Is adding ethanol to gas a positive or negative benefit to our country?

[midcarolina]

Bottom line... anyone who promotes the use of ethanol as a fuel has some type of personal interest in it........Be it it financial or political.

[clfarms1]

usually anyone promoting something has a financial interest in it and I don't mean talking about it on here as promoting it, I mean advertising it

[Hanr3]

CORN: The 2015 corn crop is projected at 13.595 billion bushels, down from a record 14.216 billion bushels last year. Yields are estimated at 166.8 bushels per acre, down from 171 bushels in 2014. Farmers are expected to plant 89 million acres (down from 90.6 million) and harvest 81.5 million acres (down from 83.1 million). Cash prices are seen average $3.50 per bushel for the crop year, down from $3.65.
USDA releases supply and demand estimates for major crops | AgriPulse

2013 World use.
In the monthly WASDE report released on November 8, the USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board estimated that 4.648 billion bushels of corn were used to produce ethanol and co-products during the 2012-13 marketing year. That estimate is 371 million bushels less than the estimate for the 2010-11 marketing year and 352 million less than estimated use during the 2011-12 marketing year. Domestic ethanol production declined from an estimated 13.796 billion gallons during the 2011-12 corn marketing year to an estimated 12.899 billion gallons last year.
Corn Used for Ethanol Production | farmdocdaily.illinois.edu

"The mandate increases corn prices by about 25¢ per bushel," Babcock says.
What Happens to Corn Prices without the Ethanol Mandate? | Agweb.com

Ethanol raises the cost of corn about a quarter per bushel. Bushel costs about $3.50-$3.65. The US alone produced 14.216 billion bushels last year. The corn that went to ethanol produced about 12.899 billion gallons. 4.6 billion bushels of corn made 12.899 billion gallons of ethanol. Not chump change. Are you willing to pay the Saudis for another 12.899 billion gallons of gas? Or would you rather pay a farmer in the US for it?

[Hanr3]

I get the mantra. Ethanol is bad, gasoline is good.

[midcarolina]

I get the mantra. Ethanol is bad, gasoline is good.

Ethanol is really good for a couple things that come to mind.............but fuel ain't one of em.....

[matzilla]

Never had a problem using it in small and large engines....If any one believes that producing ethanol hurts farmers and food markets, you're wrong. Ethanol production actually creates food products, more than you can imagine!!! How else do you think corn syrup, corn starch, maltradextrins, glutton meal, corn meal, etc are made? They coproducts of ethanol production. Ethanol from corn is a 0 waste process.

[clfarms1]

the biggest by product of ethanol is ddg's used in animal feed. not much in the way of corn syrup is left over and corn meal is made from ground corn not from leftovers from ethanol production, the use of corn in ethanol pushes up the price of corn in the local market where there is a ethanol plant so it does hurt livestock farmers that have to buy their feed,

[Tom 513]

Wasnt ethanol supposed to be a renewable fuel source that would be cheaper than foreign produced oil? Well it seems since they started producing it Gasoline hasnt come down in cost, if anything has gone up, and food cost especially meat have skyrocketed. I am in the landscaping business, and it has been hard to find wheat straw because all of the farmers are raising corn, also We raise egg chickens, layer mash has doubled since we last raised them 7 or 8 yrs ago, also My small engine mechanic is pulling his hair out repairing fuel deteriating fuel systems, He advised Me to only purchase high octane gasoline, and that the 87 octane ethanol fuel is probably only 80 octane and that the short lived ethanol is supposed to make up the remaining octane percentage. So if anything We all are paying for the cost saving renewable fuel that Our politicians feel so warm and fuzzy about!

[crappielimits]

CORN: The 2015 corn crop is projected at 13.595 billion bushels, down from a record 14.216 billion bushels last year. Yields are estimated at 166.8 bushels per acre, down from 171 bushels in 2014. Farmers are expected to plant 89 million acres (down from 90.6 million) and harvest 81.5 million acres (down from 83.1 million). Cash prices are seen average $3.50 per bushel for the crop year, down from $3.65.
USDA releases supply and demand estimates for major crops | AgriPulse


2013 World use.
In the monthly WASDE report released on November 8, the USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board estimated that 4.648 billion bushels of corn were used to produce ethanol and co-products during the 2012-13 marketing year. That estimate is 371 million bushels less than the estimate for the 2010-11 marketing year and 352 million less than estimated use during the 2011-12 marketing year. Domestic ethanol production declined from an estimated 13.796 billion gallons during the 2011-12 corn marketing year to an estimated 12.899 billion gallons last year.
Corn Used for Ethanol Production | farmdocdaily.illinois.edu

"The mandate increases corn prices by about 25¢ per bushel," Babcock says.
What Happens to Corn Prices without the Ethanol Mandate? | Agweb.com

Ethanol raises the cost of corn about a quarter per bushel. Bushel costs about $3.50-$3.65. The US alone produced 14.216 billion bushels last year. The corn that went to ethanol produced about 12.899 billion gallons. 4.6 billion bushels of corn made 12.899 billion gallons of ethanol. Not chump change. Are you willing to pay the Saudis for another 12.899 billion gallons of gas? Or would you rather pay a farmer in the US for it?

Anyone who has bought corn over the last 10 years knows these numbers are false. Ask any mechanic about detioration due to ethanol in 2 stroke engines. Look at the Evinrude Etec warranty which is voided if ethanol fuel is used. The United States has plenty of fuel wells capped off but instead imports from those Middle eastern countries. Ethanol has nothing to do with it. Corn syrup and corn meal have all been made before ethanol fuel. The main by product is animal feed which stinks awful and most animals care less for it. I couldn't even get wild hogs to eat it. Ethanol is a joke as a fuel and helped put this country in a recession.

[matzilla]

Actually the main byproduct is starch...post process feed products are only a small amount of the coproducts and all are mixed with whole grains before sold to consumers. Ethanol has been around a long time and not many things that you eat, wear or touch is exempt from the process. There's a lot at stake when you see the big picture. The ethanol industry keeps farmers from going broke, period. Many of your larger producers also own the logistics firms which move the raw and finished materials, grain elevators, feed mills, etc.