Re: E-85

The oil company profit issue just had to rear its ugly head...

Oil companies make about 10 cents profit per gallon. So if you completely removed that profit, how much less would gas cost? 10 cents. That's it. What really irritates me is that so many people think it is evil for the oil companies to make a profit on a product the consumer wants, while it is perfectly OK for the government to earn 3 to 4 times as much per gallon, and they did nothing to obtain, refine, and distribute that product. Go figure. And the record profits are due to - you guessed it - record gallons sold. Gasoline demand continues to rise.

E85 is 85% alcohol, mostly ethanol. We can't grow enough corn to replace a whole lot of gasoline usage, although it might be enough to keep gasoline price pressure down. But then there are questions about whether alcohol is actually a positive energy balance when all costs are included.

And it would take far more area than the state of Florida to produce enough biodiesel for our nation's needs. I don't think we have enough land to do it. Besides, because of freezing point problems, you can't use pure biodiesel anyway, it has to be mixed with petroleum diesel.

As for alternative energy, it's great, but someone always has a reason to stop it. Hydro power is great - just not on my river. Wind power is great - just not where I can see it or hear it, or birds will fly into it. Solar power works in some situations, but is still costly and subject to availability of sun. No one wants coal fired power plants (carbon dioxide and all - but don't get me started on that topic), and nuclear is a cuss word to many (remind me why again?). And folks keep buying SUVs and trucks. Something has to give. Everyone is going around saying we have to do something, but everyone is holding onto something and rejecting everything.