mrdancer said:
"Otherwise, there's not much benefit to it
(other than paying U.S. farmers instead of mideast oil emirates), since
it
has a lower efficiency than gasoline"
There is a bit more to it - Cornell U released a study indicating it
takes 129 units of energy to produce 100 units of ethanol - so not only
is it less efficient when burned, there is also a 29% production
penalty. So in the name of reducing pollution, ethanol actually is a
net contributor to pollution while providing welfare payments to
wealthy farmers and driving other 3rd world country farmers out of
growing corn cause they can not compete with US taxpayer subsidized
corn. Cash price is now less than what it was 40 years ago. Don't
blame the farmers - it is the frigging pols - most of them know the
whole ethanol program is a joke. end of rant