As usual, Congress has ignored the 'Law of Unintended Consequences' with the move to Ethanol made from corn.
Some facts taken directly from USDA data and other government agencies:
1. A car which gets 30 mpg on Gasoline gets 20 mpg on Ethanol
2. At best, Ethanol will reduce petroleum imports by 2.6%
3. In 2006, Ethanol was subsidized at $2.21/gallon
4. Because coal is being burnt to distill the Ethanol, Greenhouse gases are greater than that of the gasoline replaced.
5. It takes about 80% as much energy to produce Ethanol as the energy one gets from the Ethanol
6. Ethanol requires special handling as it cannot be transported or stored in the same manner as is gasoline
7. Ethanol has almost zero Greenhouse gas benefit when used in cars newer than 1990 models
8. The cost of corn has already doubled and is expected to do so again
9. Ethanol from corn is causing the cost of nearly all foods to increase
10. Rain Forest are being cut as Brazil and other South American countries prepare to export Ethanol to the U.S.A.
In summary, one must conclude that there was/is no economic benefit, no Greenhouse gas reduction, or OPEC independence, reason(s) for Congress to have adopted an Ethanol from corn policy.
Some argue that as technology improves the cost of Ethanol will be reduced. This makes no sense as Ethanol is merely 200 proof corn whiskey. We have been distilling whiskey for over two hundred years—how much more is there to learn?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
What else would one expect from Congress? They are busy blaming others for their failures.
As you wrote in an earlier post-- they don't care about what a bill does, only that the name sounds good and buys votes.
"Mindless & Spineless" really fits.
I checked your numbers.
In 2006 subsidies were:
$2.6 Billion to producers
$0.9 Billion to Farmers
$3.6 Billion from consumer at the pump.
------
$7.2 B total which did equal $2.21/gal
All of which came out of our pockets.
2/3 of which became windfall profits.
Screwed by Congress again!
I read that the U.S. corn exports feed a large part of the world and that we may not be able to due that much longer because we are converting the corn to fuel.
I also wonder how much corn was lost this year alone to floods and drought?
Corn for fuel just doesn't seem logical.
Post a Comment