Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Pawlenty on ethanol: No-go for government funds

GOP presidential hopeful Pawlenty showed brass during his candidacy announcement, states The Daily Caller. The former Minnesota governor didn’t mince words, calling ethanol subsidies an idea that needs to die now. Even though ethanol fuel continues to have its proponents, the mounting criticisms over the fuel’s inefficiency and impact on world food prices makes it debatable, argues Intellectual Takeout.

America and corn

When it comes to United States farming, growing corn is very essential. Even traditional bluegrass nuggets like “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn” equate the ability to grow corn with male virility:

“Why do you come for me to wed?
Can’t even make your own corn grain.
Single I am and will remain;
A lazy man I won’t maintain.”

Buying a culture

Beyond corn’s place in United States culture, the automotive industry’s battle to improve fuel efficiency has brought intense focus to renewable fuel sources like ethanol. Ethanol fuel production is supported by the National Corn Growers Association and other political lobbies.

Yet politicians like Tim Pawlenty believe the government subsidy investment is not worth the return. Using grains to produce an option fuel to gasoline has already begun to create shortages that have elevated the cost of corn. Cheap grain is more valuable as food than fuel, argues Pawlenty. He was able to help manage fiscal challenged in Minnesota while reducing ethanol subsidies. This has given him confidence that he can do the same in the U.S.

“I’m here today to tell Iowans the truth about federal energy subsidies,” said Pawlenty during his presidential candidacy announcement. “(That includes) federal subsidies for ethanol… (They must) be phased out gradually. We need to do it fairly. But we need to do it.”

Fuel efficiency connection to ethanol

Scientists explain that ethanol fuel has 34 percent less energy per unit of volume. This is when it is compared to traditional gasoline used in cars. As much as 50 percent fuel could be used in an ethanol only motor than that of a standard gasoline motor.

The connection between miles per gallon and ethanol fuel shows a lot. It has many people reconsidering how viable ethanol is. It may not be possible to add ethanol fuel to the mix considering the idea that Keith Crain and others have that national MGP standards need to go up.

Information from

Auto News

autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110523/OEM01/305239986/1137

The Daily Caller

dailycaller.com/2011/05/23/pawlenty-announces-2012-run-under-banner-of-truth-tells-iowans-that-ethanol-subsidies-must-be-phased-out/

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel

Intellectual Takeout

intellectualtakeout.org/library/agriculture/ethanol-renewable-energy

National Corn Growers Association

ncga.com/

Tim Pawlenty

timpawlenty.com/

Tim Pawlenty, et al, on ethanol subsidies

youtube.com/watch?v=V5y6E2TQTw0



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