Gas Prices Rise 38 Cents Per Gallon Today? (Lincolnton: home, kids)

[muffinman]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Here is article released just six hours ago on Brazil's ethanol program:

Excerpt:

COSTA RICA, Brazil _ The other side of ethanol, vilified as a cause of soaring food prices and hunger, can be seen in Brazil, where farmers are pushing down energy costs _ both at the pump and the electricity meter.

Twenty thousand acres of sugar cane are sprouting through the red soil around this small town, destined for fuel tanks across the world. It's the start of a $2.7 billion ethanol project put together by Brazil Renewable Energy Co., or Brenco, a private venture financed by U.S. and Brazilian investors.

They plan to export a billion gallons of ethanol a year by 2015 _ enough fuel to offset demand for 65,000 barrels a day of oil.

Brazil Seeing Sweet Profit From Sugar Cane-Based Ethanol - Business - redOrbit

****

This article takes a look at Brazil's ethanol production, but please note: it uses 2006 gas figures. At the time this was published, a gal/ethanol in Brazil cost $1. and our gas was at $1.50 (the article says).

As Brazil Fills Up on Ethanol, It Weans Off Energy Imports

****

Interesting overview of ethanol and its social impact, from Swedish perspective:

http://www.gronabilister.se/file.php...0511084611.pdf

This should give anyone interested some insight into Brazil's ethanol program, including pros and cons . . .

I think there's still more to this issue.


As the demand for sugar ethanol grows in Brazil and elsewhere, the temptation to use virgin territory of the Cerrado (a large plain region of Brazil that comprises 20% of the land).

An equally tempting pressure is for Brazil to grow more soybeans because the U.S. is growing more corn instead. Much of the farm land for soybean cultivation is found after clearing virgin rain forest. I'm guessing the price of soybeans is on the rise as well as the price of corn. I'd guess some of this clear cutting happens by slash and burn so how many of the positives of biofuel does that negate?

Cargill, the Carlyle Group and even George Soros are getting their slice of the sugar ethanol pie despite that there's U.S. tariff on imported ethanol and a subsidy on the local grown stuff. Even with the high tariff, some of the sugar based stuff does come to the U.S.

Still, the sugar ethanol industry is an interesting thing to watch. Brazil's government owned Petrobras also discovered large deep sea oil reserves recently and bought a billion dollar rig for it too. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the coming years as it will be several before it gets used.

There's an opportunity cost to anything.

In Brazil, sugar-cane ethanol is booming - 06/02/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

Losing Forests to Fuel Cars - washingtonpost.com

[Hoagie58]

My point about brining up Brazil was to demonstrate that corn was not the only acceptable source for ethanol. Heck, for what it's worth, it seems that you can make ethanol out of kudzu! The government, in it's infinite inefficiency, felt that corn was the crop of choice. Of course, farmers love this because (1) they're subsidized to grow it and (2) Increased demand raises the price. So, the big trick remains putting some scrupulous folks in charge of building the infrastructure, and changing the source of the fuel. Don't hold your breath!

[anifani821]

Congress had to pass the statutes to subsidize the farmers and to enact other legislation pertaining to ethanol. So it seems to me, the way to get something done is to get our Congressional Reps to get off their duffs and DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL on this issue.

Anyone agree?

[Hoagie58]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Congress had to pass the statutes to subsidize the farmers and to enact other legislation pertaining to ethanol. So it seems to me, the way to get something done is to get our Congressional Reps to get off their duffs and DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL on this issue.

Anyone agree?

I couldn't agree more!! But, I think our best hope is for independent companies to go out on their own, and prove it can be done. If they can succeed, I'd be all for giving the oil subsidies to the ethanol producers!

[carolina_guy]

Originally Posted by QC Misfit

Never will happen. The Euro is praying our dollar gains strength otherwise the Euro will only become weaker! I'll find the article later.

I beg to differ my friend. Iran has been threatening to switch its oil trading from dollars to euros for a couple of years now. This article is a couple years old, but outlines what could happen in this sort of geopolitical environment:

Iranian Oil Bourse Opens for Business: A Final Step Toward US Dollar Collapse & Preemptive Nuclear Strike

Infowars | May 9, 2006
By Daniel L. Abrahamson

The impending opening of the Iranian International Oil Bourse (IOB), set to commence trading next week on the island nation of Kish, strongly increases the chances of an imminent nuclear American-Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear and financial facilities. The electronic oil bourse, much discussed by terrorism expert Webster Tarpley, appears ready to launch in the coming weeks or even days. Because it will offer oil in euros, it may trigger the rapid collapse of the U.S. dollar.

Over the past four days, the Western media has finally ended their blackout and acknowledged the possibility of an imminent dollar collapse, as gold reaches nearly $700 an ounce.

On Friday, May 5, the Associated Press covered the oil bourse with their article “Iran wants oil market in Euros.” The article warns of a rapid decline in the dollar while feebly attempting to minimize the importance of the oil bourse.

Nevertheless, the AP quotes a top Wall Street analyst who gives a far more realistic assessment: “But if one day the world's largest oil producers allowed, or worse demanded, euros for their barrels, ‘it would be the financial equivalent of a nuclear strike,’ said A.G. Edwards commodities analyst Bill O'Grady.

‘If OPEC decided they didn't want dollars anymore,’ he added, ‘it would signal an end of American hegemony by signaling an end to the dollar as the sole reserve currency status.’

Go to link for rest of interesting important article: Iranian Oil Bourse Opens for Business: A Final Step Toward US Dollar Collapse & Preemptive Nuclear Strike

[SunnyKayak]

moderator note :

Lets keep this thread local

[SunnyKayak]

Originally Posted by Hoagie58

I swear I'm not trying to rock the boat, but I dont understand how anything that's been discussed in this thread is not local? Is there not allowed to be progression of a thread if it involves discussion of world politics/policies? Please, no disrespect meant- just want to be sure I understand the rules.

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[Barkingowl]

When I drove by the Exxon station at the corner of Carmel & Hwy 51, gas had gone up 4 cents at the premium level from $4.19 to $4.23.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

When I drove by the Exxon station at the corner of Carmel & Hwy 51, gas had gone up 4 cents at the premium level from $4.19 to $4.23.

Yep. It will be up to $4.50 in no time, I would expect. I am just watching (and keeping my tanks topped off, LOL).

[Barkingowl]

Ani do you remember in the recent past, when gas station prices between the three grades differed by no more than .10? Have you noticed that at the gas stations that you go to or the ones that you pass by, that the prices are not following that rule anymore.