How can we convince congress to pass a law requiring flex fuel vehicles, this will bring down gas prices?

Question

but do Americans still have the gumption to take action, or have we all become sheep?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHalEa_etXI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2LPtm65rMI

Answer 1

That would be an excellent idea.  Very few modifications are needed to make a car flex fuel and they are very inexpensive.  Ethanol is  going to be the nail in the coffin of big oil.  Here are just a few of the lies which oil companies have been spending millions of dollars on in order to brainwash the public.  My question is---are you a sucker for the lies of oil? or are you going to look at facts and think independently?:

One big myth is that more fossil fuels are used to make ethanol than the energy it yields.  This is dead wrong.  Ethanol is now being made with almost an infinitely positive net yield via wind power and combustion of waste biomass from the beef industry.  Ethanol is being produced with ZERO fossil fuels used in the process.  Read that again---ZERO FOSSIL FUELS are being used to make ethanol.  Here are the links to prove it:

http://connectbiz.com/2005/11/keith-kor/

http://fairmontsentinel.com/page/content...

More Biofuel Myths

Myth: Biofuels provide less energy than it takes to make them.

One (and only one) obsolete study done over 20 years ago—in the 1980s—showed a negative energy balance, which the media sometimes quote. Since then, technology and crop yields have improved tremendously. Many studies prove that ethanol provides about 1.5 units of energy for every unit of energy used.

Biodiesel is even higher: 3.2 to 1. What oil companies don’t want you to know is that gasoline takes 20 percent more energy to make than it provides.

Myth: Biofuels drive up food prices.

Corn and soy bean prices have gone up—primarily because of speculators, not Biofuel producers, increasing the cost of a chicken sandwich by about 7 cents. However, high petroleum prices have driven up food prices far more! About 20% of America’s corn crop goes to produce ethanol, which accounts for about 5% of our motor fuel. After the liquid starch is extracted, the remaining product is still be used for feed and fiber. That’s why a third of all the corn grown in the U.S. is still exported! We can easily increase our ethanol production to 15% of our gasoline needs without threatening our food supply. Beyond that, we will need to develop new feedstocks, such as wood and fibrous plants. Research in these areas is well underway.

Myth: Biofuels get worse fuel mileage.

We have been using Biodiesel for over 6 years now. Nearly all of our distributors have seen a 1% to 5% improvementin fuel economy due to better lubricity, higher cetane levels and oxygen content.

Ethanol blends up to 10% have negligible effect on fuel mileage. While high blends of ethanol (such as E85, 85% ethanol) can reduce fuel mileage slightly, ethanol, at 110 octane, provides more power. With proper tuning, engines can reach comparable mileage. In fact in Europe, which has already adopted Biofuels, the same manufacturers sell models in Europe to run on ethanol that get the same mileage as those they sell to run on gasoline in the U.S.

Myth: Vehicle and heating systems must be modified to use Biofuels

Rudolph Diesel’s first diesel engine ran on vegetable oil. Any diesel can run on Biodiesel, although blends above B20 may not yet be supported by your manufacturer.

Any heating system can use Biodiesel, although you may need to replace your fuel pump and make minor modifications for blends over B20.

Henry Ford promoted ethanol. Any car can run on up to E24 (24% ethanol). Blends up to E85 can be used in Flex Fuel Vehicles. There are millions of these on the road today. By 2012, all GM vehicles will be Flex Fuel.

Myth: Biofuels must be subsidized to be affordable.

When you include the cost of our military protecting Mid East oil, environmental remediation, smog and other environmental damage, and numerous similar factors, the real cost of a gallon of gasoline is over $5! It’s already heavilysubsidized! Biofuels, on the other hand, are minimally-subsidized. The blending credit (51 cents/gallon for Ethanol) and ($1/gallon for Biodiesel), gets passed on to the consumer. Sometimes Biofuels cost less than petroleum. This will continue to occur with increasing frequency as the price of petroleum continues to rise, and the price of Biofuels continue to fall as production increases.

Reality:Biofuels are the only real alternatives to fossil fuels, which cost us far more than the price we pay at the pump. Petroleum fuels damage our environment. Every time we buy gasoline, most of the profits go to hostile foreign nations. Money spent on Biofuels stays right here in America, creating jobs and growing our economy!

