Last one for now. From: http://www.ethanol.org/Information/Myths%20about%20Ethanol.htm
Top Ten Myths about Ethanol (according to your friends at the MTBE industry, as listed on a pro-MTBE website) 1 - Ethanol is listed as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Ethanol Response: Ethanol has been found to cause liver cancer for heavy drinkers. Ethanol used in gasoline has not been found to pose any risk to human health. Quite the opposite is true for virtually every chemical in gasoline that ethanol replaces, including benzene and MTBE, which is listed as a possible human carcinogen. 2 - The cost of Reformulated Gasoline with ethanol will increase 3-6 cents per gallons compared to RFG with MTBE. Ethanol Response: It is doubtful that the cost of Reformulated Gasoline will increase with ethanol instead of MTBE. Any cost increase would be more than offset by what taxpayers will save in not having to clean up pollution caused by MTBE. 3 - Spills of pure ethanol or gasoline containing ethanol from leaking storage tanks can create a benzene plume up to 150% larger than a spill from a non-ethanol fuel. Ethanol Response: First off, how could a spill of pure ethanol create a benzene plume? That pretty much shows you how accurate their accusations are. Studies on benzene plums are incomplete and inconclusive. In addition, ethanol would reduce the chances of benzene getting into the ground and the groundwater because ethanol effectively reduces the amount of benzene in gasoline by diluting it to lower levels when ethanol is added to gasoline. 4 - Ethanol cannot be shipped by pipeline because of its high affinity for water posing significant distribution costs and hurdles for gasoline blenders. Ethanol Response: Ethanol has been shipped via pipeline. Technology is improving that will allow for greater distribution of ethanol via pipeline, including processes whereby the pipeline companies are able to remove the water and other contaminants from their pipelines, which will improve the quality of all fuels shipped via pipeline. Ethanol shipped via rail and barge from the Midwestern United States to places like California is still much more cost efficient then shipping oil, gasoline and MTBE from the Middle East. 5 - According to a study by Cornell University, for every gallon of ethanol produced, 1.4 gallons of energy is consumed in the process, compared to 0.15 gallons used in the manufacture of gasoline. Ethanol Response: The widely touted, and tragically flawed Cornell University Study has been discredited in numerous ways. For one, many of the assumptions made in the study have been shown to be inaccurate. For example, the study uses numbers that portray all the corn grown in the United States as having come from irrigated fields. In reality, only 15% of the corn grown in the United States is grown under irrigation. Secondly, many other credible studies show that there is much more energy in a gallon of ethanol than it takes to produce it, including a benchmark study by the United States Department of Agriculture. Copies of those studies can be found at the American Coalition for Ethanol website (www.ethanol.org). 6 - It takes 1.5 gallons of ethanol to drive as many miles as one gallon of gasoline. Ethanol Response: This is a misleading statement since no one drives on pure ethanol. Most motorists will not notice any difference in mileage using the standard 10% ethanol blend. For trivia purposes, it takes only about 8 ozs. of MTBE to pollute an Olympic-size swimming pool and make the water virtually undrinkable. 7 - Every gallon of ethanol removes 53 cents from the Federal Highway Trust Fund because of a special tax break for producers. Ethanol Response: Congress has determined that it is good tax policy to tax ethanol blends less than straight gasoline. It is a reflection of the reduced costs of using ethanol compared to using gasoline and MTBE. No tax dollars are used to clean up pollution caused by ethanol, yet billions of dollars are used to clean up and deal with MTBE and gasoline pollution in the ground, the air and the water. In addition, there is no cost to taxpayers to militarily secure a supply of ethanol. Also, ethanol production and use, which is located in the United States, adds jobs and money to our economy by reducing the amount of oil and MTBE the United States needs to import and by creating markets for surplus farm products. 8 - Ethanol increases the vapor pressure of gasoline by 1 psi. resulting in higher evaporative emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds, while tailpipe emissions of Acetaldehyde increase 150%. Ethanol Response: This is another example of twisting the truth. All gasoline, whether it has ethanol in it or not, has to meet government standards with regards to vapor pressure and gasoline is produced and blended accordingly. Ethanol blends do not exceed any government standards for vapor pressure. On the other side of the car, ethanol blends significantly reduce tailpipe emissions, including reducing carbon monoxide emissions by up to 33%. In fact, ethanol blends are used in many parts of the country, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver and Las Vegas as a way to help those cities meet their clean air goals, all the while without causing any of the environmental concerns caused by the usage of MTBE which has now been banned in 14 states and will most likely be banned nationwide within four years by Congress. Acetaldehyde emissions may increase due to the higher oxygen content of ethanol blends, however, what the MTBE folks are leaving out is that ethanol blends reduce formaldehyde emissions significantly, and formaldehyde emissions are 50% more toxic then acetaldehyde emissions, which are still very low. 9 - Ethanol permeates the hoses and lines of automobile fuel systems resulting in a 50% increase in VOC emissions for pre 1995 cars. Ethanol Response: Again, not true. Ethanol compatible materials have been used by the automotive industry since the late 1970ās when ethanol began to be blended with gasoline. Ethanol blended gasoline is warranted by every automaker that sells vehicles in the United States and it is certified by the EPA for use in gasoline. 10 - Ethanol dissolves oxide scale from the walls of pipes and tanks, subjecting the systems to internal corrosion, which leads to leaks. Ethanol Response: If any industry should know about leaks, itās the MTBE industry. Again, this accusation is not true. While ethanol has detergent qualities, it actually helps keep tanks clean and prevents leaks. Since ethanol has been used in many parts of the United States, all tank and pipe component manufacturers have developed products that work well with ethanol blends. This is typical of the type of fear-monger that comes from an MTBE industry trying to deflect attention from the costly pollution caused by their product. American Coalition for Ethanol PO Box 85102 2500 S. Minnesota Ave., #200 Sioux Falls, SD 57105 (605) 334-3381 (voice) (605) 334-3389 (fax) © 2002 American Coalition for Ethanol Created by wsburen@ ethanol.org ET List http://www.electrifyingtimes.com To view ET List message archive go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ETList/messages If you want to contribute to the ET List, you must register with Yahoo Groups and get a User Name and ID. To unsubscribe from this group, just send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
