Why are we still using ethanol?

[Oldoak]

I don't think you can find a body of water in the U.S. that doesn't contain traces of atrazine (roundup).

Atrazine and glyphosate (Roundup) a brand name, are two very different herbicide chemicals.

While both create serious problems, traces are one thing, but high concentrations of either in drinking water is another.

 

[MossRoad]

Atrazine and glyphosate (Roundup) a brand name, are two very different herbicide chemicals.

While both create serious problems, traces are one thing, but high concentrations of either in drinking water is another.

Yep. My mistake. Both are found in drinking water and bodies of water.

Atrazine and Glyphosate More Harmful Than Scientists Once Thought - EcoWatch

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I am sure that has nothing to do with today's high cancer rate :mischievous:

I only wish that was not the case. The lifespan in the USA has dropped by a few months for two years running now for many reasons I expect. This may be the long term trend as will.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^
I suspect that our lifestyles contribute to that drop more than anything else. On one hand obesity is rampant in the US; yet saying anything about somebody's weight is called "fatshaming."

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The number of farmers in our area age 45-65 coming up with cancer seems higher than in the past. Several had farming fathers that lived to be 30+ years older. I agree the factors do have many variables.

 

[goeduck]

^^^^^
Back then they also were still using the venerable 4.0, too.

That was a good engine, I always wanted one of those.

 

[Jstpssng]

I messed up royally a couple of years ago when I was truck shopping. A neighbor had a really nice Jeep that he was selling for a decent price, with the 4.0 5 speed. I looked it all over, it had no rust, clean inside, everything looked tight. When I popped the hood though the engine compartment was covered with oil so I thought the rings were gone. After he sold it I was talking to him and he told me the engine was as tight as the rest of the Jeep. Until that point I had never heard of fluid film.

 

[cqaigy2]

I only wish that was not the case. The lifespan in the USA has dropped by a few months for two years running now for many reasons I expect. This may be the long term trend as will.

Yes, and drugs. All those poor people getting hooked on opioids and the drug companies getting rich from it.

 

[Copperhead]

Why do we still add ethanol to gasoline. While we were relying on OPEC for oil at one time, it might have made sense (that is debatable). Now that we are, for the most part, self reliant on our energy needs, why do we continue with this? It would be great to remove it so we don稚 have to buy $5/quart gas for our small engines.

I am glad ethanol if readily available. Due to the low pricing, my 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0 has been on E85 exclusively for almost 2 years.

I filled up the other day for $1.12 a gallon. It got as low as $.99 for a couple of weeks. Murphy station in Newton, Iowa. Pump price with no discount.

My 2500 averages about 10 mpg on the stuff. So right now the cost per mile is 11 cents a mile. For my 3/4 ton pickup to get 11 cent per mile fuel cost using regular non ethanol gas, it would have to average almost 21 mpg. That is not ever going to happen. Even on E10, it would have to average 19 mpg to get 11 cents per mile fuel cost. Again, not going to happen. A Diesel 3/4 ton would have to average almost 26 mpg for all miles to get 11 cents per mile fuel cost. Again, not going to happen anytime soon.

Been using various blends of ethanol since it started being available in the late 70's. My 1974 Pontiac used E10 all the time after it started being at the pumps. Car had 250,000 miles on it when it died of body cancer. Motor was still good. No carburetor or fuel system problems.

I am an advocate of letting people choose if they want to or don't want to use the stuff as they see fit.

 

[Copperhead]

For 18 years I was Director of Environmental Health, Anchorage, AK. We sampled water wells, private & public. Looking for coliform bacteria & worse. Move down here - take exact same job with Adams County. The first thing we check for in water sample - level of nitrogen. Agriculture had damaged drinking water over most of the wheat growing area in Ea WA state. Over application of derivatives of nitrogen fertilizers.

Now, did you separate out what was actually coming from farm operations and what people are throwing on their landscaped yards and gardens? It has been shown in many locations that the level of surface and groundwater contaminates, a more than significant amount is from over application of fertilizers and such on lawns and home gardens.

Farmers are not going to apply more than they need, as that is a waste of money. Fertilizers and herbicides are applied via computer controlled application rates. On the other hand, it is quite common for homeowners to over apply on their lawns along with sucking up a lot of water for irrigation of those lawns, and that has increased significantly over the years. No one really seems to monitor what homeowners do. And no one ever seems to lay any blame at their feet. Only on farmers.

Oh, but those green lawns are a status symbol and how that affects others is inconsequential.