Finally, someone has figured out that ethanol is a good thing (besides the edible type). As someone who commutes to work 350+ miles a week I would welcome the opportunity to burn 100% ethanol in my car! Below is a link to a CNN article on the subject. CNN on Ethanol

Comments

bruce42
Fri, 02/03/2006 - 12:05
Concerns
I pump ethanol, too. And yes, I'd burn E85 if the truck could take it. However, I do have concerns about the fuel itself. They've nothing to do with the ethanol mythos. In 1985, Ford began manufacturing flexi-fueled vehicles. In 1992, Chevy came out with an E-85 Lumina, and Chrysler made E-85 mini-vans in 1997. If your vehicle's manufacturing date is post 1980 you can put ethanol in it's tank without concern over fuel system damage.

No, my concerns stem from the feedstock used- corn. I've already ranted on the control of the ethanol market and the impact of increased petrochemical dependant mono-cropping. I stick by that rant- I think my arguements are reasonable. Still, I have hope. Increased ethanol fuel consumption opens the door for farmers to improve crop rotation and bio-diversity. Switchgrass is a native perennial prairie grass that requires no pesticides or fertilizers and its deep roots stabilize and areate heavy soils. To be honest, I imagine that most prairies, consisting of largely grasses, would make excellent ethanol feedstock. The best part, prarie grass grows best when it is burned and hayed regularly.
"Your mission is to obey the commands of whoever is able to strike the Master Key of Electricity... I once read in a book that all things are regulated by exact laws of nature" - SPAM