Why is the government of Brazil smarter than the US government?

Question

Brazil does not have much oil in their country. They use ethanol to power their cars. All the major car companies make special engines for Brazilian cars. Can anyone tell me why the US government talks about alternative fuels but does not switch to ethanol? It's cheap, clean and engines set up for it, have more horsepower.

Answer 1

There's a cascade effect if this country suddenly increased its ethanol consumption by 5%. Because available resources are the same, the price goes up.  Or maybe we outbid the competition and another area has to ration.

But that said, it's all politics.  There is no one perfect fuel source.  Our best bet is to utilize a variety of sources to offset the byproducts that result from each particular source.

Answer 2

yep..smarter in every way. (eyes rolling)

well...in order to use ethanol here (our gas is part ethanol now and E85 isn't all ethanol, it's 85% ,hence the name E85.) we'd have to completely redo the entire system. the production of ethanol in this country is extrememly limited. it's simple supply and demand. the price of ethanol will go up. i won't be surprised if it is higher than gasoline before long. watch...oh, yeah. why don't we do this? money. is't always about money.

Answer 3

Brazils use of ethanol as a motor fuel began many years ago under the military dictator ship that ruled the country in the seventies and eighties.  At the time, Brazil had essentially no oil, was somewhat isolated politically and felt that it could not depend on the outside world to supply it with needed energy resources.  It was also striving at the time to develop much of its interior rain forest into agricultural land.  All of these factors led to the development of their fuel ethanol program.  Grants of money and land were given to farmers who would clear the rain forest and plant crops that could be used to produce ethanol (mostly sugar cane, but a number of other crops as well).  The purchase of ethanol fueled cars was encouraged throug various incentives.  Ethanol was also blended into gasoline at about 10%.

The program survived the eventual replacement of the authortarian government and continues to this day.  But note, this did not happen over night, but over a period of almost 30 years.  The U.S. could follow this path, but it would mean that we would no longer be a major food exporter and this would probably lead to a drastic increase in hunger through out the world.

Answer 4

I'd like to know too, my friend.  Ethanol makes way more sense than gasoline.  It is cleaner, renewable, and made in America.  It enhances our security, environment, and economy.  Unfortunately, big oil is in the pockets of alot of politicians.  And ethanol is not a liberal, democratic movement.  It is a PRO-AMERICAN movement. I'd rather support American farmers than the Saudi royal family.  I am conservative Republican and I believe in ethanol.

Secondly, no one is going hungry because of increased demand for corn.  Last time I checked people can actually eat and digest green beans, asparagus, and even lettuce!  Oil raises the cost of EVERYTHING, food included, due to higher transportation costs.  Oil is the ABSOLUTE number one cause of inflation.

Answer 5

And you forgot soccer. If you add soccer to your statement, Brazil will be the number one country in the World.

Answer 6

The US goverment under Bush has been pushing ethanol - too much in fact.

Ethanol and other biofuels are not a good solution.  In Brazil former rainforest land is used to grow crops from which to get biofuels.  We'd be much better off if they left the rainforest in place and used oil instead.

In order to just get a small fraction of our fuel needs from ethanol we'd have to devote a large percentage of our farming to that crop.  This would leave less land for food crops, increase the price of the crop in question (as we're seeing with corn), and require more resources like water to grow all the crops.  In the UK for example, making 20% of their fuel biofuels would require all the agricultural land in the country.  And it gives a very minimal reduction (if any) in CO2 emissions and contains less energy per volume than gasoline.

Ethanol and other biofuels can only be a small fraction of our fuel consumption.  We need to primarily rely on electric or gas-electric hybrid vehicles, and eventually maybe hydrogen vehicles.

Answer 7

Business my friend, BUSINESS

Answer 8

Yep the smart government of Brazil is cutting down rainforests to grow palm oil to make the ethanol. But then again the rainforests are such a 90's envirowhacko issue.

Answer 9

President Bush has really pushed this alternative combined with other forms and conservation. Ethanol plants are being built all over the Midwest and car manufacturers are offering more flex fuel cars.

I'm not totally convinced of it's benefit if it requires a lot of energy to produce, and uses up food resources. I am not well informed on it, but I see some studies show it is not energy efficient because it takes almost as much energy to produce as you get out, and drives the cost of food up.

Need to learn more.

Answer 10

It really isn't a long term solution... Using crops to fuel your cars uses land that could be used for feeding the people or growing trees that help in removing CO2 from the atmosphere... Our use of corn has already driven up the prices of everything from eggs to tortillas... You may think that doesn't make much difference but in poor countries corn flour has risen so much that some are having problems feeding their families.... We could replace far more imported oil if we just drilled on our own lands....

Answer 11

excellent question.  the answer is simple. we are controlled by the evil behind the big business.  we went to war for oil and elite power.  9/11 was a inside job, a act of domestic terrorism by the elites.  an illusion with a manufactured / fake enemy.  these elites control the oil that equals power.  these elites are doing everything they can to prevent the transfer of power in that regards to a bunch of farmers.  they just attacked our own country, are planning on doing it again soon, invaded two countries based on lies and a staged sacrificial event on september 11th,  there not doing all that to cave to the american people and start representing our intrests.