Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I can understand that. When cars were much dirtier the gains were greater. At least we have a few of you recognizing ethanol does burn cleaner.
Maybe what Clevy is saying is that we'll get a lower quality octane gas mixed with the extra 5% ethanol to get the same overall octane rating. I wouldn't doubt that. I'll concede that could be what will happen considering the sleaze factor of big oil
For me, at the outset, I don't "mind" ethanol laced/enhanced fuels. I sought them years ago, long before mandates appeared in either of our countries.
But here is why. And we can't just blame big oil - government has their share of blame. We have a station here called Husky (and Mohawk, more were Mohawks years ago). In any event, before we had any mandates, they offered pure gas 87 octane at one price. They also offered an 89 or 90 octane mid grade E10 at the same prices prices. Then they had a premium with a point or two higher octane than other premiums available at the time. So, plenty of people sought E10 mid grade, since it was the same money as regular.
The province got involved and twisted everything beyond recognition. Now, Husky/Mohawk's 87 is E10 (perhaps that lesser octane gas mixed with ethanol to enhance octane rating). Mid grade costs more than regular, and so forth.
Additionally, up here, corn isn't an issue. Wheat silage is used to produce ethanol. And, as I've stated many time here, that is not food-grade (with respect to human consumption) grain; it is feed-grade (with respect to animal consumption) grain. Wheat is graded at delivery. No one intentionally grows feed-grade wheat. It doesn't work that way.
I know there are also people who don't like the idea of grain fed cattle. Fine. If all barley grown in this country were malt grade and all wheat were Number 1 grade, cattle wouldn't get to touch a single grain unless those responsible for feeding them liked paying a premium. But, the weather doesn't cooperate, and feed grade grains happen each and every year and they have to be used for something.
When soy sauce is made, silage is produced. Should that be forbidden as cattle feed, too?
In the grand scheme of things, I don't know if we should be going to more or less ethanol use in fuel. Time will tell when it comes to economies of scale and improved production. What I do know is that OPE and recreational equipment manufacturers need to quit crying about ethanol and accept that it's here. Complaining loudly about ethanol content is a very good diversion for the eighty cent fuel systems they put in such equipment these days. The components have a shorter shelf life than the fuel itself, for crying out loud.