Data sources: USDA and DOE

Answer 2

If the American people cut their gasoline consumption by 12%, the price of gas will rise 12 %.

Answer 3

I agree with Tom,

If the market was there for flex fuel or ethanol to bring down prices, Ethanol be made a lot cheaper than processing oil.  Congress would not have to pass, or subsidize anything.  If Congress has to subsidize if you count your taxes the cost will be higher.  

If you want ethanol to reduce foreign dependence that is another topic.

Answer 4

SHEEP..Everyone wants to complain about everything but when it comes to doing something about it, they do nothing. Nothing will ever change.

Answer 5

Tom hits the head on the nail.  The guy with the unprouncible name, though, wasn't so close.  You actually WILL be filling up for less more often, because that's how hydrocarbon chains work.  Lowering the Octane lowers how efficiently fuel is burned.  Likewise, the more expensive high-Octane fuel will burn more efficiently, and you will be filling up less for more.

Answer 6

Maybe we would if that wasn't a terrible idea. Flex fuels are made from combining ethonol with gasoline to create a low octane fuel that stretches out the fuel reserves, and since ethonol is cheap right now it makes a cheaper fuel.

Problem #1: Ethonol is made from corn

     Corn is designated either for food or some other industry. By requiring flex fuel offerings, it ups the demand and changes the balance of land annexes. This would mean prices would go up accross the board. This raises flex fuel's cost, food prices (by a lot), and the cost of any product made using ethonol (Anything from perscription medicine to plastics).

Problem #2: Flex fuel is 85 Octane

     There is a worse fuel economy when driving a vehicle on E85. You spend less more often.

Problem #3: Legislation doesn't change gas prices, or fuel efficiency for vehicles

     Just because a vehicle is combatible with flex fuel, it doesn't mean it is fuel efficient. A flex fuel SUV still has c**p for c**p mpg. Also, if flex fuel is around, then gas prices wouldn't go down. Flex fuel is made with gasoline, and the oil companies would love flex fuel coming in. It gives them an excuse to raise fuel prices acros the board. Making flex fuel combatibility a law would mean that we're playing into the hands of oil dependency.

I could go on and on, but there is a reason flex fuel never took off, and it was in spite of common misconception, and corperation's pushing for it.

Answer 7

Isn't this the heart of so-called "global warming"?  Forcing people to do what you think is best?

Now tell me that "global warming" isn't about reducing individual freedoms.  If we accept this faulty logic, then we'll be told what size home we should live in and what type of light bulbs we should be using.

Answer 8

congress doesnt give a c**p about you or me.

Answer 9

The Ethanol Scam:

Politicians and Big Agriculture would have you believe that encouraging the use of grain-based ethanol in gasoline is the key to energy independence.

But not only do all the ethanol-related tax breaks, subsidies and mandates harm consumers in many ways - driving up the cost of food and other goods, including gasoline itself - but the process of making and transporting it uses more energy than the end product yields!

Answer 10

My state government apparently mandated that all state-owned vehicles be capable of running on E85 and use it whenever possible.  We're also required to have 10% ethanol in all gasoline sold now.

Have either of these things actually accomplished anything?  No, not really that I'm aware of.  They built more ethanol plants.  Maybe the air's a little cleaner, or so they claim.

E85 was selling for over $3/gallon here the last time I checked, too, so it's not like they're giving the stuff away, either.  If you want everyone to be using that, the price is going to go up just like it does with gasoline.

Answer 11

america is doing it. come on over and ask

Answer 12

THEIR'S ANOTHER OIL SOURCE WAITING ON WHETHER OUR PRESIDENT IS INTERESTED OR NOT. I'M SURE IT WOULD LOWER THE FUEL TO $1.25 PER GALLON.

Answer 13

Tom, You're mostly right on points #1 and #3.  And dead wrong on #2.  

The Octane rating of E85 is in the 100-105 range, the 85 comes from the 85% Ethanol/15% Gasoline mix in the fuel.  Alcohol has a much higher resistance to pre-detonation, hence the higher Octane Rating...contrary to common misconception.

The worsening of MPG's has more to do with the Stoich of Ethanol's Air/Fuel ratio (about 9-10:1) being more rich than Gasoline's (14.7:1), and that directly relates to Ethanol having fewer BTU's when compared to Gasoline.  All in All, Gasoline is a much better fuel supply from a chemical standpoint.