Green Energy is spending $2.5 million on the first national television campaign for ethanol. They said that they planned the campaign before the BP spill, but the spill helped to speed it up. Most policymakers agree that the bio fuel industry must move beyond corn ethanol; it is less efficient than the sugar-derived energy and can increase food prices. The new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) took effect on July 1st, which limits conventional ethanol to 15 billion gallons of the annual 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel which must be used for transport by 2022;the administration has just announced extra funding for algae-based bio fuels.
Corn ethanol is one the well-established among rising bio fuel solutions. From 2000- 2008 it rose from 1%-7% of America’s fuel supply. In February the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that ethanol emits 20% less greenhouse gas than petrol. This may seem like a promising future for ethanol but the industry isn't satisfied. Production will soon hit the “blend wall”, which is when ethanol will meet 10% of fuel demand. The EPA only allows blends up to 10% ethanol, for more might corrode engines. The industry wants the EPA to raise the blend amount to 15%, though the decision was delayed in June.
Until the ruling is final, advocates want to continue their campaigns for alternative energy. For instance, they want the tariff on ethanol imports and a tax credit for blenders to be renewed once it expires in December. Also, they insist that the government require most new cars to be flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which will allow them to use blends of up to 85% ethanol, as well as petrol stations being required to install pumps that blend petrol with ethanol.
Kelsey Tomlinson
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesbysubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=8780295&story_id=16492491
I found this article very interesting, considering I read an article the other day about the decreasing interest in global warming because the public of the US doesn't see it as a pressing issue anymore. Clearly the worldwide emissions of fuel is hurting the economy and this is one of the many efforts to decrease that. The Green energy campaign is one way of bringing this problem to the attention of the public through mass media, which seems to be making some progress, while the side of limiting through legislation is taking longer and not having as much success, from what I have read. Regardless I'm glad to see the push for producing more ethanol in the future and the tactic of advertising through mass media.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do think that an increase in green energy sources is a great thing there are other factors that have to be considered. for instance putting forcing American automakers to make costly changes in their production will only hurt an already damaged industry. While foreign automakers will also adhere to these rules in America they could also draw profits from their main markets in the countries they are based in leading to an unfair advantage for foreign automakers in America. If nothing else there should be more time or some sort of other benefit for American automakers so that they will be able to continue as a competitive industry.
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