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Ethanol in Gasoline – Increased Price and Increased Pollution?

By John Riley

The recent C-J article "Ethanol mix" by Wayne Tompkins is typical of the reasons more and more people no longer buy the nonsense that is distributed by "newspapers".  When they print such poorly researched nonsense, they lose credibility and subscribers, and eventually advertisers don't value them as highly either.  That of course is not to mention the grave disservice they do to our community and our environment.  There's no wonder subscription numbers and profits continue to fall in the newspaper industry.

There is so much credible information about the negative effects from the use of ethanol in our fuel that one would have to be intentionally blind not to give it even a brief mention in an article on the subject.

What particularly disturbs me though is that I'm a 30 year member of AAA Kentucky. Heidi Thiel, spokeswoman for AAA is certainly in a position to know better and she apparently offers no signs of advocacy on behalf of AAA members to remove this ethanol burden. 

AAA members pay first to subsidize the cost of production of ethanol.  We pay once again via much higher prices at the gas pump.  And we pay once more because it is clearly documented that ethanol not only does not reduce pollution levels; it very well may increase pollution levels.  Then on top of that AAA members, and of course anyone forced to purchase this fuel, pays once again because of the inferior gas mileage we get by using this fuel. 

AAA says "We will continue to work to ensure regulations targeting automobiles actually reduce pollution, and don't simply punish people who drive." http://www.aaa.com/aaa/publicaffairs/cleanair.html

Well, apparently that is not the case and I wish I had not just renewed my AAA membership last month.  Next year I can assure AAA that they have lost a 30 year member if ethanol is still in use in Kentucky by the time they ask me to renew once more.  You see, just as with "newspapers" or any other business, credibility has a direct impact on the bottom line. Ms. Thiel, AAA has a lot of work to do between now and renewal time next year to retain me and my family as paying members of AAA Kentucky. 

I long ago gave up on the Courier Journal. 30 years of loyalty to AAA Kentucky may very well be enough as well. 

It is not that difficult to research the poor results of ethanol use and I suspect Mr. Tompkins never tried.  Just to get Mr. Tompkins started he may consider this: 

"[Gov.] Davis said California presented a “truckload” of scientific evidence to EPA that California can formulate clean burning gasoline without additives like ethanol. EPA ignored it, he claims, largely due to the political pressure from Midwest corn producers."

"Davis' lawsuit is logical. It's also curious because he has the support of the environmental activist community and state clean air regulators, who contend ethanol would actually add to the state's air pollution problems."

http://westernfarmpress.com/mag/farming_california_lawsuit_ethanol/index.html

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