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Brazil's sugar cane-based ethanol is subject to a 54¢ per gallon import tariff PLUS a second import tariff of 2.5% of the FOB value. All this while US corn-based ethanol is awarded a federal subsidy. If the tariffs and the subsidy were removed, Brazil's ethanol would beat U.S. ethanol hands down on price.
If the U.S. were serious about reducing oil from the Mid-East, it would level the playing field. That shows where Congressional priorities lie. It's ALL POLITICAL.
Cheers,
— Junior
Stay on topic.
I'm not talking about importing anything from Brazil. I'm using Brazil as an example - a proof positive example that we CAN and SHOULD take giant steps toward weaning ourselves from foreign oil.
Let me tell you how E85 and Fuel-Flex vehicles came about. It was the result of a deal between Rep. John Dingle (Democrat-Michigan), whose wife at the time was an executive at GM. (Imagine that.) Dingle was then chairman of the Congressional committee which drew up the CAFE requirements for the auto industry. (He was voted out of the committee chairmanship at the start of the Obama administration and replaced by Waxman of CA.) The CAFE requirements dictate the average mileage a car manufacturer must meet for each of its fleet categories (cars, light trucks, etc.). Dingle threw farm-state congressmen a bone (for past and future favors) by agreeing to calculate E85 mileage for CAFE purposes in the following manner:
Lets say a truck gets 20 mpg using gasoline and 15 mpg using E85 (that's being generous). Then what is its CAFE mileage? Well the government makes the assumption, for legislative purposes, that the truck owner drives half the time on gasoline and half the time on E85. Even if he lives in New York City where the nearest E85 pump is 700 miles away. (I'm not making this up.) OK, so what is the CAFE mileage? Well, it is 20 miles on one gallon of gasoline, and 15 miles on 0.15 gallon of gasoline (15% of 1 gallon; the other 85% of what goes into the tank is not gasoline, remember?) So his mileage for CAFE purposes is (20+15)/(1+0.15) or 35/1.15 or 30.43 mpg. This pseudo-calculated value for fuel-flex vehicles is averaged in with the mpg of standard vehicles, and it lifts the CAFE numbers for the manufacturer above the minimum mandated by the government for that vehicle type.
Bizarre, I know, but you could look it up on google. This is another reason why I have no patience with anyone who thinks corn-based ethanol is even remotely a good thing.
Zea mays, I'd take US government breaks for potentially unused E85 engines... over our country being dictated by the Middle East's oil powers... any day!
Imagine where we'd be today if people said "computers take up whole rooms - they are worthless". Ethanol is the same way.
So you agree ethanol is worthless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wing Feathers
PS - Corn is not the only source of ethanol, and is probably the least efficient.
Then why is Congress considering mandating increased levels of U.S. corn-based ethanol in gasoline out to 2015 and beyond?
E20 is just around the corner, folks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wing Feathers
Man there are huge misconceptions here... probably correlated with Obama voters.
There are huge misconception on many things that correlate with political party, but I'd be banned if I went into it. (Probably not a bad thing from a time/management standpoint.)
Then why is Congress considering mandating increased levels of U.S. corn-based ethanol in gasoline out to 2015 and beyond?
E20 is just around the corner, folks.
Since when did Congress deciding on doing something equate with making sense or being a good move?
Imagine where we'd be today if people said "computers take up whole rooms - they are worthless". Ethanol is the same way.
PS - Corn is not the only source of ethanol, and is probably the least efficient.
Man there are huge misconceptions here... probably correlated with Obama voters.
You're right. Corn is only one source of ethanol. Switchgrass is another. Cane sugar is yet another. Ethanol can even be made from wood.
Unfortunately, we have too many completely ignorant people, with incorrect information, screaming about how ethanol is such a bad thing.
These people are screaming about how ethanol destroys engines, even though it's what they run in the cars at the Indy 500. Shoot, my sons & I ran a large lawn-mowing business for quite a few years. We ran ethanol-blend gas in every mower, trimmer and blower - and never once did we have an engine problem. Not once.
These people are screaming about how ethanol costs more to produce that it produces, even though they are grossly exaggerating production costs and completely ignoring the value of the processed corn.
These people are completely ignoring the alternatives.
Let me tell you how E85 and Fuel-Flex vehicles came about. It was the result of a deal between Rep. John Dingle (Democrat-Michigan), whose wife at the time was an executive at GM. (Imagine that.) Dingle was then chairman of the Congressional committee which drew up the CAFE requirements for the auto industry. (He was voted out of the committee chairmanship at the start of the Obama administration and replaced by Waxman of CA.) The CAFE requirements dictate the average mileage a car manufacturer must meet for each of its fleet categories (cars, light trucks, etc.). Dingle threw farm-state congressmen a bone (for past and future favors) by agreeing to calculate E85 mileage for CAFE purposes in the following manner:
Lets say a truck gets 20 mpg using gasoline and 15 mpg using E85 (that's being generous). Then what is its CAFE mileage? Well the government makes the assumption, for legislative purposes, that the truck owner drives half the time on gasoline and half the time on E85. Even if he lives in New York City where the nearest E85 pump is 700 miles away. (I'm not making this up.) OK, so what is the CAFE mileage? Well, it is 20 miles on one gallon of gasoline, and 15 miles on 0.15 gallon of gasoline (15% of 1 gallon; the other 85% of what goes into the tank is not gasoline, remember?) So his mileage for CAFE purposes is (20+15)/(1+0.15) or 35/1.15 or 30.43 mpg. This pseudo-calculated value for fuel-flex vehicles is averaged in with the mpg of standard vehicles, and it lifts the CAFE numbers for the manufacturer above the minimum mandated by the government for that vehicle type.
Bizarre, I know, but you could look it up on google. This is another reason why I have no patience with anyone who thinks corn-based ethanol is even remotely a good thing.
If we wanted to stop giving the idiots in the middle east our money for oil, we would have drilled our own oil. We have far more than they do, but the morons on the left in congress won't allow us to drill our own oil while they give it to china to keep us broke. This entire issue is political based which idiot in congress can get the biggest payoff based. Of course no one talks about the higher prices in the store because of lack of corn supply while this crud is made either.
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