Negatives
« Previous EntriesEthanol Not Good For The Planet
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
Cumberland Times-News:
In a series of articles, a chemical engineer from Michigan State University attempts to defend the government’s energy policy of promoting ethanol as fuel. He does this by acting as a one-man truth squad correcting the errors of those critical of government policy.
In turn, however, many of Bruce Dale’s own statements deserve […]
Ethanol As Fuel Has Pros And Cons
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008Boise State University The Arbiter Online:
If you’re not careful, ethanol could eat your car.
Ethanol breaks down natural rubber and corrodes aluminum - two materials that can be used to create hoses and gas tanks.
Don’t get too worried yet.
When it comes to fuel options there are two different types of cars.
The first type of car […]
Mechanics Criticize Ethanol For Small Engines
Monday, August 4th, 2008KETK:
Some mechanics now say ethanol can cause major problems for small engines, like those in lawnmowers and chainsaws.
Mechanics say ethanol attracts moisture from the air and prevents oil from properly lubricating engines. Mechanics say when this happens, a residue starts to clog filters and hoses.
The Renewable Fuels Association of Ethanol Producers says there […]
Ethanol Crisis
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008Ada Evening News:
With the price of crude oil above $140 per barrel, people are scrambling to find new ways to power America’s vehicles. Enter the controversial fuel ethanol.
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a highly flammable colorless liquid usually found in alcoholic beverages and has found its way into the gas tanks of many […]
Ethanol Not As Good For The Country As Thought
Monday, July 14th, 2008Fort Worth Business Press:
Poor old ethanol has taken quite a beating lately. Amazing what can happen when prices of a commodity rise rapidly. Not too long ago it seems like every politician from sea to shining sea touted ethanol as the savior to our transportation fuel woes.
Now, that corn – the primary ingredient in U.S. […]
An Investment Boom: The New Coal Car
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008The technology dates to the 1920s, but today’s prices make liquid coal for cars a live option. The result is an investment boom.
Newsweek:
Powering cars with coal might seem like a recipe for ecological disaster. But if fuel experts are right, a liquefied form of the notoriously dirty mineral will be providing much of the world […]
The Ethanol Backlash
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008Newsweek:
Ethanol, the substitute for gasoline that in the United States is largely derived from corn, is hot. Statistics from the Renewable Fuels Association show that production doubled between 2002 and 2006, from 2.1 billion to 4.9 billion gallons, allowing the United States to surpass Brazil as the Saudi Arabia of ethanol. When the 86 plants […]
Bio-Insanity: Ethanol Subsidies Will Make Food Costs From Flooding Worse
Monday, June 30th, 2008Salt Lake Tribune:
If you think that food prices are high now, wait until the full effects of the flooding of farmland in the Midwest hit store shelves. Prepare to be pinched harder at the checkout stand.
The damage to crops from heavy rains and failing levies is the result of a natural disaster. But it’s […]
Oshkosh Ethanol Plant Settles Pollution Lawsuit
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008Bizjournals.com:
Utica Energy LLC, a firm that operates an ethanol production plant in Oshkosh, has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle allegations that the company violated state air and water pollution control laws.
The payment of penalties, fees, and costs will settle a case filed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice at the request of the […]
Ethanol + Floods = More Pain At The Pump
Thursday, June 19th, 2008Heritage.org:
Gas prices have already hit $4 a gallon nationally with no relief in sight. Given the flooding in the Midwest and the federal mandate that ethanol must be blended with gasoline before sale to consumers, the pain at the pump could only get worse. The floods could create upward pressure on gas prices in two […]
Food-Related Industries Launch Anti-Biofuel Campaign
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008Houston Chronicle:
Industry groups representing companies including Kellogg, Tyson Foods and Kroger are coordinating efforts to reduce U.S. biofuels-use requirements with a new “Food Before Fuel” lobbying campaign.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the American Meat Institute, the National Restaurant Association and other groups say rising corn-based ethanol production is pushing food costs higher. Adding industry muscle to […]
Ethanol May Be Problem For Boat Owners
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008KOBI 5:
A lot of area boaters are reporting engine troubles lately and experts think it could be the gas, or more specifically the ethanol blended gas.
At River Marine they’re getting plenty of calls from boat-owners needing repair work.
They say the water in the blended gas is wreaking havoc on engines.
According to Daniel Eadie […]
Just Like Cholesterol There Is The Bad Ethanol And The Good Ethanol
Thursday, June 5th, 2008IRINnews.org:
Biofuel is in the dock at the global food summit in Rome this week, with counties divided over whether it is the villain behind food insecurity, or the cheap energy of the future.
At issue is the impact of grain-based biofuels on food prices - now at their highest levels since the 1970s - and […]
Ethanol Is More Expensive Than Gas Over Time
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008U.S. News Rankings & Reviews:
Ethanol, we were once told, was a clean, renewable energy source that could power our cars for less money than gasoline. It’s increasingly clear to the automotive press, however, that there is nothing to support these claims.
Kicking Tires reports, “Not only has E85 been oversold as a clean fuel, […]
True Cost Of Ethanol Is Not Worth It
Monday, June 2nd, 2008Portsmouth Herald News:
A weakening housing market, rising food costs and skyrocketing gas and transportation costs dominate the headlines and monopolize conversations at the workplace, grocery store and the gas pump.
It’s no surprise that in both national and statewide polls that consumer confidence is down to some of the lowest levels in years. According to the […]
Bad News About Ethanol You Haven’t Heard Yet
Monday, June 2nd, 2008PR CannaZine:
1. There are two types of ethanol – anhydrous and hydrous. Brazil has used hydrous ethanol made from sugar cane to become largely energy independent without encroaching on its food crops.
We use anhydrous ethanol. Anhydrous ethanol was not designed as a fuel. It was legislated as an oxygenate in the Clean Air Act […]
Ethanol Turmoil A Serious Threat To Some Companies
Friday, May 23rd, 2008Chicago Sun-Times:
Not long ago, the fledgling ethanol industry was the darling of investors, farmers, the federal government and a lot of Americans who liked the idea of turning corn into fuel.
But suddenly, it doesn’t have nearly as many friends.
Rising worldwide food prices and shortages have spurred calls in Congress to roll back the federal requirement […]
Tug-Of-War Between Global Crises
Friday, April 25th, 2008New York Times:
With signs of a food shortages everywhere, a chorus of concern was punctuated today by a man with a singular view: Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General.
“This steeply rising price of food has developed into a real global crisis,” he said, according to wire services. “The United Nations is very much concerned, as [are] […]
Ethanol’s Failed Promise
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008Washington Post:
The willingness to try, fail and try again is the essence of scientific progress. The same sometimes holds true for public policy. It is in this spirit that today, Earth Day, we call upon Congress to revisit recently enacted federal mandates requiring the diversion of foodstuffs for production of biofuels. These “food-to-fuel” mandates were […]
‘Green’ Lawyer Seeing Red Over Environmental Abuse
Monday, April 21st, 2008“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait ’til oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” — Thomas Alva Edison
Gary Post Tribune:
The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. Today, more than half a billion people participate in Earth […]