After they spend all that money buying legislators, the Corn-A-Hole crowd is under the bus, too.
The EPA is considering raising the maximum allowable amount of ethanol in most motor fuel from the current 10% blend to a 15% blend.
It's a common-sense solution to economic, energy and environmental challenges, according to Growth Energy, an ethanol industry trade group that's petitioned the government for the change.
But the Trial Lawyers' very own "enviro" front-group doesn't approve.
The Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit, doesn't favor a higher ethanol blend until tests have proved it's better for the environment.
The higher blend may worsen air pollution, said Craig Cox, the group's Midwest vice president, at the news conference.
"Growth Energy is lobbying for an industry that cannot survive on its own, even after lavish taxpayer-funded subsidies," Cox said. "We really should be focused mostly on improving the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks. That is a much more effective and rapid way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels."
We've already remarked on "Environmental Working Group," which is in
The reason all this is of interest is that ethanol is poison to small engines.
Increasing the ethanol blend to 15%, currently being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency, could damage or ruin millions of small engines and possibly worsen air pollution, according to the engine manufacturers.
Engine performance and overheating are among the problems, since most boats, lawn mowers and other outdoor power products haven't been designed to run on 15% ethanol.
Far more important that small-engine damage, auto-engine damage, and the awful environmental effects, of course, is the massive increase in food prices, which is leading to hunger and/or starvation problems in the Third World, not to mention difficulties in the US.
Dad, good thoughts. Here's another one for you. 15% ethanol, and really, any %% ethanol, is bad for all gasoline tanks and thus all consumers.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Ethanol is hygroscopic and absorbs water from the atmosphere and then separates out in the tank. Thus, the ethanol is either not available for fuel, or it goes thru the intake and damages the valves and pistons because water is not compressible.
Nobody is talking about protecting the fuel CONSUMERS, and they should.
Thanks. Bob in Edmond, Oklahoma