Ethanol Could Go on GOP Chopping Block

Michigan Capitol Confidential ^ | 11/11/2010 | Jarrett Skorup

[MichCapCon]

When the Republican majority is seated in the House of Representatives this January, many have high expectations that they will cut government spending as many of the candidates promised on the campaign trail. But the tricky question now is: Where to cut?

Some energy and environmental experts say they should begin with energy subsidies; specifically for ethanol.

Ethanol is a biofuel made mostly from corn in North America and can be used as an additive to gasoline. In many states, there is a mandated 10% blend with gasoline; the idea being to lower the amount of oil needed.

But many experts say this doesn't work.

"Contrary to popular belief, ethanol fuel does little or nothing to increase our energy security or stabilize fuel prices," wrote Kenneth Green, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "Instead, it will increase greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollutant emissions, fresh water scarcity, water pollution (both riparian and oceanic), land and ecosystem consumption, and food prices." ...

[The Great RJ]

In many farm states cutting off ethanol subsidies would be viewed worse than spitting on the flag or advocating abolishing guns. Any serious look at ethanol and the whole biofuels concept shows it doesn’t do anything but enrich farmers and a few large corporations with taxpayers money, but no farm state member of Congress would dare to advocate ending the program.

[GailA]

As it should, makes the check engine light come on in my daughter’s car, because it fouls up the converter.

And certain food prices would drop.

[snoringbear]

“Whoopie! All ethanol is, is a farm subsidy. It really serves no useful purpose.”

yeah, actually an understatement. The ethanol program has caused significant harm to our economy and to the environment. If this program should be killed by congress their refineries (stills) will shut down the day after the ink dries and corn will return to it's rightful place in the economic spectrum which is as a food supply - driving down the cost of such. HOWEVER, I doubt that it will ever happen as the good citizens and their representatives of those midwest farm states will make it very clear that those who attempt to kill this cash cow will do so at their own peril.

[prophetic]

The only sensible thing to do is figure out how get energy from...KUDZU! It not only grows like mad, you cannot kill it. It rambles over hills, trees, mountains, whatever. Set up a processing plant and the stuff will grow right in the door and into the machinery. No fertilizer or cultivation required.

Now which govt bureaucrat in their right mind(??) would ever want a simple or inexpensive solution to a problem?

Remember that that sub-specie of humans thinks & requires that everything that they work at must be of ever growing complexity and expense. They are conditioned to always
1) make things worse for a simple problem
2) make it as protracted, overly complex and expensive as possible
3) think, speak and process things in enviro-speak so as to sound highly educated and intelligent
4) create and ever growing bureaucracy which will guarantee them an almost permanent career in the overbearing system they have created to solve a simple problem
5) inevitably they become the tool for the liberals and other ultra-leftist who use them to push their radical agendas on the country - common sense or the economy be dammed!!

[tlb]

>>> No one will dare cross the corn mafia in Iowa, Ohio or Indiana...

McCain did. This honest answer probably cost him Iowa at least.

Sep 27, 2008 ... “I’d eliminate ethanol subsidies,” McCain said flatly. ...

http://iowaindependent.com/6194/mccain-hits-pitch-but-obama-makes-sale

One third of American corn is burned up as ethanol. It’s insane.

[snoringbear]

“The only sensible thing to do is figure out how get energy from...KUDZU! It not only grows like mad, you cannot kill it. It rambles over hills, trees, mountains, whatever. Set up a processing plant and the stuff will grow right in the door and into the machinery. No fertilizer or cultivation required.”

Actually a good idea. Let me add another one to yours; how about harvesting the algae out in the gulf known as “dead zones” caused by the ethanol run-off? Supposedly, these zones are huge and supposedly there is already some effort going on to develop algae farms. So, instead of creating farms why not just take advantage of what's already available and waiting. Would help clean up the gulf and reverse some of the damage done by the stupid ethanol program for sure...

[American Constitutionalist]

" Good, all it does is destroy engines. "

That is the intent of the GreenieMeanies envirowackos to destroy all internal combustion engines.

The internal combustion engine is one of the greatest inventions to mankind.
The GreenieMeanies want to cause the internal engine to go exstint, think about it ? no more cars, no more farm tractors, no more weed eaters, no more chain saws to cut down trees turned into some kind of deity for the tree lovers/worshipers.

[driftless2]

"weed trimmer"

I brought my self-propelled mower to get it fixed, and the guy asked was I using regular gas. I replied yes, and he laughed. He said he gets a lot more business since the advent of ethanol in regular gas. Gums up the carburetor. Everyone who has small engines should be using premium he stated.

[netmilsmom]

Out of the ground? Natural gas?

[Sarajevo]

I'd wager that those Republicans won't be seeing any campaign contributions from ADM.

An interesting article about MTBE and ethanol, by the Energy Information Administration

EPA also had a big hand in this mess.

[Wilum]

Drain all fuel out of your small engines when you put them away for the summer/winter. This includes running them until they stall out and lastly drain the bowl of the carburator.

Been doing that to this machine since I've owned it (1982). But apparently the "waits" between snowstorms did the damage. I am using the Marine Stable stabilizer as recommended by my repair guy. I also had him install a gas line shutoff. I did that to my lawn tractor and seems to help.

[TStro]

I’ve had the same experience. I have to buy an expensive additive to combat this. We should take the cost of this out of the hides of the congresscritters responsible. Now they want to go to 15%. Tar and feathers. I’m mad as hell and won’t take it anymore.
Also, no more retirement for congress or the pres. Cut off secret service for all after leaving office. They should pay for their own security. Dem presidents all make millions public speaking.

[allmendream]

It is a “popular program”, but only, as you point out, in the early nominating states.

[TStro]

I’ve had the same experience. I have to buy an expensive additive to combat this. We should take the cost of this out of the hides of the congresscritters responsible. Now they want to go to 15%. Tar and feathers. I’m mad as hell and won’t take it anymore.
Also, no more retirement for congress or the pres. Cut off secret service for all after leaving office. They should pay for their own security. Dem presidents all make millions public speaking.

[glorgau]

I blame ALL of these problems on Ethanol in the fuel

Change gas stations - lots of them have water in their tanks. That stuff freezes and WILL ruin whatever engine it is in.

[MaggieCarta]

Ethanol is just another corny idea...

[SunkenCiv]

• The Bum Rap on Biofuels
• Campaign to vilify ethanol revealed

[SunkenCiv]

[rimshot!]

thanks MaggieCarta.

additional:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2625515/posts

[RipSawyer]

I said it is the only SENSIBLE thing to do, naturally that rules out any possibility the government would ever consider it.