[AT] Ethanol

[Carl Tatlock]

Phil Vorwerk's carefully written and researched comments strike a note 
of reason in this discussion.  Anyone with old cars, antique cars, cars 
built before the '70s are having trouble with ethanol fuels.  Is "gas" 
any good that can't be kept more than 2 months without separating and 
forming water in your gas tank?  Small engine repairmen- people who are 
depended upon for landscapers and yard men and homeowners with small 
engines-- mowers, garden tractors, all the string trimmers. boat 
engines, large and small,--- ask those guys how great a boon ethanol is.

Honest car dealers and repairmen will tell you about the number of fuel 
pumps, gas lines, and gas tanks that have had to have repairs due to 
corrosion from ethanol gas.  And the suggestion is to lower our gas 
mileage by adding ethanol to 15%, aggravating the problem.
(My gas dealer says the percentage is not stable and may fluctuate from 
10% to 15 or 18% even now-- standard brand gas.)

Maybe the old tractors we talk about here will be ok.  No rubber to 
deteriorate in fuel lines or aluminum (carb parts?), and they were able 
to handle pretty much anything except molasses, but engines of other 
equipment that sit unused for any length of time (over two months?) are 
possible victims of the dreaded separation effect.   Ask your engine 
mechanic.  Ask your small engine repairmen.

Then go buy a $12 bottle of stuff to try to counteract the ravages of 
ethanol.

Oh yes-- corn farmers-- good for you, but why does nobody mention that 
many of you are raising feed corn for ethanol on the same land you used 
to raise corn for food?  Can't blame you, it makes economic sense.  But 
bread does cost more.

I have said all this just to suggest you talk to some of the people who 
see the negative outcome of corn for fuel.  Brazil makes it from 
sugarcane-- but we might have trouble raising sugarcane in Dakota.  The 
present ethanol situation is a tribute to Washington Congressmen (both 
parties), mostly from the "corn states", and high powered deals made by 
them and others not-from-corn-states who traded favors as politicians 
do-- with the "help" of really strong lobbyists.  (There are more 
lobbyists in DC than there are Congressmen--fact).

This is an indictment of ethanol-- not the people who raise the grain.  
Ask around and see what you find out. It may be different from this.   
This is my opinion, what's yours?