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Tuesday, 08 May 2007 |
We hear people trumping Ethanol all the time. They tell us how amazing it is and how it is going to save us money, save the environment, and keep us from using foreign oil. In truth, Ethanol is a scam and a farce. It is only a way for politicians and their cronies to earn easy money by pillaging the tax system. How? Let me explain. Please read on.
Currently in Missouri is a very disputed problem. The challenge to the construction of an Ethanol plant has recently been shot down in court. Thus, the construction will go on. Now wait just a second- shouldn't the citizens be for the construction of such a plant? What gives?
It turns out that this project will be constructed near hundreds of homes, which devalues them greatly. Alongside that, the production processes threaten the natural environment, most notably the water table. The water table in this area is already gradually decreasing, and the construction of an Ethanol plant would be devastating. These plants require millions of gallons of water, which in this case, are to be pumped from wells, thus depleting the water that the citizens of the area rely on. This problem gets even better: the turmoil over the impact on the environment is only half of it. Politically, this is a firestorm.
Various Government entities are planning to subsidize this Ethanol, with the equivalent of $0.51 per gallon. This money will not be made back, and is coming out of the taxpayers' wallets. Right there is a problem: how is this helping with the price at the pump? The money is still being taken, just through the state Government rather than through the oil companies. This saves nobody money. As for the plant itself, the company owning the land and the plant itself is owned by none other than the cousin of an important Government figure. What a coincidence. No political hanky-panky is going on there, now is it? No money going one way or the other, except for the big, fat subsidization checks, right?...
Are there any benefits to installing this plant? It is close to corn producing areas, although the gasoline that is required to mix with the Ethanol must be transported via train, thus burning diesel (there goes the whole getting independent of the foreign oil). When the Ethanol-gas mix is done, how do we get it to the pumps? More transportation (all diesel powered, of course) via semi and train.
Alongside the previously stated mess, corn feed prices will go up, thus driving up the price of meat, as well as corn in the stores. This will cause the consumers of the world to pay yet even more
money, coupled with the tax to subsidize these plants.These problems
don't apply to one plant, but all of the Ethanol plants in America. The
more we build, the more we will have to pay in taxes and living
expenses. Remember the unsuccessful coal-gasification plants? They are
all rotting away, because it cost too much to run them. History tends
to repeat itself.
How is any of this beneficial to anyone (besides certain government figures and their family and friends)? In my opinion, it isn't. It would be far cheaper and less taxing on the environment to just drill ANWAR (the heat of the oil pipes actually increases the successes of mating caribou conception), as well as pursuing other alternatives, and drilling in other areas. Also, such drilling wouldn't make prices of foods commonly consumed by Americans go much higher in price. All in all, Ethanol is a scam.
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