Monday, April 22, 2013

Happy Earth Day 2013



It's here again, Earth Day, a day we set aside for feeling superior to our neighbors who "just don't get it." Note, we don't live any differently than our neighbors, in fact, we probably consume and pollute more than the average, but we get it, so we got that going for us, which is nice.



For years I just didn't get it. Then I realized: the only requirement for membership in the Earth Butterfly Rainbow Sparkle Sunshine Movement is a strong desire to feel good about yourself. And hey, I like feeling good. I can pull this off.

Speaking of the Earth Butterfly Rainbow Sparkle Sunshine Movement, is there a reason for gasahol, now that we know:

...a 2011 opinion from the Science Committee of the European Environment Agency pointed out what it called a “serious accounting error.” The carbon neutral concept does not consider vegetation that would naturally grow on land used for biofuel production. Since biofuels are less efficient than gasoline or diesel fuel, they actually emit more CO2 per mile driven than hydrocarbon fuels, when proper accounting is used for carbon sequestered in natural vegetation. Further, a 2011 study for the National Academy of Sciences found that, “…production of ethanol as fuel to displace gasoline is likely to increase such air pollutants as particulate matter, ozone, and sulfur oxides.”

So is there a reason for gasahol beyond just not wanting to admit it was a mistake? It's bad for the environment, gas prices, and food prices. It makes no economic sense, and no environmental sense. So are we still using it because we like the name? Gasahol? Or are we using it as a tool to out-smug our neighbors?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Corn ethanol is causing starvation and political unrest throughout the third world as fuel use replaces subsistance use of grains...

It's not only no net benefit to the environment, it's killing people and stirring up violence.

And they want to up the concentration to 15% and above, which will eat the plastic parts of older vehicles and cause other mechanical problems...it's already caused me to have to rebuild several carburetors more than once, just from the corrosion by water absorbed into the fuel.

This is dumb, folks, it pays farm corporations and does nothing good for anyone else.

Kalashnikat

Ten Mile Island said...

There is consensus among supporters.

So there's that.
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