Ethanol-Blend Auto Emissions No Greener Than Gasoline: Study

Does anyone know what's the proportion of gasoline vs. ethanol used in Canada? In my country, Colombia, it's 10% ethanol, and similar news stories like this one have appeared. USA also uses 10% ethanol, while Brazil uses up to 25%. Maybe that's the "key" of all this...<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil</a><p>---<br>Julián Ortega Martínez

"The federal Conservative government committed $2 billion in incentives for ethanol, made from wheat and corn, and biodiesel in last week's budget."

Apparently, ethanol production is "good" for everyone and everything but the Canadian tax payer. I'm certain we'll be out $2 billion with nothing to show for it, otherwise there would be no need for tax funded "incentives".

""I think there's an issue between the tailpipe and the whole cycle," he said. "The whole cycle is better than the tailpipe.""

He's right, we have to think about the entire profit cycle.

That's what it's about, not the environemnt, but how much money their buddies in BigPetro can squeeze out of us.

Never mind the fact that there apparently no difference in emissions.

But wasn't that the point to begin with?

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The two most common things in the universe are apparently Hydrogen and stupidity.

I’m not sure if it reduces emissions from the vehicle but the wider question is does it reduce emissions overall. In other words does it take more or less energy to produce equivalent amounts (energy wise) of ethanol versus gasoline or diesel.
The other more pressing question is should we be feeding cars as opposed to feeding people. When the ethanol is produced from crops normally used to feed humans (directly or indirectly) and many parts of the world are stricken with severe food shortages there seems to be something wrong with the whole idea.
Feed people not cars should be the talking point, and indeed is in Mexico where the price of corn has risen dramatically due to the U.S. declared intention to move to a much larger reliance on ethanol.
I do note that there is now technology being used to make biofuel from plant matter NOT normally used for food, such as wood waste and other discarded parts of crops. I would hope that this is the direction we are headed, but let us hope that it does not come to the point that we start cutting down forests or other natural vegetation just to make biofuel!


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When you are up to your ass in alligators it is difficult to remember that the initial objective was to drain the swamp

Large-scale ethanol is a non-starter. The corporate farms will pouring tons of petroleum based chemical fertilizers onto the soil to grow even more corn for ethanol than is done now. Then there is the process of breaking it down etc etc etc.

Want to lower auto emissions? Raise the friggin' fuel consumption standards to twice what they are now. Ford, Chevy and Dodge are still making cars and trucks that would have fit in the sixties. Nothing will lower auto emissions faster than a government mandated fuel consumption standard that is far stricter than it is today. Overnight emissions will go down without threatening world food supplies.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

Fidel Castro has condemned the USA for endorsing Bio fuel. His claim is that crops would be converted to fuel for the mass's rather then fields used to raise food. I never considered his condemnation until today. Today CBC radio had a small episode describing the loss of substainable crops in Canada. Even though there are those who don't believe in Global warming, they do have to admit that farmers have been getting some very poor farming conditions in the past decade. Droughts and low snow fall is turning fields into dust bowl. Even GM crops are not capable of growth in that enviroment. Obviously GM crops will replace eatable crops for the extreme demand of ethanol. One also has to question the status of the farmer once they are no longer food providers. If oil companies will be doing the blending of ethanol fuels, will the wheat board or the farmer gain? Will the farmer get the lucrative grants and breaks like an oil company?

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Expect little from life and get more from it.