The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 562
like E85 (up to 85% ethanol), or mid-level ethanol blends such as E15 (15%
ethanol), will notice that they’ll need to stop at the pump more often. Ethanol contains 33% less energy than traditional gasoline (and is more expensive when adjusted for this), meaning consumers will get fewer miles
per gallon. Unfortunately, 95% of consumers surveyed by AAA were not
familiar with E15 meaning that travelers could unintentionally fill up on
the fuel, and end up spending more on gas and potentially wrecking their
engines.
“More and more ethanol is being forced into U.S. gasoline every year as
a result of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) ¬ a policy that is diverting
40% of all U.S. corn to use in fuel instead of food. The RFS is also increasing prices for meat, poultry and dairy products, and will make Memorial
Day cookouts more expensive. Since the RFS was expanded in 2007,
prices for cereal and bakery products have risen 77%; prices for meat,
poultry, fish and eggs have increased 78%; and prices for vegetable oil
and fats (e.g., butter) are up by 444%.”
The email from Edelman offered to arrange for me to speak with representatives
from various Big Oil advocacy groups about these points.
Some readers will know that I challenged Edelman on these points, item by
item, in an editorial that The Auto Channel published on May 23, 2013; “Why
Does AAA and Big Oil Feel They Must Lie to America?”. (also included in this
book).
These same basic anti-ethanol information points are the essential anti-ethanol
information points that Edelman and other oil lobbying organizations have used
for many years.
Not surprising is that these anti-ethanol points are the basic anti-ethanol points
used in GUSHER OF LIES. Yes, Bryce does add in subsidy issues and the
issue of “power density.” But these extra issues are not new or unique antiethanol points that were discovered by Bryce; they just were not included in that
particular Edelman message. The ethanol subsidy issue and the power density
issue are typically included in oil industry-sponsored anti-ethanol messages
and reports created by others such as David Pimentel, Tim Searchinger, and
the aforementioned Jerry Taylor.
Is it just a coincidence that Bryce uses the same informational points to tee off
from in his arguments against ethanol, or is it a concerted effort by Big Oil to
make all anti-ethanol arguments consistent?
