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  • Click to view ncampbell's profile
    Posted June 15, 2008 by
    Location
    Fort Collins, Colorado
    Assignment
    Assignment
    This iReport is part of an assignment:
    Pain at the pump

    I Buy The Fuel That Still Starts With A Two

     

    Thats Right.  While everyone is complaining about $4 gas, its still going to go higher before it "might" ever possibly go lower.  Reasonably informed politicians are telling us on the news that high gas prices are here to stay, and that in addition to conservation, Americans need to increase their use of biofuels.  I think that when the American people here this, it is thought of as an issue of somebody else taking care of it.  Something that will be relevent to their lives in the future, just not today.  This irresponsible assumption is just another example of trying to defer making any decision in implementing a sensible kind of a energy policy to some future date. 

     

    As a 21 year old college student, I have made the financial decision as a consumer to simply not buy high priced gasoline.  I have been concerned about rising gas prices for a few years and have been useing ethanol as a substitute.  Americans should consider the economic benefits to the community in purchasing ethanol.  Many people can understand the benefits of locally grown food, both in transportation cost and providing income to their neighbors.  Where I live in Fort Collins, CO there is an ethanol plant in a neighboring rural community that produces 50 million gallons per year.  Millions of other people around the county live nearby to facilities such as this, and we should support our fellow Americans and neigbors who work to produce ethanol fuel, instead of foreigners who live on the other side of the world.  Ehanol has to travel shorter distances than oil so its price advantage is going to continue to grow.

     

     

     

    My 1995 toyota celica has an aftermarket upgrade to the computer system that allows it to efficiently burn ethanol.  Total cost of upgrade was $400, including labor.  No other modifications were needed.  The fuel tank, lines, and pump are all original, and old.  E85 ethanol is not more corrosive than E10(regular gasoline for y'all) and your car is required to be able to run that.  Ethanol cleans out sludge on older engines, and power can be greatly improved.  On my vehicle the increased power more than makes up for the cost of the upgrade.  If I drive with slower accelerations and earlier upshifts, I can get 25-30MPG in the city.  EPA estimated fuel economy is only 21.  My car recognizes the higher octane of E85 ethanol and burns it more efficiently than regular gasoline.

    More people should start using ethanol in their own vehicles.  Substituting for gasoline with help both the consumer and the general market.  Competition will bring down the price of oil and gas.  The choice of renweable fuel is available, it just has to be made by more people.

     

     

     

     

    Added:

    http://www.e85prices.com  -  See if you can save big

     

    Where I bought ethanol unit-

     

    http://www.change2e85.com

     

     

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