By on January 20, 2009

President Barack Obama’s inaugural address promised that his administration will “harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.” I’ve heard of solar-powered cars, but wind? Dreams for sail? But seriously folks, “the soil” can only mean one thing: bio-fuels. And although environmentalists would like to switchgrass (or sell you lows), that’s E85 to you and me, bub. The news comes too late for VeraSun. The ethanol producer, Obama supporter and alleged check kiter filed for Chapter 11 last Haloween. But, according to The New York Times, ADM’s still good to go. “Not long after arriving in the Senate, Mr. Obama himself briefly provoked a controversy by flying at subsidized rates on corporate airplanes, including twice on jets owned by Archer Daniels Midland, which is the nation’s largest ethanol producer and is based in his home state.” Anyway, as they say in the DC’s corridors of power, in for a penny, in for a few billion. Meanwhile, corn prices continue to climb…

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15 Comments on “E85 Boondoggle of the Day: The Audacity of Corn...”


  • avatar
    davey49

    wind equals electricity
    electricity powers cars

  • avatar

    See? I knew that. A joke.

  • avatar
    bluecon

    They are going to need more taxpayers to pay for all this stuff.

  • avatar
    tced2

    Oil comes from the sun and soil too. Nature figured it out.

  • avatar
    Casual Observer

    Only a politician would think that using food to power transportation is a good thing.

    Now if we can only figure out how to refine oil into flour, we’d be all set.

  • avatar
    jkross22

    What about unicorn farts?

    To all Obama supporters: I really hope you’re right. The inaugural address had something for everyone to like, but as usual, no details.

    Maybe he’s saving it for the State of the Union. I hope. His proximity to ADM ain’t good for the 120mm of us who pay taxes, as we’ll be pick-pocketed for more subsidies.

  • avatar
    CarnotCycle

    Funny to think, but if you really want “change to believe in” you could construe the soil comment as meaning tar sands. Or maybe even shale. Not that I seriously think that, and no rational person could think that’s what he meant.

    But I have noticed Uncle Obama’s comments have turned into something akin to the Bible (or the Commerce clause if you’re Barney Frank): There’s something in there for everyone, it just depends on how you interpret the words you are hearing or reading.

  • avatar
    ca36gtp

    4-8 years of shakedowns from the agricultural sector, bend over and assume the position everyone.

  • avatar
    beken

    “you could construe the soil comment as meaning tar sands.”

    Uh…the tar sands are in Canada.
    I watched the speech. I thought it made Americans feel proud and hopeful. But I don’t think there was enough detail in there to interpret it to mean anything yet.

    I thought he also signalled a shift in foreign policy. A less aggressive and more partnership type of America.

  • avatar
    menno

    Oh, what the heck are a few more Mexicans starving to death compared to the luxury of being able to enjoy driving an E85 SUV for a few Americans, anyway? ((extreme sarcasm in case you missed that fact)) (You won’t hear stories about this on the ADM bought & paid for lamestream media, but there were tortilla riots in Mexico due to their staple food DOUBLING in price early last year, partly due to Mexican farmers planting corn for export to make ethanol instead of food).

    Besides, those Mexicans should have been moving north to take advantage of the upcoming free medical care in the US (that taxpaying working American poor don’t get). ((more extrme sarcasm, in case you missed that fact))

    Bought & paid for politicians, from Chicago, no less? Yep, real change, all right. ((more extreme sarcasm….. in case you missed it))

    We’ve been sowing similar evil in this country for decades, just as other countries also have been.*

    So, just wait until THAT harvest comes in. Hint: it’s late summer, right now… there is a dark curtain coming down all over the planet, in case it had escaped your notice. Unless you have read to the end of the Book you’ll be flummoxed… confused…. dismayed and angry at…. something or somebody. Try a mirror, first.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE50K03E20090121

