News From Oregon
Changing Views Of Ethanol In Oregon
By Joseph Friedrichs, 4-28-08
Monday’s must read story from Oregon comes from Gail Kinsey Hill regarding ethanol use and production in the West.
Although the article details declining support for the alternative fuel, it’s summed up beautifully with this paragraph from Hill:
“This year, in a fearsome recoil, ethanol has been blamed for a host of ills, mainly that its production—in growing and transporting corn, and in the fuel burned to distill it—uses more energy than it saves. The most recent, and perhaps most dramatic criticism: The headlong rush into ethanol production has jacked up corn prices and deepened the global food crisis.”
Here are some other interesting headlines from Oregon to start the week out right:
Stewart first among Oregon athletes drafted
Central Oregon residents experiment with grape crops
Mount Hood has lots of snow and no waiting
Medford paper wins access to concealed handgun licenses list
[End of article]Before 10% ethanol was in any of the fuel we now buy in my end of Oregon, a trip on cruise control, on the freeway, 65 miles per hour, would produce fuel use in my rig of 15 miles per gallon of fuel. I don't know how to run a small farm without a pickup to pull trailers, equipment, supplies. Have to have it. I don't like low fuel mileage, but I do understand that energy is what produces the power to accomplish a set amount of work.
Now, with the 10% ethanol fuel, I put the rig on cruise, on the freeway, at 65 mph, and I get 12 miles per gallon. I thought my rig was getting weak, needed a tune up, and I had it gone over, front to rear bumper, tune up, new tires, suspension repaired, and I still get 12 miles per gallon of fuel at 65 on cruise on the freeway. 20% reduction in miles for the same gallon of fuel. At $3.50 gas, (now $3.67), driving 20,000 miles per year, I will pay $1166.64 to produce a very minimal, if at all, reduction in green house gases. I will, in a year, make a transfer payment to ethanol producers of $0.51 per gallon they get in tax credit for making the stuff. Whoever owns the oil companies, on shore and off, will get some of that money. In the end, the recession fight check of $1200 my wife and I would get from Uncle Sam to boost spending will not do anything but provide a false economy to farmers, raise their production costs, and thereby set them up for a dot com, sub prime fall that you know will come at the first good crop that comes in, world wide. Their expenses, inputs, all raised due to ethanol and fossil fuel costs, and the gold rush mentality of that deal, has driven the break even price upward by dollars per bushel. Just the land taken out of the land banks and put back into production will negate any of the supposed gains from ethanol in the airshed. And you know what, people have figured that out. Godless science has been corrupted by results driven process to satisfy the grant givers and others in judgement of our environment, and the rush to ethanol was just that: a rush to judgement. A shot from the hip. And then all the blame will be put on the Republicans and Bush, for ignoring the starving by using food to make SUV fuel, and the NGO's will cover the Democrats' butts. Which is good. I am now a Democrat. I want to vote for Democrats in the Primary. And by the way, where are all my entitlements? I have had my hand out all day, and all I have gotten is a wet palm.