The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 213
BTW, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration we have been
using less fuel since 2007, so while this quote from David Blume may seem
outdated, it is actually as accurate today. Also, corn yields per acre have increased since 2007.
Corn crops have not impacted other crops. You'll notice that we've had no food
riots in America and there is no shortage of corn-on-the-cob, canned corn, corn
chips, or corn flakes.
Regarding the subsidy issue, no energy sector is more subsidized than the oil
industry, and that industry is highly profitable. There was a fairly large subsidy
for ethanol at the pump but it was canceled more than 2 years ago. E85 is still
usually 50-70 cents cheaper per gallon than E10. E10 and E85 are far cheaper
than ethanol-free gasoline.
Farmers grow corn because they can make a profit. For America, it's better than
growing crops that they can't make a profit on, which we then have to subsidize,
or even pay the farmers not to grow.
As far as mandates, would you rather go back to leaded gasoline or gasoline
with MTBE? If we didn't have tetraethyl-lead or MTBE or ethanol what would
we use as the anti-knock agent in gasoline? What would we use to help reduce
harmful engine emissions?
But the concern of mandates is over-blown. For example, during Prohibition
there was a mandate to only use gasoline, a fuel that is inferior to ethanol. And
from the time of Prohibition repeal up to the time that ethanol was mandated as
the additive to gasoline, we were virtually mandated to not use ethanol blends
because the oil industry didn't want to provide it. There was no freedom of
choice until the government ethanol mandates.
I would like to see gasoline and petroleum diesel be discontinued to the greatest
extent possible, but I'm still okay with having a choice as long as the petroleum
oil choices don't include poisonous ingredients. If a consumer wants to buy ethanol-free gasoline, and they are okay with spending up to twice as much for it
(as compared to an ethanol blend), fine. But I would like the oil industry to stop
the ridiculous lies about ethanol. If their products are better let them prove it.
