10% Ethanol Input Needed

March 14, 2011
There isn't a long list of issues that unite Maryland's Benjamin L. Cardin with Oklahoma's Tom Coburn, so when the progressive Democratic U.S. senator and his conservative Republican colleague find a measure on which they agree wholeheartedly, it means something. When the two political opposites actually co-sponsor a bill — and it involves saving taxpayers $4 billion this year while simultaneously improving the environment — the next step should be unanimous consent by Congress.
But don't count on it. What the senators are proposing is an end to the lucrative tax credit that subsidizes the blending of corn-based ethanol into gasoline. It's an outrageous waste of money, particularly at a time when Congress is focused on lowering the federal budget deficit. It's also a boon to grain farmers and the large corporations that have invested in ethanol production.
Certainly, biofuels are not a bad idea when they mean less harm is done to the environment. But using expensive feed grains such as corn or soybeans to make alcohol leads to just as much environmental damage as burning oil, according to scientific studies. Yet taxpayers are shelling out $6 billion a year to the ethanol industry to ensure that almost every gallon of unleaded gasoline sold in this country is blended with alcohol.

 

Corn is heavily subsidized, as is ethanol production. It takes more than one gallon to produce one gallon of ethanol.

The corn being used IS food grade corn..It's grain, ground for corn meal, corn flour and fed to cattle.

Take a look at the corn futures markets from when the first large scale ethanol production began and how it has reacted to the increase in ethanol production. Corn is at or close to an all time high. Compound that with an all time low in acres of production and it gets even more ridiculous to try and produce ethanol.

Tell me this is a wise choice to use our food stocks for fuel production when wheat and corn are at lowest production levels since the 1950s. Grain storage world wide is at an all time low with droughts Australia and other crop issues in Russia.

The world is running short on all grains and those idiots left in charge are making laws on feel good, please re-elect me greenie agendas because it extends their paychecks. None of their decisions are based on fact or science.

The only smart thing I think that is being done is not drilling here now. Lets use up everyone else's oil reserves before we tear into ours. If we don't have any oil we don't have any power. Same with other countries. Use theirs first, keep ours as reserves, then when we need it....TO HELL with the tree huggers.

 

So when did the CRP and WRP programs end? Thats a pay out for land taken out of ag production. (subsidies if you don't catch it)

No-till, reduced fertilizer and soil conservation are also paid incentives to get money to the farmers. Promoting a green movement by the tree and bunny lovers.