Quote:
Originally Posted by ChazInMT
They can't just make 100% gasoline Frank? Maybe I'm missing something on the "Ethanol as an Enhancer" front.
I just thought it was a stupid way to make a filler reducing the amount of gasoline we use. It takes mores energy and pollutes more to produce ethanol than just straight gas, and it has created havoc with the food industry.
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I'm not sold yet on either side of the argument, largely because I don't feel I'm educated enough on it, but as I understand it some of the arguments for using corn ethanol are:
-Ethanol mixed gas burns a lot cleaner, and air quality in the U.S. has improved considerably since emissions became important
-Ethanol increases food costs, but it also reduces fuel costs which in turn directly reduces food costs, so it's not as bad as it appears at first glance
-After ethanol production, there's still edible parts left over which can be used as feed
-Ethanol doesn't hurt gas mileage as much as you'd expect (basically not at all in small percent blends) because it can be burned more efficiently than gasoline in engines designed to take advantage of its properties