Alternative fuel hits the pump

BOISE – Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's new Suburban gets 100 miles for every gallon of gas used – because it runs on a new alternative fuel that's 85 percent ethanol.

The first Idaho pump to sell the new fuel, dubbed E85, opened Friday, with the governor as the first customer at the pump. Also in attendance were the mayors of Boise and Nampa, who also are switching to the new fuel. Plus, state and local government fleets in the Boise area plan to begin purchasing "flexible fuel" vehicles that can use the special fuel.

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What have you done for your people today?

This sounds great. Hopefully the oil industry wont try to snuff it.

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lambaste me not

I have read, in many sources, that ethanol doesn't provide more energy than it takes to create it:

http://unisci.com/stories/20013/0813012.htm

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/031128.html

And to show how wasteful the program has been:

http://www.cato.org/dailys/7-10-97.html

I would love to see a renewable green energy source, but from what I have read, ethanol is not that source.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

I still think solar power is a HUGE part of the answer especially in the Southwest but people don't seem to be quite on track with it's proper implementation. Centralized solar power stations don't make sense but smaller solar power systems on each house make a lot of sense. As spread out as Southern California is, there is an amazing potential for power production that could be generated from all that vacant roof area.

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The Science of Brute Force......

you are totally correct about this one. ethanol subsidies exist because of an extremely powerful ag lobby. this mostly benefits large companies, such as monsanto, while not doing a lot for farmers.

it takes more fossil fuels to create a gallon of ethanol than it would just burning it in your car. however, then we don't have as much smog coming out of your tailpipe.

it would actually be more efficient to throw corn husks into a furnace and burn them.

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God Bless America, and No Place Else

Until someone can produce a competent fuel which is less expensive than gasoline, we will be using gasoline. It is no more meaningful to say "we should develop alternative fuel sources" than it is for a beauty pageant winner to proclaim she wants world peace.

The act of saying anything is usually meaningless unless said by a person with the intention and ability to do what is required. With China and India using more and more energy, the US (since we are the investment/solution oriented people) should be doing everything we can to find alternative and renewable sources of energy. We have seen how the price of oil affects the market and unless the world finds a way to stretch the energy we are producing through conservation or the world finds an alternative and renewable energy source, prices of oil (and natural gas since it usually tracks the price of oil) will continue to increase past the point where it harms the economies of the world and reduces the lifestyle of all but the wealthy.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller