probably the worst crop, but sugar beets and other crops hold great promise.

Brazil has loads of sugar cane waste that it turns into fuel, and Ethanol is the fuel of choice for taxi drivers down there since it's cheaper than gas... Even though ethanol gets less mileage than gasoline, in Brazil it's still cheaper per mile driven. The country's use of gasoline has actually declined since the late 1970s...

 

GM

Actually , there is more oil, they just need to figure out a way of getting it out of the ground( see Alberta Oilsands), but that is neither here nor there. I agree with you, long term, we need an alternative solution to crude, I just don't think Ethanol is the answer. The concern for me is that we are using food to fuel our cars- complete insanity.. and at the same time, subsidies the farmers to do it. ( I think it was subsidies in 2006 were $7 billion). If this keeps up , you could see 30% of corn production going to Ethanol, not to mention wheat.. Don't worry about $10 a gallon gas, worry about $10 a loaf bread.. not to mention what will happen to the price of Nachos..

 

there is plenty of oil. we just have to convince the EPA to let us drill and we have to get the govt to stop taxing the shit out of it.
the question that remains, is oil a fossil fuel? the answer is leaning toward no. http://www.321energy.com/editorials/...man083105.html

 

Not to mention there isnt enough farmland to make enough E to fuel our cars

 

You make a good point, let me amend my opinion:

CORN BASED Ethanol FTL...

 

haha, this was great

 

what "giant subsidies" for corn are you talking about? I got 300 acres of corn out.
there probably won't be a LDP(market subsidies) due to i just did a future contract at 6 bucks a bushel .
I'll put 100 bucks bet that if corn 5-6 bucks a bushel they'll be no LDP payment.
hell your lucky to get a LDP of a 10 cents on 3 bucks a bushel of corn. so 5-6 buck corn it's not gonna happen.

 

uh Brazil grows almost as much corn as we do. they can do 2 crops a year due to their winter isn't as cold down there in the winter. I work for a large grain terminal all our corn goes to N.C. or S.C. area for chicken feed. our beans gets shipped out at New Orleans (which i drive truck for them)to International buyers. but we have grain marketers who tell me in the last 10 years they've had compete on contracts with Brazil growers.

 

Now about the subsidies you're Talking about is probably CRP . the CRP (which believe or not the farmer paid not farm it) they have to mow it every so often you get a check at the end of the year for so much an acre i wanna say it's like 125 or 150 an acre. they do that because farmers were producing so much crops it made the prices weak.
I don't have any ground in the CRP. however the company i work for we have tons of people we serve has CRP ground.

 

^^does what you type make sense to you?