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If Corn Ethanol Is The Answer, What Is The Question?
American Sentinel ^ | December 6, 2008 | jay1949

Posted on 12/06/2008 9:03:41 AM PST by jay1949

Where I live (the middle of nowhere), we were at the bottom of the list for having the 90% gasoline 10% corn ethanol brew at our local filling stations. This well-intentioned big-government mandate did eventually find us, however, and because I keep records of car mileage and fuel purchases, I can now affirm that the gas-ethanol mix does reduce fuel mileage. So I did some calculating, and . . . Oops! Looks like I’m "saving" the environment at the rate of using four additional 4 gallons of high-test per annum. And in the process, causing hunger in third-world countries because of increased grain prices. Is it me, or does this seem to be less than useful?

(Excerpt) Read more at theamericansentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: corn; ethanol; fuel; sugar
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1 posted on 12/06/2008 9:03:42 AM PST by jay1949
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To: jay1949

The question: How do we continue the socialization of America?

Another question: How do we make Big Farms even richer?

Yet another question: How do we buy the votes of ignorant small farmers?


2 posted on 12/06/2008 9:06:43 AM PST by Tublecane
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To: Tublecane

There’s a good possibility that the ethanol mandate will end next year in Missouri. We are an agricultural state. Several Republicans in the Missouri House favor doing away with corn and soybean fuel, just as MFA is building a big biodiesel plant that banks on continued use of blended fuels.


3 posted on 12/06/2008 9:12:22 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: jay1949

Questions:
How do we keep ADM stock up when the economy is down?
What is the largest scam solution to the peak oil myth?
What helps Democrats look good on both an excuse not to drill AND for helping American farmers?
How do we prevent deter of cellulose ethanol or hybrid electric/gas cars while still looking like we’re solving the gas crisis?


4 posted on 12/06/2008 9:13:24 AM PST by tbw2 (Freeper sci-fi - "Sirat: Through the Fires of Hell" - on amazon.com)
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To: jay1949

Let’s see.

Corn: Made in Kansas.

Oil: Made in Saudi Arabia.

Tough choice...


5 posted on 12/06/2008 9:15:06 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network ("Free Trade" = Fire Americans. Buy another company then fire more Americans.)
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To: Tublecane

You don’t mean to suggest that politicians would buy votes with are tax money, do you? :LOL:


6 posted on 12/06/2008 9:16:09 AM PST by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: jay1949
High food prices
poor gas mileage
animal feed shortages
excessive water usage
more bailouts
engine/fuel system problems
excessive distribution costs
political corruption

that's just a few..

7 posted on 12/06/2008 9:16:09 AM PST by xcamel (The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it. - H. L. Mencken)
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To: tbw2

You’ve moved into first place in the questions derby. Good ones, all.


8 posted on 12/06/2008 9:17:23 AM PST by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: jay1949

You can’t buy gas without ethanol in WI anymore. We’ve had this forced upon us for years. It takes more energy to make ethanol and deliver it, than the ethanol creates in energy- that is stupid! Ethanol is garbage. Bad for engines, lower mileage, and as a bonus, because it involves taking a food source (even as just a feed for livestock) and burning it for fuel,,,it makes groceries more expensive too. Lots of things in the grocery store have corn byproducts in them. Burning food, when there are gazillions of barrels of oil still undiscovered is stupid. Oh, wait the gov’t is not known for doing things that are smart. They do things that line the pockets of their friends with taxpayers money.


9 posted on 12/06/2008 9:18:26 AM PST by TheConservativeParty ("A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not why the ship was built." by The First Gal of AK)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

Oil:
Made in Canada, USA, Mexico (60%)
Ethanol - funded by taxpayers and corruption

Choice is easy.


10 posted on 12/06/2008 9:18:26 AM PST by xcamel (The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it. - H. L. Mencken)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

False “choice.” You forgot sugar cane: can be grown in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and probably some other places in the US I haven’t thought of. Tough choice? Nope.


11 posted on 12/06/2008 9:19:07 AM PST by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: jay1949

I didn’t see food riots in Mexico city. When the corn evaporates out of my tank my SUV hardly runs! Thank you rats.


12 posted on 12/06/2008 9:20:10 AM PST by mountainlion (concerned conservative.)
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To: xcamel

Don’t you guys ever tire of bashing Ethanol?

We grow it.

It’s a major factor in keeping gas prices low.

We need the competition.

If our new president wants to actually revolutionize the way we do energy, and fix the auto industry in one striking move - he could get everyone at the table to agree that henceforth, all US vehicles would be flex-fuel.

That’s all it would take.

The market will sort things out from there.

Rather quickly, I would think. :)


13 posted on 12/06/2008 9:24:35 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network ("Free Trade" = Fire Americans. Buy another company then fire more Americans.)
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To: Tublecane

And don’t forget, “How do we raise the worldwide price of food staples so we can blame ‘rich nations’ and engage in superior moral posturing?”


14 posted on 12/06/2008 9:25:56 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance." ~Sam Brown)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: Cringing Negativism Network

But at this time, the market is not being permitted to work things out. For that to be happening, I would have to have the option to purchase no-ethanol fuel - - but I can’t because of a command-and-control Federal mandate. Even better, I would have the option to purchase 90-10 made from sugar cane or 90-10 made from corn; I would buy the sugar cane brew, but for political reasons I’m not likely to have that option any time soon.

So, competition, my foot.


16 posted on 12/06/2008 9:31:26 AM PST by jay1949 (Work is the curse of the blogging class)
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To: jay1949

There was a surplus of corn in the early 20th century. Prices dropped; storage was expensive and the corn was attacked by rodents and insects.

So, they turned corn into liquor. The government saw an excellent opportunity for new taxes. Thus was born bootlegging - you know, Joe Kennedy and Al Capone.

Today’s government meddling by creating subsidies - 50 cents a gallon - only exascerbates the deterioration of marginal soils and depletes our water supplies as well as driving up the price of food everywhere.

The guys in Washington have no clue about unintended consequences and usually only respond to their benefactors - lobbyists and political donors or where they have a direct financial interest such as Nancy Pelosi in the T. Boone Pickens enterprize.


17 posted on 12/06/2008 9:34:52 AM PST by boxer21
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To: Beowulf; CygnusXI

ping


18 posted on 12/06/2008 9:36:04 AM PST by steelyourfaith
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To: Tublecane
WELL ONE WAY IS TO PUT A 50 CENT TARIFF ON BRAZIL'S

ETHANOL. THIS IS THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

HOW DOES ONE CONVINCE ANYONE ABOUT THIS CORN THEFT?

FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GLOBAL WARMING, THEY ARE NO

DIFFERENT THAN THOSE FOLKS WHO RUSH TO THE CAVES

WAITING FOR THE LATEST END OF WORLD PREDICTION.

19 posted on 12/06/2008 9:38:02 AM PST by cliff630
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

I don’t think you’ve read the article or numerous other studies. It takes MORE fuel to make corn ethanol than it produces. That’s even before you discover that 10% ethanol mix gets worse mileage. Plus it leads to more water in the gas tank and more engine damage. Plus it screws up lawn mowers, chain saws, and small engines. Plus it starves people in the third world and makes it much more expensive to feed American livestock.

I agree with cutting down on oil imports, but this doesn’t cut a thing. It needs MORE imports to mess things up.


20 posted on 12/06/2008 9:38:13 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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