<fuel> Ethanol/ADM/EPA and you

[Herman Chan <hermanc2@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Jefrem wrote:

> (Putting my best conspiracy-theory hat on, and making it
> up as I go):
>
> See, its not about clean-burning, its about subsidizing
> ADM et al that make the stuff, and they make it from corn,
> hence the abundance of the stuff in the midwest.

Brant responded:

> Your theory is correct, be it a conspiracy or not. Ethanol
> has a lower heat of combustion than does gasoline, so use
> of gasoline that has ethanol blended into it will reduce
> per gallon mileage, increasing fuel consumption.
> Additionally, I've read that the energy cost of creating
> ethanol (farming, fermenting, purifying) near equals the
> energy content of the ethanol! I sure hope that is not
> true!!!
>
> You might have a look at the EDGAR database and other
> sources re ADM. My reaction was that performance at the
> highest possible standards of integrity is not ADM's first
> corporate objective.
>
> Resist government-mandated fuel compositions. If they must
> get involved,it should be at the "results" end on the
> spectrum, not at the "how to" end.

That is actually how it turned out.  Back in 1994/5, the EPA tried to
mandate a minimum 30% market share for ethanol (grain alcohol) instead of
MTBE (methanol derivative) but was shot down by an appeals court.  The
court basically said that while the EPA could set a standard, it
overstepped its authority by mandating how that standard is achieved.  What
it really came down to is the midwestern farmers/ADM (who of course favored
ethanol) versus the oil companies (who favored MTBE) to see who could get a
bigger piece of the oxygenate pie.

Without a mandate, MTBE holds the majority of the majority except in the
midwest where ethanol is easy to come by.  Only problem is, MTBE seems to
have this nasty little tendancy to permeate the soil and contaminate
groundwater rather easily, which has lead to some noise here in CA.

Either way, the new oxygenated + reformulated fuels don't work as well as
the old fuels and hurt mileage, but they are supposed to pollute less.
Life is a series of compromises, right?  As with other matters involving
government policy, science plays a relatively minor role.

Herman

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