Corn based ethanol is simply not a good alternative to other energy sources. It is bad economic policy, bad energy policy, bad food policy, bad foreign exchange policy, and bad agriculture policy. Here are some of the reasons why.

Ethanol is not an economically competitive product. Ethanol has been available at the pump since at least the late 1980’s. It has never been priced at a level which enticed consumers to buy it. In those years it was always at least 10 cents per gallon higher than gasoline. With the exception of E85, I have never seen it priced at less than gasoline. If ethanol and gasoline were available side by side at the pump today, ethanol would be the higher cost product. The wholesale price of ethanol, before blending, is often as much as 60 cents per gallon higher than gasoline.
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Ethanol mandates should be repealed. Ethanol should compete at the pump like any alternative fuel. At the very least, pumps should be labeled to indicate the content of the fuel. I used ethanol in my pickup before it was mandated. I was a corn producer and I supported the cause. I might use it again if I thought it was an economically viable product, good for the country and for corn farmers. In the mean time, I and many other informed people, resent being forced to use ethanol.

Until we produce ethanol from non-food crops, ethanol is a scourge on the planet and speeds up global warming.

What about the reports of ethanol from corn produces nitric oxide which is 4 times more damaging than CO2. There is another study that shows that formaldehyde gas is also released into the atmosphere which is damaging to the lungs.

I am more worried about the environment and people and spending money on things that don’t work. It is a big farce to make some people rich. We will spend trillions of dollars and just trade one set of problems for another.

We need to be more innovative int our methods of transportation.

Why not compromise by giving the consumer a choice of E-10, E-20 or E-30? You can see on the pictures (might need to zoom in) that not only will the consumer have the option of regular gasoline, but lowering the cost per gallon driven without having to go all the way to E-85. I am told that more and more new engines will like the octane (remember ethanol is 113 octane) but the lower mid level blends can be priced under regular due to the tax credit the gasoline blender gets and as my old Volvo mpg shows, all the blends seem to be very competitive on an mpg basis compared to the drop off you get with E-85. Let’s let our US refineries run US and foreign oil today, and focus, as a significant start, on backing out the imported gasoline we drive on and keep the these dollars in the US.
It would be a great start for both the economy and the environment.
P.S. My Volvo is non FFV with 195,000 miles. I have been running various blends for 4 years. The car door seals have come lose, but the engine runs fine.
Eric Mork