Posted on 08/06/2014 3:33:21 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.) are trying to avoid an ethanol landmine in Iowa.
Both Republican senators have criticized federal subsidies for ethanol, which are popular in Iowa, the state hosting the first Republican contest in the 2016 race for the White House.
Iowa kingmakers in the party such as Sen. Chuck Grassley want the Republican presidential nominee in 2016 to champion ethanol. That’s a problem for Cruz and to a lesser extent for Paul, who are both crisscrossing the state this week in advance of possible campaigns for the presidency.
Cruz has introduced legislation that would repeal the renewable fuel standard over the next five years. The standard mandates that gasoline contain 10 percent ethanol by volume.
“I believe we should pursue an all-of-the-above energy policy and that Washington shouldn’t be picking winners and losers,” he said.
Cruz argues the fuel standard has proven unworkable and costly, according to a summary of his bill.
He says it ignores the problem of an insufficient supply of biofuels to meet the standard.
Paul claims that bureaucratic regulations and corporate subsides have distorted the marketplace and actually made it tougher for energy developers to market new forms of clean energy.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Ethanol is a waste of corn...
“Cruz argues the fuel standard has proven unworkable and costly”
I think this should end the conversation.
Let Texas hold the first primary and screw Iowa and New Hampshire.
Problem solved.
Iowans are smart enough to understand the waste that is ethanol - and most know they can grow other things as well - wheat, beans, etc...
The problem are the politicians and cronies in the organizations that are funded by “big corn.”
I don’t think that I can survive 80 more years of Rand Paul.
Ethanol is a bad idea on so many levels.
I hate the bloody stuff!
I have rebuilt 5 carbs this season, and now another one seems goobered up.
Good point, how in the name of God does Iowa get to set the pace for our party?
Let Texas hold the first primary and screw Iowa and New Hampshire.
Problem solved.
Seconded!
Actually that's not the issue. Farmers will tell you the expended mash is a better cattle feed than regular corn.
I believe however that it takes more energy to make a gallon of ethanol than you can get out of it.
I won't vote for any candidate who kowtows to GOP-e "kingmakers."
My husband will not allow it in any of our cars, mowers, ATV’s, etc....never. We use only real gas, which is plentiful where we live.
Because the GOPe loves that 2 left-leaning purple states get to pick our nominee. That’s how we end up with the romneys and the mccains, who represent the far left within the GOP.
I believe however that it takes more energy to make a gallon of ethanol than you can get out of it.
I see.. a waste of time and effort on several levels..
BUT.. thats what Cloward-Piven is all about..
Ethanol is about Cloward-Piven not about energy..
We need to end welfare for corn growers
if ethanol made sense, it wouldn’t need to be on welfare.
I can get it too but it is way more expensive.
Still, I need to switch over, as it is ridiculous to have to rebuild carbs ever few months.
I rebuilt one mower in Mar, it ran like a ape on the first pull.
2 months later nothin.
Drained the gas and there was a 1/4” oh water in there.
Ethanol attracts the damned stuff..
Ethanol is pure crap as fuel.
.75 % of the BTUs, attracts water, corrodes seals and plastic...
Bahhh!
Aint it the truth?
But there has to be a way to fix that.
Get New Hampster out of the rotation too and end open primaries!
Ignore Iowa. Ignore New Hampshire. The first important Republican primary is South Carolina.
I generally agree, but it might make sense if they used some common sense. First of all, you're right, the industry wouldn't exist if it weren't subsidized.
If there were an actual market for the product, and free market forces were at work shaping the methodology to produce the stuff, it might make sense.
Since it is produced in the Corn Belt, where the Sun shines most of the time...they could use direct solar heat to brew and distill the alcohol. Not photovoltaics, but just direct heat.
The brewing vats could be kept a constant and proper temperature, with water heated by curved focusing mirrors.
Parabolic horizontal mirrors can produce incredible temperatures, certainly above the boiling point of water...sufficient to distill it.
But that's not the way it is......Is it.
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