Don’t get me wrong. I want to be energy-efficient, to live in a country not dependent on foreign oil, and a world not covered in the salt water of former glaciers. But when people talk about Ethanol like it’s going to solve all our problems, it’s just crazy talk. Basic math does not support it.
The three top runners in the Democratic race are, I think, trying to discuss energy policy in a rational tone. And discussing alternative fuels as a reality rather than a far-off concept is beneficial. However, FactCheck.org takes them to task for painting entirely too-rosey pictures of our Ethanol future:
FactCheck.org: Audacious Ethanol Hopes?
Presidential candidates have been soliciting votes in Iowa, one of the nation’s leading ethanol producing states. But how practical are plans for a growing role for E85 — a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline? . . . Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well as former Sen. John Edwards. We find their statistics to be accurate as far as they go, but we also find they don’t go very far.
A lot of what FactCheck.org says on the subject dovetails nicely with my own research of a year or so ago. I am led, therefore, to the natural conclusion that FactCheck.org writers are frequent readers of this website. Yeah, right.
Technorati Tags: Ethanol, E85, Energy Efficiency, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards
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