There is more shell corn grown in this country than we know what to do with. There are droughts/storm damage in major corn growing states every year; never enough to have a large effect on anything but local prices.
well, look at what's happening now...we're paying for things that "may" happen in the future. Iran is gathering plutonium, so they "might" be building nuclear weapons, so our gas prices go up.
NEVER, at least in my short 5 years of driving, can I remember gas prices going up for hurricanes & possible terrorist activity. But now the gas companies realized, after Katrina, that we have no choice in paying high pump prices. So basically they can charge us whatever they want. So you better believe it that if there's even the treat of a drought, gas prices will rise.
Hissing Cobra said:
Gas prices flat out suck at the moment and the U.S. government is allowing the big oil companies to rape and pillage us daily, without vaseline. That being said, I work 6 miles from my house and my wife works 7. We no longer are bent over from these LEGAL criminals and don't have to spend a lot on gas. Thanks to the GREAT American government for looking out for it's people. Pat yourselves on the back.
I agree with you, however, you're still bent over since the price of everything else will go up. Food will cost more, because it's more expensive to manufacture & deliver items to stores. The same will eventually happen to clothes. If the prices stay high for long enough, we'll start to see the effects "trickling" down to us through other avenues.
Ethanol costs the consumer more, not less. Take a look at the articles concerning E85. Though E85 is cheaper, it's not cheap enough to go the same distance on the same money that you can with gasoline.
By the way... The second quote that you got me down for Nkau, is not mine.
I have a feeling ethanol prices will be far more price competitive once more plants begin production. As for people who say corn can only supply 16% of the ethanol we'd need on a yearly basis.......you are probably right; but ethanol can be extracted from a lot of other plants, including grasses, which are actually a better source of ethanol. Ethanol is currently extracted from corn, because what's still left over after processing is useable as feed. Ethanol plants produce more than just ethanol in most cases.
I'm no chemist but I have a sneaking suspicion that the 10% ethanol is not accomplishing what it was intended to accomplish in the first place. It may burn cleaner but you have to burn more of it to get the same energy.
Bingo Give the man a cigar and tell him whats behind door #3 Bob! Put more ethanol in and you need to burn more fuel to go the same distance. Got to like the way the big boys think.