WE Blog

McCain is right on the ethanol issue. Without government subsidies, meaning taxpayer dollars paying the bill, ethanol production would not even be considered.

Even so, if ethanol is really needed to partially replace oil production, ethanol production facilities should be prohibited from midwestern states of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and probably Texas to keep from returning these states to the Great American Desert.

Best locations would be along the lower Mississippi River. Or at effluent outfall lines of large urban sewage treatment plants to actually provide a service to the environment. But I doubt if ethanol producers will be agreeable to get their hands dirty.

Kudos to Obama for defining where he stands on an issue! Yee haw!

Since Obama supports subsidies and tarrifs to the ethanol industry, he is in effect calling on the American taxpayer to pay an even HIGHER price for an energy source that is not cost justifiable to begin with (even at today’s oil prices)!

I’m surprised he didn’t pattern his position on ethanol along the same illogical lines as some of his ambiguous statments on free trade and nuclear power. (by the way, no matter what he says otherwise, if he supports tarrifs, he does not support free trade)

I would have expected Obama to say something more pleasing yet contradictory such as:

“I support ethanol subsidies as long as they are not paid for by taxpayers”.

Yep GMC, for once we agree.

Meet the new boss same as the old boss. And as Walker noted last night, yes, it is all to be expected. However…

It wouldnt be quite so galling if obama and his merry band of true believers hadnt pushed the “he’s a NEW kind of leader” meme so hard.

Like I’ve said before, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. When obama builds himself up as the change agent we can believe in, and then he panders to the wingnuts, supports big ag like ADM, folds like a cheap lawnchair on FISA, and never met a subsidy he didnt like…

It makes me wonder where the “change” is that he promised?

And dont think for one minute that in addition to ADM, Cargill, and Monsanto, governor “leadership” isnt helping to push big ethanol onto obama. She and parkinson, the little prince and heir apparant, NEVER met a water sucking big ag project they, and their donors, didnt love.

Seems like the more things supposedly “change” the more they stay the same.

But you bought him. Now ya gotta pay for him.

I have see and heard comments regarding how undistinguished (lame) these two candidates are. What’s truly ironic is that either would be an improvement on the Shrub, who has set the bar so low that a bar in no longer required!

Earth Mother!

Y’all don’t realize why Obama appears to be so anti-energy.

Obama is keeping secret, for now, new technology that will give us a vast supply of clean energy. He’ll reveal this some time this fall, prior to the election.

Soylent Green.

“Obama is keeping secret, for now, new technology that will give us a vast supply of clean energy. He’ll reveal this some time this fall, prior to the election.”

Reminds me of nixon’s “secret plan” to end the Viet Nam war. I’m thinkin’ that “secret plan” didnt include the rooftop bug out in April of 1975.

AFTER he left office in disgrace.

And gster, you always hit the nail spot on. While both candidates are two sides of the same coin, either would be a vast improvement over worst.president.ever!

…and did I mention how close you would be to Rudy’s famous “sause”? And big fluffy tortillas?

hehehehehhehhehe. Yeah, I know. I’m bad.

The more I know about obama and mcsame, the more I like CYNTHIA!

ksfarmgrrl
Posted June 27, 2008 at 9:31 am | Permalink
Now HERE is some REAL change. And you can believe it!

CYNTHIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.mckinney2008.com/PRESIDENT/
_________________________________________

Cynthia McKinney? CYNTHIA McKINNEY?????

Surely you jest. McKinney is a nutcase. A dingbat.

I can go find words McCain actually said and prove his “waffling.” All that is brought to indicate Obama “waffling” is said by someone else.

Aim the cameras at McCain and never turn off the microphones. He is his own undoing. Sometimes an aide or spokesperson trips up too, but McCain does most of his damage by himself!

Ethanol as a fuel is a bad idea, expensive and places an artificial control on the food commodities product.

I would hate to think 10 years from now how food commodities will be handled like oil and everyone will be paying daily increases in prices without accountability.

McCain’s ideas seem a bit closer to reality. Except that countries like Brazil are already tapped out on export of sugar ethanol. Even the most religious observer of drill here pay less admit that drilling won’t benefit for at least 3-4 years.

We could end the sugar ethanol embargo and move at least 1/2 of the subsidies into sugar ethanol research. Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam my grow lots of sugar cane, but would it be enough to put a dent in the problem? Also, not a short term fix.

I think the invisible hand is already doing more than many other approaches. China is raising the price of oil, their deflation has ended. That alone will help considerably.

Franklin- I agree; I came to the same conclusion. Some big companies will clean up and society wil pay that price.

“Some big companies will clean up and society wil pay that price.”

Isnt that the way big ag and big biz wants it?

Privatize the profits.

Socialize the costs.

And they say cons hate socialism….

McCain is right, ethanol made from corn is rarely feasable. It takes as much energy to make it as we get out of it, it’s a huge strain on the aquafier also. Sugar Can ethanol makes surplus water! Is way more efficient!

We can grow sugar cane in Louisiana. We should have every piece of tillable land in that state growing sugar cane. Archer Daniels may even be able to come up with a hybrid varient of the crop that would grow in a few other states. The problem is that it only grows in huricane prone areas! But so does oil for that matter, Houston is right in hurricane country, if the big one hit there, we would be powerless for quite awhile. Even foreign oil is tanked into Houston.

Obama is from corn country, it’s where I grew up, and they are STRONG on ethanol from corn. You say one sylable against it, and you will be hung from the nearest light pole. About 25% of our corn crop is going to ethanol right now, placing a huge burden on prices. Farmers were growing $2 corn for EVER it seems, and gliding along on their subsidies. Now, an 800-1200 acre farmer who cash rents a good portion of his land makes over 100k NET.

During the 80’s-90’s American farmers were beside themselves when the US government went into Brazil and taught them how to grow soybeans. We need to build an alliance with Brazil. They can supply 20% of our fuel needs with soydiesel and sugar cane based ethanol, keep pressure off corn prices and food prices down. In the meantime keep developing corn ethanol. I believe it’s in Nebraska or South Dakota where they have massive indoor cattle farms, where they use the cow farts to power the corn based ethanol plant. (I’M SERIOUS, THEY HARVEST THE METHANE… AND IT’S WORKING). Then their is the switch grass methanol, all those things need to be developed.

One point is this, and we better all take it serious. A moon shot like effort will only accomplish one thing long term. To maintain! As demand rises, all these efforts will only maintain us at a certain level! Stop the problem from getting worse! THAT’S IT!

Call me crazy, but their is one little idea that keeps swimming around in my head. DO NOTHING, and the US and China milk that middle eastern oil supply for all it’s worth, but have the technology full developed to get by without it. It could be the one way we can defeat those extremist! Make them blow their whole wad now, and when they are reduced to tent living nomads again, they will not be a threat! hmmmmm