Posted on 02/15/2022 5:20:45 PM PST by george76
Corn-based ethanol may be more emission-intensive than previously thought and is likely contributing to more emissions than gasoline, a new study finds.
The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the environmental benefits of the U.S. renewable fuel standard (RFS) remain unclear.
Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, oil refiners are required to blend growing amounts of renewable fuels into gasoline and diesel.
The RFS raised corn prices, which in turn expanded the land used for corn crops. This increases emissions from the conversion of land to corn crops, and raises fertilizer and water usage, says the study, funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation.
These changes increased annual nationwide fertilizer use by 3 to 8%, increased water quality degradants by 3 to 5%, and caused enough domestic land use change emissions such that the carbon intensity of corn ethanol produced under the RFS is no less than gasoline and likely at least 24% higher,
...
Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel,” Tyler Lark, Assistant Scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) and lead author of the study
(Excerpt) Read more at oilprice.com ...
This is not new information. In graduate school, about 12 years or so ago, one of my courses consisted of researching the ethanol business and subsidies.
One of the things I remember most is finding out scientists and environmental protection groups all agreeing it was worse than using oil and gas. Pollutes more, costs more, etc.
And what did the government do after all the ‘testimonies’? They INCREASED spending on ethanol subsidies.
According to the class findings, it was pretty much just to purchase votes from the corn growing states.
Folks,
A little history.
At one time we had a 3 year grain reserve. Food security has always been an important issue for our govt.
But then they decided it cost too much to have a grain reserve so it was liquidated into the market and depressed the world wide market for corn.
What do we do with it? energy independence was importance at the time, we had a glut of grain and the other oxygenator had just been declared a bad pollutant at this time so ethanol solved some problems.
Now folks, don’t you wish we still had the 3 year grain reserve instead of what we are looking at now in our future?
You be right, Granny!!! Iowa... That’s where the tall corn and subsidies GROW!!!
Pollutants per mile remain unchanged.
BUT, it costs more!
Midwest politicians are addicted to its vote buying power, never mind the impact on food prices and availability.
Well the alternative to using feed corn for ethanol is feeding it to animals to make evil meat. /sarc
Imagine that.
how much gas is used in field maintenance/planting/harvesting then trucking corn to the plant then all the energy to make the alcohol, the trucking it to the mixing facilities and final mixing???
tell me again how green it is
On some topics, facts don’t matter much less nuance. Emotions are of primary importance!
Your post may have been in jest, but I think you’re right. Politicians always seem to cater to the corn lobby in Iowa.
I'd be ok with it if it's what it takest to keep farmers in business, but I suspsect that ain't the reason.
I’ve been using *Ethanol Free* 90oct Premium since buying my 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Supercharged HEMI V8. There are only a couple of stations here in York, which sell it.
Can’t we just pay the farmers to throw the corn away? Its not great in gas or putting corn syrup in everything. I’d prefer to stop growing all that corn that we don’t need but we know thats not going to happen because Big Farm Lobbies.
It would be nice if GasBuddy showed ethanol free.
They have E10, E15, and E85 listed.
They’re only throwing this out there because the costs of growing corn have skyrocketed so no more corn-for-ethanol. The corn growers will get better prices selling it to hungry people and animals as farmers’ costs increase.
So a ‘study’ says stop the use of corn for ethanol to support their economic decision.
It’s CRAP!!!!!
Snake Oil is another name for it.
www.pure-gas.org
Ethanol kills small engines.
Oddly, larger cities in Iowa have many non-ethanol fuel sources. Wife and I have Lexi, and I have a ridiculously indulgent Jaguar, though a number of years old. Being retired with few annual miles, I buy non-ethanol premium. Wife has much higher miles, so burning ethanol isn’t a concern.
Try pure-gas.org
Yes. We know.
Those of us with still functioning brains pointed it out decades ago that burning food is dumb and that said production of this alt-fuel generated more waste/pollution than it was advertised to prevent.
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