    * (We Americans are actually more accountable because we’re throwing away so much more potential – our country WAS a shining city on the hill for awhile; a Republic which stood on LAW, and which was run for the benefit of the entire people, at least more than virtually any other nation in modern history. One small example of how we were different: after helping to win WWII, the US was the ONLY nation for 3 years with nuke weapons. Honestly, now. Can anyone out there amongst the B&B think of virtually ANY other nation which would NOT have used that leverage to simply take over the rest of the world? Do I hear the sounds of crickets? …… Yes).

    http://www.lewrockwell.com/rajiva/rajiva12.html

  • avatar
    Airhen

    menno :
    January 21st, 2009 at 8:25 am

    Oh, what the heck are a few more Mexicans starving to death compared to the luxury of being able to enjoy driving an E85 SUV for a few Americans, anyway?

    And hybrid SUVs are popular with Mr. Obama’s Hollywood pals… as they all like to be picked up from their private jets by one!

  • avatar
    menno

    Thanks, airhen. Made ME laugh, anyhow…

    A small update on my ’08 Prius vs. E10 (10% ethanol gasoline mix).

    This morning on the commute in, the trip meter went to 90 miles and the fuel gage went to 7 bars (3 used). That’s roughly 3 gallons used.

    Normally, on pure gasoline, even in winter I WAS getting 44 mpg (summer, 48, spring and fall, 50).

    Folks can either believe it or not – but I’m looking right at it (and paying the money for it).

    Ethanol – quite literally – sucks. If you are at all math savvy, you can see that – somehow – the Prius is actually sucking something like 20-25% MORE gas PLUS the ethanol compared to what it used to do on pure gas.

    With a 2005 Prius (48,000 miles) and my 2008 (21,500 miles), I have almost 70,000 miles of experience.

    As previously mentioned, EVERY single car I’ve tested since 1979 with E10 has obtained at least 6% fewer MPG’s (one car), most losing at least 10%.

    Obviously (… “duh”…) I used pure gasoline as long as I possibly could and now have had about 2 months of only being able to buy E10 to compare it to.

    Again….. Ethanol sucks.

  • avatar
    PabloKoh

    “Now if we can only figure out how to refine oil into flour, we’d be all set.”
    This how conventional farming produces all out food now! The US uses the energy equivalent of 10 barrels of oil per person per year to feed each resident. The US uses the energy equivalent of 9 barrels of oil per person per year on transportation. The energy companies love the American Farmer. The big question exists “Can we grow food or bio fuels without oil?” Yes. This is how we fed the country before 1870. The cars back then ran on ethanol.

  • avatar
    menno

    PabloKoh said “…1870. The cars back then ran on ethanol”

    I’m sure you’re being ironic and really mean that the horses ate hay back then. There were no cars prior to about 1896, except for the occasional steam powered vehicle made in someone’s barn as an experiment.

    As for growing sufficient food without oil, America could do it.

    But we’d better figure out real quick how to better treat the Amish and old order Mennonite folk who still retain this knowledge. As things stand right now, you won’t hear a single complaint from them.

    BUT they are very aware of the ongoing cultural revolution (they do read even if they don’t have TV or radio, and have their own newspapers/magazines) and they also understand that the predominent American post-modern (anti-Christian) culture believes everything pretty much in opposition to their beliefs.

    In plain English, we Americans had better stop with the hating and marginalizing of Christian folks if we expect to try to get by without starving, because frankly, we need the Mennonites, Amish and other plain Christians way more they they need US. By US I mean both “us” and the U.S.

    See what happens the minute Obama and his minions try to take control and “educate” the children of these folks.

    I can tell you what will happen.

    They will leave the country, dust off their feet.

    And if the oil is turned off, we’ll starve to death. And it’ll serve us right.

  • avatar
    PabloKoh

    I stand corrected on the 1870 car. I should have said 1910. I do agree with the Amish comments above.

    Shameless plug for Amish peanut butter: I would trade a steak dinner for a Amish peanut butter sandwich. Try it if you can get your hands on some.

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