Domestic Fuel

The Auto Channel has been a proponent of ethanol for quite some time and has given favorable coverage to the fuel. This week, Executive Vice President and Co-Publisher, Marc J Rauch, took it up a notch in defense of ethanol. In his piece, “The Auto Channel Fights for the Truth about Ethanol Versus Gasoline,” Rauch writes, “Bob [Gordon] and I have studied the issue of alternative fuels and energy and we’ve become very enthusiastic supporters of all the technologies…But most of all, we like ethanol. Why? Because ethanol can be used right now, anywhere in the U.S., and by most vehicles without any engine conversions.”

He then talks about higher ethanol blends and says that the reality is most conventional vehicles can use up to E50 without conversions and without being official flex-fuel vehicles. (For those of you following the E15 Waiver, the latest news is that E15 will probably pass but with a stipulation on what model years can use the fuel.) He then goes on to state that while many don’t believe that there is a ‘single bullet’ solution, he and Bob disagree and believe that ethanol, or alcohol fuel, is the solution to replace gasoline.

However, where it starts to get really interesting is when Rauch reiterates, “But the point of this story is to tell you about our fight to overcome the lies and misconceptions about ethanol that are promulgated by the oil and gasoline industries.” It looks like more and more people are finally seeing through the ethanol smear campaign that has been heavily active for the past three or so years.

Yet the highlight of the story is when Ruach takes on some anti-ethanol “experts” who came to light when consumers pointed to them as criticisms for his and Gordon’s support of ethanol. David Fridley, a scientist at the Lawrence-Livermore Laboratory in Northern California, and Jerry Taylor, a Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute in Washington, D.C. who was featured in a John Stossel story (20 Minutes) and also the author of, “An Economic Critique of Corn-Ethanol Subsidies.”

Rauch writes, “After watching the Stossel/Taylor and Fridley videos I sent them both emails expressing how appalled I was at their lack of knowledge and recitation of lies, and offering various facts that contradict their statements.” Rauch published his correspondence with Taylor and it is a great piece of ethanol education for anyone who wants to learn more about the fuel.

So for you ethanol advocates out there, take a piece out of Rauch’s playbook (I don’t think he’ll mind if you’re spreading the good word about ethanol) and help him fight the good fight for ethanol. You can read Rauch’s piece in full, with supporting documentation here.