The Fuel's Progress

EPA refuses to lower requirement for ethanol in fuel supply

Posted at 12:39 PM on 07 Aug 2008

The U.S. EPA gave a big, husky hug to corn ethanol Thursday, declining a request from Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) to reduce the amount of ethanol required to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply. The federal Renewable Fuel Standard mandates that 9 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol be poured into U.S. gas tanks this year -- which will suck up about a third of the U.S. corn crop. The mandate jumps to 15 billion gallons by 2015 -- if corn production holds steady, that will be about 55 percent of the corn supply. Perry requested a reduction because fuel demand for corn is driving up food prices and crimping the profits of livestock producers in his state. The RFS mandate has been linked to the surge in global food prices. But the EPA determined that the ethanol mandate has caused no harm to the U.S. economy or environment, but rather is "strengthening our nation's energy security and supporting American farming communities."

source: Reuters
new in Gristmill: EPA: corn ethanol is awesome!

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Comments: (2 comments)

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Other problems

I have been hearing recently that other problems have occured with the cattle that are fed the corn residue after it has been processed for ethonol.There have been cases of deaths and illness that,as yet have not been traced back to this feed stock,but other cattle are not getting sick...sooooo!

Why not ask why!?

by usandthem at 7:54 AM on 09 Aug 2008

Ethanol

Ethanol does not burn as clean as gasoline, decreases mileage per gallon and also production uses 5 gallons of water for every gallon of ethanol produced.
Corn is one of the most nutrient stealing crops around. That is one reason why the experts reccommend no more than 3 years of corn rotating with legumes or rye plowed under to replenish the soil. Excessive use of fertilizers to increase production leaches into the water table, rivers and streams causing a lot more problems than gas at $4.00 a gallon.

by Birdy100 at 5:15 AM on 13 Aug 2008

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