Double Take of the Day: Congress ends corn ethanol subsidies
detroitnews.comHow on earth did I miss this one??
The United States has ended a 30-year tax subsidy for corn-based ethanol that cost taxpayers $6 billion annually, and ended a tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol.
Congress adjourned for the year on Friday, failing to extend the tax break that’s drawn a wide variety of critics on Capitol Hill, including Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Critics also have included environmentalists, frozen food producers, ranchers and others.
The policies have helped shift millions of tons of corn from feedlots, dinner tables and other products into gas tanks.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth praised the move.
“The end of this giant subsidy for dirty corn ethanol is a win for taxpayers, the environment and people struggling to put food on their tables,” biofuels policy campaigner Michal Rosenoer said Friday.
The subsidy has provided the oil and agribusiness industries with 45 cents per gallon of ethanol blended into gasoline. By some estimates, Congress has awarded $45 billion in subsidies to the ethanol industry since 1980.
More at Detroit News
Percentage Of Ethanol Mixed With Gasoline Will Be Reduced From Saturday : http://ping.fm/iChzT
Ratio Ethanol / Gasoline Closed At 70.83% In September : http://newish.info/23670-ratio-ethanol-gasoline-closed-at-70-83-in-september
Ratio Ethanol / Gasoline Closed At 70.83% In September : http://newish.info/23671-ratio-ethanol-gasoline-closed-at-70-83-in-september
Sp Has The Cheapest Ethanol In The Country, But Gasoline Is Still More Advantageous In The State : http://newish.info/24055-sp-has-the-cheapest-ethanol-in-the-country-but-gasoline-is-still-more-advantageous-in-the-state
burning ethanol fuel may cause more pollution
I just learned this today, when I was doing a little research on ethanol for a debate in my energy and environment class. I’m on the con side of an argument for increased production of ethanol fuel. I picked this side specifically (though I know I could make a good argument for either) and I’m glad now that I did. I think that the main reason why there is a push for more ethanol use is to decrease our country’s reliance on other countries for oil. It’s really just not feasible to use ethanol as fuel. Wide usage would create a whole food vs fuel problem.
Anyway, about the pollution… I didn’t know it would actually increase levels of pollution if it were used more widely. I always thought it was sooo much cleaner. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde concentrations are projected to increase if ethanol is used more widely. Burning ethanol adds 22% more hydrocarbons to the atmosphere than gasoline does. This would lead to a nearly two parts per billion increase in tropospheric ozone (the ozone that is considered pollution. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere). I think that sulfates are found less in the burning of ethanol, however which is a good thing because those are pretty volatile compounds.
Although, I suppose it’s hard to measure the good that (possibly) outweighs the bad with concrete numbers and figures because ethanol as fuel isn’t used all that widely yet. Does anyone know how much cleaner the production of ethanol is in comparison to gasoline? I’m sure it’s much much cleaner, but I can’t be positive. As demonstrated here, I learn new things that surprise me in my major every day.
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End of ethanol subsidy could raise gas prices
content.usatoday.comGasoline could cost 4.5 cents a gallon more starting as early as this week, and it’s not because of rising oil prices.
Looks like gas prices will start to climb again. http://flpbd.it/2KTM
Senate Considering Amendment to Eliminate Ethanol Subsidy
In an ever increasing need to find alternative fuel supplies to decrease dependency on foreign fuel that is destroying the environment and robbing the economy I wonder if now is the best time to do this?
Corn is not the most efficient means of producing ethanol for fuel purposes and should be replaced with more efficient means. Namely Switchgrass, which not only has been reported as being more efficient in it’s production but is also better on the land and doesn’t need to compete with food production. http://bit.ly/jG2YcO
Farmers have reported that they could use Switchgrass during the crop rotation periods when they are paid to leave their land fallow as they have to have land coverage and Switchgrass could serve this purpose. They state that it is a great way of land conservation. http://bit.ly/lJ9mHw
Switchgrass also has the added benefit of being able to be grown in areas that can’t be farmed for food production. This means added jobs, and more food.
So the Republicans are fighting to remove competition for the oil companies and the Democrats are trying to fight to maintain the corn based ethanol.
I wonder why we are not taking into consideration the Republican’s point that Corn is causing a food shortage, and that it is not making that big of an impact on the environment when we have something that can solve both those problems?
I also wonder why we would want to raise the cost of gas at the pump which is what would happen if we cut the ethanol subsidy.
Amplify’d from coloradoindependent.com
See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a15498
Congress finally ends corn ethanol subsidy
detroitnews.comHoly shit, Congress actually did something useful! I’m at a loss for words!
The United States has ended a 30-year tax subsidy for corn-based ethanol that cost taxpayers $6 billion annually, and ended a tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol. Congress adjourned for the year on Friday, failing to extend the tax break that’s drawn a wide variety of critics on Capitol Hill, including Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Critics also have included environmentalists, frozen food producers, ranchers and others. The policies have helped shift millions of tons of corn from feedlots, dinner tables and other products into gas tanks. Environmental group Friends of the Earth praised the move.
