Upsetting

As gas prices have risen it has been punishing our tight budget. We have one small fuel efficient car and T. often rides to work with a co-worker yet we are still no where near our budgeted amount. It just seems to be getting worse. I noticed it seemed we were having to fill up more often even though we were driving much less. Then my dad mentioned that many of the stations now have up to 10% ethanol in the gas. All this lead to a little research.

Here's the scoop as far as I can understand it....

• Ethanol is made from corn
• It is supposed to lower our foreign oil dependence, lower cost of fuel and be cleaner for the environment.
• None of these seem to be true. Realistically it will be over 2 decades before we would be able to produce enough ethanol to be able to lower our dependence on foreign oil or lower our cost. It is considerably more expensive than gas to produce and that is with a government subsidy, alone it may never be affordable to produce.
  
• Ethanol is not cleaner for the environment and it can be very corrosive to your engine.
• It would take all the current farm land plus some to grow enough corn to make any noticeable difference-that would lower our ability to grow other foods and would raise our dependence on other countries for food.
  
• Ethanol is much less fuel efficient. In other words you are now paying more for much less.
  
• This is the huge kicker to me... All food that is connected with corn has now become more expensive. This includes chicken, beef, dairy products, corn, corn meal products and many others.
  

So, we are paying more to drive less and then paying more for food. Yikes! I am so frustrated!