Stop the mandate of ethanol in our fuel

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Originally Posted by riverrunner1984

Anyone else get this today after signing the petition?

Dear Brian :

I received your letter expressing your concerns about the Renewable Fuel Standard. Your correspondence is important to me, and I welcome this opportunity to respond.

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires that the volume of renewable fuel increase every year from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons in 2022. Each year, the RFS requires that an increasing portion of renewable fuels be low carbon "advanced biofuels," which have lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions that are significantly lower than gasoline. However, the RFS does not include any mandate for E-15.

I do not support a mandate for the use of corn ethanol. On December 12, 2013, I introduced the "Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2013" (S. 1807), which would eliminate the corn ethanol mandate within the RFS. Under this mandate, almost 44 percent of U.S. corn is diverted from food to fuel, increasing the cost of food and animal feed. I strongly support greater use of low carbon fuels, like biodiesel, E-85 made with cellulosic ethanol, hydrogen, and electricity, and I share your concern that the RFS is not bringing about this shift to cleaner fuel.

Please know that I appreciate hearing your thoughts on the economic impact of corn ethanol and the RFS, and I will keep your thoughts in mind as I work to enact the "Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2013."


Again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841, or visit my website at http://feinstein.senate.gov . Best regards.

Also, may I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

Sincerely yours,


Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

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There is a problem with her numbers. While 41% of the 2012 corn crop was sent to ethanol plants only 28% or so is consumed by the process. The other 13% is returned to the market in such things as cattle feed. Also 2012 was a drought year, so the corn production was at a low. In a regular year, the percentage is much lower as ethanol's use of corn is a constant which doesn't fluctuate with yield.

While I don't support the bill this thread discussed, I do agree with Bruce that gov't regulation can and should be minimized. The only thing their regulations do is make someone rich. And it's never us.

I do believe in truth in facts.
Edit: The facts I discussed can be found in this article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8J65JU20120808

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Originally Posted by SnoC653

There is a problem with her numbers. While 41% of the 2012 corn crop was sent to ethanol plants only 28% or so is consumed by the process. The other 13% is returned to the market in such things as cattle feed. Also 2012 was a drought year, so the corn production was at a low. In a regular year, the percentage is much lower as ethanol's use of corn is a constant which doesn't fluctuate with yield.

While I don't support the bill this thread discussed, I do agree with Bruce that gov't regulation can and should be minimized. The only thing their regulations do is make someone rich. And it's never us.

I do believe in truth in facts.
Edit: The facts I discussed can be found in this article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8J65JU20120808

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^^^ from our resident Iowa Corn Advocate... ;) kidding...

Just like any industry there are areas/suppliers/producers that can produce corn in a more efficient way than other parts of the country. Iowa happens to be an ideal location/situation for AG productions due to a variety of factors, just like Kansas and wheat or Nebraska and corn or Illinois and soy beans.

China can produce the hell out of cheap steel / iron / aluminum but they take short cuts and don't give a crap about the environment OR fair trade.

The U.S. has loads of marginal / hilly ground being farmed and in production that really shouldn't. Our buddy Forkin Crazy down on the Mississippi has some great bench soil and unlimited water, that is ideal for corn/bean/cotton/grain production AND there is alot of that type of land in this country (river bottom land).

Some areas are harder to farm and require more fertilizer / pest control / cultivation. Some areas are more prone to run off and siltation of the watershed.

Iowa is ideal and some Missouri hill ground, not so much.

Missouri used to be the largest producer of HEMP in the nation back in the hemp rope / hemp fiber days... It really grows great here, lets bring it back (gubment effed that all up)... :) We also used to be a HUGE producer of tomatos and there were many canneries for the tomatos, now it is NILL/gone...

You can grow a palm tree in North Dakota but it will do MUCH better in SoCal or FLA... <<< :)


^^^ ALL of this to say that there are MANY factors and MANY political pressures effecting all of this ethanol discussion.

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Originally Posted by SnoC653

There is a problem with her numbers. While 41% of the 2012 corn crop was sent to ethanol plants only 28% or so is consumed by the process. The other 13% is returned to the market in such things as cattle feed. Also 2012 was a drought year, so the corn production was at a low. In a regular year, the percentage is much lower as ethanol's use of corn is a constant which doesn't fluctuate with yield.

While I don't support the bill this thread discussed, I do agree with Bruce that gov't regulation can and should be minimized. The only thing their regulations do is make someone rich. And it's never us.

I do believe in truth in facts.
Edit: The facts I discussed can be found in this article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8J65JU20120808

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In my opinion, I have a problem with probably 99% of what she (Feinstein) says....Just saying....:biggrin:

I think Hotboat, is eyeballing the heck out of this thread now to see where it goes lol

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Originally Posted by riverrunner1984

In my opinion, I have a problem with probably 99% of what she (Feinstein) says....Just saying....:biggrin:

I think Hotboat, is eyeballing the heck out of this thread now to see where it goes lol

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Back to the original point of the letter, I really don't know how harmful the ethanol is OR if it is any worse for your plastic/rubber/aluminum fuel system components than the alternative OXIDIZERs that have been used/tested.

I have been running 10% for several hundred thousand miles in my hoopties and my truck has the original fuel pump/system @100K plus miles (not flex fuel design). My 1989 mustang with mass air has the original fuel rails/fuel lines/regulator/soft return lines and is on it's second fuel pump @ 300K plus miles. In the 89 mustang I have worn out 1 1/2 5.0 engines and I'm working on my third AOD but it has the original injectors and pressure regulator (at 300k miles).

I had a 300K 4.6 mod motor town car, a 200k 4.6mod motor town car and a 180k 4.0 explorer sport track, all with original injectors/regulators/fuel pumps/sending units... Most of those miles were logged on 10% ethanol gasoline... Whatever that is worth... :D

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4 of my boats engines are built to run on E-85. Love the stuff!!!!!!! There are many base stocks that could easily replace corn. Mesquite is not much more than a weed growing in the desserts that, requires little water and can produce twice as much ethanol per ton with little water and no chemicals.

Hard to believe all this whining over 6.5 ounces of Everclear added to a gallon of gasoline.

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Originally Posted by 2manymustangs

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It that thing was a hatchback I'd be making you an offer. Lowball but offer nonetheless. :D

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Originally Posted by gn7

Hard to believe all this whining over 6.5 ounces of Everclear added to a gallon of gasoline.

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When you think of it as 1/2 a serving of beer or 1 serving of wine...it's not all that much ;) let's not refer to it in Tequila terms...that's hangover material right there :D


Sent from my Bat Cave

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Originally Posted by steveo143

4 of my boats engines are built to run on E-85. Love the stuff!!!!!!! There are many base stocks that could easily replace corn. Mesquite is not much more than a weed growing in the desserts that, requires little water and can produce twice as much ethanol per ton with little water and no chemicals.

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Yep, everything from milkweed to mesquite will make ethanol. Corn just had bigger corporations backing it and the start up technology was easier.